RIGHTS AGREEMENT dated as of December 21, 2015 between BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. and BROADRIDGE CORPORATE ISSUER SOLUTIONS, INC. Rights Agent
Exhibit 4.1
dated as of
December 21, 2015
between
BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
and
BROADRIDGE CORPORATE ISSUER SOLUTIONS, INC.
Rights Agent
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||
| Section 1 |
Certain Definitions |
1 | ||||
| Section 2 |
Appointment of Rights Agent |
7 | ||||
| Section 3 |
Issuance of Rights Certificates |
7 | ||||
| Section 4 |
Form of Rights Certificates |
9 | ||||
| Section 5 |
Countersignature and Registration |
10 | ||||
| Section 6 |
Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates |
10 | ||||
| Section 7 |
Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
11 | ||||
| Section 8 |
Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates |
13 | ||||
| Section 9 |
Company Covenants Concerning Securities and Rights |
13 | ||||
| Section 10 |
Record Date |
15 | ||||
| Section 11 |
Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Securities or Number of Rights |
15 | ||||
| Section 12 |
Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares |
22 | ||||
| Section 13 |
Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
23 | ||||
| Section 14 |
Rights of Action |
24 | ||||
| Section 15 |
Agreement of Rights Holders |
25 | ||||
| Section 16 |
Rights Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder |
25 | ||||
| Section 17 |
Concerning the Rights Agent |
26 | ||||
| Section 18 |
Merger, Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
26 | ||||
| Section 19 |
Duties of Rights Agent |
27 | ||||
| Section 20 |
Change of Rights Agent |
29 | ||||
| Section 21 |
Issuance of New Rights Certificates |
30 | ||||
| Section 22 |
Redemption |
31 | ||||
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| Section 23 |
Exchange | 31 | ||||
| Section 24 |
Notice of Certain Events | 32 | ||||
| Section 25 |
Notices | 33 | ||||
| Section 26 |
Supplements and Amendments | 34 | ||||
| Section 27 |
Successors | 34 | ||||
| Section 28 |
Determinations and Actions by the Board | 35 | ||||
| Section 29 |
Benefits of this Agreement | 35 | ||||
| Section 30 |
Severability | 35 | ||||
| Section 31 |
Governing Law | 36 | ||||
| Section 32 |
Counterparts | 36 | ||||
| Section 33 |
Descriptive Headings; Interpretation | 36 | ||||
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A: Form of Articles Supplementary Designating Series A Junior Preferred Stock
Exhibit B: Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C: Summary of Rights
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of December 21, 2015 (the “Agreement”), between Bimini Capital Management, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Rights Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on December 21, 2015 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”), the Board authorized and declared a distribution of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each share of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Class A Common Stock”), one Right for each share of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Class B Common Stock”) and one Right for each share of Class C Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Class C Common Stock”) outstanding at the Close of Business (as hereinafter defined) on December 21, 2015 (the “Record Date”), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, and further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of Class A Common Stock, and each share of Class B Common Stock and each share of Class C Common Stock issued or delivered by the Company after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) and the Expiration Date (as hereinafter defined) or as provided in Section 21.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
| Section 1 | Certain Definitions |
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (other than the Company, any Related Person or any Exempt Person) that has become, in itself or, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the shares of Class A Common Stock then-outstanding, provided, however, that any Person who would otherwise qualify as an Acquiring Person as of the Close of Business on the Record Date will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purpose of this Agreement on and after such date unless and until such time as such stockholder acquires the beneficial ownership of one additional share of Class A Common Stock, and provided, further, that a Person will not be deemed to have become an Acquiring Person solely as a result of (i) a reduction in the number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding, (ii) the exercise or vesting of any options, warrants, rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers and employees that are held by a director, officer or employee of the Company or its Affiliates, (iii) any unilateral grant of any security by the Company approved by the Board or a committee thereof, or (iv) an Exempt Transaction, unless and until such time, in each case, as such stockholder acquires the beneficial ownership of one additional share of Class A Common Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall be an Acquiring Person unless
the Board shall have affirmatively determined, in its sole and absolute discretion, within ten Business Days (or such later time as the Board may determine) after such Person has otherwise met the requirements of this Section 1(a), that such Person shall be an Acquiring Person.
(b) “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(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 Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement, and to the extent not included within the foregoing clause of this Section 1(c), shall also include, with respect to any Person, any other Person (whether or not a Related Person or an Exempt Person) whose shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, or Class C Common Stock would be deemed constructively owned by such first Person, owned by a single “entity” as defined in Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned by such first Person pursuant to the provisions of the Code, or any successor provision or replacement provision, and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed to be the Affiliate or Associate of another Person solely because either or both Persons are or were directors or officers of the Company.
(d) “Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
(e) “Authorized Officer” shall mean the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company.
(f) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and 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, warrants, options, or other rights (in each case, other than upon exercise or exchange of the Rights); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own” securities (including rights, options or warrants) which are convertible or exchangeable into Class A Common Stock until such time as the convertible or exchangeable securities are exercised and converted or exchanged into Class A Common Stock except to the extent the acquisition or transfer of such rights, options or warrants would be treated as exercised on the date of its acquisition or transfer under Section 1.382-4(d) of the Treasury Regulations; and, provided further, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, 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;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has or shares the right to vote or dispose of, or has “beneficial ownership” of (as defined under Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act),
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including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), but only if the effect of such agreement, arrangement or understanding is to treat such Persons as an “entity” under Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations; or
(iii) which any other person is the Beneficial Owner, if such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with such other Person (or any of such other Person’s Affiliates or Associates) with respect to acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company, but only if the effect of such agreement, arrangement or understanding is to treat such Persons as an “entity” under Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security (A) if such Person has the right to vote such security pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), or (B) if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act; provided further, however, that nothing in this Section 1(f) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities or member of a selling group to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in an underwriting syndicate until the expiration of three Business Days after the date of such acquisition, or such later date as the Board may determine in any specific case. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent not within the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(f), a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, securities which such Person would be deemed to constructively own or which otherwise would be aggregated with shares owned by such Person pursuant to Section 382 of the Code, or any successor provision or replacement provision and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
(g) “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(h) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the States of New York (or such other state in which the principal office of the Rights Agent may be located) are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(i) “Class A Common Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
(j) “Class B Common Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
(k) “Class C Common Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
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(l) “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.
(m) “Closing price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) and Section 13(a) hereof, as applicable.
(n) “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(o) “Common Stock” shall mean the Class A Common Stock together with the Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock.
(p) “Common Stock equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(q) “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
(r) “Company’s Charter” shall mean the charter of the Company.
(s) “Current market value of one Right” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(a) hereof.
(t) “Current market value of one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) hereof.
(u) “Current Per Share Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) or Section 11(d)(ii) hereof, as applicable.
(v) “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(w) “Distribution Date” shall mean the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or, unless the Distribution Date shall have previously occurred, such later date as may be specified by the Board) after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Related Person or any Exempt Person), if upon the consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the then-outstanding Class A Common Stock.
(x) “Equivalent Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(y) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(z) “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.
(aa) “Exempt Person” shall mean (i) a Person whose Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) of 4.9% or more of the then-outstanding Class A Common Stock would not, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, jeopardize or
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endanger the availability to the Company of its Tax Benefits or who the Board determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, should, in the best interests of the Company, be treated as an Exempt Person; provided, however, that, any Person shall cease to be an Exempt Person as of the date that such Person ceases to beneficially own 4.9% or more of the shares of the then outstanding Class A Common Stock. Additionally, a Person shall cease to be an Exempt Person if the Board, in its sole discretion, makes a contrary determination with respect to the effect of such Person’s Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) with respect to the availability to the Company of its Tax Benefits; and provided, further, that the Board may set any terms, conditions or limitations to any determination that a Person is an Exempt Person as the Board may determine in its sole and absolute discretion.
(bb) “Exempt Transaction” shall mean any transaction that the Board determines, in its sole discretion, is exempt, which determination shall be irrevocable; provided, however, the Board may set any terms, conditions or limitations on such transaction as it determines in its sole and absolute discretion.
(cc) “Expiration Date” shall mean the earliest of (i) the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 22 hereof, (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 23 hereof, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or any successor statute if the Board determines in its sole and absolute discretion that this Agreement is no longer necessary for the preservation of Tax Benefits or otherwise in the best interests of the Company, (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines in its sole and absolute discretion that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward and (vi) the Close of Business on June 30, 2016 if Stockholder Approval has not been obtained.
(dd) “Final Expiration Date” shall be December 21, 2025.
(ee) “MGCL” means the Maryland General Corporation Law.
(ff) “OTCQB” means the OTC QB marketplace on which the Company’s Common Stock is traded as of the date of this Agreement.
(gg) “Nasdaq” means The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(hh) “NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.
(ii) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust or other legal entity, group of persons making a “coordinated acquisition” of shares or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations or otherwise, and includes any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such individual or entity.
(jj) “Preferred Stock” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the form of Articles Supplementary to the Company’s Charter designating the Series A Junior Preferred Stock attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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(kk) “Purchase Price” shall mean initially $4.76 per one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Agreement.
(ll) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.
(mm) “Redemption Price” shall mean $0.001 per Right, subject to adjustment by the Company to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof.
(nn) “Related Person” shall mean (i) any Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) any employee benefit or stock ownership plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.
(oo) “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.
(pp) “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
(qq) “Rights Certificates” shall mean certificates evidencing the Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
(rr) “Rights Dividend Declaration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.
(ss) “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(tt) “Securities Act” shall mean Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(uu) “Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.
(vv) “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ww) “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 the Exchange Act) by the Company that an Acquiring Person has become such or such earlier date as the Board shall determine that a Person has become an Acquiring Person.
(xx) “Stockholder Approval” shall mean the approval of this Agreement by the holders of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company in accordance with the Company’s Charter, the Company’s bylaws and applicable law.
(yy) “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation or other legal entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interests is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(zz) “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
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(aaa) “Summary of Rights” shall mean a copy of a summary of the terms of the Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.
(bbb) “Tax Benefits” shall mean the net operating loss carry-overs, capital loss carry-overs, general business credit carry-overs, alternative minimum tax credit carry-overs and foreign tax credit carry-overs, as well as any “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code, of the Company or any direct or indirect Subsidiary thereof.
(ccc) “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange or transaction reporting system on which the shares of Class A Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, with respect to the shares of Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock which are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange or transaction reporting system, a Trading Day for the Class A Common Stock.
(ddd) “Treasury Regulations” shall mean final, temporary and proposed income tax regulations promulgated under the Code, including any amendments thereto.
| Section 2 | Appointment of Rights Agent |
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment and hereby certifies that it complies with the requirements of the OTCQB governing transfer agents and registrars. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omission of any such co-rights agent. Prior to the appointment of a co-rights agent, the specific duties and obligations of each such co-rights agents shall be set forth in writing and delivered to the Rights Agent and the proposed co-rights agent. Any actions which may be taken by the Rights Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement may be taken by any such co-rights agent. To the extent that any co-rights agent takes any action pursuant to this Agreement, such co-rights agent shall be entitled to all of the rights and protections of, and subject to all of the applicable duties and obligations imposed upon, the Rights Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Rights Agent will have no duty to supervise, and in no event will be liable for, the acts or omissions of any co-rights agent.
| Section 3 | Issuance of Rights Certificates |
(a) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights shall be represented (subject to Section 3(b)) by the certificates representing the shares of Common Stock, registered in the names of the record holders thereof (which certificates representing such shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates), (ii) the Rights shall be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates representing such shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, or Class C Common Stock or in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock represented by such certificates.
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(b) On, or as reasonably practicable after, the Record Date, the Rights Agent, on the Company’s behalf, shall send by first class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company as of such date, a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock in substantially the form attached as Exhibit C. With respect to certificates for Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be represented by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with the Summary of Rights. Failure to provide notice of the Summary of Rights on a timely basis or at all, or to have and hold a copy of such Summary of Rights, shall not invalidate the Rights or impact their transfer with the underlying shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued by the Company in respect of all shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock (other than any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock that may be issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right) issued or delivered by the Company after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, provided that pursuant to Section 21 hereof, Rights may be issued after the Distribution Date and before the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock shall have stamped on, impressed on, printed on, written on, or otherwise affixed to them a legend, in addition to any legend required by the MGCL, the Company’s Charter or the Company’s bylaws, in substantially the following form or such similar legend as the Company may deem appropriate and is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement and as do not affect the rights, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any national securities exchange or transaction reporting system on which the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock may from time to time be listed or quoted:
This certificate also represents and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between Bimini Capital Management, Inc. and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., dated as of December 21, 2015 and as amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Bimini Capital Management, Inc. The Rights are not exercisable prior to the occurrence of certain events specified in the Rights Agreement. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights may be redeemed, may be exchanged, may expire, may be amended, or may be represented by separate certificates and no longer be represented by this certificate. Bimini Capital Management, Inc. shall 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 as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights that are or were beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
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(d) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 3 or Section 21 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any of its Associates or Affiliates and any Rights Certificate issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person or any of its Associates or Affiliates or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall be subject to and contain a legend in substantially the following form or such similar legend as the Company may deem appropriate and is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). This Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement.
(e) As promptly as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company shall prepare and execute, the Rights Agent shall countersign and the Company shall send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, and if provided with all necessary information, send), by first class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock, as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate representing one Right for each share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be represented solely by such Rights Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on or prior to the next Business Day. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively that the Distribution Date has not occurred.
(f) In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock so purchased or acquired.
| Section 4 | Form of Rights Certificates |
The Rights Certificates (and the form of election to purchase and the form of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form attached hereto as
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Exhibit B with such changes and marks of identification or designation, and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or transaction reporting system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as is set forth therein at the Purchase Price; provided, however, that the Purchase Price, the number and kind of securities issuable upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding shall be subject to adjustments as provided in this Agreement.
| Section 5 | Countersignature and Registration |
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by any Authorized Officer, either manually or by facsimile signature and shall be attested by any Authorized Officer, 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 any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company, and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be an Authorized Officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not such an Authorized Officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, upon receipt by the Rights Agent of written notice of the occurrence of the Distribution Date pursuant to Section 3(e) hereof, a stockholder list and all other relevant information referred to in Section 3(e) or as reasonably requested by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall keep, or cause to be kept, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder at its office or offices designated for such purposes and at such other offices as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or any transaction reporting system on which the rights may from time to time be listed or quoted. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights represented on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of issuance 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 7(d) and Section 13 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and prior to the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate(s) (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that may have been exchanged
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pursuant to Section 23 hereof) representing exercisable Rights may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate(s), entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate(s) 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 such Rights Certificate(s) must make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and must surrender the Rights Certificate(s) to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged, with the forms of assignment and certificate contained therein duly executed, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. The Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate, (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) and the Affiliates and Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request and (iii) paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange or Rights Certificates as required by Section 9(d) hereof. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder. The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Person or Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, (i) 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 (ii) if mutilated, upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent will countersign and deliver such new Rights Certificate to the registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
| Section 7 | Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 23 hereof, exercise the Rights represented thereby in whole or in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price (including any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in accordance with the provisions of Section 9(d)) hereof for each one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised.
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(b) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights with the form of election to purchase and the certificate properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(d) hereof by certified check, cashier’s check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, 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 representing the total number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased (and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs its transfer agent to comply with all such requests) or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit any shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs such depositary agent to comply with all such requests), (ii) after receipt of such certificates (or depositary receipts, as the case may be) 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, (iii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company or any transfer agent therefor of certificates representing the number of equivalent shares of Preferred Stock to be issued in lieu of the issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a)(iii), (iv) when appropriate, after receipt of such certificates, 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, (v) when appropriate, requisition from the Company of the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 hereof, and (vi) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate.
(c) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights represented thereby, the Rights Agent shall prepare, execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 13 hereof.
(d) 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 any purported transfer, split up, combination or exchange of any Rights Certificate pursuant to Section 6 or exercise or assignment of a Rights Certificate as set forth in this Section 7 unless the registered holder of such Rights Certificate shall have (i) duly and properly completed and signed the certificate following the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase, as applicable, set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such transfer, split up, combination, exchange, exercise or assignment and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights represented thereby and Affiliates and Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request, including, but not limited to, confirmation that such Person is not an Acquiring Person, or Affiliate, Associate or transferee thereof.
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| 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 | Company Covenants Concerning Securities and Rights |
(a) The Company shall cause to be reserved, authorized for issuance and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock, and/or other securities, a number of shares of Preferred Stock (or any other security of the Company as may be applicable at the time of exercise) that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7.
(b) If the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, shares of Class A Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, or quoted on Nasdaq, the Company shall endeavor to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all securities reserved for issuance upon the exercise of Rights to be listed on such exchange, or quoted on the Nasdaq, upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to cause the Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or associated Rights to be listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the Nasdaq.
(c) The Company shall take all such actions as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, if applicable, following the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such securities, shall be (subject to payment of the Purchase Price) duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable securities.
(d) The Company shall pay when due and payable any and all federal or state taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates representing securities issued upon the exercise of Rights; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts representing securities issued upon the exercise of Rights in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise, or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts representing securities issued upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge has
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been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
(e) If the Company determines that registration under the Securities Act is required, then the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts (i) to file, as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, on an appropriate form, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights, (ii) to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the 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 shall 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 exceed 120 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and to permit it to become effective or to qualify the rights, the exercise thereof or the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock, Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or other securities upon the exercise thereof under state securities or “blue sky” laws. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent in writing whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(e) and give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. In addition, if the Company determines that a registration statement or other document should be filed under the Securities Act or any state securities laws following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights, for a period of time not to exceed 120 days, in each relevant jurisdiction until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective or any such other document filed and, if required, approved, and, upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite registration or qualification in such jurisdiction has not been effected or the exercise of the Rights is not permitted under applicable law.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, after the later of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date, the Company shall not take (or, to the extent practical, permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action shall eliminate or otherwise diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(g) In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company and/or pay cash pursuant to Sections 7, 11, 13 or 23, it shall make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities and/or cash are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Agreement.
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| Section 10 | Record Date |
Each Person in whose name any certificate for a number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares of Preferred Stock (or Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C 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 representing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes and charges) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the transfer books of the Company for shares of Preferred Stock (or Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such securities on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of any security of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights are or may 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 Securities or Number of Rights |
The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of 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 Record Date (A) declare a dividend on the shares of Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the shares of Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, as the case may be, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the transfer books of the Company for the shares of Preferred Stock were open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification.
(ii) Subject to Section 23 of this Agreement and except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii), in the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring
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Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter only have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then-current Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be (or at the option of the Company, such number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other consideration in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii)), as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event; provided, however, that the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall thereafter be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof. If under any circumstance contemplated herein Rights become exercisable for the purchase of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, such Rights may only be exercised as follows: (A) Rights issued in respect of Class A Common Stock will be exercisable only for the purchase of shares of Class A Common Stock (or any Common Stock equivalents issued in respect thereof), (B) Rights issued in respect of Class B Common Stock will be exercisable only for the purchase of shares of Class B Common Stock (or any Common Stock equivalents issued in respect thereof) and (C) Rights issued in respect of Class C Common Stock will be exercisable only for the purchase of shares of Class C Common Stock (or any Common Stock equivalents issued in respect thereof).
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however, from and after the time (the “invalidation time”) when any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are beneficially owned by (A) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (B) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the invalidation time or (C) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the invalidation time pursuant to either (1) a transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise, regarding the transferred Rights or (2) a transfer that the Board has determined, in its sole and absolute discretion, is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise, which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall be void without any further action and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as a result of its determinations or failure to make any determinations, with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after the invalidation time, no Rights Certificates shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, and any Rights Certificates delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be cancelled.
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(iii) The Company may at its option substitute for a share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock having an aggregate current market value equal to the Current Per Share Market Price of a share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be. In the event that there shall be an insufficient number of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock authorized but unissued (and unreserved) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), or if the Board shall otherwise determine to do so, the Board shall or may, as the case may be, with respect to such deficiency or otherwise, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party (A) determine the excess of (x) the value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the “Current Value”) over (y) the then-current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one ten-thousandths of shares of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the time that the Acquiring Person became such (such excess, the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)), make adequate provision to substitute for the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock issuable in accordance with subparagraph (ii) upon exercise of the Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase Price, (3) shares of Preferred Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to those of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by the Board to have substantially the same value as the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, (such shares of preferred stock and shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock are hereinafter referred to as “Common Stock equivalents”) (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value which, when added to the value of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock actually issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board (upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board in good faith); provided, however, if the Company shall not make adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the date that the Acquiring Person became such (the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), or if the Board shall otherwise determine to do so, then the Company shall deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if necessary, such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have, as determined by the Board in good faith, an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If within the thirty (30) day period referred to above the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, then, if the Board so elects, such thirty (30) day
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period may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than one hundred twenty (120) 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, is hereinafter called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such second 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.
(b) If the Company fixes a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase shares of Preferred Stock (or securities having equivalent rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock (for purposes of this Section 11(b), “Equivalent Preferred Stock”)) or securities convertible into shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less than the Current Per Share Market Price of the shares of Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) 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 is the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Per Share Market Price and the denominator of which is 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 Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case part or all of such subscription price may be paid in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent. 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, options 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) If the Company fixes a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular periodic cash dividend), assets, stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Preferred Stock) or subscription rights, options or warrants
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(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), 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 is the Current Per Share Market Price of the shares of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on such record date or, if earlier, the date on which shares of Preferred Stock begin to trade on an ex-dividend or when issued basis for such distribution, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the evidences of indebtedness, cash, assets or stock so to be distributed or of such subscription rights, options or warrants applicable to one share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which is such Current Per Share Market Price of the shares 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 again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Per Share Market Price” of any security (a “Security” for purposes of this Section 11(d)(i) only) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices (as defined below) per share of a share of the Class A Common Stock for the 30 consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to, but not including, such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Per Share Market Price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares (other than the Rights) or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after, but not including, the ex-dividend date for such dividend or other distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the Current Per Share Market Price shall be appropriately adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading or to reflect the current per share market price per share equivalent of such Security. For purposes of this Section 11(d)(i), 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 NYSE or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or OTCQB, as applicable or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board. If the Security is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, or is not the subject of available bid and asked quotes, the Current Per Share Market Price of such Security shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Per Share Market Price” of shares of the Preferred Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth above in Section 11(d)(i) other than the last sentence thereof. If the Current Per
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Share Market Price of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above, it shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to the current per share market price of the shares of Class A Common Stock multiplied by ten thousand (as such number may be appropriately adjusted to reflect events such as stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or similar transactions relating to the shares of Class A Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement). If neither the Class A Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock are publicly held or so listed or traded, or the subject of available bid and asked quotes, “Current Per Share Market Price” of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. For all purposes of this Agreement, the current per share market price of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share will be equal to the current per share market price of one Preferred Share divided by ten thousand.
(e) Except as set forth below, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in such price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock or one ten-thousandth of a share of a Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock or other security, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment and (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised becomes entitled to receive any securities of the Company other than shares of Preferred Stock, thereafter the number and/or kind of such other securities so receivable upon exercise of any Right (and/or the Purchase Price in respect 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 shares of Preferred Stock (and the Purchase Price in respect thereof) contained in this Section 11, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock (and the Purchase Price in respect thereof) shall apply on like terms to any such other securities (and the Purchase Price in respect thereof).
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company has exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 11(b) or Section 11(c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of a Right immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price 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.
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(i) The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price, to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. The Company shall also, as promptly as practicable, notify the Rights Agent in writing of the same pursuant to Section 9(e) hereof and give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. Such 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, such record date shall be at least 10 calendar 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 the provision of Section 13, the additional Rights to which such holders are 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 are 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) Without respect to any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and/or the number and/or kind of securities issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number and kind of securities which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificate issued hereunder.
(k) In any case in which this Section 11 otherwise requires 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 ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other 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 delivers to such holder a due ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares of Preferred Stock or other securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
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(l) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, 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 its good faith judgment the Board determines to be necessary or advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the shares of Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Per Share Market Price therefor, (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 shares of Preferred Stock is not taxable to such stockholders.
(m) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Company at any time after the Record Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) pays a dividend on the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as applicable, (ii) subdivides the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, (iii) combines the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issues any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), the number of Rights associated with each share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C 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 Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock following any such event equals the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as applicable, immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which is the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as applicable, outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which is the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event. Further, in the case of a reclassification, appropriate adjustments shall be made so as to best reasonably approximate the foregoing intent, as determined by the Board. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(m) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is paid or such a subdivision, combination or reclassification is effected.
| Section 12 | Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares |
Whenever an adjustment is made or any event affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including without limitation an event which causes Rights to become null and void) occurs as provided in Section 11, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts and calculations accounting for such adjustment or describing such event, (b) file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the shares of Preferred Stock and the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) make a public announcement thereof and, if
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deemed necessary or appropriate, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate; provided, however, that the Rights Agent will not be entitled to such protection in cases of bad faith or willful misconduct.
| Section 13 | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay 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 one Right (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 13(a), the “current market value of one Right” is the “closing price” (as defined below) of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. For purposes of this Section 13(a), the “closing price” for any Trading 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 NYSE, 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 the Nasdaq or OTCQB, as applicable or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights, such market maker to be selected by the Board. If the Rights are not publicly held or are not so listed or traded, or are not the subject of available bid and asked quotes, the current market value of one Right shall mean the fair value thereof as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-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 ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock). Fractions of Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of such Preferred Stock may, in the sole discretion of the Company, be represented by depositary receipts pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it, provided that such agreement provides that the holders of such depositary receipts have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Stock represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one ten-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 ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 13(b), the “current market value of one ten-thousandth of a share of
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Preferred Stock” shall be one ten-thousandth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise; provided, however, that if the closing price of the shares of the Preferred Stock cannot be so determined, the closing price of the shares of the Preferred Stock for such Trading Day shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to the closing price of the shares of Class A Common Stock for such Trading Day multiplied by ten thousand (as such number may be appropriately adjusted to reflect events such as stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or similar transactions relating to the Class A Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement).
(c) Following the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, upon exercise or exchange of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be. In lieu of issuing any such fractional securities, the Company may pay to any Person to whom or which such fractional securities would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one such security. For purposes of this Section 13(c), the current market value of one share of Class A Common Stock, or other security issuable upon the exercise or exchange of Rights shall be the closing price thereof (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.
(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 13.
| Section 14 | Rights of Action |
(a) All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent hereunder, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C 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 represented by a Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
(b) 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
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of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation, or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
| Section 15 | Agreement of Rights Holders |
Every holder of a Right 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 shall be transferable only in connection with the transfer of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if the Rights Certificate representing such Rights is surrendered at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed and accompanied by a properly executed instrument of transfer with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) 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 Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock share certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights represented thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock share certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary;
(d) such holder expressly waives any right to receive any fractional Rights and any fractional securities upon exercise or exchange of a Right, except as otherwise provided in Section 13; and
(e) Rights held by an Acquiring Person, including its Affiliates and Associates, and transferees thereof, may be void in accordance with the terms hereof.
| Section 16 | Rights Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder |
No holder, of any Rights, by means of such possession, shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one ten-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights, by means of such possession, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company, including any right to vote on any matter
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submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, including the election of directors, 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 24 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights represented by such Rights Certificate have been exercised in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
| Section 17 | Concerning the Rights Agent |
(a) The Company shall pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder, and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company shall also indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, cost or expense incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the performance of its duties and responsibilities and the exercise of its rights hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly. The costs and expenses of enforcing this right of indemnification will also be paid by the Company. The provisions of this Section 17 shall survive the exercise, exchange, redemption or expiration of the Rights, the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent and the termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent may conclusively rely on, and will be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its acceptance or administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties and responsibilities and the exercise of its rights hereunder, in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate evidencing shares of Preferred Stock, Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or any instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 19.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.
| Section 18 | Merger, Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent is a party, will be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper
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or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 20 hereof. If 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 if at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) If at any time the name of the Rights Agent changes and at such time any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and if at that time any of the Rights Certificates 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 19 | Duties of Rights Agent |
The Rights Agent undertakes to perform the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with competent legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company). The advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with the content of such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of the Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any Authorized Officer and delivered to the Rights Agent. Such certificate, pursuant to its terms, shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction).
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(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent will have no liability in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof). The Rights Agent shall not be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate. The Rights Agent shall not be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 11, 12, 22 or 23 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 represented by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment). The Rights Agent shall not by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or Preferred Stock shall, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company shall perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further 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 and the exercise of the rights hereunder from any person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the Authorized Officers, and to apply to such Authorized Officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such Authorized Officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any Authorized Officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such Authorized Officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any 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
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with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers or employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents. The Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof and that there shall not have been gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct as determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(j) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof, as the case may be, has not been completed to certify the holder is not an Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof) or a transferee thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
(k) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if 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.
(l) The Rights Agent will not be required to take notice or be deemed to have notice of any fact, event or determination (including, without limitation, any dates or events defined in this Agreement or the designation of any Person as an Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate) under this Agreement unless and until the Rights Agent is specifically notified in writing by the Company of such fact, event or determination.
(m) The provisions of this Section 19 shall survive the exercise, exchange, redemption or expiration of the Rights, the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent and the termination of this Agreement.
| Section 20 | 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’ written notice mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and Preferred Stock known to the Rights Agent, respectively, by registered or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date, to the registered 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’ written notice, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the shares of Class A
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Common Stock, the Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs after the Distribution Date, 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, in its sole discretion, appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a legal business entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or of any other state of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, stock transfer or stockholder services powers and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a legal business entity described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for such purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the shares of Class A Common Stock, the Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 20, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
| Section 21 | 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 representing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board 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 by the Company of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities (other than Rights) issued prior to the Distribution Date which are exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights as would have been issued in respect of such shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock if they had been issued or sold prior to the Distribution Date, as appropriately adjusted as provided herein as if they had been so issued or
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sold; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, in its judgment the Board determines that the issuance of such Rights Certificate could have a material adverse tax consequence to the Company or to the Person to whom or which such Rights Certificate otherwise 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 22 | Redemption |
(a) The Company, upon authorization of the Board, may, at any time prior to such time as any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then-outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price. The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such terms, conditions and limitations as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, securities or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the redemption of the Rights, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held without interest thereon. Promptly after the effectiveness of 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 shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice will not affect the validity of the Redemption of the Rights. 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 shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price shall be made.
| Section 23 | Exchange |
(a) The Company, upon authorization of the Board, may, at its option, at any time after any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then-outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have not become effective or that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, at an exchange ratio of one share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, or one ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock in accordance with clause (c) below, per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, combination, stock dividend, reclassification or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such amount per Right being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). The exchange of the Rights by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board authorizing the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 23 and without any further
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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 Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, 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 shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock for Rights shall 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 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) The Company may at its option, upon authorization by the Board, substitute and, in the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued (and unreserved) to permit an exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 23, the Company shall substitute to the extent of such insufficiency, for each share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof (or Equivalent Preferred Stock as such term is defined in Section 11(b)) such that the Current Per Share Market Price of one share of Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred Stock) multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the Current Per Share Market Price of such Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, as of the date of such exchange.
| Section 24 | Notice of Certain Events |
(a) If the Company proposes to (i) pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend), (ii) offer to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock rights, options, warrants or any similar instrument to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), (iv) effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or (vi) declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, respectively, or to effect a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock as the case may be, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and, to the extent possible, to each holder of a Right, in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution or offering of rights, warrants,
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options or any similar instrument or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least ten (10) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock, and/or Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action covered by clause (1) or (ii) above at least ten (10) days prior to the date of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever is the earlier. Failure to provide any such notice described above shall not invalidate the action taken.
(b) If a Stock Acquisition Date occurs, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights.
| Section 25 | Notices |
(a) 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 (a) immediately, if made by personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) on the fifth (5th) day if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, (c) the next Business Day if by nationally recognized overnight courier or (d) upon confirmation, if transmission by facsimile combined with a phone call to the Company notifying it of such transmission, all addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Rights) as follows:
Bimini Capital Management, Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chief Executive Officer
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Phone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 20, 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 (a) immediately upon receipt, if made by personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) on the fifth (5th) day if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, (c) the next Business Day if by nationally recognized overnight courier or (d) upon confirmation, if transmission by facsimile combined with a phone call to the Rights Agent notifying it of such transmission, all addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:
Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc.
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Stock Transfer Administration
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Phone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
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(c) Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
| Section 26 | Supplements and Amendments |
Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights, any such supplement or amendment to be represented by writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. From and after the time at which the Rights cease to be redeemable pursuant to Section 22, 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 in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, (iv) to provide for procedural mechanics designed to implement the intent of this Agreement as determined by the Board or (v) to amend or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that no such supplement or amendment shall adversely affect, in any material respect, the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), and no such amendment may cause the Rights again to become redeemable or cause this Rights Agreement again to become amendable other than in accordance with this sentence. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an Authorized Officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Rights Agent shall not be obligated to enter into any supplement or amendment that adversely affects the Rights Agent’s own right, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement.
| Section 27 | Successors |
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
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| Section 28 | Determinations and Actions by the Board |
(a) For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C 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 Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C 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 or the provisions of Section 382 of the Code or any successor or replacement provision.
(b) The Board 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 and calculations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including without limitation a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or amend this Agreement).
(c) 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, or any of the directors on the Board to any liability to any person, including without limitation the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Unless otherwise notified, the Rights Agent shall always be entitled to assume that the Board acted in good faith, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability in reliance thereon.
| Section 29 | Benefits of this Agreement |
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C 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 (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock).
| Section 30 | Severability |
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Section 30 will affect the ability of the Company under the provisions of Section 26 to supplement or amend this Agreement to replace such invalid, void or unenforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction with a legal, valid and enforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction.
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| Section 31 | 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 Maryland 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 32 | Counterparts |
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
| Section 33 | Descriptive Headings; Interpretation |
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.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
| BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. | ||
| /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| BROADRIDGE CORPORATE ISSUER SOLUTIONS, INC. | ||
| /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | ||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Title: | Vice President, Strategy and Product Development | |
[Signature Page to Rights Agreement]
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Exhibit A
BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
FORM OF ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY ESTABLISHING AND FIXING THE RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF A SERIES OF SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK
Bimini Capital Management, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland that:
FIRST: Under a power contained in Article V of the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”), the Board of Directors (the “Board”) by duly adopted resolutions classified and designated 100,000 shares of authorized but unissued Preferred Stock (as defined in the Charter) as shares of Series A Junior Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), with the following preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption, which, upon any restatement of the Charter, shall become part of Article V of the Charter, with any necessary or appropriate renumbering or relettering of the sections or subsections hereof. Capitalized terms used in these Articles Supplementary and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning given to such term in the Charter.
SERIES A PREFERRED STOCKED
1. Designation and Amount. There is hereby established a series of the Corporation’s authorized Preferred Stock, to be designated as the “Series A Junior Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and having a par value of $0.001 per share. The number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock initially constituting such series shall be 100,000.
2. Dividends and Distributions.
(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of shares of any other series of Preferred Stock or other class of capital stock of the Corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation, out of the assets of the Corporation legally available therefor, (i) quarterly dividends payable in cash on or before the 30th day of January, April, July and October in each year, or such other dates as may be required by Section 2(b) or as the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall approve (each such date being referred to herein as a “Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or a fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in the amount of $0.001 per whole share (rounded to the nearest cent), less the amount of all cash dividends declared on the Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to the following clause (ii) since the immediately preceding Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock (the total of which shall not, in any event, be less than zero) and (ii) dividends payable in cash on the Dividend Payment Date for each cash dividend declared on the Common Stock in an amount per whole share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the Formula Number (as hereinafter defined) then in
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effect multiplied by the cash dividends then to be paid on each share of Common Stock. In addition, if the Corporation shall pay any dividend or make any other distribution on the Common Stock payable in assets, securities or other forms of non-cash consideration (other than dividends or other distributions solely in shares of Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Corporation shall simultaneously pay or make on each outstanding whole share of Series A Preferred Stock a dividend or other distribution in like kind equal to the Formula Number then in effect times such dividend or other distribution on each share of the Class A Common Stock. As used herein, the “Formula Number” shall be 10,000; provided, however, that, if at any time after December 21, 2015 (the “Rights Declaration Date”), the Corporation shall (x) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or make any other distribution on the Common Stock in shares of Common Stock, (y) subdivide (by a stock split or otherwise) the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock or (z) combine (by a reverse stock split or otherwise) the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, then, in each such event, the Formula Number shall be adjusted to a number determined by multiplying the Formula Number in effect immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event (and rounding the result to the nearest whole number); and provided further, that, if at any time after the Rights Declaration Date, the Corporation shall issue any shares of its capital stock in a merger, reclassification, or change of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, then, in each such event, the Formula Number shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect such merger, reclassification or change so that each share of Series A Preferred Stock continues to be the economic equivalent of a Formula Number of shares of Common Stock prior to such merger, reclassification or change.
(b) Corporation shall declare a dividend or other distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2(a) above immediately prior to or at the same time it declares a dividend or other distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend or distribution solely in shares of Common Stock); provided, however, that, in the event no dividend or other distribution (other than a dividend or distribution in shares of Common Stock) shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.001 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Dividend Payment Date.
(c) Dividends will accrue, and be cumulative, on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the First Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares will accrue from the date of the first issuance of a share of Series A Preferred Stock or the date of issue is a Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a dividend and before such Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends will accrue, and be cumulative, from such Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends will cumulate from the applicable Dividend Payment Date but will not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares will
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be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date will be not more than 30 calendar days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. Voting Rights.
The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(a) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Formula Number then in effect on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock.
(b) Except as provided in this Section 3 or by the MGCL, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock shall vote together as one class for the election of directors of the Corporation and on all matters submitted to a vote of holders of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.
(c) If, at the time of any annual meeting of stockholders at which the election of directors is to be considered, the equivalent of six quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive) payable on any share or shares of Series A Preferred Stock are in arrears, the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be increased by two. In addition to voting together with the holders of shares of Common Stock for the election of other directors of the Corporation, the holders of record of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a single voting group, to the exclusion of the holders of shares of Common Stock, shall be entitled at said meeting of stockholders (and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders), unless all dividends in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment prior thereto, to vote for the election of two directors of the Corporation, the holders of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock being entitled to cast a number of votes per share of Series A Preferred Stock equal to the Formula Number then in effect. Whenever all arrears in dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock outstanding have been paid in full or declared and set apart for payment in full, then the right of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to elect the two additional directors shall cease, the terms of office of the such directors will immediately terminate and the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors will be reduced accordingly. If and when such default shall cease to exist, the holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be divested of the foregoing special voting rights, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent like default in payments of dividends. Upon the termination of the foregoing special voting rights, the terms of office of all persons who may have been elected directors pursuant to said special voting rights shall forthwith terminate, and the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be reduced by two. The voting rights granted by this Section 3(c) shall be in addition to any other voting rights granted to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock in this Section 3.
(d) Except as provided in this Section 3 or Section 11, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with the holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for authorizing or taking any corporate action.
(e) The holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have exclusive voting rights on any Charter amendment that would alter only the contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of the Series A Preferred Stock.
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4. Restrictions.
(a) Whenever dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 above are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and other distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding have been paid or set aside in full for all past dividend periods, the Corporation will not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) (“Junior Stock”) to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) (“Parity Stock”) with the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock and all such Parity Stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any Junior Stock; provided, however, that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such Junior Stock in exchange for shares of any other Junior Stock of the Corporation; or
(iv) redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of Parity 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, may determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(b) The Corporation will not permit any majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Section 4(a), purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall constitute Preferred Stock, undesignated as to class or series.
A-4
6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution will be made to (a) the holders of shares of Junior Stock (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock have received an amount equal to sum of the accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, plus an amount equal to the greater of (i) $0.001 per whole share of Series A Preferred Stock or (ii) an aggregate amount per share of Series A Preferred Stock equal to the Formula Number then in effect times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Stock, or (b) to the holders of shares of Parity Stock (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up), except distributions made ratably on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock and all other such Parity Stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.
7. Consolidation, Merger, Etc. In the event that the Corporation enters 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 each such case, each share of Series A Preferred Stock will at the same time be similarly exchanged for or changed into an amount per share equal to the Formula Number then in effect 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 both this Section 7 and Section 2 appear to apply to a transaction, this Section 7 shall control.
8. Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not redeemable.
9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, if any, unless the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall specifically determine otherwise in fixing the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of any such other series.
10. Fractional Shares. The Series A Preferred Stock shall be issuable upon exercise of the Rights issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement in whole shares or in any fraction of a share that is one-ten thousandth (1/10,000) of a share or any integral multiple of such fraction, which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to receive dividends, exercise voting rights, participate in distributions and have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock. In lieu of fractional shares, the Corporation, prior to the first issuance of a share or a fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, may elect (i) to make a cash payment as provided in the Rights Agreement for fractions of a share other than one-ten thousandth (1/10,000) of a share or any integral multiple thereof or (b) to issue depository receipts evidencing such authorized fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Corporation and a depository selected by the Corporation; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depository receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as holders of the Series A Preferred Stock.
A-5
11. Amendment. These Articles Supplementary shall not hereafter be amended, either directly, indirectly or through a merger, consolidation or other business combination, in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect the holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class.
SECOND: The Series A Preferred Stock has been classified and designated by the Board under authority contained in the Charter.
THIRD: These Articles Supplementary have been approved by the Board in the manner and by the vote required by law.
FOURTH: The undersigned acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to be the corporate act of the Corporation and as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles Supplementary to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & Secretary and attested by its President, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer as of December 21, 2015.
| ATTEST: | BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC., a Maryland corporation | |||||||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||||||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||||||
| Title: | Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & Secretary | |||||||||
| By: | /s/ G. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ IV | |||||||||
| Name: | G. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ IV | |||||||||
| Title: | President, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | |||||||||
[Signature Page to Articles Supplementary Designating Series A Junior Preferred Stock]
A-7
Exhibit B
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
| Certificate No. R- | Rights in respect of Class [●] Common Stock |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 21, 2025 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED, EXCHANGED OR AMENDED. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, EXCHANGE AND AMENDMENT AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS THAT ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR AN ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR A TRANSFEREE THEREOF SHALL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND NO LONGER TRANSFERABLE.
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RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions, and conditions of the Rights Agreement, (the “Rights Agreement”), by and between Bimini Capital Management, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. (the “Rights Agent”), dated as of December 21, 2015, to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, one ten-thousandth of a fully paid nonassessable share of Series A Junior Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $4.76 per one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. If this Rights Certificate is exercised in part, the holder will be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised. The number of Rights represented by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of the date of the Rights Agreement, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. Terms used herein with initial capital letters and not defined herein are used herein with the meanings ascribed thereto in the Rights Agreement.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and/or the number and/or kind of shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities 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 the Rights under the circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and can be obtained from the Company without charge upon written request therefor.
Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, from and after the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are Beneficially Owned by (i) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (ii) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person or (iii) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with any Person becoming an Acquiring Person pursuant to either (a) a transfer from an Acquiring Person to
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holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (b) a transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined, in its sole and absolute discretion, is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has the purpose or effect of avoiding certain provisions of the Rights Agreement, and subsequent transferees of any of such Persons, will be void without any further action and any holder of such Rights will thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of the Rights Agreement. From and after the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, no Rights Certificate will be issued that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, and any Rights Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of the Rights Agreement will be canceled.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates entitling the holder to purchase a like number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other securities, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase, upon presentation and surrender hereof at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, with the Form of Assignment (if appropriate) and the related Certificate duly executed.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights represented by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or may be exchanged in whole or in part. The Rights Agreement may be supplemented and amended by the Company, as provided therein.
The Company is not required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the option of the Company, be represented by depositary receipts) or other securities issuable, as the case may be, upon the exercise of any Right or Rights represented hereby. In lieu of issuing such fractional Preferred Shares or other Securities, the Company may make a cash payment, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, will be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of the Right or Rights represented hereby, nor will anything contained herein or in the Rights Agreement 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 represented by this Rights Certificate have been exercised in accordance with the provisions of the Rights Agreement.
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This Rights Certificate will not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it has been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
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WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of 20 .
| BIMINI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. |
| /s/ |
| Name: |
| Title: |
| Countersigned |
| [●] |
| /s/ |
| Name: |
| Title: |
Signature Page to Rights Certificate
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Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer this Rights Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated : ,
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Signature(s) Guaranteed:
SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
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CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate ¨ are ¨ are not being sold, assigned, transferred, split up, combined or exchanged by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it ¨ did ¨ did not acquire the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: ,
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Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate – continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise this Rights Certificate)
To Bimini Capital Management, Inc.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share or other securities issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such securities be issued in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number:
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights is not all the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights will be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number:
(Please print name and address)
Dated: ,
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Signature(s) Guaranteed:
SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
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CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate ¨ are ¨ are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it ¨ did ¨ did not acquire the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was, or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: ,
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NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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Exhibit C
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON INCLUDING AFFILIATES AND ASSOCIATES THEREOF (EACH AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS PLAN) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS
On December 21, 2015, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Bimini Capital Management, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), adopted a rights plan and declared a distribution of one preferred share purchase right for each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock. The distribution is payable to our stockholders of record at the close of business as of December 21, 2015. The terms of the rights and the rights plan are set forth in a Rights Agreement, by and between us and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., as Rights Agent, dated as of December 21, 2015 (the “Rights Plan”).
This summary of rights provides only a general description of the Rights Plan, and thus, should be read together with the entire Rights Plan, which is incorporated into this summary by reference. All capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Rights Plan. Upon written request, the Company will provide a copy of the Rights Plan free of charge to any of its stockholders.
The Board adopted the Rights Plan in an effort to protect against a possible limitation on the Company’s ability to use its net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which may be used to reduce potential future federal income tax obligations. The Company’s ability to use its NOLs would be limited if there was an “ownership change” under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. This would occur if stockholders owning (or deemed under Section 382 to own) 5% or more of the Company’s stock increase their collective ownership of the aggregate amount of outstanding shares of the Company by more than 50 percentage points over a defined period of time. The Rights Plan was adopted to reduce the likelihood of an “ownership change” occurring as defined by Section 382.
The Rights Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group acquiring 4.9% or more of our outstanding Class A Common Stock (an “Acquiring Person”) without the approval of our Board. Stockholders who own 4.9% or more of our outstanding Class A Common Stock as of the close of business on December 21, 2015 will not trigger the Rights Plan so long as they do not (i) acquire any additional shares of Class A Common Stock or (ii) fall under 4.9% ownership of Class A Common Stock and then re-acquire additional shares so that they own 4.9% or more of the Class A Common Stock. The Rights Plan does not exempt any future acquisitions of Class A Common Stock by such persons. Any rights held by an Acquiring Person are void and may not be exercised. No Person shall be an Acquiring Person unless the
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Board shall have affirmatively determined, in its sole and absolute discretion, within ten (10) business days (or such later time as the Board may determine) after such person has otherwise met the requirements of becoming an Acquiring Person, that such person shall be an Acquiring Person.
The Rights. Our Board authorized the issuance of one right per each outstanding share of our Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock payable to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 21, 2015. Subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Plan, if the rights become exercisable, each right would initially represent the right to purchase from us one ten-thousandth of a share of our Series A Junior Preferred Stock for a purchase price of $4.76, subject to the adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Rights Plan (the “Purchase Price”). If issued, each fractional share of preferred stock would give the stockholder approximately the same dividend, voting and liquidation rights as does one share of our Class A Common Stock. However, prior to exercise, a right does not give its holder any rights as a stockholder of the Company, including without limitation any dividend, voting or liquidation rights.
Exercisability. The rights will generally not be exercisable until the earlier of (i) 10 business days after a public announcement by us that a person or group has become an Acquiring Person and (ii) 10 business days after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer by a person or group for 4.9% or more of the Class A Common Stock.
We refer to the date that the rights may first become exercisable as the “Distribution Date.” Until the Distribution Date, our Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class C Common Stock certificates will represent the rights and will contain a notation to that effect. Any transfer of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date will constitute a transfer of the associated rights. After the Distribution Date, the rights may be transferred other than in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock.
After the Distribution Date and following a determination by the Board that a person is an Acquiring Person, each holder of a right, other than rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price, that number of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, having a market value of two times the Purchase Price or, at our option, shares of Series A Preferred Stock or other consideration as provided in the Rights Plan.
Exchange. After the Distribution Date and following a determination by the Board that a person is an Acquiring Person, the Board may exchange the rights (other than rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock, as the case may be, or a fractional share of Series A Preferred Stock (or of a share of a similar class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges) of equivalent value, per right (subject to adjustment).
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Expiration. The rights and the Rights Plan will expire on the earliest of (i) December 21, 2025, (ii) the time at which the rights are redeemed pursuant to the Rights Plan, (iii) the time at which the rights are exchanged pursuant to the Rights Plan, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or any successor statute if the Board determines that the Rights Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of Tax Benefits, (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward and (vi) the Close of Business on June 30, 2016 if Stockholder Approval has not been obtained.
Redemption. At any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the Board may redeem the rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the rights, the right to exercise the rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
Anti-Dilution Provisions. Our Board may adjust the purchase price of the preferred shares, the number of preferred shares issuable and the number of outstanding rights to prevent dilution that may occur as a result of certain events, including among others, a stock dividend, a forward or reverse stock split or a reclassification of the preferred shares or our Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock. No adjustments to the purchase price of less than 1% will be made.
Anti-Takeover Effects. The rights issued under the Rights Plan contain provisions designed to dissuade a person from acquiring a number of shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock that could result in an ownership change and thereby limit the use by the Company or cause the loss altogether of the Company’s NOLs. The Rights Plan was not adopted for defensive or anti-takeover purposes, but rather to protect stockholder value.
While this was not the intent of our Board when adopting the Rights Plan, the rights will have certain anti-takeover effects. The rights will cause substantial dilution to any person or group that attempts to acquire the Company without the approval of our Board. As a result, the overall effect of the rights may be to render more difficult or discourage any attempt to acquire the Company even if such acquisition may be favorable to the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Because our Board can redeem the rights, the rights should not interfere with a merger or other business combination approved by the Board. The Rights Plan will terminate if and when the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward.
Amendments. Before the Distribution Date, our Board may amend or supplement the Rights Plan without the consent of the holders of the rights. After the Distribution Date, our Board may amend or supplement the Rights Plan only to cure an ambiguity, to alter time period provisions, to correct inconsistent provisions, to provide for procedural mechanics designed to implement the intent of the Rights Plan as determined by our Board or to make any additional changes to the Rights Plan, but only to the extent that those changes do not impair or adversely affect, in any material respect, any holders of Rights, and no such amendment may cause the rights again to become redeemable or cause the Rights Plan again to become amendable other than in accordance with the applicable timing of the Rights Plan.
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