RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN CEPHEID AND COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, AS RIGHTS AGENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2002 RIGHTS AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
AND
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY,
AS RIGHTS AGENT
DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2002
This Agreement, dated as of September 26, 2002, between Cepheid, a California corporation (the "Company"), and Computershare Trust Company, a Colorado corporation, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at the Close of Business (as hereinafter defined) on October 1, 2002 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding (i) between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined) or (ii) following the Distribution Date and prior to the Redemption Date or Final Expiration Date, pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities of the Company, which options or securities were outstanding prior to the Distribution Date.
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% (the "Designated Percentage") or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or (iv) any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
(i) No Person shall become an Acquiring Person if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person has become such inadvertently, and such Person as promptly as practicable takes such actions as may be necessary so that such Person would no longer be considered an Acquiring Person.
(ii) No Person shall become an Acquiring Person as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company that, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person and such Person's Affiliates and Associates to the Designated Percentage or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person, together with such Person's Affiliates and Associates, shall become the Beneficial Owner of the Designated Percentage or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and such Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall, after public announcement of such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person."
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the following meanings:
(i) An "Affiliate" of, or a Person "affiliated" with, a specified Person, is a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified. For this purpose, "control" (including the terms "controlling," "controlled by" and "under common control with") means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise;
(ii) The term "Associate" used to indicate a relationship with any Person shall mean (A) any corporation or organization (other than the Company or a majority-owned subsidiary of the Company) of which such Person is an officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of any class of equity securities, (B) any trust or other estate in which such Person has a substantial beneficial interest or as to which such Person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity, and (C) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same home as such Person or who is a director or officer of the Company or of any of its parents or Subsidiaries.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) that such Person owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) that such Person has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary, (A) the phrase "then outstanding," when used with reference to a Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding that such Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder, and (B) a Person who is a director or officer of the Company or who is an Affiliate or Associate of a director or officer of the Company (each, an "Exempted Person") shall not be deemed to "beneficially own" Common Shares held by another Exempted Person solely by reason of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise, entered into in opposition to a transaction that, at the time such agreement, arrangement or understanding was entered into, has not been approved or recommended by the Board of Directors to the shareholders of the Company.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the State of California are not open for business.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., California Time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., California Time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of common stock, no par value per share, of the Company. "Common Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, of the Person or Persons that ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Designated Percentage" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(a) hereof.
(h) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the first public announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to commence a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any such Person becoming an Acquiring Person (including any such date that is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights).
(i) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(j) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(k) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, business trust, limited liability company, unincorporated association or any other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(l) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b) hereof.
(m) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Determination attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A.
(n) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(o) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph of this Agreement, provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed "Rights" or "outstanding Rights" for any purpose under this Agreement from and after the effective time of the event indicated: (i) Rights that have become Void Rights pursuant to Section 7(f) hereof, and upon such occurrence, all Right Certificates therefor shall be null and void and shall not be deemed "outstanding Right Certificates"; (ii) all rights that have been redeemed pursuant to Section 23 hereof, and upon such occurrence, all Right Certificates therefor shall represent only the right to receive the consideration provided in Section 23 hereof and shall not be deemed "outstanding Right Certificates", and (iii) any Rights that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof, and upon such occurrence, all Right Certificates therefor shall represent only the right to receive the consideration provided in Section 24 and shall not be deemed "outstanding Right Certificates".
(p) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the earlier of the date of (i) the public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such or (ii) the public disclosure of facts by the Company or an Acquiring Person indicating that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(q) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any Person of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
(r) A "Successor" shall mean the estate or legal representative of a deceased individual, the beneficiary of a deceased individual's estate, a trust created by a deceased individual as grantor, or the beneficiary of a trust created by a deceased individual as grantor.
(s) "Void Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(f).
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable upon ten (10) days' prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. Evidence of Rights Before Distribution Date; Transfer; Legends.
(a) From the Record Date until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, (x) Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates (as defined below), and (y) Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Stock Purchase Rights, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. Until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(b) Certificates for Common Shares that become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this Section 3(b)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
THIS CERTIFICATE ALSO EVIDENCES AND ENTITLES THE HOLDER HEREOF TO CERTAIN RIGHTS (THE "RIGHTS") AS SET FORTH IN A RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN CEPHEID (THE "COMPANY") AND COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, AS RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2002, AS SUCH MAY SUBSEQUENTLY BE AMENDED (THE "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE HEREBY INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AND A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF THE COMPANY. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, SUCH RIGHTS WILL BE EVIDENCED BY SEPARATE CERTIFICATES AND WILL NO LONGER BE EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE. THE COMPANY WILL MAIL TO THE HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFICATE A COPY OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE AFTER RECEIPT OF A WRITTEN REQUEST THEREFOR. AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 7(F) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS SHALL BECOME NULL AND VOID.
In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares that are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Evidence of Rights After Distribution Date; Form of Right Certificates; Countersignatures.
(a) From and after the Distribution Date until the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, Rights will be evidenced solely by Right Certificates that, together with the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof, shall be substantially in the form set forth as Exhibit C hereto (each, a "Right Certificate"), which may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and which do not affect the rights, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the Purchase Price, but the number of such one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent (unless applicable exchange rules and law permit facsimile signature, in which case the Rights Agent signature may be by facsimile) and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the individual who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any individual who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such individual was not such an officer.
Section 5. Distribution of Certificates; Registration.
(a) As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date (and so long as the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date shall not have occurred), the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than the holder of Void Rights (as defined in Section 7(f) hereof), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, Rights Certificates evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held.
(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights agent of all relevant information, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Void Rights or Rights that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent. Thereupon the Company shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient for all taxes and governmental charges that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under this Section 6 unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and, (i) in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, or (ii) in the case of mutilation, upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate, then, in either such case, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date; Void Rights.
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised and payment of all transfer taxes and governmental charges required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate as provided in Section 9 hereof, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on September 26, 2012 (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The purchase price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right (the "Purchase Price") shall initially be $40.00, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with Section 7(c) hereof.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights within the time permitted in Section 7(a), with the form of election to purchase and certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to all applicable taxes and governmental charges required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall promptly (i)(A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of one-one hundredths of a Preferred Share to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from any depositary agent for the Preferred Shares depositary receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional Preferred Shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder's duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 6 and Section 14 hereof.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available, out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all Rights in accordance with this Section 7.
(f) From and after the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, (i) all Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by such Acquiring Person (and all Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by each Associate and by each Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be null and void without any further action on the part of the Company, the Rights Agent or any other Person (all such Rights, "Void Rights") and (ii) any holder thereof shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Void Rights under any provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Sections 5 or 6 that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights have become Void Rights pursuant to the preceding sentence or by any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights have become Void Rights pursuant to the preceding sentence or to any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights have become Void Rights pursuant to the preceding sentence or for transfer to any Associate or Affiliate thereof shall be cancelled. This Section 7(f) shall apply not only to an initial Acquiring Person, and each of its Affiliates and Associates, but also to all subsequent Acquiring Persons, and each of their Affiliates and Associates.
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the certificate following the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Status and Availability of Preferred Shares. The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon valid exercise of Rights in compliance with Section 7 shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and non-assessable shares.
The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and governmental charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required (i) to pay any tax or governmental charge that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or (ii) to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until all such taxes and governmental charges shall have been paid (all such taxes and governmental charges being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender for exercise) or until it has been established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or governmental charge is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the valid exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes and governmental charges) was made. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which 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.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11, provided, however, that no adjustment, payment or distribution of securities or other change in the Rights or securities issuable upon exercise of any Rights as provided in this Section 11 shall apply to any Void Rights.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock that would be issuable upon exercise of a Right on such date (if such Rights were then exercisable), shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock that, 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; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of the class or series of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 7(f) and Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing the Designated Percentage threshold to be crossed and the Person to thereby become an Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13 hereof, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise of such Right at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company's Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date such Person became an Acquiring Person.
(iii) In the event that the number of Common Shares that are authorized by the Company's Articles of Incorporation and not outstanding or subscribed for, or reserved or otherwise committed for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, is not sufficient to permit the holder of each Right to purchase the number of Common Shares to which such holder would be entitled upon the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (calculated as provided in the last sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii)) pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for such Common Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares of the Company's Preferred Stock, or units of shares of the Company's capital stock) that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined to have the same value as Common Shares (such equity securities, "common stock equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) of this paragraph within thirty (30) days following the first occurrence of an event triggering the rights to purchase Common Shares described in Section 11(a)(ii) (the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some action needs to be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(g) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall make a public announcement, and shall deliver to the Rights Agent a statement, stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended. At such time as the suspension is no longer in effect, the Company shall make another public announcement, and deliver to the Rights Agent a statement, so stating. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Shares shall be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) of the Common Shares on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares ("equivalent preferred shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying (x) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which shall be the sum of (A) number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus (B) the number of Preferred Shares that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and (2) the denominator of which shall be the sum of (A) number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus (B) the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the class or series of shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying (x) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which shall be the difference of (A) then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date, less (B) the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and (2) the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the class or series of shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of thirty (30) Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price, or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market ("Nasdaq") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to reflect each stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value per share thereof as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one one-thousandth of any other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than three years from the date of the transaction that, but for such sentence of this Section 11(e), would have required such adjustment.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall thereafter be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a share 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 substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights and outstanding thereafter shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one one-thousandth) obtained by dividing (x) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been distributed, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been distributed, 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 Right Certificates on such record date, Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates to be so distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredth of the then par value of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (and shall promptly notify the Rights Agent of any such elections), until the occurrence of such event, the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date, the additional Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iii) dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or (iv) issuance of any rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise other than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (i) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (ii) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights that each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 and 27, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if the purpose of such action is to, or if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will, diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts and computations accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall have no duty with respect to and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power. In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, and, directly or indirectly, (a) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, (b) an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (other than Rights that have become Void Rights) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Person in the transaction (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) who is issuing the consideration with the greatest fair market value to the Company and its shareholders in connection with such transaction (the "Principal Issuer") as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Principal Issuer (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the Principal Issuer shall be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to the Principal Issuer; and (iv) the Principal Issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless prior thereto the Company and the Principal Issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements that, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fractions of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives any right to receive fractional Rights or fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action of the Rights Agent and the Company, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights; and any registered holder of any Right may, without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right, in such holder's own behalf and for such holder's own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder's right to exercise the Rights in the manner provided in this Agreement and in any issued and outstanding Right Certificate representing such Right. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books maintained by the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and payment of taxes and governmental changes, all as otherwise provided in Section 6; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent shall deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice (other than notice provided by transfer documentation properly completed and tendered in accordance with this Agreement) to the contrary.
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its failure to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Right shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise of such Rights nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until such Right shall have been properly exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Compensation and Indemnity of the Rights Agent. (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent (including employees, directors, officers and agents of the Rights Agent (the Rights Agent together with such Persons, the "Agent Indemnitees")) for, and to hold each Agent Indemnitee harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (each an "Agent Loss"), incurred on the part of such Agent Indemnitee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by any of the Agent Indemnitees in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises, provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to indemnify any Agent Indemnitee hereunder for any Agent Loss that resulted from any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Agent Indemnitee in bad faith or through gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Rights Agent or any other Agent Indemnity, as each is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, and the respective Agent Indemnitee shall promptly refund to the Company all sums advanced to such Agent Indemnitee as or against indemnification for Agent Losses upon such judicial determination. If an Agent Indemnitee brings an action to enforce its right to indemnification under this Section 18, the Company shall pay the costs of such action to the extent that such Agent Indemnitee is a prevailing party in such litigation. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall any Agent Indemnitee be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if such Agent Indemnitee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of an Agent Indemnitee under this Rights Agreement will be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized to rely on, shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement or the exercise or performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, instruction, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the shareholder service business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Rights and Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and, by their acceptance of Rights, the holders of Rights shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the General Counsel, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitting 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 bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Rights Agent makes no representation or warranty with respect to and is not responsible or liable for the validity, value or availability of the Rights, the Right Certificates or the Preferred Shares.
(d) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice or opinion of counsel as set forth in this Section 20.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be assumed to have knowledge of and shall not be required to take note of or act upon any fact or circumstance including, without limitation, the occurrence of facts or circumstances leading to the Shares Acquisition Date or the Distribution Date, facts or circumstances relating to whether any Person may be an Affiliate or an Associate of any other Person, facts or circumstances relevant to an adjustment to the Purchase Price, facts or circumstances relevant to events described in Section 13 (mergers, etc.), Section 23 (redemption) and Section 24 (exchange) that may be relevant to performance by the Rights Agent under this Agreement unless the Company has provided written notice thereof to the Rights Agent; and the Company agrees that it will (i) promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing of the occurrence of the Shares Acquisition Date (including the identity of the Acquiring Person and the date on which the Shares Acquisition Date occurred), the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, and of any events described in Section 13 (merger), and (ii) promptly provide the Rights Agent with such other information as the Rights Agent may reasonably request in connection with the performance of its duties under this Agreement.
(f) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due authorization and execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 7(f) hereof) or any change or adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of the certificate described in Section 12 hereof, upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(g) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(h) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the General Counsel, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the 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 with respect to its duties or obligations under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or omitted and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall not be less than three (3) Business Days after the date any such officer actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking or omitting any such action, the Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(i) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, Affiliate, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(j) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and, with regard to acts performed through its attorneys, the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Rights Agent (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment of such attorneys.
(k) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it reasonably believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
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 thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right 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 thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right (who shall, with such notice, submit such holder's Right Certificate or, before the Distribution Date, certificate representing Common Shares, for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right may apply to any court of the United States or of any state thereof having competent jurisdiction over such matter for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (i) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of California (or of any other state of the United States), so long as such Person in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise shareholder service powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million dollars or (ii) an Affiliate of a Person described in clause (i) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of Rights. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, following the Distribution Date and prior to the Redemption Date or Final Expiration Date, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities of the Company, in each case, which options or securities are outstanding prior to the Distribution Date, the Board of Directors shall issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued and this sentence shall be null and void ab initio if, and to the extent that, such issuance or this sentence would create a significant risk of or result in material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued or would create a significant risk of or result in such options' or employee plans' or arrangements' failing to qualify for otherwise available special tax treatment and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time from and after the Record Date and prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person (the "Redemption Period"), redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.0001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect each stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price, as so adjusted, being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). After the Redemption Period has expired, the Board of Directors may not extend the period for redemption of the Rights or otherwise provide for their redemption. The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time during the Redemption Period, on such basis and subject to such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a), and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise all then outstanding Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give notice to the Rights Agent and public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within ten (10) days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a), the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given upon mailing, whether or not the holder receives the notice. If the payment of the Redemption Price is not included in such notice, each such notice shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than (i) as specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, or (ii) in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, authorize and direct the exchange of all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become Void Rights) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio (the "Exchange Ratio") of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect each stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of a majority of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant Section 24(a) hereof and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give notice to the Rights Agent and public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given when mailed, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights that have become Void Rights) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or common stock equivalents, as such term is defined in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) for Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or common stock equivalents) for each Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Shares pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the fraction of a Preferred Share delivered in lieu of each Common Share shall have the same voting rights as one Common Share.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares, Preferred Shares or common stock equivalents authorized by the Company's Articles of Incorporation and not outstanding or subscribed for, or reserved or otherwise committed for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of Rights, to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares, Preferred Shares or common stock equivalents for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current per share market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this Section 24(e), the current per share market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least ten (10) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) If any event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Cepheid
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Computershare Trust Company
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Trust Department
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. The Company may, by resolution of its Board of Directors, from time to time, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions or changes with respect to the Rights that the Company may deem necessary or desirable, including, without limitation, to modify or amend the definition of Acquiring Person set forth in Section 1(a) hereof, to change the Purchase Price set forth in Section 7(b), or to extend or shorten the period for redemption of the Rights; provided, however, that from and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner that would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than Void Rights of an Acquiring Person and its Affiliates and Associates), including, without limitation, to extend the period for redemption of the Rights, or otherwise provide for their redemption, or to provide for an earlier Final Expiration Date. Any such supplement or amendment will be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company and, if requested by the Rights Agent, an opinion of counsel, that states that the proposed supplement or amendment complies with this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment, provided, however, the Rights Agent shall not be obligated to enter into any amendment or supplement to this Agreement that in the opinion of the Rights Agent, may adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities of the Rights Agent.
Section 28. 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 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 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.
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, then such term, provision, covenant or restriction shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and 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.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of California and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
Section 34. Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
[Signatures on Following Page]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Company:
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Rights Agent:
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT]
Exhibit A
FORM
of
CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
(Pursuant to Section 401 of the
California General Corporation Law)
Cepheid, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of California (hereinafter called the "Corporation"), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 401 of the General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on September 24, 2002:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the "Board of Directors" or the "Board") in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, no par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Corporation, none of which have been issued as of the date hereof, and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences, and limitations thereof as follows:
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" (the "Series A Preferred Stock") and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 1,000,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any other stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount (if any) per share (rounded to the nearest cent), subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock, no par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such amount by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends due pursuant to paragraph (A) of this Section shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such number by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Determination creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; or
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (as to dividends and upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, prior and in preference to any distribution of any assets of the Corporation to the holders of Common Stock, the amount of $1.00 per share for each share of Series A Preferred Stock then held by them. Thereafter, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such amount by (y) a fraction (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) If the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation are insufficient to pay the full preferential amount set forth in the first sentence of paragraph (A) above, then the entire assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be distributed among such holders in proportion to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock then held by them.
(C) The foregoing rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up provided to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be subject to the rights of the holders of any other series of Preferred Stock (or any other stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such amount by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Determination is executed on behalf of the Corporation this 30th day of September, 2002.
By:
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Chief Executive Officer
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION]
Exhibit B
SUMMARY OF STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS
On September 24, 2002, the Board of Directors of Cepheid (the "Company") declared a dividend of one stock purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, no par value per share (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable to shareholders of record on October 1, 2002 (the "Record Date"). In addition, one Right will be issued with each share of Company common stock that becomes outstanding (i) between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date (as defined below), the date the Rights are redeemed and the date the Rights expire or (ii) following the Distribution Date and prior to the date the Rights are redeemed and the date the Rights expire, pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities of the Company, outstanding prior to the Distribution Date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of the Company's Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Shares") at a price of $40.00 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. A complete description of the terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
Until the earlier to occur of (i) ten days following a public announcement or disclosure that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring Person"), has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Company's outstanding common stock or (ii) ten business days (or a later date determined by the Company's Board of Directors before a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person) following the announcement of an intention to make a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights will be represented by common stock certificates with a copy of this Summary of Rights attached. No person or group will become an Acquiring Person if the Company's Board of Directors determines that such person crossed the ownership threshold inadvertently, and such person or group promptly sells shares of Company common stock until they own less than 15% of the outstanding common stock.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferred only with Company common stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new common stock certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the transfer of any common stock certificates, even without such notation or a copy of this Summary of Rights being attached, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Company common stock represented by such certificate. After the Distribution Date, separate certificates representing the Rights will be mailed to record holders of Company common stock on the Distribution Date and such separate certificates alone will evidence the Rights. If shares of Company common stock are issued or sold after the Distribution Date (but prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights) in connection with the exercise of stock options or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities of the Company outstanding prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall issue the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on September 26, 2012, unless the expiration date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, as described below. Until a Right is exercised, the holder of a Right, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company.
The purchase price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution. The number of Rights and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment upon certain events occurring before the Distribution Date.
The Preferred Shares have been structured so that each Preferred Share has dividend, liquidation and voting rights equal to those of 100 shares of Company common stock. Because of this, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one Common Share. The Preferred Shares are not redeemable.
In the event that any person or group owns more than 15% of the Company's outstanding common stock and thereby becomes an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing the person to become an Acquiring Person is a merger, acquisition or other business combination described in the next paragraph, each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise and payment of the exercise price that number of shares of common stock having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right. If the Company does not have enough authorized but unissued shares of common stock to satisfy this obligation to issue common shares, the Company will deliver upon payment of the exercise price of a Right an amount of cash or other securities equivalent in value to the common stock issuable upon exercise of a Right.
In the event that any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and the Company merges into or engages in certain other business combinations with an Acquiring Person, or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold to an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person, will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise and payment of the exercise price, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company that at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to such person acquiring a majority of the outstanding Company common stock, the Company Board of Directors may exchange all or some of the Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person), at an exchange ratio of one common share, or one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or other equivalent securities), per Right.
At any time before a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, the Company Board of Directors may redeem all (but not some) of the Rights at a price of $0.0001 per Right and on such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may establish. After the period for redemption of the Rights has expired, the Board may not amend the Rights Agreement to extend the period for redemption of the Rights. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by a resolution of the Board of Directors without the consent of the holders of the Rights, except that after a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, no such amendment may adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring Person).
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated October 3, 2002. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is deemed to be incorporated into this summary.
Exhibit C
FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R- _____ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 26, 2012, OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.0001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
This certifies that ____________________ or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of September 26, 2002 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Cepheid, a California corporation (the "Company"), and Computershare Trust Company (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on September 26, 2012 at the office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share (the "Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of __________ Dollars ($_____) per one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Certification and the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of _________, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.0001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company's Common Stock, no par value per share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of _________________________
ATTEST:
CEPHEID
By: By:
Countersigned:
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY
By:
Authorized Signature
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ___________________________________________________ (Please print name and address of transferee) this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________________________________________________, Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: ________________________
__________________________________
Signature
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15
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The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
_________________________________
Signature
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate--continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate)
To _______________________:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _____________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number_______________________
_____________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number_______________________
_____________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Dated:
Signature
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate--continued
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The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).
________________________________
Signature
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NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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Certain Definitions |
1 |
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Appointment of Rights Agent |
4 |
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Evidence of Rights Before Distribution Date; Transfer; Legends |
5 |
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Evidence of Rights After Distribution Date; Form of Right Certificates; Countersignatures |
6 |
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Distribution of Certificates; Registration |
6 |
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Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates |
7 |
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Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
7 |
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Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates |
9 |
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Status and Availability of Preferred Shares |
9 |
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Preferred Shares Record Date |
10 |
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Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights |
10 |
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Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares |
16 |
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Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power |
16 |
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Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
17 |
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Rights of Action |
18 |
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Agreement of Right Holders |
18 |
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Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder |
19 |
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Compensation and Indemnity of the Rights Agent |
19 |
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Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
20 |
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Rights and Duties of Rights Agent |
20 |
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Change of Rights Agent |
23 |
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Issuance of New Right Certificates |
23 |
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Redemption |
24 |
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Exchange |
24 |
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Notice of Certain Events |
26 |
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Notices |
26 |
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Supplements and Amendments |
27 |
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Successors |
27 |
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Benefits of this Agreement |
27 |
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Severability |
27 |
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Governing Law |
28 |
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Counterparts |
28 |
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Descriptive Headings |
28 |
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Entire Agreement |
28 |
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Signatures |
29 |
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Form of Certificate of Determination of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock |
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Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares |
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Form of Right Certificate |