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Exhibit 4.2
________________________________________________________________________________
OCTEL CORP.
and
FIRST CHICAGO TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK,
Rights Agent
____________________________________________
Rights Agreement
Dated as of _______________, 1998
________________________________________________________________________________
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Table of Contents
Section Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions............................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent....................................5
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates...................................5
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates....................................7
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration..............................8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Rights Certificates..........................................9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights...................................................10
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates...........12
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.................12
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date...................................14
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares
or Number of Rights.........................................14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares....23
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.......................................................24
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.......................26
Section 15. Rights of Action..............................................27
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders...................................28
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder............29
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent...................................29
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.....29
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent........................................30
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Section Page
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent........................................32
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates...........................33
Section 23. Redemption and Termination....................................33
Section 24. Exchange......................................................34
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events......................................36
Section 26. Notices.......................................................36
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments....................................37
Section 28. Successors....................................................38
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.....38
Section 30. Benefits of This Agreement....................................38
Section 31. Severability..................................................38
Section 32. Governing Law.................................................39
Section 33. Counterparts..................................................39
Section 34. Descriptive Headings..........................................39
Exhibit A - Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock
Exhibit B - Form of Rights Certificate
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of ____________, 1998 (the "Agree-
ment"), between OCTEL CORP., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and FIRST
CHICAGO TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK, a New York trust company (the "Rights
Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on ______________, 1998 (the "Rights Dividend
Declaration Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and
declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each share of common stock,
par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") to be issued in
the distribution of Common Stock (the "Spin-Off") by Great Lakes Chemical
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, to its stockholders, and has authorized and
directed the issuance of one Right (as such number may be hereinafter adjusted
pursuant to Section 11(i) or 11(p) hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the
Company issued between the record date of the Spin-Off (the "Record Date") and
the Distribution Date and, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22
hereof, after the Distribution Date, each Right initially representing the right
to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and preferences set
forth in the Exhibit A attached hereto, upon the terms and subject to the condi-
tions 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:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or
which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding,
but shall not include:
(i) the Company,
(ii) any Subsidiary of the Company,
(iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any Subsidiary of the Company,
(iv) any Person organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan,
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(v) any Person who has reported or is required
to report such ownership (but less than 25%) on Schedule 13G under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) or on Schedule 13D
under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) which
Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to
control or influence the management or policies of the Company or
engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such Schedule
(other than the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10
Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding
the same, certifies to the Company that such Person acquired shares of
Common Stock representing in excess of 14.9% of the outstanding Common
Stock inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and
who, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not
acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner of
15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, provided,
however, that if the Person described in this clause (v) is requested
to so certify and fails to do so within 10 Business Days, then such
Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such 10
Business Day period or
(vi) any Person who shall have become an
Acquiring Person solely 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 a
Person to 15% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding as determined above; provided, however, that such Person
shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person if such Person shall have
become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock of the
Company then outstanding (as determined in this clause (vi)) solely by
reason of repurchases of Common Stock by the Company and at any time,
after such repurchases, shall have become the Beneficial Owner of any
additional shares of Common Stock by any means whatsoever.
(b) "Adverse Person" shall mean any Person declared to
be an Adverse Person by the Board of Directors upon determination that the
criteria set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) apply to such Person; provided,
however, that the Board of Directors shall not declare any Person who is the
Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company
to be an Adverse Person if such Person has reported or is required to report
such ownership on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or
reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the
Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such Schedule
(other than the disposition of the Common
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Stock) so long as such Person neither reports nor is required to report such
ownership other than as described in this proviso to Section 1(b).
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the
respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and as in
effect on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner"
of, and shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the 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
conversion rights, exchange rights, other 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
issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of
a Triggering Event;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote
or dispose of or has "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 (ii) 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
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or
not in writing), for the
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purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable
proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this
paragraph (d)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (d) 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 40 days after the date of such acquisition.
(e) "Board of Directors" shall mean the board of
directors of the Company.
(f) "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.
(g) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean
5:00 P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such
date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the
next succeeding Business Day.
(h) "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.
(i) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning
ascribed to such term in Section 3(a) hereof.
(j) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning
ascribed to such term in Section 11(d) hereof.
(k) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning ascribed to
such term in Section 1(c) hereof.
(l) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning ascribed
to such term in Section 7 hereof.
(m) "Original Rights" shall have the meaning ascribed
to such term in Section 1(d)(i) hereof.
(n) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm,
corporation, partnership or other entity.
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(o) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company,
and, to the extent there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of
the Rights, any other series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of
the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar
to the terms of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(p) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning ascribed
to such term in Section 7(b).
(q) "Record Date" shall mean __________ ___, 1998.
(r) "Rights" shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in the Recitals.
(s) "Rights Certificate" shall have the meaning
ascribed to such term in Section 3(a).
(t) "Section 11 Event" shall mean any event described
in Section 11(a)(ii)(A) or (B) hereof.
(u) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described
in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(v) "Securities Act" shall have the meaning ascribed
to such term in Section 9(c).
(w) "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.
(x) "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.
(y) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11 Event
or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the
Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
Distribution Date also be the holders of
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the Common Stock) 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.
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the earliest of (i) the close of business on
the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the
Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on
the Record Date), (ii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such
later date as the Board of Directors shall determine) 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 organized, appointed or established by the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given
within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding
or (iii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day after the Board of
Directors determines, pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B)
hereof, that a Person is an Adverse Person (the earliest of clauses (i), (ii)
and (iii) 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). As soon
as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by
first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of 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 right certificates,
in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights Certificates"),
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(i) or
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.
(b) 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
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in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of
Common Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or delivered from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date or, in certain circumstances provided
in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution 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 Octel
Corp. (the "Company") and First Chicago Trust Company of New York,
dated as of__________ ___, 1998, as from time to time amended (the
"Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein
by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices
of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement, 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 an
Adverse 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
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
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 and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with
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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 one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such
exercise price per one one-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, an Adverse Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee
after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate)
who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a
transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person
or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person or Adverse 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 the 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,
Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or
Adverse 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 countersigned by the
Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid
for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who
shall have signed
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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 Certifi ▇▇▇▇▇, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased
to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent
will keep or cause to be kept, at its principal 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 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) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration
Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates
representing Rights that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) 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 one-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. 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 or Certificates until the registered
holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
assignment set forth on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall
have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner
(or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company
shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Sections
4(b), 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled
thereto a Rights Certificate or Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
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cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent
of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction,
of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and 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 executed, to the
Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with
respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the
close of business on ___________, 2008 (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 such Rights are exchanged pursuant to Section 24
hereof (the earliest of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as
the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of
a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially
be $_____, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph
(c) below ("Purchase Price").
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on
the reverse side thereof duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to
each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share
of Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax, 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
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be
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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 one-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) requisition from the Company
the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in
accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or
depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) 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) shall be made in cash or by certified
bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. 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. The Company reserves the right to require
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights,
a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock
would be issued.
(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 Section 11 Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such,
or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring
Person or Adverse 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 in its sole discretion determined is part of a
plan,
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arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further
action, and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with
respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the
provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but
shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as
a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person or any of their respective Affiliates, Associates or
transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form
of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
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 any authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the
number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, shares of 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, shares of Common Stock and/or
other securities) issuable
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and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and
after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it
is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for
such issuance to be listed on such exchange 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 Event on which the consideration to be delivered by
the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this
Agreement (including 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
"Securities 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 Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and
(B) the Expiration Date. 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. In addition,
if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required
following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the
exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has
been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration
statement shall not have 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 one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
shares of 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.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in whose
name any certificate for a number of one one-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
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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) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such
Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares
(fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or
other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.
Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights
Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a 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) and Section 7(e)
hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for
such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination
or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of 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, he 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
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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 Person shall become an
Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an
Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or
is an acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer
or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a
price and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of
the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company and who are
not representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an
Acquiring Person, after receiving advice from one or more investment
banking firms, to be (a) at a price which is fair to stockholders
(taking into account all factors which such members of the Board deem
relevant, including, without limitation, prices which could reasonably
be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis
designed to realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders (a "Qualifying Offer"),
or
(B) the Board of Directors of the
Company shall declare any Person to be an Adverse Person, upon a
determination that such Person, alone or together with its Affiliates
and Associates, has, at any time after this Agreement has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a filing
under the Exchange Act, become the Beneficial Owner of a number of
shares of Common Stock which the Board of Directors of the Company
determines to be substantial (which number of shares shall in no event
represent less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock) and
a determination by the Board of Directors of the Company, after
reasonable inquiry and investigation, including consultation with such
persons as such directors shall deem appropriate and consideration of
such factors as are permitted by applicable law, that (a) such
Beneficial Ownership by such Person is intended to cause the Company to
repurchase the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person
or to cause pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a
transaction or series of transactions intended to provide such Person
with short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of
Directors determines that the best long-term interests of the Company
would not be served by taking such action or entering into such
transaction or series of transactions at that time or (b) such
Beneficial Ownership is causing or reasonably likely to cause a
material adverse impact (including, but not limited to, impairment of
relationships with customers or impairment of the Company's ability to
maintain its competitive position) on the business or prospects of the
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Company, on the Company's employees, customers or suppliers or on the
communities in which the Company operates or is located,
then, promptly following the occurrence of any event described in Section
11(a)(ii)(A) or (B) 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 a
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of
shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of a share
of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 11 Event, and (y) 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 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 Certificate of
Incorporation, but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for
purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, are not sufficient to
permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall:
(A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares
issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2)
the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to
each Right, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, make adequate provision to
substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and
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, such as the Preferred Stock, which the Board of
Directors of the Company has deemed to have essentially the same value
or economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such shares or units of
shares of preferred stock are referred to herein as "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 (less the amount of any reduction in the
Purchase Price), 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, that 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 Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of
re-
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demption 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 shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal
to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine
in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of
the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended
to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the
Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares
(such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution
Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some action
should 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 stockholder
approval for such 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
each Adjustment Share shall be the Current Market Price per share of
the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per
share or per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed
to have the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on such
date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for
the issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all
holders of Preferred 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 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 Pre-
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ferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or
all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by 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
quarterly 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 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 and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights) 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
per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is
not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(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 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
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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 Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of
the Common Stock of (A) any 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
the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record
date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall not
have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite thirty (30)
Trading Day period or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above,
then, and in each such case, the "Current Market Price" shall be
properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing
price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in
case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to
securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange
or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading
on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
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 system, 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
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cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred
Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in
clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "Current Market Price" per share
of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal
to 1,000 (as such 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.
(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-thousandth 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
one-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,
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that number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to
the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
one-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 one-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 one-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 ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price
by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase
Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust
the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if
known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may
be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but,
if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (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 countersigned in the manner provided
for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase
Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the
Purchase Price or the number of one one-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 one-thousandths of a share and the number of one one-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 stated value, if any, of
the number of one one-thousandths
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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 one-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 until the occurrence of
such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record
date the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
over and above the number of one one-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 dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants
referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its
Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such 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 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
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constitute, the "Principal Party" for 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 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 shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine
the outstanding shares of 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 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.
(q) The failure of the Board of Directors to declare a
Person to be an Adverse Person following such Person becoming the Beneficial
Owner of shares of Common Stock representing 10% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock shall not imply that such Person is not an Adverse Person
or limit the Board of Directors' right at any time in the future to declare such
Person to be an Adverse Person.
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 statement of the facts accounting for such
adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer
agent for the Preferred Stock and the 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. The Rights Agent
shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power.
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(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 50% or more 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 (except as may
be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so
that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely
tradeable 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 one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11 Event
has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying
the number of such one one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence) and
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 (2) 50% of the Current Market Price 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; and (v) the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any
Section 13 Event.
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(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 for or 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;
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) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13
Event 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 such Section 13
Event, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration
statement under the Securities 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 Securities Act) until the Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or
register the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights under blue sky laws of such jurisdiction, as may be necessary or
appropriate; and
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(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights
historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its
Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
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 first occurrence of a Section 11 Event, the
Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become
exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons (or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of any such
Person or Persons) who acquired shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Qualifying
Offer, (ii) the price per share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is
not less than the price per share of Common Stock paid to all holders of shares
of Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to such Qualifying Offer,
and (iii) the form of consideration being offered to the remaining holders of
shares of Common Stock pursuant to such transaction is the same as the form of
consideration paid pursuant to such Qualifying Offer. Upon consummation of any
such transaction contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall
expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue
fractions of Rights, 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 New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted,
the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market,
as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date
the Rights are not quoted by any such system, the
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average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of
the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the
Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue
fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of
the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth 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
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section
14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred
Stock shall be one one-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 per share of Common Stock (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(d) 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 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
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Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations
hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents 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 and
only if surrendered at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent
designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper
instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully
executed;
(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, subject to the last sentence of
Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
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 one-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
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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 administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall
incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by
it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any
Rights Certificate or certificate for 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.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or
any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation
succeeding to the corporate trust or shareholder services 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
corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights
Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and
deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
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any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the
predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent
shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not
have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel
(who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as
to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under
this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any
fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person and the determination of "Current Market Price") be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
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 authorization to the Rights Agent for any action
taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only
for its own 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.
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(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any
responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and
delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required
under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates
after actual notice of any such adjustment); 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 or any designee of any of the foregoing, and to apply to such
officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall
not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith
in accordance with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not
Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights
Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal
entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of
the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either
itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not
be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such
act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was
exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
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(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
attached to the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase, as the
case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response
to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action
with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting
with the Company.
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. 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 any registered
holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of a
Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed
by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or
Delaware (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 New York
or Delaware), in good standing, having a principal office in the State of New
York or Delaware which is authorized under such laws to exercise 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 com
bined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 and which shall otherwise
meet any requirements imposed by the New York Stock Exchange on transfer agents
and registrars. 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
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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 Rights, Rights Agreement or 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, granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, 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 and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Stock Acquisition Date (or,
if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the
close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem
all but not less than all 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 the foregoing, the Board of Directors may not redeem
any Rights following a determination pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)(B) that any
Person is an Adverse Person. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first
occurrence of a Section 11 Event until such time as the Company's right of
redemption set forth in the first sentence of this Section 23(a) has expired.
The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of
Common Stock (based on the Current
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Market Price of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of
which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action
and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the
only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the
Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board
of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give
notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then
outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's
last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior
to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for 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.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person or is
determined to be an Adverse Person pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)(B), exchange
all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not
include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)
hereof) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common
Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange
ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). 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 of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to
subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right
thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares
of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder
multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice
of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect
in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company
promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such
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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 any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the
Company, at its option, may substitute shares of Preferred Stock (or equivalent
preferred stock, as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11 hereof)
for shares of Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred stock)
for each share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments
in the voting rights of the Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 3(A) of the
rights, powers and preferences attached hereto as Exhibit A, so that the
fraction of a share of Preferred Stock delivered in lieu of each share of
Common Stock shall have the same voting rights as one share of Common Stock.
(d) 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 this Section
24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) 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 Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional share of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the Current Market
Value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of this subsection (e),
the "Current Market Value" of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing
price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence
of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time
after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any
class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the
holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of
earnings or retained earnings of the Company), 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
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(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 50% of the assets or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person
or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect
the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such
case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the
extent feasible and in accordance with Section 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 twenty (20) days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever
shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11 Event shall occur, then, in
any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance
with Section 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 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:
Attention: Graham Leathes
Associated Octel
P. O. Box 17 Oil Sites Road
Ellesmere Port
South Wirral ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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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:
______________________
[ADDRESS]
Attention: ___________
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. Prior to the
Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27,
the Company and, if so directed by the Company, the Rights Agent, shall
supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock and associated
Rights. From and after the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate
sentence of this Section 27, the Company may 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 to: (i) cure any ambiguity, (ii)
correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) shorten or lengthen any
time period hereunder, or (iv) 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, Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person); provided, however, that this Agreement may
not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this
sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such
time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless
such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the
rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person and its Associates and Affiliates). 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.
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.
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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 or any other class of capital 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.
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.
Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring a majority of the
members of the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company and who
are not representatives, nominees,
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Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person to act is held by any court of
competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable,
such determination shall be made by the Board of Directors of the Company in
accordance with applicable law and the Company's Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaws.
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 of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an origi nal, 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.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: OCTEL CORP.
By _______________________ By _____________________
Name: Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Title: General Counsel
Attest: __________________
________, as Rights Agent
By _______________________ By _____________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
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EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES
AND RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR
PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
OCTEL CORP.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
The undersigned officer of Octel Corp., a corporation
organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the "Corporation"), in accordance with the provisions of Section 103
thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation,
the said Board of Directors on __________ ___, 1998 adopted the following
resolution creating a series of ___________ shares of Preferred Stock designated
as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board
of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the
Corporation be and it hereby is created, and that the designation and amount
thereof and the voting powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional
and other special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications,
limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be ___________.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) The holders of shares of Series A 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
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first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest
cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for
adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and 1,000 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,
par value $0.10 per share, 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after__________ ___, 1998 (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 A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) 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 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph
(A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common
Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that,
in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common
Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.01 per share on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on
such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares
of Series A 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 A 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 A 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution
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declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the
date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle
the holder thereof to 1,000 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 A 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 A 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) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount
equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such
contingency shall ▇▇▇▇ the beginning of a period (herein called a
"default period") which shall extend until such time when all accrued
and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and
for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been
declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period,
all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an
amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class,
irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two (2)
directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of
the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be
exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to
subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of
stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders,
provided that such voting right shall not be exercised unless the
holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy. The absence of a
quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by
the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right.
▇-▇
▇▇
▇▇ any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise
such voting right initially during an existing default period, they
shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill
such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up
to two (2) directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual
meeting, to elect two (2) directors. If the number which may be so
elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number,
the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such
increase in the number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the
election by them of the required number. After the holders of the
Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect directors in
any default period and during the continuance of such period, the
number of directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote
of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the
rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall,
during an existing default period, have previously exercised their
right to elect directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any
stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten
percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of
special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall
thereupon be called by the President, a Vice-President or the Secretary
of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at
which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this
Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred
Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him or her at his or her last
address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such
meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not
later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the
calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request,
such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of
the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Not
withstanding the provisions of this Paragraph (C)(iii), no such special
meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately
preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the
stockholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common
Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable,
shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors
until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right
to elect two (2) directors voting as a class, after the exercise of
which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred
Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been
elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period,
and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided
in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority
of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the
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holders of the class of stock which elected the director whose office
shall have become vacant. References in this Paragraph (C) to directors
elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include
directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in
clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default
period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to
elect directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by
the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the
number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the
certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase
made pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3
(such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner
provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws). Any
vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of
clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a
majority of the remaining directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A 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) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A 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
A 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid
ratably on the Series A 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
A-5
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upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A
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.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A 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 A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
there to, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have received an amount equal to 1,000 times the Purchase Price, plus an
amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether
or not declared, to the date of such payment (the "Series A Liquidation
Preference"). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A
Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per
share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i)
the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as
set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock splits,
stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such
number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment Number"). Following the payment of the
full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in
respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Pre-
A-6
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ferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall
receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be
distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such
Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred
stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A 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. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such
remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) 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 Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event
shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment 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 outstand ing immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount
of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the
case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the 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 A Junior Participating Pre ferred 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. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Amendment. The Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner
which would materially alter or change the
A-7
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powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A 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 A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 10. Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the
holder, in proportion to such holders fractional shares, to exercise voting
rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit
of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
A-8
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this
Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury
this __ day of __________, 1998.
OCTEL CORP.
_______________________________
Name:
Title:
A-9
53
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- _______Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER__________ ___, 2008 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMEDBY THE COMPANY.
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 ADVERSE
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 ADVERSE PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR ADVERSE PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e)
OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]1
Rights Certificate
OCTEL CORP.
This certifies that _________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered holder 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__________ ___, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between OCTEL CORP., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
______________________, a _______________ (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from
the Company at any time prior to 5:00 PM (New York City time) on ___________
____, 2008, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully-paid,
nonassessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price of $_____ per one
one-thousandth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and
surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase set
_________________________
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
B-1
54
forth on the reverse hereof and the Certificate contained therein duly executed.
The Purchase Price shall be paid in cash. The number of Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon
exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth
above, are the number of Rights, number and Purchase Price as of __________ ___,
1998, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date, and are subject
to adjustment upon the happening of certain events as provided in the Rights
Agreement. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of
a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will
be issued.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11 Event (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such
Acquiring Person, Adverse Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who,
concurrently with or after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person, Adverse
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person,
such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any
rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of
such Section 11 Event.
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
above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written
request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights
entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate
or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.
If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be
entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or
Certificates representing the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the
close of business on (i) the fifteenth day following
B-2
55
the Stock Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended or shortened
pursuant to the Rights Agreement) or (ii) the Final Expiration Date. In
addition, the Rights may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for shares of Common
Stock, or shares of preferred stock of the Company having essentially the same
value or economic rights as such shares. Immediately upon the action of the
Board of Directors of the Company authorizing any such exchange, and without any
further action or any notice, the Rights (other than Rights which are not
subject to such exchange) will terminate and the Rights will only enable holders
to receive the shares issuable upon such exchange.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon
the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which
are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock,
which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts),
but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder, as such, of this Rights Certificate shall be
entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
the shares of Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which
may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained
in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof,
as such, any of the rights of a 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.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of _____________, _____
ATTEST: OCTEL CORP.
________________________ By________________________
Secretary Title:
B-3
56
Countersigned:
[RIGHTS AGENT]
By________________________
Authorized Signature
B-4
57
[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.)
Please print social security or other
identifying number of the transferor:________________________
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _______________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers
unto:
_____________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_____________________________________________________
(Please print social security or other
identifying number of the transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _____________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: __________________, 19__
______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:__________________________
58
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, Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
or Adverse 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, Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
or Adverse Person.
Dated:_________________, 19__ _________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:________________________
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
59
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if the registered holder desires to
exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: OCTEL CORP.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
__________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares
of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued
in the name of and delivered to:
____________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
____________________________________________
(Please print social security or other
identifying number)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
____________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
____________________________________________
(Please print social security or other
identifying number)
Dated:_______________, _____
________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:__________________________
60
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [
] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person, Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
or Adverse 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, Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
or Adverse.
Dated:_________________, _____ _________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:________________________
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.