Exhibit 4.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT dated as of December 15, 2006
(the "Agreement"), between INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION, a
Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company") and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST
COMPANY, a New York corporation(the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, effective December 13, 1996 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a
distribution of one right for each share of common stock, par value $.01 per
share, of the Company (the "Company Common Stock") outstanding at the Close of
Business (as hereinafter defined) on January 3, 1997 (the "Record Date"), and
has authorized the issuance of one right (as such number may hereinafter be
adjusted pursuant hereto) for each share of Company Common Stock issued between
the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's
treasury) and, except as otherwise provided in Section 22, the Distribution Date
(as hereinafter defined), each right issued in respect of a share of Company
Common Stock ("Right") initially representing the right to purchase, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, one Unit of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" means any Person (other than the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect
to such plan acting in such capacity) that shall be the Beneficial Owner of 10%
or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided, however, that
the term "Acquiring Person" shall not include an Exempt Person. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if a majority of the Independent Directors determines in good
faith that a Person who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person has become such
inadvertently and without any intention of changing or influencing control of
the Company, and if such Person divests himself or itself as promptly as
practicable of a sufficient number of such shares of Common Stock so that such
Person would no longer be the Beneficial Owner of that percentage of shares
which would otherwise result in him or it being an Acquiring Person, then such
Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an Acquiring Person for any
purposes of this Agreement. A majority of the Independent Directors may make all
determinations of fact and intent necessary for purposes of the preceding
exception so long as made by them in good faith.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in
effect on the date hereof.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) of which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates is considered to be a "beneficial owner" under Rule
13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (the "Exchange
Act Regulations") as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that a
Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own",
any securities under this subparagraph (i) as a result of an agreement,
arrangement or understanding to vote such securities if such agreement,
arrangement or understanding (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in
response to a proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance
with, the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act
Regulations, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), but the foregoing
exception shall not apply, whether or not reportable by such Person on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act, if such voting power arises from a revocable proxy
(unless such proxy has been effectively revoked) given in response to a proxy or
consent solicited by or on behalf of such Person and in furtherance of such
Person's publicly announced intention to acquire control, through any means,
over the Company or its Board of Directors or in furtherance of such Person's
publicly announced and unsolicited intention to acquire all or substantially all
of the assets or stock of the Company;
(ii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of such other
Person) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a
revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (i) of this
paragraph (c) of Section 1) or disposing of such securities; or
(iii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time
or upon the satisfaction of conditions) 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; provided,
however, that under this paragraph (c) a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", (A) securities tendered
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made in accordance with Exchange Act
Regulations by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B)
securities that may be issued upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities that may be issued upon
exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, which
Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section
22 (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) in connection with an
adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an employee, officer or director of the
Company shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own,"
any securities which such Person has the right to acquire from the Company
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time
or upon the satisfaction of conditions) pursuant to any stock option plan or
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other employee benefit plan (the "Underlying Securities"; the right to acquire
the Underlying Securities shall hereinafter be referred to as a "Company
Option"); provided that such Person has no intention of changing or influencing
control of the Company at the time of the acquisition of the Company Option or
at any time during which such Person has the right to exercise the Company
Option; provided, further, that if, notwithstanding the foregoing proviso, a
Person would be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" and such Person thereafter
becomes the beneficial owner of one or more additional shares of Company Common
Stock other than pursuant to the exercise of a Company Option, such Person will
immediately and thereafter be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and to
"beneficially own," the Underlying Securities under all Company Options owned by
such Person. An employee, officer, or director of the Company exercising a
Company Option shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," the Underlying Securities; provided that such Person has no
intention of changing or influencing control of the Company at the time of the
acquisition of the Underlying Securities; provided, further, that if,
notwithstanding the foregoing proviso, a Person would be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person" and such Person thereafter becomes the beneficial owner of
one or more additional shares of Company Common Stock other than pursuant to the
exercise of a Company Option, such Person will immediately and thereafter be
deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and "beneficially own," the Underlying
Securities. Any Person other than an employee, officer or director of the
Company (including a former employee, officer or director of the Company)
exercising a Company Option will not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," the Underlying Securities; provided that such Person has no
intention of changing or influencing control of the Company at the time of the
acquisition of the Underlying Securities; and provided, further, that such
Person acquires such Underlying Securities with the intention of effecting their
resale (within five (5) days of so acquiring them) to a Person other than an
Affiliate or an Associate of such Person or to another Person which would be an
Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or an Associate thereof), and such Person
actually disposes of such Underlying Securities within such five-day period.
(d) "Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to be closed.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date means 5:00 P.M., New
York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(f) "Common Stock" of any Person other than the Company means
the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or, if such
Person shall have no capital stock, the equity securities or other equity
interest having power to control or direct the management of such Person.
(g) "Company Common Stock" has the meaning set forth in the
Recital.
(h) "Company Option" has the meaning set forth in Section
1(c).
(i) "Distribution Date" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(a).
(j) "Exempt Person" means:
(i) the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any person or entity organized, appointed, established or holding
Company Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; and
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(ii) any Person who would otherwise become an
Acquiring Person solely by virtue of a reduction in the number of outstanding
shares of Company Common Stock; (whether resulting from a repurchase of its
Common Stock by the Company or otherwise); provided, however, that such Person
shall not be an Exempt Person if, subsequent to such reduction, such Person
shall become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Company Common
Stock (unless such shall arise solely by reason of a recapitalization, stock
dividend or stock split declared by the Company with respect to all outstanding
shares of its Common stock).
(k) "Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section
7(a).
(l) "Independent Director" means a member of the Board of
Directors of the Company who is not an officer or employee of the Company, who
is not an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person
or a representative or nominee of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate
or Associate, and who either (i) was a member of the Board of Directors of the
Company prior to the date hereof or (ii) subsequently became a director of the
Company and whose election or nomination for election is approved or recommended
by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company, which majority
includes a majority of the Independent Directors then serving on the Board of
Directors.
(m) "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm,
corporation, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, as
well as any syndicate or group deemed to be a person under Section 14(d)(2) of
the Exchange Act.
(n) "Preferred Stock" means the Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock of the Company having the voting powers, designation,
preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and
qualifications, limitations and restrictions described in the Certificate of
Designation set forth as Exhibit B.
(o) "Purchase Price" has the meaning set forth in Section
7(b).
(p) "Record Date" has the meaning set forth in the Recital.
(q) "Right" has the meaning set forth in the Recital.
(r) "Rights Certificate" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(a).
(s) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" has the meaning set
forth in the Recital.
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(t) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" means any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii)(A), (B) or (C).
(u) "Section 13 Event" means any event described in clause
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a).
(v) "Stock Acquisition Date" means the first date of public
announcement (including, without limitation, the filing of any report pursuant
to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), or any press release issued by the
Company or any Person, or the filing of any periodic or interim report by the
Company or any Person or the filing of any Schedule TO or Amendment thereto by
any Person with the Securities and Exchange Commission) that an Acquiring Person
has become such.
(w) "Subsidiary" means, with reference to any Person, any
other Person of which an amount of voting securities or equity interests
sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors or equivalent governing
body of such other Person is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such
Person, or otherwise controlled by such first-mentioned Person.
(x) "Summary of Rights" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(b).
(y) "Triggering Event" means any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.
(z) "Underlying Securities" has the meaning set forth in
Section 1(c).
(aa) "Unit" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).
SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. With
the consent of the Rights Agent, the Company may from time to time appoint such
Co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.
SECTION 3. ISSUE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until (i) the earliest of (x) the Close of Business on the tenth
Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, (y) the Close of Business on the
tenth Business 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 maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or
fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity) is commenced within
the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the Exchange Act Regulations or upon the first
pre-tender offer commencement communication made publicly pursuant to Rule
14d-2(b) of such Regulations or any successor rule, whichever is earlier, if
upon consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 10% or
more of the shares of Company Common Stock then outstanding, or (z) the Close of
Business on the tenth Business Day after the first date that any Person (other
than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan
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maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary
with respect to such plan acting in such capacity) publicly announces an intent
to acquire control over the Company and proposes in a proxy or consent
solicitation (including a public announcement of such intent or the preliminary
filing of a proxy or consent solicitation statement with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act Regulations,
or any successor rule, whichever is earlier) to elect such number of directors
as, were they elected, would represent a change of control in the composition of
the Board of Directors of the Company such that the nominees of such Person, if
elected, would outnumber the Independent Directors on the Board of Directors of
the Company, or (ii) such later date as may be determined by action of a
majority of the Independent Directors (such determination to be made prior to
either of the dates specified in (i) above) and of which the Company will give
the Rights Agent prompt written notice (such date above being the "Distribution
Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph
(b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for shares of Company Common Stock
registered in the names of the holders of shares of Company Common Stock as of
and subsequent to the Record Date (which certificates for shares of Company
Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by
separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in
connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Company Common Stock
(including a transfer to the Company). As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Company Common Stock as of the
Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown
on the records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in substantially
the form of Exhibit A (the "Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each
share of Company Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein.
In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Company
Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(p), at the time of
distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company may make the necessary and
appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so
that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are
distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after
the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights
Certificates.
(b) [Reserved]
(c) Rights shall, without any further action, be issued in respect of
all shares of Company Common Stock that are issued (including any shares of
Company Common Stock held in treasury) after the Record Date (but prior to the
earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date). Certificates
evidencing such shares of Company Common Stock issued after the Record Date
shall bear the following legend:
"This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
InterDigital Communications Corporation (the "Company") and American
Stock Transfer and Trust Company (the "Rights Agent") dated as of
December 31, 1996 (the "Rights Agreement), the terms of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file
at the principal office of the stock transfer administration office of
the Rights Agent. 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, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge
promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or
held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by
any subsequent holder, may become null and void."
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With respect to certificates evidencing shares of Company Common Stock
(whether or not such certificates include the foregoing legend or have appended
to them the Summary of Rights), until the earlier of the Distribution Date and
the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the shares of Company Common
Stock evidenced by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates
alone and registered holders of the shares of Company Common Stock shall also be
the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such
certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with
the shares of Company Common Stock evidenced by such certificates.
SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase,
assignment and certificate to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A 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 any rule or regulation thereunder 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 be dated as of
the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase
such number of Units of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the
price set forth therein, but the amount and type of securities, cash or other
assets that may be acquired upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase
Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant hereto that represents
Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and that receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from
the Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding either the
transferred Rights, shares of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a
transfer that a majority of the Independent Directors has determined in good
faith, following a reasonable review of the applicable facts and circumstances,
to be part of a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose
or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) shall, upon the written direction of a
majority of the Independent Directors, contain (to the extent feasible) the
following legend:
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"The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate
and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the
circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement."
SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its Chairman of the Board, the President or one of its Vice Presidents, under
its corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its Secretary or one of its
Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights
Certificates may be manual or facsimile. Rights Certificates bearing the manual
or facsimile signatures of the individuals who were at any time the proper
officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such
individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the
countersignature of such Rights Certificates or did not hold such offices at the
date of such Rights Certificates. No Rights Certificate shall be entitled to any
benefit under this Agreement or be valid for any purpose unless there appears on
such Rights Certificate a countersignature duly executed by the Rights Agent by
manual signature of an authorized signatory, and such countersignature upon any
Rights Certificate shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that
such Rights Certificate has been duly countersigned as required hereunder.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its office designated for surrender of Rights Certificates
upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and registration of transfer
of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the name and
address of each holder of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights
evidenced on its face by each Rights Certificate and the date of each Rights
Certificate.
SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS
CERTIFICATES: MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS 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 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 Units of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event,
other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) 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 executed the certificate set forth 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) of the Rights represented by such Rights Certificate or
Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request;
whereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to the provisions of Section 4(b),
Section 7(e) and Section 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.
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(b) If a Rights Certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or
destroyed, upon request by the registered holder of the Rights represented
thereby and upon payment to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incident thereto, there shall be issued, in exchange for and upon
cancellation of the mutilated Rights Certificate, or in substitution for the
lost, stolen or destroyed Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate, in
substantially the form of the prior Rights Certificate, of like tenor and
evidencing the equivalent number of Rights, but, in the case of loss, theft or
destruction, only upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the Company and the
Rights Agent of such loss, theft or destruction of such Rights Certificate and,
if requested by the Company or the Rights Agent, indemnity also satisfactory to
it.
SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF
RIGHTS.
(a) Prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth
anniversary of this Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (the "Final Expiration
Date"), and (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in
Section 23 (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being the "Expiration Date"), the
registered holder of any Rights Certificate may, subject to the provisions of
Sections 7(e) and 9(c), exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the
reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate
Purchase Price (as hereinafter defined) for the number of Units of Preferred
Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets,
as the case may be) for which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable.
(b) The purchase price for each one one-thousandth of a share (each
such one one-thousandth of a share being a "Unit") of Preferred Stock upon
exercise of Rights shall be $200.00, subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) (such purchase price, as so adjusted, being
the "Purchase Price"), and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
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(c) As promptly as practicable following the occurrence of the
Distribution Date, the Company shall deposit with a corporation in good standing
organized under the laws of the United States or any State of the United States,
which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock
transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authority (such institution being the "Depositary Agent") certificates
evidencing the shares of Preferred Stock that may be acquired upon exercise of
the Rights and shall cause such Depositary Agent to enter into an agreement
pursuant to which the Depositary Agent shall issue receipts evidencing interests
in the shares of Preferred Stock so deposited. Upon receipt of a Rights
Certificate evidencing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase
and the certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each
Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price for the Units of Preferred Stock (or,
following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) to be purchased thereby as set forth below and an amount equal to
any applicable transfer tax or evidence satisfactory to the Company of payment
of such tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k), thereupon
promptly (i) requisition from the Depositary Agent depositary receipts
evidencing such number of Units of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased and
the Company will direct the Depositary Agent to comply with such request, (ii)
requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of
fractional shares in accordance with Section 14, (iii) after receipt of such
depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver
such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue Company Common
Stock, other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other
property pursuant to Section 11(a), the Company will make all arrangements
necessary so that such Company Common Stock, other securities, cash and/or other
property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) may be made in cash or by certified or
bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent
and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from
and after the first occurrence of any Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of
an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person
becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person becoming such and that receives such Rights pursuant to
either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring
Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity interests in
such Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) or to any Person with
whom the Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, shares
of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a transfer that a majority of the
Independent Directors has determined in good faith, following a reasonable
review of the applicable facts and circumstances, to be part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall be null and void without any further
action, and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with
respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the
provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are complied with, but shall
have no liability to any holder of Rights or any other Person as a result of its
failure to make any determination under this Section 7(e) or such Section 4(b)
with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or
transferees.
-10-
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate 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 by such registered holder unless such
registered holder shall have (i) completed and executed the certificate
following the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the
Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) of the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate or
Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
SECTION 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. All
Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation
and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any Rights
Certificates acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.
The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Rights Certificates to the Company,
or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Rights
Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction
thereof to the Company.
SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.
(a) The Company shall at all times prior to the Expiration Date cause
to be reserved and kept available, out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock, the number of shares of Preferred Stock that, as provided in
this Agreement, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights. Upon the occurrence of any events resulting in an increase
in the aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock (or other equity securities
of the Company) issuable upon exercise of all outstanding Rights above the
number then reserved, the Company shall make appropriate increases in the number
of shares so reserved.
(b) If the shares of Preferred Stock to be issued and delivered upon
the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange,
the Company shall during the period from the Distribution Date through the
Expiration Date use its best efforts to cause all securities reserved for such
issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon
such exercise.
-11-
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts (i) as soon as practicable
following the occurrence of a Section 11 (a)(ii) Event and a 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, if so required by law,
as soon as practicable following the Distribution Date (such date being the
"Registration Date"), to file a registration statement on an appropriate form
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with
respect to the securities that may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights (the
"Registration Statement"), (ii) to cause the Registration Statement to become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing, (iii) to cause the
Registration Statement to continue to be effective (and to include a prospectus
complying with the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A)
the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for the securities
covered by the Registration Statement, and (B) the Expiration Date and (iv) to
take as soon as practicable following the Registration Date such action as may
be required to ensure that any acquisition of securities upon exercise of the
Rights complies with any applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws.
(d) The Company shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure
that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, any other securities that may be delivered upon exercise of
Rights) shall be, at the time of delivery of the certificates or depositary
receipts for such securities, duly and validly authorized and issued and fully
paid and non-assessable.
(e) The Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or transfer tax
imposed in connection with the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates
or upon the exercise of Rights; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to pay any such tax imposed in connection with the issuance or delivery
of Units of Preferred Stock, or any certificates or depositary receipts for such
Units of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
any other securities, cash or assets, as the case may be) to any person other
than the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing the Rights
surrendered for exercise. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver
any certificates or depositary receipts for Units of Preferred Stock (or,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, any other securities, cash or
assets, as the case may be) to, or in a name other than that of, the registered
holder 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.
SECTION 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for Units of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, other securities) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall
for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Units of
Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other
securities) evidenced 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, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
other securities) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such securities on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the
Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other
securities) transfer books of the Company are open and; provided further,
however, that if delivery of Units of Preferred Stock is delayed pursuant to
Section 9(c), such Persons shall be deemed to have become the record holders of
such Units of Preferred Stock only when such Units first become deliverable.
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 securities for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including,
without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to
receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
-12-
SECTION 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND 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 shares
of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, (C)
combine the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of
shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of
the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase
Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the
effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the
number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may
be, issuable on such date upon exercise of the Rights, shall be proportionately
adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be
entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the
aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the
case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to
receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification. If an event occurs that 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:
(a) any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any
Acquiring Person, at any time after the date hereof, directly or indirectly, (1)
shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger or
combination and Company Common Stock shall remain outstanding and unchanged, (2)
shall, in one transaction or a series of transactions, transfer any assets to
the Company or to any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for
shares of Company Common Stock, for other equity securities of the Company or
-13-
any such Subsidiary, or for securities exercisable for or convertible into
shares of equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (whether
Company Common Stock or otherwise) or otherwise obtain from the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, with or without consideration, any additional shares of
such equity securities or securities exercisable for or convertible into such
equity securities (other than pursuant to a pro rata distribution to all holders
of Company Common Stock), (3) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage,
pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire or dispose of, in one transaction or a
series of transactions, to, from or with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in
such capacity, assets (including securities) on terms and conditions less
favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary or plan than those that could have
been obtained in arm's- length negotiations with an unaffiliated third party,
other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a), (4) shall sell,
purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire or
dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions, to, from or with the
Company or any of the Company's Subsidiaries or any employee benefit plan
maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary
with respect to such plan acting in such capacity (other than transactions, if
any, consistent with those engaged in, as of the date hereof, by the Company and
such Acquiring Person or such Associate or Affiliate), assets (including
securities) having an aggregate fair market value of more than $5 million, other
than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a), (5) shall sell,
purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire or
dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions, to, from or with the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any employee benefit plan maintained by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect
to such plan acting in such capacity, any material trademark or material service
▇▇▇▇, other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a), (6) shall
receive, or any designee, agent or representative of such Acquiring Person or
any Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person shall receive, any
compensation from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than compensation
for full-time employment as a regular employee at rates in accordance with the
Company's (or its Subsidiaries') past practices, or (7) shall receive the
benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a holder of Company
Common Stock or as required by law or governmental regulation), of any loans,
advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or any tax credits
or other tax advantage provided by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or
any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity; or
(b) any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, other than
pursuant to any transaction set forth in Section 13(a); or
(c) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, there
shall be any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split),
or recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of the
Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of
transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than a
transaction or transactions to which the provisions of Section 13(a) apply
(whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person), which
has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than 1% the
proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is directly or indirectly
beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any
Acquiring Person; then, immediately upon the date of the occurrence of an event
described in Section 11 (a)(ii)(a)-(c) (a "Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), proper
provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below
and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement, in lieu of the number of Units of Preferred Stock for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, such number of Units of Preferred Stock as shall equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then
number of Units of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (such product
thereafter being, for all purposes of this Agreement other than Section 13, the
"Purchase Price"), and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the then current
market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Unit of Preferred
Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such Units of Preferred Stock being
the "Adjustment Shares").
-14-
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of
Preferred Stock that are authorized by the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other
than upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this
Section 11(a), the Company, by the vote of a majority of the Independent
Directors, 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
Purchase Price (such excess being the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each
Right, make adequate provision to substitute for such Adjustment Shares, upon
payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the
Purchase Price, (3) Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the
Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred
stock (such other shares being "preferred 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 a majority of the Independent Directors,
after receiving advice from a nationally recognized investment banking firm;
provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to
deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within 30 days following the later of
(x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which
the Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later
of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(iii) Trigger
Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for
exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Units
of Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which
Units of Preferred Stock and/or cash shall have an aggregate value equal to the
Spread. To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken
pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company shall
provide, subject to Section 7(e), that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of a Unit
of Preferred Stock shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per Unit of Preferred Stock on the Section 11(a)(iii)
Trigger Date and the value of any preferred stock equivalent shall be deemed to
have the same value as the Preferred Stock on such date.
-15-
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within 45
days after such record date) shares of Preferred Stock (or shares having
substantially the same rights, privileges and preferences as shares of Preferred
Stock ("Equivalent Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred
Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or
per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share,
if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock)
less than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to
be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction,
the numerator of which shall be the sum of the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred
Stock that the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or
all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by a majority of the Independent Directors,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights,
shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company or any
Subsidiary shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such
computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record
date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued
the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then
be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other
than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings
of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in 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)
hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current market
price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred
Stock on such record date less the fair market value (as determined in good
faith by a majority of the Independent Directors, whose determination shall be
described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the
Rights Agent and the holder of the Rights) of the cash, assets or evidences of
indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
distributable in respect of a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of
which shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
-16-
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current market price" per share of Company Common Stock or Common Stock on any
date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of
such shares for the 10 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter
defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that if prior to the
expiration of such requisite ten Trading Day-period the issuer announces either
(A) a dividend or distribution on such shares payable in such shares or
securities convertible into such shares (other than the Rights), or (B) any
subdivision, combination or reclassification of such shares, then, following the
ex- dividend date for such dividend or the record date for such subdivision, as
the case may be, the "current market price" shall be properly adjusted to take
into account such event. The closing price for each day shall be, if the shares
are listed and admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which such
shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if such shares are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq")
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date such shares are not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in such shares
selected by a majority of the Independent Directors. If on any such date no
market maker is making a market in such shares, the fair value of such shares on
such date as determined in good faith by a majority of the Independent Directors
shall be used. If such shares are not publicly held or not so listed or traded,
"current market price" per share shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by a majority of the Independent Directors, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes. The term "Trading Day" shall mean, if such
shares are listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a
day on which the principal national securities exchange on which such shares are
listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if
such shares are not so listed or admitted, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current market price" per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the
same manner as set forth above for Company Common Stock in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d) (other than the fourth sentence thereof). If the current market
price per share 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 market price"
per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal
to 1,000 (as such amount may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to Company Common
Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current
market price per share of Company Common Stock. If neither Company Common Stock
nor Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, "current market
price" per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by a majority of the Independent Directors, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. For all
purposes of this Agreement, the "current market price" of a Unit of Preferred
Stock shall be equal to the "current market price" of one share of Preferred
Stock divided by 1,000.
-17-
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would
require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided,
however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not
required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any
subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to
the nearest cent or to the nearest one-thousandth of a share of Company Common
Stock or Common Stock or other share or hundred-thousandth 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 that
mandates such adjustment and (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or 13(a) the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Stock,
thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any
Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to
time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the
provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b),
(c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), 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 hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Units of Preferred Stock
(or other securities or amount of cash or combination thereof) that may be
acquired from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to
further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
Units of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest hundred-thousandth of a
Unit) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Units of Preferred Stock
covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and
(ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any
adjustment in the number of Units of Preferred Stock that may be acquired upon
the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in
the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Units of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment.
Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall
become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest hundred-thousandth)
obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public
announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the
record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the
adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase
Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of such public
announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a
result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be
distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the
Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights Certificates to be so distributed shall be issued, executed
and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option
of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the
names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
-18-
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of Units 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 Unit and the number of Units of
Preferred Stock that were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued
hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value of the number of Units of
Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any
corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order
that the Company may validly and legally issue such fully paid and nonassessable
number of Units of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
of that number of Units of Preferred Stock and shares of other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of Units of Preferred Stock and shares of other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of
the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that
the Company shall deliver to such holder a due ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.
-19-
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment a majority of
the Independent Directors shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i)
consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for
cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price,
(iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities that
by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred
Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants
referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its
Preferred Stock, shall not be taxable to such holders or shall reduce the taxes
payable by such holders.
(n) The Company shall not, at any time after the Distribution
Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge
with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer
(or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series
of transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets
or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale
there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or
agreements in effect that would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to,
simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the
Person which constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for
purposes of Section 13(a) shall have distributed or otherwise transferred to its
shareholders or other persons holding an equity interest in such Person, Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates;
provided, however, that this Section 11(n) shall not affect the ability of any
Subsidiary of the Company to consolidate with, merge with or into, or sell or
transfer assets or earning power to, any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(o) After the Distribution Date, the Company shall not, except
as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26, take (or permit any Subsidiary to
take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably
foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare
a dividend on the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock payable in shares
of Company Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Company Common
Stock, (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, or (iv) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of Company 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
Company Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but
prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Company Common Stock
following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the
number of Rights associated with each share of Company Common Stock immediately
prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total
number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the
occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number
of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately following the
occurrence of such event.
-20-
SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section 13,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock and the Company Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and
(c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate evidencing
shares of Company Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25. The Rights Agent
shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any
such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly
or indirectly, either (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and
into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the
Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of
such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or
merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock shall be
converted into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or
cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer
(or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer) to any
Person or Persons (other than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in one or
more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), in one or
more transactions assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the
assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole)
(any such event being a "Section 13 Event"), then, and in each such case, proper
provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided
in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise
thereof at the then current Purchase Price, such number of validly authorized
and issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock of the Principal
Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), which shares shall not be subject
to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal, transfer restrictions or
other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Units of Preferred
Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence
of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to
the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such Units
for which a Right would be exercisable hereunder but for the occurrence of such
Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price which would be in effect hereunder
but for such first occurrence) and (2) dividing that product (which, following
the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be the "Purchase Price" for
all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such
Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of
such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to
this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to
such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of
Section 11 shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such
steps (including, but not limited to the reservation of a sufficient number of
shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such
transaction as may be necessary to ensure that the provisions of this Agreement
shall thereafter be applicable to its shares of Common Stock thereafter
deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) shall be of no further effect following the first occurrence of any
Section 13 Event.
-21-
(b) "Principal Party" means:
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or
(y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), (A) the Person that is the issuer of
any securities into which shares of Company Common Stock are converted in such
merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer
of Common Stock that has the highest aggregate current market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) and (B) if no securities are so issued, the
Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation, 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) hereof);
and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the
largest 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) hereof); provided,
however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at
such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period
registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act ("Registered Common Stock"), or
such Person is not a corporation, and such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person that has Registered Common Stock outstanding,
"Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person; (2) if the Common Stock of
such Person is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a corporation,
and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person but is not
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person which has Registered Common
Stock outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to the ultimate parent entity
of such first-mentioned Person; (3) if the Common Stock of such Person is not
Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a corporation, and such Person is
directly or indirectly controlled by more than one Person, and one or more of
such other Persons has Registered Common Stock outstanding, "Principal Party"
shall refer to whichever of such other Persons is the issuer of the Registered
Common Stock having the highest aggregate current market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof); and (4) if the Common Stock of such Person is
not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a corporation, and such Person
is directly or indirectly controlled by more than one Person, and none of such
other Persons have Registered Common Stock outstanding, "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.
-22-
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of
authorized shares of its Common Stock that have not been issued or reserved for
issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this
Section 13, and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall
have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement
providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13
and further providing that the Principal Party will:
(i) (A) file on an appropriate form, as soon as practicable
following the execution of such agreement, a registration statement under the
Securities Act with respect to the Common Stock that may be acquired upon
exercise of the Rights, (B) cause such registration statement to remain
effective (and to include a prospectus complying with the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Expiration Date, and (C) as soon as practicable
following the execution of such agreement, take such action as may be required
to ensure that any acquisition of such Common Stock upon the exercise of the
Rights complies with any applicable state security or "blue sky" laws; and
(ii) 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 that 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 Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or other instrument
governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i)
causing such Principal Party to issue, in connection with, or as a consequence
of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of
Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then current market price
per share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or securities
exercisable for, or convertible into Common Stock of such Principal Party at
less than such then current market price (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 Common Stock of such
Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of this 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 canceled, waived or amended, or
that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable
provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the
consummation of the proposed transaction.
-23-
(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 occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised
shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
SECTION 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or
to distribute Rights Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the Persons to which such
fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to such
fraction of the market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section
14(a), the market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the
Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the
Rights for any day shall be, if the Rights are listed or admitted to trading on
a national securities exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal
national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to
trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of
the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market as reported by
Nasdaq or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are
not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked
prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights
selected by a majority of the Independent Directors. If on any such date no such
market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on
such date as determined in good faith by a majority of the Independent Directors
shall be used and such determination shall be described in a statement filed
with the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Preferred Stock (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates that evidence such fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock
that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share, the Company
may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights
are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of
the then current market price of a share of Preferred Stock on the day of
exercise, determined in accordance with Section 11(d).
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
-24-
SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to
Section 18, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of
certificates evidencing shares of Company Common Stock); and any registered
holder of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of a
certificate evidencing shares of Company Common Stock), without the consent of
the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of a certificate evidencing shares of Company Common
Stock), may, in his or her own behalf and for his or her own benefit, enforce,
and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the
Company or any other Person to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his or
her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the
manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without
limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate
remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or
threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this
Agreement.
SECTION 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right by
accepting the same consents to 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 Company 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 purposes duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms
and certificates duly executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f), the Company and the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Company 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
Rights Certificates or the associated Company 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 any 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 promptly as practicable.
-25-
SECTION 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 shares of
Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be
issuable on the exercise of the Rights evidenced 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, except as provided in Section 24, to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders, or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
SECTION 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses, including reasonable
fees and disbursements of its counsel, incurred in connection with the execution
and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its
duties hereunder. The Company shall indemnify the Rights Agent for, and hold it
harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability hereunder.
(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 Preferred 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 have been signed and/or
executed or made by the proper Person or Persons.
SECTION 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust or shareholder services businesses 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 document or any further act on
the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, 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 a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
-26-
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned
but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its
prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that
time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name
or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall
have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
SECTION 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) Before the Rights Agent acts or refrains from acting, it may
consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the
opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection
to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of "current market price") be proved or established by the Company
prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be specified herein) may be deemed to be
conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of
the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the
Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of
the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; provided, however, that so long
as any Person is an Acquiring Person hereunder, such certificate shall be signed
and delivered by a majority of the Independent Directors; and such certificate
shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered
in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
-27-
(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any responsibility for the validity
of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution
hereof by the Rights Agent) or for 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 failure by the Company to
satisfy conditions contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor
shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of
Section 11 or Section 13 or for the manner, method or amount of any such
adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any
such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by
Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of the certificate
describing any such adjustment contemplated by Section 12); 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 any other
securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or
as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or any other securities will, when
so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company shall perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or
cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further
acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights
Agent for the performance by the Rights Agent of its duties under this
Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the
Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice
President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any
Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with
instructions of any such officer; provided, however, that so long as any Person
is an Acquiring Person hereunder, the Rights Agent shall accept such
instructions and advice only from a majority of the Independent Directors and
shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good
faith in accordance with such instructions of the majority of the Independent
Directors. Any application by the Rights 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 Rights Agreement
and the date on and/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 the Rights
Agent under this Agreement, provided that such Rights Agent shall not have
received confidential information from the Company in its capacity hereunder or
otherwise as a result of which such actions would violate the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nothing herein shall
preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or
for any other legal entity.
-28-
(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.
(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 or in the exercise of its rights hereunder if
the Rights Agent shall have 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, not signed 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. If such certificate has been completed and signed and shows a negative
response to clauses 1 and 2 of such certificate, unless previously instructed
otherwise in writing by the Company (which instructions may impose on the Rights
Agent additional ministerial responsibilities, but no discretionary
responsibilities), the Rights Agent may assume without further inquiry that the
Rights Certificate is not owned by a person described in Section 4(b) or Section
7(e) and shall not be charged with any knowledge to the contrary.
SECTION 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon 30 days' prior notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each
transfer agent of the Preferred Stock and the Company Common 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 Agent upon 30 days' prior notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent
or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the
Preferred Stock and the Company Common 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 or her Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed
by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation organized and
doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United
States in good standing, shall be authorized to do business as a banking
institution in the State of New York or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, shall
be authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer
powers, shall be subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authorities and shall have at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a
combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of a
corporation described in clause (a). 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 Preferred Stock and the Company Common 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.
-29-
SECTION 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or 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 a majority of the Independent Directors to reflect any
adjustment or change made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement in
the Purchase Price or the number or kind or class of shares or other securities
or property that may be acquired under the Rights Certificates. In addition, in
connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Company Common Stock following
the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall
with respect to shares of Company Common Stock 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 hereinafter issued by the
Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by a
majority of the Independent 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.
SECTION 23. REDEMPTION AND TERMINATION.
(a) Subject to Section 30, the Company may, at its option, by action of
a majority of the Independent Directors, at any time prior to (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii)
such later date as a majority of the Independent Directors shall determine (such
determination to be made prior to the date specified in (i) above) and of which
the Company will give the Rights Agent prompt written notice, but in no event
later than the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then
outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such amount may
be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being the
"Redemption Price"), and the Company may, at its option, by action of a majority
of the Independent Directors, pay the Redemption Price either in shares of
Company Common Stock (based on the "current market price" as defined in Section
11(d), of the shares of Company Common Stock at the time of redemption) or cash.
-30-
(b) Immediately upon the action of a majority of the Independent
Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall be
filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right
thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for
each Right so held. Promptly after the action of a majority of the Independent
Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice
of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding
Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's last address
as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for Company
Common Stock. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made.
SECTION 24. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock
(other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding
shares of Preferred Stock), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or
with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other
transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or
other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company,
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25, a notice
of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of
such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which
such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to
be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by
clause (i) or (ii) above at least 20 days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 20 days prior to the
date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein
by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier;
provided, however, that no such notice shall be required pursuant to this
Section 24 if any Subsidiary of the Company effects a consolidation or merger
with or into, or effects a sale or other transfer of assets or earnings power
to, any other Subsidiary of the Company.
-31-
(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) shall
occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable
thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible
and in accordance with Section 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).
SECTION 25. NOTICES. All notices and other communications provided for
hereunder shall, unless otherwise stated herein, be in writing (including by
telex, telegram or cable) and mailed or sent or delivered, if to the Company, at
its address at:
InterDigital Communications Corporation
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
and if to the Rights Agent, at its address at:
American Stock Transfer and Trust Company
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Notices to the Company and to the Rights Agent shall be deemed
given upon receipt. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given
or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of
certificates representing shares of Company Common Stock) shall be sufficiently
given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such
holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the
Company.
SECTION 26. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Prior to the Distribution Date
and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 26, the Company and the
Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision
of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates evidencing
shares of Company Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date, the
Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or
amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates
in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision
contained herein that 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 that the Company may
deem necessary or desirable and that shall not adversely affect the interests
which the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person) have in common; provided,
however, that this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen,
pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) subject to Section 30, a time
period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights
are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is
for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the
benefits the holders of the Rights have in common. The foregoing to the contrary
notwithstanding, from and after the Distribution Date, any supplement or
amendment not restricted only to clauses (i) and (ii) of the preceding sentence
shall be effective only if there are Independent Directors then in office, and
such supplement or amendment shall also have been approved by a majority of such
Independent Directors. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate
officer of the Company or, in any case where the concurrence of a majority of
the Independent Directors is required, from the majority of the Independent
Directors, that 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, subject to the Right Agent's right to apply to
counsel by the Right Agent and the Right Agent being reasonably assured that
such supplement or amendment is no way detrimental to the Right Agent's right or
interest. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary,
no supplement or amendment shall be made at any time that changes the Redemption
Price, the Purchase Price, the Expiration Date or the number of Units of
Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable without the approval of a
majority of the Independent Directors. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests
of the holders of Company Common Stock.
-32-
SECTION 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 hereunder.
SECTION 28. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of
Company Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes
of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Company
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 Exchange Act
Regulations as in effect on the date hereof. Except as otherwise specifically
provided herein, the Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive
power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be
necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power (i) to interpret the provisions of this
Agreement, and (ii) to 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 (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
or by a majority of the Independent Directors in good faith shall (x) be final,
conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board or any member
thereof to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
SECTION 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of shares of Company Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of shares of Company Common Stock).
SECTION 30. 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 a majority of the
Independent Directors determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement and the Rights shall not then be redeemable, the right
of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not
expire until the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the date
of such determination by a majority of the Independent Directors.
-33-
SECTION 31. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania applicable to contracts
executed in and to be performed entirely in such Commonwealth.
SECTION 32. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed (including by
facsimile) in one or more counterparts and by the different parties hereto in
separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
SECTION 33. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. The headings contained in this
Agreement are for descriptive purposes only and shall not affect in any way the
meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
SECTION 34. EXCHANGE.
(a) The Company may at any time after the Distribution Date, upon
resolution of a majority of the Independent Directors, exchange all or part of
the then outstanding exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) for Units of Preferred Stock
at an exchange ratio specified in the following sentence, as appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof. Subject to such adjustment, upon such
resolution each Right may be exchanged for that number of Units of Preferred
Stock obtained by dividing the Adjustment Spread (as defined below) by the then
current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Unit of
Preferred Stock on the earlier of (i) the date on which any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person and (ii) the date on which a tender or exchange offer by any
Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee
or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity) is first
published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a) of the Exchange
Act Regulations or any successor rule, if upon consummation thereof such Person
would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Company Common
Stock then outstanding (such exchange ratio being the "Exchange Ratio"). The
"Adjustment Spread" shall equal (x) the aggregate market price on the date of
such event of the number of Adjustment Shares determined pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii), minus (y) the Purchase Price.
-34-
(b) Immediately upon the action of a majority of the Independent
Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 34(a) 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 Units of Preferred Stock equal to the number
of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company
shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that
the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity
of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange
to all 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 shall state the method by which the
exchange of Units of Preferred Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the
event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any
partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other
than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)
hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that the number of shares of Preferred Stock that are
authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but not outstanding or
reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are
not sufficient to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance
with this Section 34, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary
to authorize additional shares of Preferred Stock for issuance upon exchange of
the Rights or make adequate provision to substitute (1) cash, (2) Company Common
Stock or other equity securities of the Company, (3) debt securities of the
Company, (4) other assets, or (5) any combination of the foregoing, having an
aggregate value equal to the Adjustment Spread, where such aggregate value has
been determined by a majority of the Independent Directors.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Units of
Preferred Stock or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Units. In
lieu of fractional Units, the Company may pay to the registered holders of
Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exchanged as herein provided an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of one Unit of Preferred Stock.
SECTION 35. THREE YEAR INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR EVALUATION. It is
understood that a Committee of Independent Directors (as defined below) of the
Board of Directors of the Company shall review and evaluate this Rights
Agreement in order to consider whether the maintenance of this Rights Agreement
continues to be in the interests of the Company, its shareholders and its other
corporate constituencies, at least once every three (3) years, or sooner than
that if any Person shall have made a proposal to the Company, or taken any such
other action, that, if effective, could cause such Person to become an Acquiring
Person hereunder, if a majority of the members of the Independent Directors
Committee shall deem such review and evaluation appropriate after giving due
regard to all relevant circumstances. Following each such review, the
Independent Directors Committee will communicate its conclusions to the full
Board of Directors, including any recommendation in light thereof as to whether
this Rights Agreement should be modified or the rights should be redeemed. The
Independent Directors' Committee shall be comprised of no less than three and no
more than five directors of the Company who are independent of the management of
the Company and free from any relationship that, in the opinion of its Board of
Directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a member
of the Independent Directors Committee provided that any director who is an
Affiliate of the Company or any officer or employee of the Company or its
subsidiaries shall not qualify for membership on the Independent Directors
Committee; provided, however, that a director who was formerly an officer of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries may qualify for membership even though he or
she may be receiving pension or deferred compensation payments from the Company,
if, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, such Person will exercise
independent judgment and will materially assist the function of the Independent
Directors Committee; but provided, however, that a majority of the members of
the Independent Directors Committee shall, at all times, consist of directors
who are not formerly officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
-35-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the date first above written.
ATTEST: INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
---------------------------- ---------------------------------
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Corporate Secretary President and Chief Executive Officer
ATTEST: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
---------------------------- ---------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Assistant Secretary Senior Vice President and General Counsel
-36-
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R-______ __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE (AS DEFINED IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT REFERRED TO BELOW). THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT
THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR ANY
SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS
REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A
PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT REFERRED TO
BELOW). 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)1
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
This certifies that _____________________, or registered
assigns, is the registered holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each
of which entitles the registered holder thereof, subject to the terms and
conditions of the Rights Agreement dated as of December 15, 2006 (the "Rights
Agreement"; terms defined therein are used herein with the same meaning unless
otherwise defined herein) between INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION, a
Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), and American Stock Transfer and Trust
Company, a New York corporation, as Rights Agent (which term shall include any
successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), to purchase from the Company
at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date at the
office of the Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of one fully paid and
nonassessable share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock"), of the Company at the Purchase Price initially of $200.00
per one one-thousandth share (each such one one-thousandth of a share being a
"Unit") of Preferred Stock, upon presentation and surrender of this Rights
Certificate with the Election to Purchase and related certificate duly executed.
The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of
Units that may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the
Purchase Price per Unit set forth above shall be subject to adjustment in
certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.
--------------------
(1) The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
-37-
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, if the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person or,
under certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of
any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, such Rights shall become null
and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights
from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement,
the rights evidenced hereby may entitle the registered holder thereof to
purchase capital stock of an entity other than the Company or receive common
stock, cash or other assets, all as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all the terms and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms and conditions are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights
Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company and are
available from the Company upon written request.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing an aggregate number of Rights
equal to the aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates surrendered. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised
in part, the registered 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 under certain
circumstances at its option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, payable at
the Company's option in cash or in common stock of the Company, subject to
adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon
the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which
are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock), but
in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall he
entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities which may at any time be issuable on
the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or
herein be constituted 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 Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised
as provided in the Rights Agreement.
-38-
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
____________ ___, 20__.
ATTEST: INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
By: By:
----------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Countersigned:
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY
as Rights Agent
By:
Name:
Title:
-39-
[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:
____________ __, 20__ ______________________ Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate |_| is |_| is not being sold,
assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms
are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and
(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: ____________ __, 20__ ______________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member in the Securities
Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock Exchange Medallion Program or the
New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program.
In the event the certification set forth above is not
completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment,
will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange
for this Rights Certificate.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if the registered holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
_________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the Units of
Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person or other property which may be
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for
such Units 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:
--------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate |_| are
|_| are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, the undersigned |_| 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 thereof.
Dated: ____________ __, 20__ ______________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member in the Securities
Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock Exchange Medallion Program or the
New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program.
In the event the certification set forth above is not
completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment,
will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange
for this Rights Certificate.
EXHIBIT B
DESIGNATION OF THE VOTING POWERS, DESIGNATIONS PREFERENCES AND
RELATIVE, PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL OR OTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS AND
QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE SERIES B JUNIOR
PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
Pursuant to Section 1522 of the
Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
I, _________________________, [President] of InterDigital
Communications Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the
Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the
"Corporation"), DO HEREBY CERTIFY: that, pursuant to authority conferred upon
the Board of Directors of the Corporation by its Articles of Incorporation (the
"Articles"), and, pursuant to the provisions of Section 1522 of the Business
Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, such Board of Directors, at
a duly called meeting held on December 13, 1996, at which a quorum was present
and acted throughout, adopted the following resolutions, which resolutions
remain in full force and effect on the date hereof creating a series of 90,000
shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock (the "Series B Preferred Stock") out of the class of 14,398,600 shares of
preferred stock (the "Preferred Stock"):
RESOLVED, that in order to effect the Rights Plan and pursuant
to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in accordance with the
provisions of the Articles, the Board of Directors does hereby create, authorize
and provide for the issuance of the Series B Preferred Stock having the voting
powers, designation, relative, participating, optional and other special rights,
preferences, and qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof that are
set forth as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 90,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any other series of Preferred Stock or any other shares of
preferred stock of the Corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of
Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, each holder of one
one-thousandth (1/1000) of a share (a "Unit") of Series B Preferred Stock shall
be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out
of funds legally available for that purpose, (i) dividends payable in cash when
and if declared by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in respect of the
Common Stock (each such date being a "Dividend Payment Date") commencing on the
first Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of such Unit of Series B
Preferred Stock, in an amount per Unit (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to,
subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, the aggregate per
share amount of all cash dividends declared on shares of the Common Stock since
the immediately preceding Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first
Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of a Unit of Series B Preferred
Stock, and (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
distributions (payable in kind) on each Dividend Payment Date in an amount per
Unit equal to the aggregate per share amount of all noncash dividends or other
distributions (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a
subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, by reclassification or
otherwise) declared on shares of common stock since the immediately preceding
Dividend Payment Date, or with respect to the first Dividend Payment Date, since
the first issuance of a Unit of Series B Preferred Stock. In the event that the
Corporation shall at any time after December 13, 1996 (the "Rights Declaration
Date"), (i) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of Common Stock payable
in shares of common stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of Common Stock or
(iii) combine outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, then in each such case the amount to which the holder of a Unit of
Series B Preferred Stock was entitled immediately prior to such event pursuant
to the next preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
that are outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which
shall be the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on Units of Series B Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the shares of Common
Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
Section 3. Voting Rights.
The holders of Units of Series B Preferred Stock shall have
the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each Unit of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to
one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Stock of
the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of Common
Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per Unit to which
holders of Units of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the
numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders
of Units of Series B Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock
shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of holders
of Common Stock of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, holders of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consents shall not
be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of
shares of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever any dividends or distributions payable, on Units
of Series B Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 have not been paid in full,
thereafter and until all such accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions,
whether or not declared, on outstanding Units of Series B Preferred Stock shall
have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions
on, or redeem or repurchase or otherwise acquire for consideration, any shares
of junior stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of parity stock, except dividends paid ratably on
Units of Series B Preferred Stock and shares of all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which
the holders of such Units and all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or repurchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any parity stock; provided, however, that the
Corporation may at any time redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire shares of
any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any junior stock;
(iv) repurchase or otherwise acquire for consideration (other
than shares of junior stock) any Units of Series B Preferred Stock, except in
accordance with a repurchase offer made in writing or by publication (as
determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such Units on the same
terms.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any Units of Series B Preferred
Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof.
All such Units shall, upon their cancellation, become authorized but unissued
Units of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the
holders of shares of junior stock unless the holders of Units of Series B
Preferred Stock shall have received, subject to adjustment as hereinafter
provided in paragraph (B), the amount, per Unit, equal to the aggregate per
share amount to be distributed to holders of shares of common stock, or (ii) to
the holders of shares of parity stock, unless simultaneously therewith
distributions are made ratably on Units of Series B Preferred Stock and all
other shares of such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which
the holders of Units of Series B Preferred Stock are entitled under clause (i)
of this sentence and to which the holders of shares of such parity stock are
entitled, in each case upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
(B) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the
Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of
Common Stock, or (iii) combine outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders
of Units of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such
event pursuant to clause (i)(b) of paragraph (A) of this Section 6 shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall
be the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately after
such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common
Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or converted into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case Units of
Series B Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged for or
converted into an amount per Unit (subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth) equal to the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash
and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or
for which each share of Common Stock is converted or exchanged. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any
dividend on outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount set forth in the immediately preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or conversion of Units of Series B Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the number
of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. Redemption. The Units of Series B Preferred Stock
shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Units of Series B Preferred Stock
shall rank junior to all other series of the Preferred Stock and to any other
class of preferred stock that hereafter may be issued by the Corporation as to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series or class shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. The Articles, including, without
limitation, this resolution, shall not hereafter be amended, either directly or
indirectly, or through merger or consolidation with another corporation in any
manner that would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of
the Series B Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding Units
of Series B Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. The Series B Preferred Stock
may be issued in Units or other fractions of a share, which Units or fractions
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 B Preferred Stock.
Section 12. Certain Definitions. As used herein with respect
to the Series B Preferred Stock, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(A) The term "Common Stock" means the class of common stock
designated as the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation at
the date hereof or any other class of stock resulting from successive changes or
reclassification of the common stock.
(B) The term "junior stock" (i) as used in Section 4 means the
common stock and any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation
hereafter authorized or issued over which the Series B Preferred Stock has
preference or priority as to the payment of dividends and (ii) as used in
Section 6, shall mean the common stock and any other class or series of capital
stock of the Corporation over which the Series B Preferred Stock has preference
or priority in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation.
(C) The term "parity stock" (i) as used in Section 4, means
any class or series of stock of the Corporation hereafter authorized or issued
ranking pari passu with the Series B Preferred Stock as to dividends and (ii) as
used in Section 6, shall mean any class or series of capital stock ranking pari
passu with the Series B Preferred Stock in the distribution of assets on any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, InterDigital Communications Corporation
has caused this Certificate to be signed by its [President], and attested by its
[Assistant] Secretary as of the _____ day of December, 1996.
INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
By:
----------------------------
[name, title]
Attest:
By:
----------------------------
[name, title]