MERIX CORPORATION and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY Rights Agreement Dated as of October 16, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EX-4.1 3 dex41.htm RIGHTS AGREEMENT DATED AS OF OCTOBER 16, 2007 Rights Agreement dated as of October 16, 2007

Exhibit 4.1

MERIX CORPORATION

and

AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY

Rights Agreement

Dated as of October 16, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page
1.	Certain Definitions	1
2.	Appointment of Rights Agent	5
3.	Issue of Rights Certificates	5
4.	Form of Rights Certificates	6
5.	Countersignature and Registration	7
6.	Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates	8
7.	Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights	8
8.	Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates	10
9.	Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock	10
10.	Preferred Stock Record Date	11
11.	Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights	12
12.	Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares	19
13.	Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power	19
14.	Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares	22
15.	Rights of Action	23
16.	Agreement of Rights Holders	24
17.	Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder	24
18.	Concerning the Rights Agent	25
19.	Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent	25
20.	Duties of Rights Agent	26
21.	Resignation; Removal; Appointment of Successor	27
22.	Issuance of New Rights Certificates	28
23.	Redemption	29
24.	Exchange	30
25.	Notices	31
26.	Supplements and Amendments	32
27.	Successors	32
28.	Benefits of this Agreement	32
29.	Severability	32
30.	Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, Etc	32
31.	Governing Law	33
32.	Counterparts	33
33.	Descriptive Headings	33

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of October 16, 2007 (the “Agreement”), between MERIX CORPORATION, an Oregon corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Rights Agent”).

WITNESSETH

WHEREAS, on October 16, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one Right for each share of Common Stock (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on November 16, 2007 (the “Record Date”), and has authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock issued by the Company between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), with each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined) having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation as amended attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth (the “Rights”);

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

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

(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean (i) any Person (as such term is hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates (as such terms are hereinafter, defined) of such Person, shall become the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or (ii) any Person who is an Adverse Person (as such term is hereinafter defined); provided, however, that an Acquiring Person shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding shares of Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” either (i) as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares Beneficially Owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock, then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person,” or (ii) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a).

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

(c) “Adverse Person” shall mean any Person declared to be an Adverse Person by the Board of Directors of the Company upon a determination that such Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, has, at any time after the date of this Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner of an amount of Common Stock which the Board of Directors determines to be substantial (which amount shall be more than 10% of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding) and a determination by at least a majority of the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company, after reasonable inquiry and investigation, including consultation with such persons as such directors shall deem appropriate, that (1) such beneficial ownership by such Person is intended to cause the Company to repurchase the Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person or to cause pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a transaction or series of transactions intended to provide such Person with short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of Directors determines that the best long-term interests of the Company and its shareholders would not be served by taking such action or entering into such transactions or series of transactions at that time, or (2) such beneficial ownership is causing or reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or impairment of the Company’s ability to maintain its competitive position) on the business or prospects of the Company.

(d) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (as such term is hereinafter defined), as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(e) “Agreement” shall mean this Rights Agreement.

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

(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the power to vote or dispose of, including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing;

(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire voting or dispositive power over (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; or

(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company;

provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (f) shall cause a person to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” (A) any securities that may be issued on the exercise of Rights, (B) any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act, (C) 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 (D) any securities acquired by a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of 40 days after the date of such acquisition. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

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

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

(i) “Common Stock” shall mean the Common Stock, no par value, of the Company. The term “common stock” 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 together with all rights and benefits (however denominated or constituted) relating to such common stock (including, without limitation any rights or warrants to acquire additional shares of such common stock or other securities or assets, or to participate in any trust for the benefit of holders of such shares, or to share in the benefits of any agreements or other arrangements for the benefit of such holders), whether or not such rights are yet exercisable, and together with any other securities which are represented by the certificates for such common stock or are transferred in connection with transfers of such common stock.

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

(k) “Current Per Share Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).

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

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

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

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

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

(q) “Preferred Stock” means Series A Preferred Stock of the Company and, to the extent that there is not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of Preferred Stock of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock.

(r) “Preferred Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).

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

(t) “Proposed Acquiror” shall mean any Person who has proposed or publicly announced an intention to propose a transaction that, if consummated, would cause a Stock Acquisition Date (other than a Stock Acquisition Date occurring as the result of a declaration by the Company’s Board of Directors of the existence of an Adverse Person) or any Section 13 Event to occur.

(u) “Purchase Price” shall mean the dollar amount payable upon exercise of one Right to acquire the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or assets for which the Right is then exercisable and shall initially be the price set forth in Section 7(b).

(v) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

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

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

(y) “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

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

(aa) “Section 13 Event” shall mean any event described in Section 13(a).

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

(cc) “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (including, without limitation, the date a report is filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become an Acquiring Person.

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

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

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

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

3. Issue of Rights Certificates.

(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date is prior to the Record Date, the Record Date) or (ii) the close of business on the tenth day after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15 percent or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (the earliest of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (w) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate Rights Certificates, (x) the Rights and the right to receive Rights Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying Common Stock and any transfer of Common Stock shall also constitute the transfer of the associated Rights represented by the same certificate, (y) in the event the Company purchases or acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such acquired Common Stock shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with shares of Common Stock that are no longer outstanding, and (z) in the event the Company issues any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, the Company shall issue one Right for each such newly issued share of Common stock (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11(h)) which Right shall be evidenced by the certificate for the associated share of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Rights Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(h), at the time the Rights Certificates

are distributed the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments pursuant to Section 14(a) so that Rights Certificates are distributed representing only whole numbers of Rights and cash is paid in lieu of fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

(b) As soon as practicable following the Record Date, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.

(c) All Common Stock certificates which are issued, either upon an original issuance by the Company or upon a transfer by a holder, after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights set forth in a Rights Agreement between Merix Corporation (the “Company”) and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company dated as of October 16, 2007 (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of the Company. 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. The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefore. Under certain circumstances, Rights beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons or their Affiliates or Associates (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), and Rights previously owned by such Persons, may become null and void.

4. Form of Rights Certificates.

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

(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) any other Person if such Rights formerly were beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person (or by an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) at a time after the Acquiring Person became an Acquiring Person, or (iii) a transferee of Rights from an Acquiring Person (or from any Associate or Affiliate thereof) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming an Acquiring Person and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e), and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6, 7(d) or 22 upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the following legend:

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

provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall not have any responsibility to ascertain the existence of facts that would require the imposition of such legend but shall be required to impose such legend only if instructed to do so by the Company or if a holder fails to certify upon transfer or exchange in the space provided on the Rights Certificate that such holder is not an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

5. Countersignature and Registration. The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chair of the Board, President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, 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 manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the 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 Certificate 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 principal offices, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.

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

(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14, 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 Certificates may be transferred, split-up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split-up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office 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 Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14, countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split-up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, 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 make and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

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

(a) At any time after the Distribution Date and at or prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on October 16, 2017 (the “Final Expiration Date”) or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 (the “Redemption Date”), subject to Section 7(e), the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Sections 9(c), 11(a)(iii) and 23(a)) in whole or in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and certificate on the reverse side

thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each Right that is exercised.

(b) The Purchase Price to be paid on exercise of each Right shall initially be $55.00 and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below. Each Right shall initially entitle the holder to acquire one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock upon exercise of the Right. The Purchase Price and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or assets for which a Right is exercisable shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Sections 11 and 13.

(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax in cash, or by certified check or cashier’s check payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k), thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) certificates for the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14, (iii) after receipt of the certificates for Preferred Stock 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, 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, but not limited to, debt securities) of the Company, and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11, the Company covenants that it will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities and/or property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise 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 to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, from and after the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) any other Person if such Rights formerly were beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person (or by an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) at a time after such Acquiring Person became an Acquiring Person, or (iii) a transferee of Rights from an Acquiring Person (or from any Associate or Affiliate thereof) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming an Acquiring Person and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or its Affiliate or Associate) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void and any holder of such

Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and of Section 4(b) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person, or any of its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the surrendered Right Certificate 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.

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

9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date or a Section 13 Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date or a Section 13 Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; provided, however, that shares issuable pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) shall be reserved only following the occurrence of an event described in that section.

(b) If any shares of Preferred Stock are listed on a national securities exchange, and so long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date or a Section 13 Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on that exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on the exchange upon official notice of issuance upon exercise.

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

(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date or Section 13 Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares of such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all 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 shares of Preferred Stock or other securities 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, split-up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates, or any issuance or delivery of certificates for shares in a name other than that of the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise, and shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates for shares 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 satisfaction that no such tax is due.

10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in whose name any certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the

Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of securities 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 Stock payable in Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, 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 Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he or she would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or reclassification is effected. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this 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 a Stock Acquisition Date occurs, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, except as provided below and in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof and payment of the Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by dividing the then current Purchase Price by 50 percent of the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the Stock Acquisition Date (such number of shares being the “Adjustment Shares”).

(iii) In the event the number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company’s articles of incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) over (2) the then current Purchase Price (such excess, the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the applicable Purchase Price, (3) shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock that the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value as shares of Common Stock (“Common Stock Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within 30 days following the Stock Acquisition Date, then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the 30-day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than 90 days after the Stock Acquisition Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholders approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended as so permitted, the “Substitution Period”). To the extent the Company determines that some action must be taken pursuant to the first or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights other than those that are void as provided in Section 7(e), and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be the Current Per Share Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Stock on the date of the Stock Acquisition Date and the value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Stock on such date.

(b) In case the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock Equivalents”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock Equivalents at a price per share of Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock Equivalent (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock Equivalents) less than the then Current Per Share Market Price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable after such record date shall determined by multiplying the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right was exercisable immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or Preferred Stock Equivalents to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible) and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or Preferred Stock Equivalents so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Per Share Market Price. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable shall be readjusted to be the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right would then be exercisable if such record date had not been fixed; and to the extent such rights, options or warrants are issued but not exercised prior to their expiration, the number of shares for which each Right shall be exercisable shall be readjusted to be the number which would have resulted from the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(b) if only the rights or warrants that were exercised had been issued.

(c) (i) In case the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in shares of Preferred Stock but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right was exercisable immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then Current Per Share Market Price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, and the denominator of which shall be such Current Per Share Market Price of the Preferred Stock, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants

applicable to one share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable shall be readjusted to be the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right would then be exercisable if such record date had not been fixed.

(ii) In case the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Common Stock (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 shares of Common Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(h)(ii)), the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right was exercisable immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, and the denominator of which shall be such Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share of Common Stock. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right shall be exercisable shall be readjusted to be the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which each Right would then be exercisable if such record date had not been fixed.

(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Per Share Market Price” of common stock (including Common Stock) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of the common stock for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event the Current Per Share Market Price of common stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such common stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such common stock payable in such common stock or securities convertible into such common stock, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such common stock, 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 take into account such event. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Market (“NASDAQ”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the common stock 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 common stock selected by a majority of the Board of Directors. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national

securities exchange on which the common stock is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the common stock is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the common stock is not publicly held or so listed or traded, “Current Per Share Market Price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.

(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Per Share Market Price” of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Per Share Market Price of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the “Current Per Share Market Price” of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock multiplied by the Adjustment Number as that term is defined in Section D.2 of the Amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, designating the Preferred Stock (initially 100). If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, “Current Per Share Market Price” of Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the current market price of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the Current Per Share Market Price of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 100.

(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price or the number of shares for which a Right is exercisable shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent in the Purchase Price or the number of shares for which a Right is exercisable; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.

(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Stock, 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 Stock contained in Section 11 and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

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

(h) (i) In the event the Company shall, after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, (A) declare a dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, or (D) issue any shares of Common Stock in a reclassification of the Common Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, and the number of Rights to be associated with each share of Common Stock which may thereafter become outstanding prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event.

(ii) In the event the Company shall, after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock at a price per share of Common Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Stock) less than the then Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, and the number of Rights to be associated with each share of Common Stock which may thereafter become outstanding prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Common Stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Per Share Market Price and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Common Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration

shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Common Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed. In the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock shall be readjusted to be the number of Rights that would have been associated with each share of Common Stock if such record date had not been fixed; and to the extent such rights, options or warrants are issued but not exercised prior to their expiration, the number of Rights associated with each share shall be readjusted to be the number which would have resulted from the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(h)(ii) if only the rights, options or warrants that were exercised had been issued.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the adjustments provided for in this Section 11(h) shall not be made if the Company exercises its election provided for in Section 11(i).

(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any event described in clauses (A) through (D) of Section 11(h)(i) or described in Section 11(h)(ii), if such event occurs before the Distribution Date (a “Section 11(h) Event”), to adjust the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right in substitution for any adjustment under Section 11(h) in the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock. If such election is made, (i) the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock prior to the Section 11(h) Event shall be maintained after the Section 11(h) Event, (ii) any new shares of Common Stock issued in the Section 11(h) Event shall, as provided in Section 3(a), have issued with it the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock outstanding, and (iii) any combination of shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares in the Section 11(h) Event shall result in a similar combination of the associated Rights. The Purchase Price and the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of a Right after such adjustment shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of a Right, respectively, in effect immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Rights that would have been associated with each share of Common Stock after the Section 11(h) Event if the Company had not exercised its election provided for in this Section 11(i) and the denominator of which shall be the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to the Section 11(h) Event. To the extent the number of Rights that would have been associated with each share of Common Stock if the Company had not exercised its election provided for in this Section 11(i) may be readjusted as provided in the last sentence of Section 11(h)(ii), the Purchase Price and number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of a Right shall be similarly readjusted.

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

(k) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable 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-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable 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.

(l) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, dividends on Preferred Stock payable in Preferred Stock or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such shareholders or shall reduce the taxes payable by such shareholders.

(m) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action, including any merger, consolidation or sale of assets if at the time such action is taken or immediately thereafter it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13, 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 Preferred Stock and the Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 25.

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

(a) In the event that, following the Distribution Date, directly or indirectly,

(i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(m)) and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger,

(ii) any Person shall acquire shares of Common Stock of the Company in a share exchange,

(iii) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(m)) shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or

(iv) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50 percent or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly owned Subsidiaries in a transaction that complies with Section 11(m),

then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided in Section 7(e)) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof and payment of the Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable shares of common stock of the Principal Party (as hereinafter defined) not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing the then current Purchase Price by 50 percent of the Current Per Share Market Price of the common stock of the Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation of the Section 13 Event, (B) the 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, (C) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to the Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 shall apply to the Principal Party only following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, and (D) the Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its common stock in accordance with Section 9) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to ensure that the provisions of this Agreement shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the common stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of an event described in Section 13.

(b) The term “Principal Party” shall mean

(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, or for which shares of Common Stock are exchanged in such share exchange, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger, consolidation or share exchange or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the common stock of which has the highest aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)); and

(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (iv) 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; or, if each Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions or if the Person receiving the largest portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever Person the common stock of which has the highest aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d));

provided, however, that, if the common stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or such Person is not a corporation, then (A) if such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of one other Person which has common stock so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person, (B) if such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person but is not a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person which has common stock so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to the ultimate parent entity of such first-mentioned Person, (C) if such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by more than one Person, and one or more of such other persons has common stock so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons that is the issuer of common stock so registered having the highest aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)), and (D) if such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by more than one Person, and none of such other Persons have common stock so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever ultimate parent entity is the corporation having the greatest shareholders’ equity or, if no such ultimate parent entity is a corporation, shall refer to whichever ultimate parent entity is the entity having the greatest net assets.

(c) The Company shall not enter into any transaction described in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. In addition, the Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of common stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after execution of such agreement, the Principal Party will

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

Expiration Date and, as soon as practicable following the execution of such agreement, take such action as may be required to ensure that any acquisition of such shares of common stock upon the exercise of the Rights complies with any applicable state security or “blue sky” laws; and

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

(d) In case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in any of its authorized securities or in its Articles or Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue, in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of common stock of such Principal Party at less than the then Current Per Share Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, shares of common stock of such Principal Party at less than the then Current Per Share Market Price (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13) or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provisions in connection with the issuance of the shares of common stock of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13; then, in such event, the Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been cancelled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.

(e) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the Stock Acquisition Date, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13. The provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event.

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 Right would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of

the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

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

(c) Following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date or Section 13 Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of current market value of one share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

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

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

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 Stock;

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

(c) subject to Sections 6 and 7(f), 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 Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e), shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

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

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

18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

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

(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for shares of Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20.

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

(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business or stock transfer 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. 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 the 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 Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

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

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

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

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter 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 provided and established by a certificate signed by any one of the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

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

(e) The Rights Agent shall not 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 in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in this Agreement or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

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

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

(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer, or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become 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 from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

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

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

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

21. Resignation; Removal; Appointment of Successor. 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 Stock and Preferred Stock 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 30 Agent upon 30 days notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 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 (a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any State of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $10 million or (b) an affiliate or subsidiary of a corporation described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, 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.

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 Stock of the Company following the Distribution Date and prior to the Final Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Stock of the Company so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities issued by the Company prior to the Distribution Date, and (b) 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 (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

23. Redemption.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may at its option, at any time prior to the earliest of (i) the close of business on the tenth day following a Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth day following the Record Date), (ii) a determination by the Board of Directors that any Person is an Adverse Person, or (iii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable as provided in Section 11(a)(ii) until such time as the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights (or at such later time as shall be specified in the resolution taking such action), 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. Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights and the Rights Agent by mailing such notice to all such holders 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 shares of Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Per Share Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d), of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

(c) In case the Company shall propose (a) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock or Common Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock or Common Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (b) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Stock or Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, (c) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock or Common Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock), (d) to effect any consolidation, merger or share exchange into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(m)), (e) 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 related transactions, of 50 percent or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(m)), or (f) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25, a notice of such proposed action, 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, exchange, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (a) or (b) above at least 20 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock 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 Stock or Common Stock whichever shall be the earlier.

In case a Stock Acquisition Date shall occur, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 25, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii).

24. Exchange.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time and from time to time after a Stock Acquisition Date, 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)) for shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, or any combination thereof, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or such number of Common Stock Equivalents or units representing fractions thereof as would be deemed to have the same value as one share of Common Stock, per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”).

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents 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 shares of Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents 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)) held by each holder of Rights.

(c) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit an

exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company may, at its option, take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.

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

25. 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:


		Merix Corporation
		15725 SW Greystone Court
		Suite 200
		Beaverton, Oregon 97006
		Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Copy to:		Alan Talkington
		Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
		405 Howard Street
		San Francisco, CA 94105

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

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company

59 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

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 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.

26. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Board of Directors of the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Board of Directors of the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interest of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person); provided, however, 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 or the benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Stock.

27. 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.

28. 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 and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock).

29. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23(a) 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 of the Company.

30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, Etc. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions

of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement. All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (b) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (a) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (b) not subject the Board of Directors of the Company to any liability to the holders of the Rights.

31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Oregon 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

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


MERIX CORPORATION

By:		/s/ Kelly E. Lang
Name:		Kelly E. Lang
Title:		Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY

By:		/s/ Herbert J. Lemmer
Name:		Herbert J. Lemmer
Title:		Vice President

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF AMENDMENT TO

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

MERIX CORPORATION

ESTABLISHING

SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK

1. The name of the Corporation is Merix Corporation (Registry No. 391640-82).

2. Article III of the Articles of Incorporation is amended to delete the existing Article III.D. and to replace it with a new Article III.D. to read in its entirety as follows:

“D. Series A Preferred Stock

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

2. Dividends and Distributions.

(i) The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Board of Directors, out of funds legally available for the purpose, dividends in an amount per share equal to 100 (the “Adjustment Number”) multiplied by the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and the Adjustment Number multiplied by the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, no par value, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) after the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock.

(ii) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in subparagraph 2(i) at the same time that it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in Common Stock).

(iii) Dividends shall not be cumulative. Unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.

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

(i) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to the number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number then in effect on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation.

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

4. Certain Restrictions.

(i) Whenever dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 have not been declared or paid for any fiscal year, until all such dividends and distributions for such fiscal year on Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been declared and paid in full, the Corporation shall not in such fiscal year

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

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

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

5. Restriction on Issuance of Shares; Reacquired Shares. The Corporation shall not issue any Series A Preferred Stock except upon exercise of rights (the “Rights”) issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement dated as of October 16, 2007, between the Corporation and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Rights Agreement”), a copy of which is on file with the secretary of the Corporation at its principal executive office and shall be made available to shareholders of record without charge upon written request. Any Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any

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manner whatsoever may be restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon any such restoration become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

(i) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received the Adjustment Number multiplied by the per share amount to be distributed to holders of Common Stock, plus an amount equal to declared and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

(ii) In the event that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which rank senior to or on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, then assets shall be distributed first to holders of any series of Preferred Stock ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Stock to the extent of their liquidation preferences and such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock and such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.

7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the Common Stock is exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the Adjustment Number multiplied by 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 common Share is changed or exchanged.

8. Anti-Dilution Adjustments to Adjustment Number. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after October 16, 2007 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number for all purposes of this Article III.D. shall be adjusted by multiplying the Adjustment Number then in effect 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

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shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date, fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock at a price per Common Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Stock) less than the then Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d) of the Rights Agreement) on such record date, then in each such case the Adjustment Number for all purposes of this Article III.D. shall be adjusted by multiplying the Adjustment Number then in effect by, a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Common Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible) and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Common Stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Per Share Market Price (as defined in Section 11(d) of the Rights Agreement). In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. Common Stock owned by or held for the account of the Corporation 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. In the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Adjustment Number shall be readjusted as if such record date had not been fixed; and to the extent such rights, options or warrants are issued but not exercised prior to their expiration, the Adjustment Number shall be readjusted to be the number which would have resulted from the adjustment provided for in this paragraph 8 if only the rights, options or warrants that were exercised had been issued.

9. No Redemption. The Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable at the option of the Corporation or any holder thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Corporation may acquire Series A Preferred Stock in any other manner permitted by law.

10. Amendment. Subsequent to the Distribution Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement) these Articles of Incorporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

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

3. The amendment was adopted on October 16, 2007.

4. Shareholder action was not required to adopt the amendment. The amendment was adopted by the Board of Directors without shareholder action.

5. Person to contact about this filing:

Alan Talkington

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

405 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) ###-###-####


Dated: October 16, 2007	MERIX CORPORATION

	By:
	Name:	Kelly E. Lang
	Title:	Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

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EXHIBIT B

[Form of Rights Certificate]


Certificate No. R-				Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER OCTOBER 16, 2017 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR ASSOCIATES (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY RIGHTS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY SUCH PERSONS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.](1)

Rights Certificate

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 October 16, 2007 (the “Rights Agreement”) between MERIX CORPORATION, an Oregon corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5 p.m., New York time, on October 16, 2017 (the “Final Expiration Date”) at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, one one-hundredth of a fully paid and nonassessable share of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) of the Company, at a purchase price of $ (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The Purchase Price may be paid in cash or by certified check or cashier’s check payable to the order of the Company. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock which may be purchased upon exercise hereof, and the Purchase Price per Right set forth above are the number of Rights, the number of one one-hundredths of a share and the Purchase Price as of , based on the Preferred Stock and Common Stock as constituted at such date.

Upon the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an

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

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Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) any other person if such Rights formerly were beneficially owned by such Acquiring Person (or by an Associate or Affiliate thereof) at a time after such Acquiring Person, became an Acquiring Person, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of Rights from such Acquiring Person (or from any Associate or Affiliate thereof) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with such Acquiring Person becoming an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such an event.

As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property which may be obtained upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including a Stock Acquisition Date or a Section 13 Event (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).

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 and the limitations on the rights, obligations, duties, and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company, and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dated as of


ATTEST:				MERIX CORPORATION


Secretary				Title:


Countersigned:

By:
		Authorized Signature

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[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

holder desires to transfer the Rights certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED

hereby sells, assigns, and transfers unto

________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Please print name and address of transferee)

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

Dated

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

Certificate

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

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

Dated:

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

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NOTICE

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

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)

TO:

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

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Please print name and address)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please insert social security or other identifying number: _________________________________________________________

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 print name and address)

Please insert social security or other identifying number:___________________________________________________________

Dated

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

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Certificate

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the, appropriate boxes that:

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

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


Dated: , 20 .
				Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

B-6

EXHIBIT C

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

PREFERRED STOCK

On October 16, 2007, the Board of Directors of Merix Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 16, 2007. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) at a Purchase Price of $55, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent.

Initially, the Rights will be attached to the certificates representing outstanding shares of Common Stock, and no separate Rights Certificates will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten days following a public announcement that (A) a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire from shareholders, beneficial ownership of 15 percent or more of the outstanding Common Stock or (B) the Board of Directors of the Company shall declare any person to be an Adverse Person (as described below) (each, an “Acquiring Person”), or (ii) ten days following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning 15 percent or more of such outstanding Common Stock, as such periods may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement.

An Adverse Person is any person declared to be an Adverse Person by the Board of Directors upon a determination that such person, alone or together with its affiliates and associates, has become the beneficial owner of an amount of Common Stock which the Board of Directors determines to be substantial (which amount shall be more than 10% of the Common Stock then outstanding) and a determination by at least a majority of the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company, after reasonable inquiry and investigation, including consultation with such persons as such directors shall deem appropriate, that (i) such beneficial ownership by such person is intended to cause the Company to repurchase the Common Stock beneficially owned by such person or to cause pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a transaction or series of transactions intended to provide such person with short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of Directors determines that the best long-term interests of the Company and its shareholders would not be served by taking such action or entering into such transactions or series of transactions at that time or (ii) such beneficial ownership is causing or reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or impairment of the Company’s ability to maintain its competitive position) on the business or prospects of the Company.

Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by and will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after November 16, 2007 will contain a legend incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.

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The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of business on October 16, 2017, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.

As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only Common Stock issued prior to the time the Rights become exercisable or issued upon exercise or conversion of rights, warrants, options or convertible securities issued prior to the time the Rights become exercisable will be issued with Rights.

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

For example, at an exercise price of $55.00 per Right, each Right not owned by the Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties or transferees) following the event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase $110.00 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $55.00. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $15.00 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase 7.33 shares of Common Stock for $55.00.

In the event that, at any time following the Distribution Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or in which shares of the Common Stock are exchanged for stock or other securities, cash or property, or (ii) 50 percent or more of the Company’s assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock or the Common Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, (iii) if holders of Common Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Common Stock, or (iv) upon the distribution to holders of Preferred Stock or Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

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With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price or the number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of a Right will be required until cumulative adjustments would require an increase or decrease of at least 1 percent. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

At any time until a determination that any person is an Adverse Person or ten days (or longer if extended pursuant to the terms of the Rights Agreement) after a person otherwise becomes an Acquiring Person, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration), appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date of the Rights Agreement. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $.001 redemption price.

At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock or common stock equivalents deemed to have the same value as one share of Common Stock, per Right (subject to adjustment).

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

The Preferred Stock will be non-redeemable. The Preferred Stock may rank on a lower priority in respect of the preference as to dividends and the distribution of assets with other classes or series of the Company’s Preferred Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to an aggregate of 100 times the cash and non-cash (payable in kind) dividends and distributions (other than dividends and distributions payable in Common Shares) declared on the Company’s Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, the holders of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive a liquidation payment in an amount equal to 100 times the payment made per share of Common Stock, plus an amount equal to declared and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon. In the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Stock is exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount to be distributed per share to Common Stock holders. The dividend and liquidation rights of the Preferred Stock are protected by antidilution provisions. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to 100 votes (subject to certain adjustments) on all matters submitted to the shareholders.

A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 16, 2007. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Rights Agent. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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