EXHIBIT 4.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALLOY, INC.
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
as Rights Agent
---------
STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of April 14, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
SECTION PAGE
Section 1. Certain Definitions...................................................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent...........................................................................6
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates..........................................................................6
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates...........................................................................8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.....................................................................8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates............................................9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights........................................10
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates..................................................11
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock........................................................11
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date.........................................................................12
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of
Rights ..........................................................................................13
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares..........................................20
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power................................21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.............................................................23
Section 15. Rights of Action....................................................................................24
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders.........................................................................24
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder..................................................25
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.........................................................................25
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent...........................................26
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent..............................................................................26
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent..............................................................................28
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.................................................................29
Section 23. Redemption and Termination..........................................................................30
Section 24. Exchange............................................................................................30
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events............................................................................31
Section 26. Notices.............................................................................................32
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments..........................................................................33
Section 28. Successors..........................................................................................33
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc...........................................33
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement..........................................................................34
Section 31. Severability........................................................................................34
Section 32. Governing Law.......................................................................................34
Section 33. Counterparts........................................................................................34
Section 34. Descriptive Headings................................................................................34
Exhibit A -- Form of Certificate of Designation
Exhibit B -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C -- Form of Summary of Rights
STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
----------------------------
STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of April 14, 2003 (the
"AGREEMENT"), between Alloy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), and
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company as Rights Agent (the "RIGHTS AGENT").
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, on April 9, 2003 (the "RIGHTS DIVIDEND DECLARATION DATE"), the
Board of Directors of the Company (the "BOARD") authorized and declared a
dividend distribution of one Right (a "RIGHT") for each share of Common Stock
(as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at the close of business on
April 28, 2003 (the "RECORD DATE"), and has authorized the issuance of one Right
(as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions hereof)
for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued (whether originally issued
or delivered from the Company's treasury) between the Record Date and the
Distribution Date, each Right initially representing the right to purchase one
one-hundredth of a share of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock upon
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth (the "RIGHTS");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "ACQUIRING PERSON" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the
Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
(i) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a
Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" became the Beneficial Owner
of a number of shares of Common Stock such that the Person would otherwise
qualify as an "Acquiring Person" inadvertently (including, without limitation,
because (A) such Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of
Common Stock that would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring Person"
or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common
Stock but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial
Ownership under this Agreement) and without any intention of changing or
influencing control of the Company, then the Board may determine that such
Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an "Acquiring Person" for any
purposes of this Agreement unless and until such Person shall have failed to
divest itself, as soon as practicable (as determined, in good faith, by the
Board of Directors of the Company), of Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient
number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer otherwise
qualify as an "Acquiring Person"; (ii) if, as of the date hereof or prior to the
first public announcement of the adoption of this Agreement, any Person is or
becomes the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the shares of
Common Stock outstanding, such Person shall not be deemed to be or to become an
"Acquiring Person" unless and until such time as such Person shall, after the
first public announcement of the adoption of this Agreement, become the
Beneficial Owner of an additional 1% or more of the shares of Common Stock
outstanding (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by
the Company on the outstanding Common Stock or pursuant to a split or
subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock), unless, upon becoming the
Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock, such Person is not
then the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding; and (iii) no Person shall become an "Acquiring
Person" as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock by the Company
which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate
number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person to twenty
percent (20%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent
(20%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of such
share acquisitions by the Company and shall thereafter become the Beneficial
Owner of an additional 1% or more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding
(other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company
on the outstanding Common Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the
outstanding Common Stock), then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" unless upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of
Common Stock such Person does not beneficially own twenty percent (20%) or more
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. For all purposes of this
Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular
percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the
Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (as
such term is hereinafter defined).
(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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect
on the date of this Agreement (the "EXCHANGE ACT").
(d) "AGREEMENT" shall mean this Stockholder Rights Agreement
as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended
pursuant to the provisions hereof.
(e) A Person shall be deemed the "BENEFICIAL OWNER" and shall
be deemed to "beneficially own", any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates,directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right
is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or
options, or otherwise; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", (A) securities tendered
pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at
2
any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering
Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section
3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the "ORIGINAL RIGHTS") or pursuant to Section
11(a)(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any
Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has
"beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, or any comparable or successor
rule), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding,
whether or not in writing; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed
the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", any security under this
subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to
vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises
solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy or consent
solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions
of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also
then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any
comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly,
by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) and with respect to
which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as
described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (h)) or
disposing of such securities of the Company (a joint filing of a Schedule 13D
under the Exchange Act or any comparable or successor report being deemed to be
conclusive evidence of such an agreement, arrangement or understanding);
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing in this paragraph (h) shall cause a Person
engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner"
of, or to "beneficially own", any securities acquired through such Person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting effected by the
Company until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such
acquisition.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial
Ownership to the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used with
reference to a Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall
mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the
number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such
Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
(f) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(g) "BUSINESS DAY" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
3
(h) "CLOSE OF BUSINESS" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York local time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is
not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M. New York, local time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
(i) "COMMON STOCK" shall mean the voting common stock, $.01
par value per share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of
such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such
Person.
(j) "COMMON STOCK EQUIVALENTS" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "COMPANY" shall mean the Person named as the "Company" in
the first paragraph of this Agreement until a successor corporation shall have
become such or until a Principal Party shall assume, and thereafter be liable
for, all obligations and duties of the Company hereunder, pursuant to the
applicable provisions of this Agreement, and thereafter "Company" shall mean
such successor corporation or Principal Party.
(l) "CURRENT MARKET PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(m) "CURRENT VALUE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(n) "DISTRIBUTION DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(o) "EQUIVALENT PREFERRED STOCK" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(p) "EXCHANGE ACT" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1(c) hereof.
(q) "EXPIRATION DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(r) "FINAL EXPIRATION DATE" shall mean the close of business
on April 14, 2013.
(s) "INITIAL EXERCISE PRICE" shall be Forty Dollars ($40.00).
(t) "NASDAQ" shall mean the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System.
(u) "ORIGINAL RIGHTS" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 1(f)(i) hereof.
(v) "PERSON" shall mean any natural person, firm, association,
corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or other entity or
organization.
4
(w) "PREFERRED STOCK" shall mean the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company having
the terms set forth in the form of certificate of designation attached hereto as
EXHIBIT A.
(x) "PRINCIPAL PARTY" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(y) "PURCHASE PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) hereof.
(z) "RECORD DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in the
preamble of the Agreement.
(aa) "REDEMPTION PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(bb) "RIGHTS" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble
of the Agreement.
(cc) "RIGHTS AGENT" shall mean the Person named as the "Rights
Agent" in the first paragraph of this Agreement until a successor Rights Agent
shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, and
thereafter "Rights Agent" shall mean such successor Rights Agent. If at any time
there is more than one Person appointed by the Company as Rights Agent pursuant
to the applicable provisions of this Agreement, "Rights Agent" shall mean and
include each such Person.
(dd) "RIGHTS CERTIFICATES" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(ee) "RIGHTS DIVIDEND DECLARATION DATE" shall have the meaning
set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
(ff) "SECTION 11(A)(II) EVENT" shall mean the event
described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(gg) "SECTION 11(A)(II) TRIGGER DATE" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(hh) "SECTION 13 EVENT" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(ii) "SPREAD" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(jj) "STOCK ACQUISITION DATE" shall mean the first date of a
public announcement or disclosure (which, for purposes of this definition, shall
include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the
Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that any Person became an
Acquiring Person.
(kk) "SUBSIDIARY" shall mean, with reference to any Person,
including the Company, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities
sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is
Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or which is
otherwise controlled by such Person.
5
(ll) "SUBSTITUTE CONSIDERATION" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(mm) "SUBSTITUTION PERIOD" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(nn) "TRADING DAY" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d) hereof.
(oo) "TRIGGERING EVENT" shall mean a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Rights Agent shall
have no duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or
omissions of any such Co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the
tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth calendar
day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close of
Business on the Record Date) or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business
Day (or, if such tenth Business Day occurs before the Record Date, the Close of
Business on the Record Date), or such later date as may be determined by action
of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, after the date that a tender offer or exchange offer, or an intention to
make a tender offer or exchange offer, by any Person (other than the Company,
any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of
any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is
first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation
thereof for the maximum number of shares that may be purchased thereunder, such
Person would be the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the
shares of Common Stock then outstanding (the earlier of (i) or (ii) being herein
referred to as the "DISTRIBUTION DATE"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the
certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the
Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be
certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights
will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying
shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as
practicable after the Distribution Date and upon receipt of all necessary
information, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid
mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on
6
the Distribution Date (other than to any Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in the form specified
in Section 4 hereof (the "RIGHTS CERTIFICATES"), evidencing one Right for each
share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. If an
adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made
pursuant to this Agreement, at the time of distribution of the Rights
Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional rights. As of and after the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form
attached hereto as EXHIBIT C, by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each
record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date
(other than to any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person) at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of the
Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates for the Common Stock together with the Summary of Rights and the
registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of
the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7 hereof), the transfer of
any certificates representing shares of Common Stock, with or without a copy of
the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the shares of Common Stock represented by such certificates.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock that are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's treasury)
after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date. Rights shall also be issued to the extent provided in Section
22 in respect of all shares of Common Stock which are issued (whether originally
issued or from the Company's treasury) after the Distribution Date and prior to
the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of Common Stock in
respect of which Rights are issued pursuant to the first sentence of this
Section 3(c) shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and commencing
as soon as reasonably practicable following the date hereof shall bear the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Rights as set forth in the Stockholder Rights
Agreement between Alloy, Inc. (the "Company") and American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights Agent") dated as
of April 14, 2003 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which
are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of
which is on file at the principal offices of the Company.
Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on
the date of mailing, without charge promptly after receipt of
a written request therefor. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SET
FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS ISSUED TO, OR HELD BY,
ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY
AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS
ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), WHETHER CURRENTLY HELD
BY OR ON BEHALF OF SUCH PERSON OR BY ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER,
WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID.
7
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the omission of a legend shall not affect the
enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the
Rights.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in EXHIBIT B hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the
rights, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or trading market
on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage.
Subject to the provisions hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed,
shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders
thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price per share set forth therein
(such exercise price per one one-hundredth of a share hereinafter referred to as
the "PURCHASE PRICE"), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon
the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chief Executive Officer and President, Chief Financial Officer or
any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have
affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be
attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either
manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless
so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any
of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company,
such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent
and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though
the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer
of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the
Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights
Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights
Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such
person was not such an officer.
8
(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights
Agent of all necessary information, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be
kept, at its office designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights
Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of
the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates, the Rights
Certificate number and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any
time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to
the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or
Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another
Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase
a like number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following
a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled
such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any
registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights
Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the
Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be
obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such
surrendered Rights Certificate or Certificates until the registered holder shall
have properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
assignment set forth on the reverse side of each such Rights Certificate and
shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial
Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the
Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person
entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax
or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates. The Rights Agent shall
have no duty or obligation to take any action under any Section of this
Agreement which requires the payment by a Rights holder of applicable taxes and
governmental charges unless and until the Rights Agent is satisfied that all
such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of
evidence satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a
Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's or the Right Agent's
request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute
and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for
countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights
Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
9
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the registered holder
of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or
in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side
thereof and the certificate contained therein completed and duly executed, to
the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities,
cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights
are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the Final Expiration
Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23
hereof (the "REDEMPTION DATE"), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are
exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii) or (iii)
being herein referred to as the "EXPIRATION DATE").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a share
of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be the
Initial Exercise Price, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with
paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase set forth on the
reverse side thereof and the certificate contained therein completed and duly
executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of
the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set
forth below and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge, the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, promptly (i) requisition from any
transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the
Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and
the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all
such requests, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to
be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii)
after receipt of such certificates, cause the same to be delivered to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in
such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt
thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such
amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in
cash or by certified check, cashier's check or bank draft payable to the order
of the Company. If the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including
Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash or distribute other property pursuant to
Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that
such other securities, cash or other property are available for distribution by
the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Agreement. The
Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering
Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, such number of Rights be exercised so
that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
10
Certificate evidencing the Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised
shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14
hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) duly and properly completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of
the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the
Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. All
Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case
shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or other securities or out of its
authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement including Section
11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following
the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock or other securities) issuable
and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause all shares
reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of
issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as
soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with this Agreement, a
registration statement under the Act, with respect to the Common Stock or other
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii)
cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain
11
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act)
until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer
exercisable for such securities, and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company will
also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with,
the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the
exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period
of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of
the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in
order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective. In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration
statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may
temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a
registration statement has been declared effective. Upon any suspension of the
exercisability of the Rights referred to in this Section 9(c), 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 promptly provide the Rights
Agent with copies of such announcements. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable and shall be void
so long as held by a holder in any jurisdiction where the requisite
qualification to the issuance to such holder, or the exercise by such holder, of
the Rights in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or be obtainable,
the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a
registration statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all
such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-hundredths of a share
of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time
of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay
when due and payable any and all taxes and governmental charges that may be
payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of
any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) upon the
exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax
or charge that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights
Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other
securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of, the
registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for
exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other
securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered
holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax or charge shall have been
paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Rights
Certificates at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the
Company's satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
Section 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock 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 Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case
12
may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date
upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered
and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes or charges) was
made; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a
date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the
case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock
(or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the
Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the
holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a
stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR
NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) If the Company shall at any time after the date of this
Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of
Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the
outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any
shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock
(including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except
as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect
at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of
shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such
date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that if a holder of Rights after such
time were to exercise that number of Rights (or fraction thereof) which would
result in the aggregate amount of the Purchase Price payable upon such exercise
(at the Purchase Price then in effect) being equal to the amount of the Purchase
Price payable prior to such time upon exercise of a Right, he would be entitled
to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other
capital stock, as the case may be, which, if a Right had been exercised
immediately prior to such time and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer
books (or other capital stock transfer books, as the case may be) of the Company
were open, he would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive
by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an
event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i)
and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section
11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment
required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, if any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person (the first occurrence of such event being referred
to hereinafter as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), then (A) the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the
Section 11(a)(ii) Event multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a
13
share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to
such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, whether or not such Right was then exercisable,
and (B) each holder of a Right, except as otherwise provided in this Section
11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the Purchase Price (as so
adjusted), in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares
of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the
result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) by 50% of the
Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of shares of
Common Stock so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall, following the Section
11(a)(ii) Event, be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance
with Section 11(f) hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, however, from and after the Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights that
are beneficially owned by (x) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or
Associate of any Acquiring Person), (y) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or
any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the Section
11(a)(ii) Event or (z) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such
Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Section 11(a)(ii) Event pursuant to either (I) 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 regarding the transferred
Rights or (II) a transfer which the Board of Directors has determined is part of
a plan, arrangement or understanding 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 shall use all 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 Right Certificates or other Person as a
result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring
Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after
the Section 11(a)(ii) Event, no Right Certificate 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 Right Certificate
delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become
void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be canceled. From and
after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights
that theretofore have not been exercised pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii)
shall thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and not
pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) If the number of shares of Common Stock which
are authorized by the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for
purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall (A) determine the value of the
shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "CURRENT
VALUE"), and (B) with respect to each Right, (subject to Section 11(a)(ii)) make
adequate provision to substitute, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of
the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2), a reduction in the Purchase Price,
(3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without
limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board has
deemed to have the same value as shares of Common Stock (such shares of
preferred stock being referred to herein as "COMMON STOCK Equivalents")), (4)
14
debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the
foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, as adjusted
(less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate
value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if
the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to
clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event (the "SECTION 11(A)(II) TRIGGER DATE"), then the Company
shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the
extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares or cash have an
aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the
term "SPREAD" shall mean the excess of (i) the Current Value over (ii) the
Purchase Price. If the number of shares of Common Stock that are authorized by
the Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of
the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of any Rights and
the Board determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional
shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of
the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the
extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the
authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may
be extended, shall be referred to as the "SUBSTITUTION PERIOD"). To the extent
that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the
preceding provisions of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide,
subject to Section 11(a)(ii) 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 or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to such provisions 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 and the Company shall promptly provide the Rights Agent copies
of such announcements. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of
each share of Common Stock shall be the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or per unit value of any Common Stock
Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders
of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period
expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred
Stock, shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares
of Preferred Stock ("EQUIVALENT PREFERRED STOCK") or securities convertible into
Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred
Stock or per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price
per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Stock) less than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock
(as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred
15
Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock (or the aggregate initial
conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase
at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number
of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
additional shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered
for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid
by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other than
cash, the value of such noncash consideration shall be as determined in good
faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed
with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders
of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the
Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.
Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed,
and if 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) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution
made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other
than a regular quarterly or other periodic cash dividend out of the earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in
Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than
Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to
in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record
date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, less the fair market value (as
determined in good faith by the Board whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent
and the holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences
of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be
such Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof). Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed, and if such distribution is not so made, the
Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been
in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other
than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market
Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of
the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30)
consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to but not including such date, and
for the purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be
the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the
ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following but not including such
date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the
issuer of such Common Stock of (A) any dividend or distribution on such Common
Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into
16
shares of such Common Stock (other than Rights), or (B) any subdivision,
combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior to the
expiration of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day
period, as set forth above, after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or
distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be
properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price
for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale
takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on, the principal
national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or
admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted
to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not
so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use,
or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the
Board. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common
Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board shall be used. The term "TRADING DAY" shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are
listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the
shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or
not so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair
value per share as determined in good faith by the Board whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
the Current Market Price per share of Preferred
Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common
Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence
thereof). If the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be
determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not
publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be
conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 100 (as such number may be
appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of
this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the Common
Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or
so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share of the Preferred Stock shall
mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the
Current Market Price of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be
equal to the Current Market Price of one share of Preferred Stock divided by
100.
(iii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
the value of any securities or assets other than
Common Stock or Preferred Stock shall be the fair value as determined in good
faith by the Board or by a nationally recognized investment banking firm
selected by the Board, which determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
17
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would
require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase
Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section
11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into
account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11
shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of
Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as
the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any
adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier
of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such
adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than
Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m) hereof, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred
Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as
a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock obtained by (i) multiplying (x)
the number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior
to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained
by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the
Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any
adjustment in the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the
number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to
such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the
number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest
one-ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in
effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall
18
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, and shall promptly give the Rights Agent a
copy of such announcement. The record date may be the date on which the Purchase
Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public
announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to
be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the
Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option
of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the
names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable
upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per share and the
number of shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued
hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value of the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the
Company may validly and legally issue, fully paid and nonassessable, such number
of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer (and shall give prompt written
notice of such election to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event
the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and
above the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due ββββ or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board
19
shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares
of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock
dividends, or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock
shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, (i) consolidate with any other Person,
(ii) merge with or into any other Person, or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit
any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in
one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if
(x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there
are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or
agreements in effect that would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to,
simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the
stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the "PRINCIPAL
PARTY" for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution
of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and
Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the earlier
of the Stock Acquisition Date or the Distribution Date, it will not, except as
permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any
Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, if the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend
Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on
the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number
of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued
or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with
each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section 13 hereof,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the computations and facts accounting for
such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer
agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate,
20
and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or,
if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing
shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent
shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment therein contained and shall have no duty with respect to and shall
not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall
have received such certificate.
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER.
(a) If, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Section
11(a)(ii) Event (i) the Company shall consolidate with or shall merge into any
other Person, (ii) any Person shall merge with and into the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in
connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Stock shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or of the
Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50%
or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person (other than the Company or one or more
wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company), then upon the first occurrence of
such event, proper provision shall be made so that: (A) each holder of a Right
(other than Rights which have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof), in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of
Preferred Stock or Common Stock of the Company, such number of validly
authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of
Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not
subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse
claims, as shall equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as
theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) by 50% of the
current per share market price of the Common Stock of such Principal Party
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof) and the number of shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party so
receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to further adjustment as
appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof to reflect any events
occurring in respect of the Common Stock of such Principal Party after the
occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) such Principal
Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this
Agreement; (iii) the term "COMPANY" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such
Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section
11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such
steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of
shares of its common stock) in connection with the consummation of any such
transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its
shares of common stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights;
and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect
following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
21
(b) "PRINCIPAL PARTY" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in
clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of
Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the
issuer of any securities into which shares
of Common Stock of the Company are converted
in such merger or consolidation, and if no
securities are so issued, the Person that is
the other party to such merger or
consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in
clause (z) of the first sentence of Section
13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets
or earning power transferred pursuant to
such transaction or transactions;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any such case, (1) if the common stock of such Person
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the common stock of which is
and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person;
and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more
than one Person, the common stock of two or more of which are and have been so
registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of the common stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized shares of its common stock which have not been issued or
reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance
with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal
Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental
agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this
Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of
any Section 13 Event, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under
the Act, with respect to the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and
will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective
(with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
Expiration Date; and
(ii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical
financial statements for the Principal Party and each
of its Affiliates that comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers. If a Section 13 Event shall occur at
any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which
have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the
manner described in Section 13(a) hereof.
22
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. If
the Company determines not to issue fractional Rights, there shall be paid in
lieu thereof to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to
which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For
purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall
be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the
date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The
closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular
way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are
listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter
market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use or, if on any
such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making
a market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market
maker is making a market in the Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date
as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or
to distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates, with
regard to which such fractional shares of Preferred Stock would otherwise be
issuable, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided, an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-hundredth
of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current
market value of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one
one-hundredth of the closing price per share of Common Stock (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to
the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon
exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the
Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one share of Common Stock. For purposes
of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock
shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant
to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
23
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
(e) Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional
shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare
and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail
the facts related to such payment and the prices and/or formulas utilized in
calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights
Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights
Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have
no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of, any
payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any Section of this
Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares
unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and
sufficient monies.
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent in Section 18
hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided
in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance
of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the appropriate forms of assignment and certificates duly completed and
fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common
Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
24
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
Section 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. No
holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the
Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights
Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as
such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights,
or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate
shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, execution,
delivery, amendment and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and
performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the
Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage,
judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense, incurred
without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the
Rights Agent (each as determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment,
decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) for any action taken,
suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and
administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The costs
and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid
by the Company. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall
survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the
Rights and the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent.
25
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and
shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or
omitted by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this
Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common
Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or
transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction,
consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be
genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons. The Rights Agent shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice
thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur
no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith unless and
until it has received such notice in writing.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the
business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the
successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or
filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a
successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the
time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this
Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the counter-signature of a
predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned;
and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or the name of the successor
Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full
force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes only
the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties and
obligations) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the
Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof,
shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent, and
the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of, any action
26
taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or
matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and
the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or established by the
Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder,
such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein
specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established
by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer and President, the Chief
Financial Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer,
the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization and protection to
the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect
of, any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken 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 (each as determined by a
final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent
jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the
Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or
incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to
lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of
such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will
be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility or
have any liability in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution
and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required
under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the
manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt of a
certificate describing any such adjustment furnished in accordance with Section
12); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or
warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to
be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Common Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
27
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by
the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
the Chief Executive Officer and President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Vice
President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any
Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full
authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall
incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to
be taken by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, affiliate, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not
the 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
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such
act, default, neglect or misconduct absent gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct (each as determined by a final, non-appealable order,
judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) in the
selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability
in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its
rights if it believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification
against such risk or liability is not assured to it.
(k) 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 either not been completed or indicates an
affirmative response to clause 1 or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take
any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without
first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each
transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
28
Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint
a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by any registered
holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of 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 Person organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or any state thereof in good
standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise stock transfer powers
and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and
which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and
surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a Person 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 the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to
the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by 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 of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date (other than upon
exercise of a Right) and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights,
the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold
pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or
arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes,
warrants or debentures issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates
representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance
or sale; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued
if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such
issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to
the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and
(ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance
thereof.
29
Section 23. REDEMPTION AND TERMINATION.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, redeem all but not less than all of the then
outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, as such amount may
be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
hereinafter referred to as 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 of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price
in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price as defined in
Section 11(d) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any
other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.
(c) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, and without any further action and without any notice,
the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of
the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so
held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the
Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent in
writing and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to
all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the registry
books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry
books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in
the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of the redemption will state the method by
which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. EXCHANGE. (a) At any time after a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
the Board may, at its option, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and
exercisable Rights (which (i) shall not include Rights that have become null and
void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and (ii) shall include, without
limitation, any Rights issued after the Distribution Date in connection with the
exercise of options pursuant to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of
one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof
(such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "EXCHANGE RATIO").
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to
effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any
of its Subsidiaries, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner
of 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. From and after
the occurrence of a Section 13 Event, any Rights that theretofore have not been
exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall thereafter be exercised only in
accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this Section
24(a).
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board electing to
exchange any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and without any further action and
without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights will terminate and
30
thereafter the only right of the holders of such Rights shall be to receive that
number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such
holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly thereafter
give written notice of such exchange to the Rights Agent and the holders of the
Rights to be exchanged in the manner set forth in Section 26; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the
validity of such exchange. 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 Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) held by each holder
of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company,
at its option, may substitute Common Stock Equivalents (as defined in Section
11(a)(iii)) for shares of Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial
rate of one Common Stock Equivalent for each share of Common Stock, as
appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in dividend, liquidation and
voting rights of Common Stock Equivalents pursuant to the terms thereof, so that
each Common Stock Equivalent delivered in lieu of each share of Common Stock
shall have essentially the same dividend, liquidation and voting rights as one
share of Common Stock.
(d) If the number of shares of Common Stock which are
authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation but not outstanding or
reserved for issuance are not sufficient to permit an exchange of Rights as
contemplated by this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may
be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon
exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the
Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates with regard to
which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable, an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole
share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 24(e), the current market
value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price per share of
Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) on the Trading
Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
31
merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale
or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any
sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions,
of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company
shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible, in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall
specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend or distribution
of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification,
consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up
is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the
shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice
shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above
at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of
the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of
any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking
of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of
the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event
shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as
practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate and to the
Rights Agent, and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the
occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of
the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 hereof and
(ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Common Stock shall, to the
extent appropriate, also be deemed thereafter to refer to other securities.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) or by facsimile transmission as follows:
Alloy, Inc.
βββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ
ββββ βββββ
βββ ββββ, ββ βββββ
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) or by facsimile transmission as follows:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
ββ ββββββ ββββ
βββ ββββ, ββ βββββ
32
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then
redeemable, 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. At
any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights, PROVIDED that no such supplement or amendment
may (a) adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other
than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person),
(b) cause this Agreement again to become amendable other than in accordance with
this sentence or (c) cause the Rights again to become redeemable.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no
supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the Redemption Price. Upon
the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which
states that the supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this
Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment,
PROVIDED that any supplement or amendment that does not amend Sections 18, 19,
20 or 21 hereof in a manner adverse to the Rights Agent shall become effective
immediately upon execution by the Company, whether or not also executed by the
Rights Agent.
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock
of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with
the provisions of the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(l)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act. 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 deemed necessary or advisable for
the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations which are done or made by the Board in good
faith, shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent,
the holders of the Rights and all other Persons.
33
Section 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement shall
be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and
the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
internal laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts
made and to be performed entirely within such State; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that all
provisions regarding the rights, duties and obligations of the Rights Agent
shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such
State.
Section 33. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed
to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.
Section 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
34
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Stockholder
Rights Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: ALLOY, INC.
By: /s/ ββββββ β. βββββββ By: /s/ βββββββ β. βββββββ
------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Attest: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ βββββββ βββββ By: /s/ βββββββ β. ββββββ
------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
35
EXHIBIT A
---------
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION,
PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS OF
SERIES C JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
ALLOY, INC.
Alloy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"), does hereby
certify:
FIRST: That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as
amended, and pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of Title 8 of the
Delaware Code, the Board of Directors adopted a resolution providing for the
designation, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights,
and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of One Million
(1,000,000) shares of the Corporation's Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per
share, designated as Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, which
resolution is as follows:
RESOLVED: That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation in accordance with in
accordance with Article FOURTH, Section B, of its
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, a
series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation (the
"Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock") be,
and it hereby is, created, and that the designation
and amount thereof and the voting powers, preferences
and relative, participating, optional and other
special rights of the shares of the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, and the
qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof,
shall be as follows:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the number of
shares constituting such series shall be One Million (1,000,000). Such number of
shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series
C Junior Participating Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of
shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the
exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of
any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series C
Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
A-1
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any
series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series C
Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of
shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the
holders of Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the
Corporation, and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when,
as and if declared by the Board of Directors, out of funds of the Corporation
legally available for the payment of dividends, quarterly dividends payable in
cash on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 in each year (each such
date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"),
commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance
of a share or fraction of a share of Series C Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater
of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100
times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends
or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock
or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification
or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a
share of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock. If the Corporation shall
at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the
outstanding Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a
dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of
Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of
Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph
(A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common
Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock) and the
Corporation shall pay such dividend or distribution on the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock before the dividend or distribution declared on
the Common Stock is paid or set apart; PROVIDED, however, that, if no dividend
or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period
between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares
of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of
A-2
such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date
of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders
of shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a
quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of
which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle
the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders of the Corporation. If the Corporation shall at any time declare or
pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or effect a
subdivision, combination of consolidation of the outstanding Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series C
Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such
event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator
of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after
such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, by law, or in any
other Certificate of Designation creating a series of Preferred Stock or any
similar stock, the holders of shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the
Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all
matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6)
quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall ββββ the
beginning of a period (herein called a "default period") which shall extend
until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly
dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of
Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been
declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, all
holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to
six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series,
shall have the right to elect two (2) Directors.
A-3
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of
the holders of Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant
to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of
stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that
neither such voting right nor the right of the holders of any other series of
Preferred Stock, if any, to increase, in certain cases, the authorized number of
Directors shall be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number
of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.
The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the
exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting
at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right
initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting
as a class, to elect Directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of
Directors as may then exist up to two (2) Directors or, if such right is
exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) Directors. If the number which
may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number,
the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in
the number of Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of
the required number. After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have
exercised their right to elect Directors in any default period and during the
continuance of such period, the number of Directors shall not be increased or
decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or
pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu
with the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall,
during an existing default period, have previously
exercised their right to elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order the
calling of a special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting
shall thereupon be called by the Chairman of the Board or the President of the
Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders
of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this paragraph (C)(iii)
shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of
such notice to him at his last address as the same appears on the books of the
Corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 10 days
and not later than 60 days after such order or request. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called
during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the
next annual meeting of the stockholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common
Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation
if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of
Directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right
to elect two (2) Directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right
(x) the Directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in
office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until
the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of
Directors may (except as provided in paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be
filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors theretofore elected by
the holders of the class of stock which elected the Director whose office shall
have become vacant. References in this paragraph (C) to Directors elected by the
holders of a particular class of stock shall include Directors elected by such
Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.
A-4
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default
period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred
Stock as a class to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors
elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z)
the number of Directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the
certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase made
pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number
being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in
the certificate of incorporation or bylaws). Any vacancies in the Board of
Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding
sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by
law, holders of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no
special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the
extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends on
distributions payable on the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock as
provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and
unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series
C Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full,
the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as
to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series
C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on
the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on
which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts
to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation/dissolution or winding up) to the Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase
or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of
any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock;
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of
stock ranking on a parity with the Series C Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by
publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such
shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the
respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of
the respective Series C classes, shall determine in good faith will result in
fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
A-5
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section 5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation
in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the
acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of
a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of
the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance
set forth herein.
Section 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION ON WINDING UP. (A) Upon any
liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have received Forty Dollars ($40.00) per share, plus an amount equal to
accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared,
to the date of such payment (the "Series C Liquidation Preference"). Following
the payment of the full amount of the Series C Liquidation Preference, no
additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series C
Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of
shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the "Common
Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series C
Liquidation Preference by (ii) 100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in
subparagraph C below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii),
the "Adjustment Number"). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series
C Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding
shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock,
respectively, holders of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock and
holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate
share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment
Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per
share basis, respectively.
(B) If, however, there are not sufficient assets available to
permit payment in full of the Series C Liquidation Preference and the
liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which
rank on a parity with the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then
such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity
shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. If, however,
there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the
Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to
the holders of Common Stock.
(C) If the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any
dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a
A-6
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall
be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(D) Neither the consolidation, merger or other business
combination of the Corporation with or into any other corporation the sale,
lease, exchange or conveyance of all or any part of the property, assets or
business of the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation for purposes of this Section 6.
Section 7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of
stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case
may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. If the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision,
combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or change of shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denomination of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. RANKING. The Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. AMENDMENT. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent of the
outstanding shares of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting
together as a single class.
Section 11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series C Junior Participating Preferred
Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in
A-7
proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights,
receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all
other rights of holders of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
A-8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, said Alloy, Inc. has caused this Certificate of
Designation to be signed by its duly authorized officer this ____ day of
_________.
ALLOY, INC.
By
-----------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
A-9
EXHIBIT B
---------
[FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE]
Certificate No. R- _________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER APRIL 14, 2013 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE
COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT
$0.001 PER RIGHT, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CETAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE
OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID.
Rights Certificate
ALLOY, INC.
This Rights Certificate certifies that ____________________, or
registered assigns, is the registered holder of the number of Rights set forth
above, each of which entitles the holder thereof, subject to the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Stockholder Rights Agreement, dated as of April
14, 2003 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Alloy, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights
Agent"), to purchase from the Company after the Distribution Date (as such term
is defined in the Rights Agreement) and at any time prior to 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, or its successors as Rights Agent,
one one-hundredth of a fully paid, non-assessable share of Series C Junior
Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a
purchase price of Forty Dollars ($40.00) per one one-hundredth of a share (the
"Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate
with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares
which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase
Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of April
14, 2003, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. The Company
reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as
such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be
exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall
have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Rights Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, if the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (ii) a transferee of
an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring
Person), or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement,
a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person
(or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), such Rights shall become
B-1
null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such
Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number
and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be purchased
upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject
to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including
Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the office of the Company and are
also available upon written request to the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates,
upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights
Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive
upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the
number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at the option of the Board at
a redemption price of $0.001 per Right at any time prior to a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral-multiples of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock), but in
lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Preferred
Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
B-2
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal by its authorized officers.
Dated:
ATTEST: Alloy, Inc.
By:
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Countersigned:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
By:
----------------------------------
Authorized Signature
B-3
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
------------------
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED
-----------------------------------------------------------
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated:
-----------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
B-4
CERTIFICATE
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring 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 evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
----------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-5
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
----------------------------
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise Rights represented by the
Rights Certificate.)
To: Alloy, Inc.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ______ Rights
represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares or portion thereof
of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued
in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
Dated:
---------------------------
Signature Guaranteed:
B-6
CERTIFICATE
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring 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 evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
-------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-7
EXHIBIT C
---------
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK
On April 9, 2003, the Board of Directors of Alloy, Inc. (the "Company")
declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (a "Right") for each
outstanding share of the Company's common stock, $0.01 par value (the "Common
Stock") to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 28, 2003
(the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from
the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series C Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a
purchase price of Forty Dollars ($40.00) in cash (the "Purchase Price"), subject
to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Stockholder Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate certificates for Rights
will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
"Distribution Date" will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 days following a
public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire,
beneficial ownership of more than twenty percent (20%) or more of the
outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date")
or (ii) 10 business days following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that may result in a person or group beneficially owning twenty
percent (20%) or more of the outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights), (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and
will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new
Common Stock certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding, even without such
notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented by such certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will
expire at the close of business on April 14, 2013, unless earlier redeemed or
exchanged by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Rights Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date (other than to any Acquiring Person or any associate or
affiliate of an Acquiring Person) and, thereafter, such separate Rights
Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by
the Board and except in connection with shares of Common Stock issued upon the
exercise of employee stock options, issuances under other employee stock benefit
plans or upon the conversion of convertible securities issued after the
Distribution Date, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution
Date will be issued with Rights.
C-1
If any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, also known as a "Section
11(a)(ii) Event", each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise, that number of shares of Common Stock (or, in certain
circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) which equals
the exercise price of the Right divided by one-half of the current market price
(as defined in the Rights Agreement) of the Common Stock at the date of the
occurrence of the event. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, all Rights that
are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were,
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person will be null and void.
If, at any time following a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, (i) the Company is
acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or (ii) more than
50% of the Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder
of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, that number of shares
of common stock of the acquiring company which equals the exercise price of the
Right divided by one-half of the current market price (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) of such common stock at the date of the occurrence of the event. The
events set forth in this paragraph and in the preceding paragraph are referred
to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the
Board may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person
which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share
of Common Stock, or one Common Stock Equivalent (as defined in the Rights
Agreement), per Right (subject to adjustment).
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of units of Preferred Stock
or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Preferred Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain
rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at
less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase
Price. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock) will be
issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date
of exercise.
In general, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at any time before a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, at a price of $.001 per
Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate
by the Board). Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering redemption of
the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of
Rights will be to receive the $.001 per Right redemption price. The redemption
price is payable in cash, stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the
Board.
C-2
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not
be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon
the circumstances, recognize taxable income if the Rights become exercisable for
Common Stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the
acquiring company as set forth above.
Subject to certain exceptions, any of the provisions of the Rights
Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such
time as the Rights are no longer redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A
copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This
summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
C-3