NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION and COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. as Rights Agent RIGHTS AGREEMENT Dated as of August 2, 2007

Exhibit 4.1

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION

and

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

as Rights Agent

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Dated as of August 2, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

				PAGE
SECTION 1.		CERTAIN DEFINITIONS			1
SECTION 2.		APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT			4
SECTION 3.		ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES			4
SECTION 4.		FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES			7
SECTION 5.		COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION			7
SECTION 6.		TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES			8
SECTION 7. SECTION 8.		EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES			9 11
SECTION 9.		RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK			11
SECTION 10.		PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE			13
SECTION 11.		ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS			13
SECTION 12.		CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES			21
SECTION 13.		CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER			21
SECTION 14.		FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES			24
SECTION 15.		RIGHTS OF ACTION			25
SECTION 16.		AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS			26
SECTION 17.		RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER			26
SECTION 18.		CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT			26
SECTION 19.		MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT			27

				PAGE
SECTION 20.		RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT			28
SECTION 21.		CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT			30
SECTION 22.		ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES			31
SECTION 23.		REDEMPTION			31
SECTION 24.		EXCHANGE			32
SECTION 25.		NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS			34
SECTION 26.		NOTICES			35
SECTION 27.		SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS			36
SECTION 28.		SUCCESSORS			36
SECTION 29.		DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC			36
SECTION 30.		BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT			37
SECTION 31.		SEVERABILITY			37
SECTION 32.		GOVERNING LAW			37
SECTION 33.		COUNTERPARTS			37
SECTION 34.		DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS			37
SECTION 35.		FORCE MAJEURE.			37

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A Form of Certificate of Designation
Exhibit B Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

     This Rights Agreement, dated as of August 2, 2007 (the “Agreement”), is made by and between National Healthcare Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered trust company, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

WITNESSETH:

     WHEREAS, on August 2, 2007 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company outstanding at the Close of Business on August 2, 2007 (the “Record Date”), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) and the Distribution Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one ten-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company, $0.01 par value, having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the “Rights”);

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

AGREEMENT:

     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 twenty percent (20%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person if (i) the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” but for the operation of this clause (i), has become such inadvertently, and such person divests as promptly as practicable (or in such a period of time the Board of Directors and Company determine is practicable) a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” (ii) as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to twenty percent (20%) or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall,

after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner (other than by way of a stock dividend or stock split) of additional shares of Common Stock representing one-half of one percent (.50%) of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, or (iii) a Person enters into an agreement or transaction or understanding with the Company whereby, solely as a consequence of that agreement or transaction or understanding, such Person would become an “Acquiring Person” (but for the operation of this clause (iii)), and such agreement, transaction or understanding is approved by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, that if such Person subsequently becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock in a manner not specifically approved by a majority of the Board of Directors, such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person.

          (b) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Agreement; provided, however, that no Person who is a director or officer of the Company shall be deemed an Affiliate or Associate of any other officer or director of the Company solely as a result of his or her position as officer or director of the Company.

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

               (i) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the Rules under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly;

               (ii) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of Company Series A Convertible Preferred Stock conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities which a Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to have the right to acquire pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) if such agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to there being an Acquiring Person, or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (D) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the “Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights; or

               (iii) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange

Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security under this subparagraph (iii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

               (iv) that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition; and provided further, however, that in no case shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (x) the Beneficial Owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity as officers or directors of the Company or (y) the Beneficial Owner of securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, other than the officer or director, by reason of any influence that such officer or director may have over the voting of the securities held in the plan.

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

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

          (f) “Common Stock” shall mean the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, except that “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.

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

          (h) “Expiration Date” shall mean the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section

23 hereof, or (iii) the time at which the Board of Directors orders the exchange of the Rights as provided in Section 24 hereof.

          (i) “Final Expiration Date” shall mean the Close of Business on the tenth anniversary of the Record Date.

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

          (k) “Preferred Stock” shall mean shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, having the rights and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A.

          (l) “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall mean any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) (A), (B) or (C) hereof.

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

          (n) “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

          (o) “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.

          (p) “Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.

     SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.

     SECTION 3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.

          (a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of the Board of Directors) after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record

Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date), or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of the Board of Directors then in office) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan) is commenced within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice of such occurrence, the Rights Agent, if requested and provided with all necessary information and documentation, will send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Rights Certificates”), duly executed and countersigned in the manner provided for in Section 5(a) hereof, evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates and may be transferred by the transfer of the Rights Certificates as permitted hereby, separately and apart from any transfer of one or more shares of Common Stock, and the holders of such Rights Certificates as listed in the records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights shall be the record holders thereof.

          (b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the transfer of any certificates representing shares of Common Stock in

respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.

          (c) Unless the Board of Directors by resolution adopted at or before the time of the issuance (including pursuant to the exercise of rights under the Company’s employee benefit plans) of any Common Stock specifies to the contrary, Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock that are issued after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:

     This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between National Healthcare Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), dated as of August 2, 2007 (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the Company. The Rights are not exercisable prior to the occurrence of certain events specified in the Rights Agreement. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock also shall be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.

     SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.

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

          (b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

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

     SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.

          (a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights

Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the Person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such Person was not such an officer.

          (b) Following the Distribution Date, and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice of such occurrence, and of all other necessary information and documentation, as provided in Section 3(a) hereof, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates, the Rights Certificate number and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.

     SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.

          (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14 and Section 24 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or following a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. The Rights Certificates shall be transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby or of the Affiliates or Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14 and Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be

imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates, registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder. If and to the extent the Company does require payment of any such taxes or governmental charges, the Rights Agent shall not deliver the Rights Certificate(s) unless and until it is satisfied that all such payments have been made, and the Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such persons as the Company may specify by written notice.

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

     SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.

          (a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly and properly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, at or prior to the Expiration Date. Except for those provisions herein which expressly survive the termination of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate at such time as the Rights are no longer exercisable hereunder.

          (b) The Purchase Price for each one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250), and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

          (c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly and properly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for

the total number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 11 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, may be made (x) in cash or by certified bank check, cashier’s check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, or (y) by delivery of a certificate or certificates (with appropriate stock powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the sum of the then Purchase Price and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, divided by the closing market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the Trading Date immediately preceding the date of such exercise. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

          (d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

          (e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such (a “Post Transferee”), or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person had any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e) (a “Prior Transferee”), or (iv) any subsequent transferee receiving transferred Rights

from a Post Transferee or a Prior Transferee, either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees, shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.

          (f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights or other securities 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 contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby or of the Affiliates or Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

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

     SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.

          (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

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

          (c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent in writing whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(c) and give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement(s). Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until a registration statement (if required) has been declared effective.

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

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

     SECTION 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any certificate for a number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer taxes or charges) was duly made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to 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 AND KIND OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

          (a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) or in Section 7 hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

               (ii) In the event:

                    (A) any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, (1) shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger or combination and the Common Stock of the Company shall remain outstanding and unchanged, (2) shall, in one transaction or a series of transactions, transfer any assets to the Company or to any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for shares of Common Stock, for shares of other equity securities of the Company, or for securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of equity securities of the Company (Common Stock or otherwise) or otherwise obtain from the Company, with or without consideration, any additional shares of such equity securities or securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of such equity securities (other than pursuant to a pro rata distribution to all holders of Common Stock), (3) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire or dispose of, in the transaction or a series of transactions, to, from or with (as the case may be) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, assets on terms and conditions less favorable to Company than the Company would be able to obtain in arm’s length negotiation with an unaffiliated third party, other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, (4) shall receive any compensation from the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries other than compensation for full time employment as a regular employee at rates in accordance with the Company’s (or its Subsidiaries’) past practices, or (5) shall receive the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder and except if resulting from a requirement of law or governmental regulation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or any tax credits or other tax advantage provided by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or

                    (B) any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, other than pursuant to any transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or

                    (C) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, there shall be any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split), or recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of the Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than a transaction or transactions to which the provisions of Section 13(a) apply (whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person) which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than one percent (1%) the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which is directly or indirectly beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, then, promptly following ten (10) days after the date of the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) hereof and promptly following the occurrence of any event described in Section 11(a)(ii)(A) or (C) hereof, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter

be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by (y) fifty percent (50%) of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”).

               (iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company’s charter but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock, “common stock equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which in the aggregate are equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days following the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder 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 need 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(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding 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 issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the Common Stock on the date of the first occurrence of a 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 Stock 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 Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock (“equivalent preferred stock”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon the exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one

Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon the exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “current market price” per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “current market price” per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current market price per share of the Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, after the 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 market price” shall be properly adjusted to take into account the effect of such dividend, distribution, subdivision, combination or reclassification. 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 American Stock Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the American 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 shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock 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 Common Stock selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, “current market price” per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by 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.

               (ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current market price” per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the current market price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the “current market price” per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 10,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current market price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, “current market price” per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the “current market price” of one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the “current market price” of one share of Preferred Stock divided by ten thousand (10,000).

          (e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandths of a share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.

          (f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

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

          (h) 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 ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one ten-thousandths 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 lieu of any adjustment in the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written 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 Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and delivered by the Company and countersigned and delivered by the Rights Agent in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

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

          (k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par or stated value, if any, of the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.

          (l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

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

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

          (o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

          (p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.

     SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief, reasonably detailed statement of the facts, computations and methodology accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall have no duty or liability with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of, any adjustment unless and until it shall have received any such certificate.

     SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER.

          (a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),

then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one ten-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and (2) dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by fifty percent (50%) of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; provided, however, that upon the subsequent occurrence of any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all assets, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, reorganization or other extraordinary transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price, such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property which such holder would have been entitled to receive had he, at the time of such transaction, owned the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party purchasable upon the exercise of a Right, and such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.

          (b) “Principal Party” shall mean:

               (i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and

               (ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;

provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person whose Common Stock is so registered; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.

          (c) If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for Common Stock of such Principal Party as provided in Section 13(a), then each holder of Rights shall have the right to exchange its Rights for cash from such Principal Party in an amount equal to the number of shares of Common Stock that it would otherwise be entitled to purchase times fifty percent (50%) of the current per share market price, as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof, of such Common Stock of such Principal Party. If, for any reason, the foregoing formulation cannot be applied to determine the cash amount into which the Rights are exchangeable, then the Board of Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment banking firms, and based upon the total value of the Company, shall determine such amount reasonably and with good faith to the holders of Rights. Any such determination shall be final and binding on the Rights Agent.

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

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

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

               (iii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall become listed on a national securities exchange, to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on such securities exchange and, if the

Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed on a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use; and

               (iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal, warrants, or rights in respect of the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights and which would have the effect of eliminating or significantly diminishing the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

          (e) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).

     SECTION 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.

          (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the American 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 shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousand of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company may

pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one ten-thousandth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (d) Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or any fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

          (e) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.

     SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 and Section 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach by the Company of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations by the Company of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder

of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use all reasonable efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.

     SECTION 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

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

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

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

     SECTION 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

     SECTION 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.

          (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements 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 for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises and of enforcing this rights of indemnification; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable under this Section 18(a) to the extent a court of competent jurisdiction shall have determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling that such loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense resulted from any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent through its gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 hereof shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

          (b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights 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, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.

     SECTION 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.

          (a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer or corporate trust 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, however, 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 Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

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

     SECTION 20. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

          (a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to, 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 (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of “current market price”) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take 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 the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent for, and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of, any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

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

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

          (e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or with respect to the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11 hereof) or any change or

adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after 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 shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

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

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

          (h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though the Rights Agent were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such stockholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

          (i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officer and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable

or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

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

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

     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 Stock and Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights 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 Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to resign automatically on the effective date of such termination; and any required notice will be sent by the Company. 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 Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a Person organized and doing business under the law of the United States or of the State of California (or of any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the State of California), in good standing, having a principal office in the State of California, which is authorized under such laws to exercise stock transfer or corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, or (b) an Affiliate of such a Person. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it

hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

     SECTION 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

     SECTION 23. REDEMPTION.

          (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) day following the Stock Acquisition Date, or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of the Board of Directors then in office and publicly announced by the Company (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) day following the Record Date, or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of the Board of Directors then in office and publicly announced by the Company), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, a Distribution Date shall not occur and the Rights shall not be exercisable until such time as the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired.

          (b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to subparagraph (a) of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate

and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors or stockholders, as applicable, ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give public notice of such redemption (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such redemption. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase, acquisition or redemption of shares of Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date.

          (c) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the “current market value” as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof) of the Common Stock as of the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

          (d) The Board of the Directors of the Company shall establish a Shareholder Rights Plan Committee that shall periodically consider whether the maintenance of this Agreement continues to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Shareholder Rights Plan Committee shall conduct such review when, as and in such manner as such committee deems appropriate, after giving due regard to all relevant circumstances; provided, however, that the committee shall take such action at least once every five years. Following each such review, the Shareholder Rights Plan Committee will report its conclusions to the full Board of Directors of the Company, including any recommendation in light thereof as to whether this Agreement should be modified, terminated or the Rights redeemed. The Shareholder Rights Plan Committee is authorized to retain such legal counsel, financial advisors and other advisors as such committee deems appropriate in order to assist the Shareholder Rights Plan Committee in carrying out its foregoing responsibilities under this Agreement. The Shareholder Rights Plan Committee shall consist of non-management directors who are otherwise eligible to serve on the committee in accordance with the Company’s bylaws.

     SECTION 24. EXCHANGE.

          (a) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to subsection (c) below, the Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of Directors, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one (1) share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Ratio of Exchange”). 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 Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Common Stock then outstanding.

          (b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Ratio of Exchange. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

          (c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with Section 24(a), the Company shall either take such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option of a majority of the Board of Directors, with respect to each Right (i) pay cash in an amount equal to the Current Value (as hereinafter defined), in lieu of issuing Common Stock in exchange therefor, or (ii) issue debt or equity securities or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the Current Value (as defined below), in lieu of issuing Common Stock in exchange for each such Right, where the value of such securities shall be determined by a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors by majority vote of the Board of Directors, or (iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, Common Stock and/or other securities having a value equal to the Current Value in exchange for each Right. For purposes of this Section 24(c) only, the Current Value shall mean the product of the current per share market price of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) on the date of the occurrence of the event described above in subparagraph (a)) multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient shares available. To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 24(c), the Board of Directors may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period of up to sixty (60) days following the date on which the event described in Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any authorization of additional shares of Common Stock and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the above provision and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended.

          (d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current per share market value of a whole share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof).

          (e) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially equivalent value, as determined reasonably and with good faith by the Board of Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment banking firms.

          (f) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of rights in exchange therefor as has been determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with subsection (e) above. The Company shall give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company 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 transfer agent for the Common Stock of the Company. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Rights will be effected.

     SECTION 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.

          (a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or to effect a subdivision, consolidation or combination of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment in dividends in Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall

give to the Rights Agent and to the extent feasible to each holder of a Rights 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, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least ten (10) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 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 shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier.

          (b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities.

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

National HealthCare Corporation
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: General Counsel

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

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: Client Services

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

     SECTION 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may be supplemented or amended at the times and for the purposes set forth below. Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, however, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment; provided, that, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to enter into any supplement or amendment that effects the Rights Agents’ own rights, duties, obligation or immunities under this Agreement. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock.

     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. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights. The Rights Agent shall be entitled to assume the Board of Directors of the Company acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in the Rights Agent’s reliance thereon.

     SECTION 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).

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

     SECTION 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.

     SECTION 33. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each such counterpart shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

     SECTION 34. 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 35. FORCE MAJEURE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting directly from acts beyond its reasonable control that causes a sudden, substantial or widespread disruption in business activities, including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest (each, a “Force Majeure Condition”); provided, that such delayed or non-performing party shall use reasonable commercial efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable. If any Force Majeure Condition occurs that effects a party to this Agreement, the party delayed or unable to perform shall give notice to the other party as soon as practicable, stating the nature of the Force Majeure Condition and any action being taken to avoid or minimize its effect.

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

FORM OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF RIGHTS, PREFERENCES
AND PRIVILEGES OF
SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OF

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION.

Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware

     ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, the President and Chief Executive Officer, and ▇▇▇▇ ▇. Lines, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, of National HealthCare Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:

     That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Certificate of Incorporation of said Corporation, as amended, the Board of Directors on August 2, 2007, adopted the following resolution creating a series of 3,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

     “RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors of the corporation by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors does hereby provide for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value, of the Corporation, to be designated “Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock,” initially consisting of 3,000 shares and to the extent that the designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock are not stated and expressed in the Certificate of Incorporation, does hereby fix and herein state and express such designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, as follows (all terms used herein which are defined in the Certificate of Incorporation shall be deemed to have the meanings provided therein):

     Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock,” par value $0.01 per share, and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 3,000.

     Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.

     (A) Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating 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 last day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 10,000 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 or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after August 2, 2007 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case, the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     (B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above immediately after it declares a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock.

     (C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

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

     (A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 10,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

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

     (C) Except as required by law, holders of Series B Junior Participating 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) The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it shall declare a dividend on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock as required by Section 2 hereof.

     (B) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

	(i)		declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
	(ii)		declare or pay dividends on, 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 Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred stock and all such parity stock on which

dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

	(iii)		redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or
	(iv)		purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

     (C) 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 B Junior Participating 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 to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

     Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

     (A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, plus an amount equal to the greater of (1) $10,000.00 per share, provided that in the event the Corporation does not have sufficient assets, after payment of its liabilities and distribution to holders of Preferred Stock ranking prior to the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock,

available to permit payment in full of the $10,000.00 per share amount, the amount required to be paid under this Section 6(A)(1) shall, subject to Section 6(B) hereof, equal the value of the amount of available assets divided by the number of outstanding shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock or (2) subject to the provisions for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount to be distributed to the holders of Common Stock (the greater of (1) or (2), the “Series B Liquidation Preference”). In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (2) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

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

     Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 10,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     Section 8. Redemption. The shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

     Section 9. Ranking. The Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the

distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise. The Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank senior to the Corporation’s Common Stock.

     Section 10. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preference or special rights of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

     Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 3rd day of August 2007.

EXHIBIT B
Form of Rights Certificate

Certificate No. R-_________		_________ Rights

     NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 2, 2017, OR EARLIER IF TERMINATED BY THE COMPANY OR AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. [UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.] [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]*

*

The portion of the legend in bracket shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.

RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION

     This certifies that ____________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of August 2, 2007, as such agreement may be amended from time to time in accordance with its terms (the “Rights Agreement”), between National HealthCare Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered 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., New York City Time, on August 3, 2017, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one ten-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $250 per one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of August 2, 2007, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or other securities that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights

evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

     This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent.

     Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company, at its option, at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in whole or in part for Common Shares, substantially equivalent rights or other consideration as determined by the Company.

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

     No fractional portion less than integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

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

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

     WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company. Dated as of ___, 20_.

ATTEST:		NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
		By:
[Secretary]

Countersigned:

______________________
as Rights Agent

By:

______________________
Authorized Officer

Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate)

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _____________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)

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

Dated: _____________________________

Signature Guaranteed:

     The signature should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with members in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

CERTIFICATE

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

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

Dated: ______________________

     Signature Guaranteed:

The signature should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with members in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate)

To: _______________________________________

     The undersigned hereby irrevocable elects to exercise ____________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 Rights Certificate, a new Rights 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 Guaranteed:

     The signature should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with members in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

CERTIFICATE

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

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

Dated: ____________________

     Signature Guaranteed:

The signature should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with members in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

NOTICE

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

In the event the certification set forth on the foregoing 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 the Rights 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.

Exhibit C

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK

     On August 2, 2007, the Board of Directors of National HealthCare Corporation (the “Company”) approved the adoption of a Stockholder Rights Plan and declared a dividend distribution of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of the Company’s Common Stock to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 2, 2007 (the “Dividend Date”). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one ten-thousandth of a share (a “Unit”) of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value (the “Preferred Stock”), at a purchase price of $250 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, dated as of August 2, 2007, as may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”).

     Certificates. Initially, the Rights will not be exercisable, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will be distributed. Subject to extension by the Board of Directors in certain circumstances, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a distribution date (the “Distribution Date”) will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of twenty percent (20%) or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Stock Acquisition Date”), or (ii) ten (10) business days following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning twenty percent (20%) or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.

     Expiration and Exercise. The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date, if any such date shall occur, and will expire at the close of business on tenth anniversary of the record date of the plan (August 2, 2017), unless previously redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.

     As soon as practicable after a Distribution Date, if any such date shall occur, the Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.

     “Flip-In” Events. In the event that (i) the Company is the surviving Company in a merger with an Acquiring Person and its Common Stock is not changed or exchanged, (ii) an Acquiring Person becomes the beneficial owner of more than twenty percent (20%) of the outstanding

shares of Common Stock, (iii) an Acquiring Person engages in one or more “self-dealing” transactions as set forth in the Rights Agreement, or (iv) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, an event occurs which results in such Acquiring Person’s ownership interest being increased by more than one percent (1%) (e.g., a reverse stock split), each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two (2) times the exercise price of the Right. However, the Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of any of the events set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable as set forth below. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will become null and void.

     For example, at an exercise price of $250 per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase $500 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $250. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $50 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase ten shares of Common Stock for $250.

     “Flip-Over” Events. In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving Company, or (ii) fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company’s assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two (2) times the exercise price of the Right.

     Exchange Feature. At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange rate of one share of Common Stock (or a combination of cash, property, Common Stock or other securities having an equal value) per Right (subject to adjustment).

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

     With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the purchase price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least one percent (1%) of the purchase price. No fractional

Units will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

     Redemption. At any time until ten (10) days following the Stock Acquisition Date or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors then in office and publicly announced by the Company, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (the “Redemption Price”). Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.

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

     Amendments. Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period governing redemption shall be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.

     Five-Year Independent Director Review of Rights Plan. Under Rights Plan, the Board of the Directors will establish a Shareholder Rights Plan Committee (which shall consist of non-management directors) that will periodically consider whether the maintenance of the Rights Plan continues to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Shareholder Rights Plan Committee will conduct such review when and in such manner as such committee deems appropriate and will conduct its review at least once every five years.

     Availability of Rights Agreement. A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated August 3, 2007. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This Summary of Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.