Attached files
TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC
as Rights Agent
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated June 20, 2011
Table of Contents
| Section 1. Definitions |
1 | |||
| Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent |
8 | |||
| Section 3. Issuance of Right Certificates |
9 | |||
| Section 4. Form of Right Certificates; Notice to Rights Agent as to Acquiring Person |
11 | |||
| Section 5. Countersignature and Registration |
12 | |||
| Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates |
13 | |||
| Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
14 | |||
| Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates |
17 | |||
| Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock |
18 | |||
| Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date |
19 | |||
| Section 11. Adjustments to Number and Kind of Securities or Other Property, Number of Rights or Purchase Price |
20 | |||
| Section 12. Certification of Adjustments |
32 | |||
| Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power |
32 | |||
| Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
38 | |||
| Section 15. Rights of Action |
38 | |||
| Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders |
39 | |||
| Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder |
40 | |||
| Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent |
40 | |||
| Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
41 | |||
| Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent |
42 | |||
| Section 21. Change of Rights Agent |
45 | |||
| Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates |
46 | |||
| Section 23. Redemption |
47 | |||
| Section 24. Exchange |
48 | |||
| Section 25. Notice of Proposed Actions |
50 | |||
| Section 26. Notices |
51 | |||
| Section 27. Supplements and Amendments |
52 | |||
| Section 28. Successors |
53 | |||
| Section 29. Benefits of this Rights Agreement |
53 | |||
| Section 30. Governing Law |
54 | |||
| Section 31. Descriptive Headings |
54 | |||
| Section 32. Severability |
54 | |||
| Section 33. Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. |
54 |
Exhibit A – Certificate of Designations, Rights and Preferences
Exhibit B – Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C – Form of Summary of Rights
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Rights Agreement”), dated June 20, 2011, between Toreador Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited liability trust company (the “Rights Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, on June 19, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) (i) authorized and declared a dividend of one right (a “Right”) for each share of the common stock, par value $0.15625 per share, of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as defined herein) on June 30, 2011 (the “Record Date”), and authorized the issuance of the Rights as of the Record Date, each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series C Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company having the voting powers, designation, preferences and relative rights described in the Certificate of Designations, Rights and Preferences attached hereto as Exhibit A (each one one-thousandth of a share, a “Unit”, and such shares of preferred stock, “Preferred Stock”), and (ii) further authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock of the Company that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the Distribution Date (as defined herein) (or thereafter in accordance with Section 22), all upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Definitions.
For purposes of this Rights Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
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“Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding or who was such a Beneficial Owner at any time after the date of this Rights Agreement, whether or not the Person continues to be the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the term “Acquiring Person” shall not include (w) the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person organized, appointed, established or holding Common Stock of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, (x) any underwriter acting in this capacity by agreement with the Company, (y) any Person who shall become the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding with the approval of the Board (so long as such Person’s Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock does not exceed the Beneficial Ownership level approved by the Board), or (z) any Grandfathered Person unless and until such time as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company in addition to those shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned by such Grandfathered Person as of the date of this Rights Agreement; and (ii) no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” (x) solely by virtue of a reduction in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, unless the Person thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding shares of Common Stock in shares of Common Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock), without previously receiving the approval of the Board or (y) if the Person becomes an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of this clause (y)) inadvertently, in the judgment of the Board and (i) within fifteen Business Days after the Person discovers that it would be an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of this clause (y)) the Person notifies the Board that it would be an Acquiring Person but for the operation of this clause (y) and (ii) as promptly as practicable (as determined by the Board, whose determination shall be final and binding) the Person divests itself of Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock
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of the Company so that the Person is no longer an Acquiring Person (disregarding any effect of this clause (y)).
“Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Rights Agreement.
“Adjustment Units” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).
A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” and have “Beneficial Ownership” of, any securities:
(a) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or successor law or regulation);
(b) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (i) 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, exchange purchase rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; (ii) the right to vote or to direct the vote of, pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; or (iii) the right to dispose or direct the disposition of, pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing;
(c) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company; or
(d) in respect of which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has a Synthetic Long Position;
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provided, however, that (v) a Person will not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act; (w) a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in an underwriting syndicate until the expiration of 40 calendar days after the date of such acquisition; (x) a Person shall not be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; (y) a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security by reason of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor reports); and (z) an officer or director of the Company shall not be deemed (1) the Beneficial Owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity as officers or directors of the Company or (2) the Beneficial Owner of securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, other than the officer or director, by reason of any influence that such officer or director may have over the voting of the securities held in the plan. Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Owner 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 actually 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.
“Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
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“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
“Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M. New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
“Common Stock,” when used with reference to the Company, shall mean the common stock (presently $0.15625 par value per share) of the Company. “Common Stock”, when used with reference to any Person other than the Company, shall mean shares of the capital stock with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the entity which ultimately controls such first-mentioned Person. “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person not organized in corporate form shall mean units of beneficial interest which (x) represent the right to participate generally in the profits and losses of such Person (including without limitation any flow-through tax benefits resulting from an ownership interest in such Person) and (y) are entitled to exercise the greatest voting power of such Person or, in the case of a limited partnership, have the power to remove the general partner or partners.
“Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).
“Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
“Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
“Equivalent Preferred Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
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“Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
“Grandfathered Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is, as of the date of this Rights Agreement, the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided in this Rights Agreement, any Grandfathered Person who, after the date of this Rights Agreement, becomes the Beneficial Owner of less than 10% of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding shall cease to be a Grandfathered Person and shall be subject to all of the provisions of this Rights Agreement in the same manner as any Person who is not and was not a Grandfathered Person.
“NASDAQ” shall mean the NASDAQ Stock Market or any of its listing venues.
“NYSE” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange.
“Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, association, trust, syndicate or other entity, and includes without limitation an unincorporated group of individuals who, by formal or informal agreement or arrangement (whether or not in writing), have embarked on a common purpose or act.
“Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Principal Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b).
“Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).
“Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a).
“Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
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“Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).
“Section 13 Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(a).
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of a public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person indicating that an Acquiring Person has become such; provided that, if such Person is determined not to be or have become an Acquiring Person, then no Stock Acquisition Date shall be deemed to have occurred.
“Subsidiary” of a Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect or appoint a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise controlled by such Person.
“Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
“Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).
“Synthetic Long Position” shall mean, with respect to any security, any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right or other contractual right, whether or not presently exercisable, which has an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to such security or a value determined in whole or part with reference to, or derived in whole or in part from, the market price or value of such security (without regard to whether such instrument or right (i) conveys any voting power to such Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof, or (ii) is required to be, or capable of being, settled through delivery of such securities) and which increases in value as the value of such security increases or which provides to the holder of such instrument or right an opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in
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any profit derived from any increase in the value of such security, but shall not include interests in broad-based index options, broad-based index futures, and broad-based publicly traded market baskets of stocks approved for trading by the appropriate federal governmental authority. The number of securities in respect of which a Person has a Synthetic Long Position shall be the notional or other number of securities specified in the documentation evidencing the Synthetic Long Position as being subject to be acquired upon the exercise or settlement of the applicable right or as the basis upon which the value or settlement amount of such right, or the opportunity of the holder of such right to profit or share in any profit, is to be calculated in whole or in part or, if no such number of securities is specified in such filing or documentation, as determined by the Board in good faith to be the number of securities to which the Synthetic Long Position relates.
“Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i).
“Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event.
“Unit” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Unit Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Rights Agreement, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts this appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agents and any co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine. No Rights Agent shall have a duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
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Section 3. Issuance of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the Close of Business on the earlier to occur of (i) the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth calendar day (or such later time as determined by the Board but in no event later than the time such Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any Person of a tender or exchange offer, upon the successful consummation of which such Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, would be an Acquiring Person (irrespective of whether any shares are actually purchased pursuant to such offer), or in the case of clause (ii) such later date specified by the Board which date shall not be later than the date specified in clause (i) (the earliest of such dates being referred to herein as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the shares of Common Stock of the Company registered in the names of the holders of the shares of Common Stock of the Company (which certificates for shares of Common Stock of the Company shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) or, with respect to shares of Common Stock of the Company not represented by certificates, the Rights related thereto will be evidenced by the notation on the records of the Company representing these shares, and, in each case, not by separate certificates, (y) the registered holders of shares of Common Stock of the Company shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and (z) the Rights (and the right to receive certificates therefor) will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock of the Company (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company and provided with all necessary information, send, by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Common Stock of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of the holder shown on the records of the Company, a certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B (the “Right Certificate”) evidencing the Rights underlying the shares of Common Stock of the Company so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by the Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until
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this notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred.
(b) Upon request of any holder of record of a Right, the Company will send a copy of this Agreement and a copy of the Summary of the Terms of the Rights, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), by postage prepaid mail, to the holder.
(c) Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date or Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company shall also constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented thereby and the transfer of shares of Common Stock on the records of the Company shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares.
(d) Certificates issued for shares of Common Stock of the Company (including, without limitation, certificates issued upon transfer or exchange of shares of Common Stock of the Company) after the Record Date, but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date, the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder to certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Toreador Resources Corporation and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent, dated June 20, 2011, as from time to time amended, extended or renewed (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive office of Toreador Resources Corporation. 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. Toreador Resources Corporation will mail to the holder of record of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, without charge, within ten Business Days after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as provided in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to or beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons or their Associates or Affiliates (as defined in the
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Rights Agreement) or any purported subsequent holder of such Rights will become null and void. 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 failure to print the foregoing legend on any such certificate representing shares of Common Stock of the Company or any defect therein shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the application or interpretation of the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates; Notice to Rights Agent as to Acquiring Person.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and forms of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof), when, as and if issued, shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (which do not affect the duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Rights Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Right Certificates evidencing the Rights, whenever issued, on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase, for each Right, one Unit, at the Purchase Price, but the number and type of shares or other property holders thereof shall be entitled to purchase and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in this Rights Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Rights Agreement, any Right Certificate that represents Rights that may be or may have been at any time on or after the Distribution Date beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (or any purported transferee of such Rights) may have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to it the following legend:
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The beneficial owner of the Rights represented by this Right Certificate may be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate (as defined in the Rights Agreement) of an Acquiring Person or a subsequent holder of a Right Certificate beneficially owned by such Persons. Accordingly, under certain circumstances as provided in the Rights Agreement, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby will be null and void.
The provisions of this Rights Agreement shall be operative whether or not the foregoing legend is imprinted on any such Right Certificate. The Company shall give notice to the Rights Agent promptly after it becomes aware of the existence of any Acquiring Person.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be signed on behalf of the Company by the Chairman of the Board, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, or any Vice President of the Company, 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, Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, manually, or where permitted, in facsimile, 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 Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, the Right Certificates nevertheless may be countersigned by the Rights Agent, issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed the Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign the Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect and all other relevant information referred to in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will
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keep or cause to be kept books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. The books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates, the date of each of the Right Certificates, and the certificate numbers for each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14(b), at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates may be (a) transferred or (b) split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer any Right Certificate shall surrender the Right Certificate at the office of the Rights Agent designated for this purpose with the form of assignment on the reverse side thereof duly endorsed (or enclose with such Right Certificate a written instrument of transfer in a form satisfactory to the Company and the Rights Agent, duly executed by the registered holder thereof or the registered holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing), and with all signatures duly guaranteed. Any registered holder desiring to split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign (by manual or, where permitted, facsimile signature) and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the holder of a Right Certificate 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 Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any
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action under this Section 6 unless and until the Rights Agent is reasonably satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, if requested by the Company, reimbursement to the Company of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver to the Rights Agent a new Right Certificate of like tenor for delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may require the owner of any lost, stolen or destroyed Right Certificate, or his legal representative, to give the Company a bond sufficient to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such Right Certificate or the issuance of any such new Right Certificate.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) or as otherwise provided in this Rights Agreement, the registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole at any time or in part from time to time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed (with such signature duly guaranteed), to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes together with payment of the Purchase Price (defined below), or portion thereof, as applicable, with respect to each Unit or Units (and/or other securities or property in lieu thereof) as to which the Rights are exercised, subject to adjustment as hereinafter provided, at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) December 31, 2011 (this date, the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the date on which all of the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 (this date, the “Expiration Date”) or (iii) the date on which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24.
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(b) The purchase price shall initially be $20.00 for each Unit issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right. The purchase price and the number of Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13. (The purchase price, after giving effect to any adjustments, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price.”) The Purchase Price shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America, in accordance with Section 7(c).
(c) Except as provided in Sections 7(d) and 7(e), upon receipt of a Right Certificate with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price, or the applicable portion thereof, for the Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or governmental charge, by cash, certified check or official bank check payable to the order of the Company or the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from the Company or any transfer agent for the Unit certificates for the number of Units so elected to be purchased, and the Company will comply and hereby authorizes and directs the transfer agent to comply with all such requests or (B) if the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have elected to deposit the shares of Preferred Stock underlying the Units issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder into a depositary, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing the number of Units as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock underlying the Units represented by the receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14(b) and (iii) promptly after receipt of the Units certificates or depositary receipts, as the case may be, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of the Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and, when appropriate, after receipt promptly deliver the cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of the Right Certificate; provided, however, that in the case of a purchase of securities pursuant to Section 13, the Rights Agent shall promptly take the appropriate actions corresponding to the foregoing clauses (i)
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through (iii). In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a), the Rights Agent shall promptly take the appropriate actions corresponding to the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii), as applicable, and the Company shall otherwise make all arrangements necessary so that those other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Rights Agreement. In addition, in the case of an exercise of the Rights by a holder pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights Agent shall return the Right Certificate to the registered holder thereof after imprinting, stamping or otherwise indicating thereon that the Rights represented by the Right Certificate no longer include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii) and, if less than all the Rights represented by such Right Certificate were so exercised, the Rights Agent shall indicate on the Right Certificate the number of Rights represented thereby which continue to include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii). In case the holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise (except pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of the Rights Certificate or the holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14(b).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Rights 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 the registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for 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.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Rights Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
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of any Affiliate or Associate thereof) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Affiliate or Associate thereof) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives those Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in the Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has a continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of an agreement, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of those Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to those Rights, whether under any provision of this Rights Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent when this Section 7(e) applies and shall use best efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are complied with, but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy the cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
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Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that, from and after the Distribution Date, it will cause to be reserved and kept available, out of and to the extent of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another purpose or shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another purpose held in its treasury, the number of Units that, as provided in this Rights Agreement, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to reserve and keep available Units sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights pursuant to the adjustments set forth in Sections 11(a)(ii), 11(a)(iii) or 13 unless, and only to the extent that, the Rights become exercisable pursuant to such adjustments.
(b) The Company shall (i) use its best efforts to cause, from and after the Distribution Date, the Rights and all Units (and/or following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities, as the case may be) issued or reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof to be listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, and (ii) if then necessary to permit the offer and issuance of such Units and/or other securities, as the case may be, register and qualify such Units (and/or other securities, as the case may be) under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws (to the extent exemptions therefrom are not available), cause the related registration statement and qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after filing and keep such registration statement and qualifications effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of the expiration of the 60-day period referred to in Section 11(a)(ii), the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(b) and
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give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. Notwithstanding any provision of this Rights Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or the exercise thereof shall not otherwise be permitted under applicable law or a registration statement under the Securities Act (if required) shall not have been declared effective.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to insure that all Units (and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Units (and/or other securities) subject to payment of the Purchase Price (or the applicable portion thereof) in respect thereof, be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable Units (and/or other securities, as the case may be) in accordance with applicable law.
(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and governmental charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) upon exercise of Rights in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate, and the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver a Right Certificate or certificate for Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) to a Person other than the registered holder until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate 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 Units (and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Units (and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and the certificate shall be dated, the date
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upon which the Right Certificate evidencing these Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price, or the applicable portion thereof (and any applicable taxes and governmental charges), was made; provided, however, that if the date of such presentation and payment is a date upon which the transfer books for the Units (and/or other securities, as the case may be) are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such Units (and/or other securities) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the transfer books for the Units (and/or other securities) are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Right 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. Adjustments to Number and Kind of Securities or Other Property, Number of Rights or Purchase Price.
The number and kind of securities or other property subject to purchase upon the exercise of each Right, the number of Rights outstanding and the Purchase Price are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event that the Company shall at any time after the date of this Rights Agreement (A) declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide or split the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a greater number of shares, (C) combine or consolidate the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares or effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the shares of Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), then except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for the dividend or of the effective date of the subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification, and the number of Units and the number and kind of other securities, as the case
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may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number of Units and/or the number and kind of other securities as the case may be, which, if the Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date, whether or not such Right was then exercisable, and at a time when the transfer books for the Preferred Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be) of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of the dividend, subdivision, split, combination consolidation or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Sections 11(a)(i) and 11(a)(ii), 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).
(ii) In the event any Person at any time after the Record Date becomes an Acquiring Person (this event being referred to as a “Section 11(a)(ii) Event”), then, subject to Sections 23(a) and 24, and except as otherwise provided in Section 7(e), each holder of a Right shall, for a period of sixty days (or such longer period as may be established by the Board) after the later of the occurrence of any such event and the effective date of an appropriate registration statement under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 9, have a right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this Rights Agreement and payment of the Purchase Price (or the applicable portion thereof) such number of Units as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of Units for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (whether or not such right was then exercisable), and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the Current Market Price per Unit on the date of such first occurrence (such number of Units is called the “Adjustment Units”); provided, however, that the Purchase Price and the number of Adjustment Units shall be further adjusted as appropriate to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction, or as provided in this Agreement to reflect any other events, occurring after the date of such first occurrence; and provided, further, that if the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is also subject to the provisions of Section
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13, then only the provisions of Section 13 shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Preferred Stock which are authorized by the Company’s certificate of incorporation but not outstanding and which are not reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights for Units in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) and the Rights shall become so exercisable, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the Purchase Price, (x) a number of Units (up to the maximum number of Units which may be permissibly issued), and (y) a number of shares of Common Stock of the Company so that, when added together, the numbers in clauses (x) and (y) equal the number of Adjustment Units. In the event the number of shares of Preferred Stock and Common Stock which are authorized by the Company’s certificate of incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is insufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the prior sentence and the Rights shall become so exercisable, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall: (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Units issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) and that value shall be conclusive for all purposes; and (B) with respect to each Right, upon exercise of such Right, issue Units and shares of Common Stock of the Company to the extent available for the exercise in full of such Right and, to the extent Units and shares of Common Stock are not so available, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Units not received upon exercise of such Right: (1) other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to the Units, are deemed in good faith by the Board to have substantially the same value as one Unit (such shares or units of shares of preferred stock are herein called “Unit Equivalents”) and whose determination shall be conclusive for all purposes); (2) debt securities of the Company; (3) other assets; (4) cash; or (5) any combination of the foregoing determined by the Board, having a value which, when added to the value of the number of Units and the shares of Common Stock of the Company actually issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an
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aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver Units, shares of Common Stock and Unit Equivalents pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the prior sentence of this paragraph and clause (B) above within 30 days following the Stock Acquisition Date, then, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Units, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) or Unit Equivalents and then, if necessary, cash, debt securities, or other assets (in that order) which shares, units, cash, debt securities and/or assets have an aggregate value equal to the excess of the Current Value over the Purchase Price. If the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Preferred Stock, shares of Common Stock or Unit Equivalents could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the 30 day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than 120 days after the Stock Acquisition Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares or Unit Equivalents (such 30 day period, as it may be extended, is called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e), that this action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding and exercisable Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(a)(iii) and, if necessary, 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 (with a prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Unit, each share of Common Stock and the per share or unit value of any Unit Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price thereof as of the Stock Acquisition Date.
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(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 shares of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after this record date) shares of Preferred Stock and/or securities having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“Equivalent Preferred Securities”) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Securities at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per unit of Equivalent Preferred Securities (or having a conversion price per share or unit, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Securities) less than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on the record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after the record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or units of Equivalent Preferred Securities (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at that Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or units of Equivalent Preferred Securities to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case the 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 the non-cash consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Shares of Preferred Stock and units of Equivalent Preferred Securities owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. This adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if the record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a
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consolidation, merger or share exchange in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular periodic cash dividend), assets (other than a dividend payable in shares of 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)), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on the 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) 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; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon the exercise of one Right. These adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that the 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), and subject to Section 11d(ii), the “Current Market Price” per share of stock or unit of other securities on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such stock or unit of other securities for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of any stock or unit of other securities is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of that stock or other security of (i) any dividend or distribution on such stock or other securities (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend and other than the Rights), or (ii) any subdivision, split, combination or reclassification of that stock or other securities, and prior to the expiration of the requisite 30 Trading Day period, the ex-dividend date for the dividend or distribution, or the record date for the subdivision, combination or reclassification occurs, then, and in each such
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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 that 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 shares of stock or units of securities listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or NASDAQ or, if the shares of stock or units of any other securities are not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to shares of stock or units of other securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of stock or units of other securities are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of stock or units of other security are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted sale price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., Automated Quotations System or any other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of such stock or units of such other security 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 such stock or other securities selected by the Board; provided, that if such security is not listed or quoted on the NYSE or NASDAQ and the principal market for such securities is a non-U.S. securities exchange, then the closing price for each day shall be determined by using the customary convention for determining the closing price of a security on such exchange as determined by the Board (in which event the exchange rate of the relevant currency into U.S. dollars for each Trading Day (as defined below) shall be determined by the Board). The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of such stock or units of other securities are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of such stock or other units of such security are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day; provided, that if such security is not listed or quoted on the NYSE or NASDAQ and the principal market for such security is a non-U.S. securities exchange, then “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which such non-U.S. securities exchange is open for the transaction of business. Subject to Section 11(d)(ii) with respect to Units, if such stock or unit of
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other securities is not publicly held or not so listed, traded or quoted, “Current Market Price” per share or other unit of such securities shall mean the fair value per share of stock or other unit of such securities 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 Unit shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above in paragraph (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Market Price per Unit cannot be determined in the manner provided above because the Units are not publicly held, listed or traded or quoted in a manner described in paragraph (i) of this Section 11(d), the “Current Market Price” per Unit shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock of the Company. If neither the shares of Common Stock of the Company nor the Units are listed or traded or quoted as described in Section 11(d)(i), “Current Market Price” per share thereof shall mean the fair value per share of Common Stock of the Company 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.
(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 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 Unit or share of Common Stock or any other security, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
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securities other than Units, thereafter the number of the other securities 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 shares of Preferred Stock and/or Units contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock and/or Units 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 Units (and/or other securities) purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of Units (calculated to the nearest one-thousandth) equal to the quotient obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Units 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 or any adjustment to the number of Units for which a Right may be exercised, to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of Units 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 Units 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 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
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Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any date thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right 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 the registered holders of Right Certificates on the record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to which the holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such registered holders in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates 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 registered holders of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of Units issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per Unit and the number of Units which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, attributable to the Units, shares of Common Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall use best efforts to 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 Units, shares of Common Stock or other securities at such adjusted Purchase Price.
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(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the Units and/or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Units and/or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive the additional Units and/or other 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 its good faith judgment the Board shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock or Common 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 Common Stock or Preferred Stock, shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company), (iii) effect a share exchange with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company) or (iv) 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
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(other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates. The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, share exchange, merger, sale or transfer unless prior thereto the Company and such other Person shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance with this Section 11(n).
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27, 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 eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Rights Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that at any time after the date of this Rights Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Common Stock of the Company payable in shares of Common Stock of the Company or (ii) effect a subdivision or split the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company into a greater number of shares of Common Stock of the Company or (iii) combine or consolidate the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company into a small number of shares or effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in any such case, each share of Common Stock outstanding following payment of such dividend, such subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or issuance shall continue to have one Right (as adjusted as otherwise provided herein) associated therewith and the Purchase Price following any such event shall be proportionately adjusted to equal the result obtained by multiplying the Purchase Price immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of
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shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event. The adjustment provided for in the preceding sentence shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
Section 12. Certification of Adjustments. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 or 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth the adjustment and a brief statement of facts and computations accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock a copy of the certificate, and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail or cause the Rights Agent to mail a brief summary thereof to each registered holder of a Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of record of shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to prepare such certificate or statement or make such filings or mailings shall not affect the validity of, or the force or effect of, the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any certificate prepared by the Company pursuant to Sections 11 or 13 and shall have no duty with respect to any adjustment therein contained. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Sections 11 or 13 shall be effective as of the date of the event giving rise to the adjustment.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, at any time on or after the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, merge with and into, any other Person or Persons and the Company shall not be the surviving or continuing corporation of the consolidation or merger, or engage in any share exchange pursuant to which its shares are acquired, (y) any Person or Persons shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, the Company, or engage in any share exchange with the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing, surviving or acquiring corporation of the consolidation, merger or share exchange and, in connection with the consolidation, merger or share exchange, all or part of the outstanding shares
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of Common Stock of the Company 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 (z) the Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer to any other Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person, in one or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 30% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole), then, on the first occurrence of any such event on or after the Stock Acquisition Date (each such event a “Section 13 Event”), proper provision shall be made so that (i) each registered holder of a Right shall, for a period of 60 days after the later of the occurrence of such event and the effectiveness of an appropriate registration statement under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 13(c), have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof and payment of the Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Rights Agreement, in lieu of Units, such number of shares of validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as defined herein) not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Units for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the number of Units for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event) and (2) dividing that product by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined as provided in Section 11(d)) per share of the Common Stock of the Principal Party on the date of consummation of the Section 13 Event (or the Current Market Price of other securities or property of the Principal Party as of such date); provided that the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party issuable upon exercise of each Right shall be further adjusted as appropriate to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction, or as provided in this Rights Agreement to reflect any other events, occurring after the date of the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (ii) the 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 Rights Agreement; (iii) the term
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“Company” for all purposes of this Rights Agreement shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 shall only apply to the Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; and (iv) the Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its authorized Common Stock, or if there are an insufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock, securities with rights substantially similar to those shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party, which have not been issued or reserved for any other purpose in order to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions of this Rights Agreement shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; provided, however, that, upon the subsequent occurrence of any merger, consolidation, share exchange, sale of all or substantially all assets, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, reorganization or other extraordinary transaction in respect of the Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price, the cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property which the holder would have been entitled to receive had the holder, at the time of that transaction, owned the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party purchasable upon the exercise of a Right, and the Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) “Principal Party” shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a): (A) the Person that is the issuer of the securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger, consolidation or share exchange or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the shares of Common Stock of which has the greatest market value or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that is the other party to
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the merger, consolidation or share exchange and that survives said merger, consolidation or share exchange or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock of which has the greatest market value or (y) if the Person that is the other party to the merger, consolidation or share exchange does not survive the merger, consolidation or share exchange, the Person that does survive the merger, consolidation or share exchange (including the Company if it survives); and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in (z) of the first sentence in Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions or, if each Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of those Persons as is the issuer of shares of Common Stock having the greatest market value of shares outstanding;
provided, however, that in any such case described in the foregoing (b)(i) or (b)(ii): (1) if the shares of Common Stock of that Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and that Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the shares of Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to that other Person; (2) if the Common Stock of such Person is not and has not so been registered and such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the shares of Common Stock of two or more of which are and have been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the shares of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding; and (3) if the Common Stock of such Person is not and has not so been registered and such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the chains of the ownership having an interest in such joint venture as if the party were a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint
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venturers, and the Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or indirect interests in such Person bear to the total of those interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer referred to in Section 13(a) unless prior thereto the Company and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of Sections 13(a) and (b) shall promptly be performed in accordance with their terms and that such consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer of assets shall not result in a default by the Principal Party under this Rights Agreement as the same shall have been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (b) and further providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after the filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) for at least 60 days after the registration first becomes effective, and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party shall become listed on a national securities exchange, to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on such securities exchange and, if the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed on a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be listed by NYSE or another national securities exchange;
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(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect of the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
In the event that any of the transactions described in Section 13(a) shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a transaction described in Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights shall thereafter continue to be exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a). The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to all successive Section 13 Events.
(d) Furthermore, in case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in any of its authorized securities or in its charter or bylaws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing the Principal Party to issue, in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party at less than the then Current Market Price or par value per share or other securities of the Principal Party at less than such then Current Market Price (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13) or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provisions in connection with the issuance of shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 13, then, in such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been cancelled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.
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Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. Units may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it, provided that the agreement shall provide that the holders of the depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Units represented by the depositary receipts. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there may be paid to the holders of record of the Right Certificates with regard to which the fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then Current Market Value of a whole Right.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Units or other securities upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Units or other securities. In lieu of issuing fractions of Units or other securities, there may be paid to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time the Right Certificates are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then Current Market Value of a Unit or other securities, as the case may be.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of a Right expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Right or fractional Unit or other fractional securities (other than the fractional shares of Preferred Stock represented by Units) upon exercise of a Right.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, except those rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Sections 18 and 20, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of record of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any shares of Common Stock), may, in its own behalf and for its own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company or any other Person to
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enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, its right to exercise the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate in the manner provided in the Right 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, accordingly, that they will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will not be evidenced by a Rights Certificate and will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock of the Company;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates will be transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates contained therein duly executed;
(c) subject to Section 6 and Section 7(e), the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right 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 Right Certificate or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent or the transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company, its directors, officers, employees and agents nor the Rights Agent shall have any
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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, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or by reason of any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder of a Right, as such, shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends in respect of or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Units or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right 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 Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions.
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, reimbursement of its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Rights 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, demand, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, settlement, cost or expense incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent as each must be finally determined by 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 Rights
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Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(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 good faith in connection with its administration of this Rights Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate, certificate for shares of Common or Preferred Stock, Units or 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 reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, guaranteed, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons.
The indemnity provided herein shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the termination and the expiration of the Rights. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company. 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) (other than by reason of bad faith or willful misconduct), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement (other than by reason of bad faith or willful misconduct) will be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.
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 shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
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the provisions of Section 21. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Rights Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Rights Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Rights Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Rights Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right 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 taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Rights 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)
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be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or any Vice President of the Company and by 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 in good faith by it under the provisions of this Rights 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, as each is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Rights Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for nor be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Rights 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 Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereon); nor shall it be liable nor responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Rights Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be liable or responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 11 or 13 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 Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate describing any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this
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Rights Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Rights Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President, the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such advice or 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 good faith in accordance with the advice or 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 Rights Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(i) 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 and/or 2 of such certificate, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
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(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder (other than internal costs incurred by the Rights Agent in providing services to the Company in the ordinary course of its business as Rights Agent) 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 reasonably assured to it.
(k) 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 liable, answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company, any holder of Rights or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the selection and continued employment thereof, as each is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Rights Agreement upon 30 days notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Right Certificates by mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) upon 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 shares of Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Right Certificates by 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 21, in no event shall the resignation or removal of a Rights Agent be effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been appointed and have accepted such appointment. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the registered holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit such
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holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the incumbent Rights Agent or the registered holder of any Right 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, the State of Delaware or of any other state of the United States so long as such Person is in good standing, is authorized to do business in such state, is authorized under such laws to exercise shareholder services powers, is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and 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 shall execute and deliver, if applicable, any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for that 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 mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates, if any. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Rights Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock of the Company following the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock of the Company so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
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options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued 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 Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be issued, if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) (i) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (x) the Close of Business on the Stock Acquisition Date or (y) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, direct the Company to, and if directed, the Company shall redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right (the total amount paid to any holder of Rights to be rounded up to the nearest $0.01), as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”).
(ii) In addition, the Board may redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date but prior to any Section 13 Event either (x) in connection with any event specified in clauses (x),(y) or (z) of Section 13(a) in which all holders of shares of Common Stock and Units are treated alike and not involving (other than as a holder of shares of Common Stock or Units being treated like all other such holders) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or any other Person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of or in association with any such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate, or (y) following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date if and for as long as neither the Acquiring Person nor any Affiliate or
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Associate thereof is thereafter the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, and at the time of redemption there is no other person who is an Acquiring Person.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board directing the Company to make the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board directing the Company to make such redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and each such holder of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to the Rights Agent and to each such holders at such holder’s last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent, or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made, unless such notice is mailed together with such payment.
In the case of a redemption permitted under Section 23(a), the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to each registered holder of the Rights at each such holder’s last address as it appears on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such action, all outstanding Rights Certificates shall be null and void without any further action by the Company.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, authorize the exchange of all or part of the then outstanding and
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exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)) for Units at an exchange ratio equal to two Units (or, in the discretion of the Board, two shares of Common Stock in lieu thereof or such lesser number of shares of Common Stock (but not less than one) as shall be determined by the Board) per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction involving either the shares of Common Stock of the Company or the shares of Preferred Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). The Board may, in connection with any exchange authorized pursuant to this Section 24(a), adopt procedures for the implementation of the exchange transaction.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company, as applicable) equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company, as applicable) 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 null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may, and to the extent there are an insufficient number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for any other purpose to exchange all of the outstanding Rights shall substitute
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shares of Common Stock of the Company or Unit Equivalents for some or all of the Units exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one share of Common Stock or Unit Equivalent for each Unit.
(d) The Board shall not authorize any exchange transaction referred to in Section 24(a) unless at the time such exchange is authorized there shall be sufficient shares of Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock of the Company, as applicable) issued but not outstanding, or authorized but unissued, to permit the exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Proposed Actions.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock payable in stock of any class or to make any other distribution to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), (ii) to offer to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock options, warrants, or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase shares of Preferred Stock (including any security convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock) or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, options, warrants, convertible or exchangeable securities or other rights, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its shares of Preferred Stock or any recapitalization or reorganization of the Company, (iv) to effect any consolidation, combination or merger with or into, or any share exchange with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets, earning power or cash flow of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person or Persons, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each registered holder of a Right Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such dividend or distribution, or the date on which such reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation, combination, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer of assets,
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liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the record date for determining participation therein by the holders of record of 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 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier. The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.
(b) In case a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event is proposed, then, in any such case, the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to the Rights Agent and to each registered holder of Rights, to the extent feasible, in accordance with Section 26, notice of the occurrence of such event or proposal of such transaction which notice shall specify the proposed event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13, as the case may be, and, upon consummating such transaction, shall similarly give notice thereof to each holder of Rights.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Rights Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right to or on behalf of the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Toreador Resources Corporation
c/o Toreador Holding SAS
5 rue Scribe
Paris, France
Attention: Corporate Secretary
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Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this Rights Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Attention: Relationship Manager
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Attention: General Counsel
Notices or demands authorized by this Rights Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder 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.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Subject to extension by the Board by amendments, prior to the Close of Business on the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement (including without limitation amendments that increase or decrease the Purchase Price or Redemption Price or accelerate or extend the Final Expiration Date or the period in which Rights may be redeemed), without the approval of any holders of the Rights or shares of Common Stock. From and after the Close of Business on the Stock Acquisition Date, 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 Right Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates (other than any interest an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person has other than as a holder of Rights).
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In addition, the Company may and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date but prior to a Section 13 Event either (x) in connection with any event specified in clauses (x), (y) and (z) of Section 13(a) in which all holders of Common Stock and Units are treated alike and not involving (other than as a holder of shares of Common Stock or Units being treated like all other such holders) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or any other Person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of or in association with any such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate, or (y) following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date if and for as long as the Acquiring Person is not thereafter the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, and at the time of such amendment or supplement there is no other Person who is an Acquiring Person. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the Stock Acquisition Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Stock. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but shall not obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Rights Agreement.
Section 28. Successors. All of the covenants and provisions of this Rights Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Benefits of this Rights Agreement. Nothing in this Rights Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Rights Agreement but this Rights Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights
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Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock).
Section 30. Governing Law. This Rights Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such state.
Section 31. Counterparts. This Rights 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. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Rights Agreement by facsimile or electronic mail shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Rights Agreement.
Section 31. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Rights Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions.
Section 32. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Rights Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Rights Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Rights Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board.
Section 33. Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock
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outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock or any other securities 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 in effect on the date of this Agreement. The Board (and any duly authorized committee thereof) 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 or judgments deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including without limitation a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend this Rights Agreement) or otherwise contemplated by this Agreement. All such actions, calculations, interpretations, judgments and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof) in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights Certificates. The Rights Agent is entitled always to assume the Board (or any committee) acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Rights Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
| Attest: | TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION | |||||||||||
| By: | /s/ James L. Thornton |
By: | /s/ Craig M. McKenzie | |||||||||
| Name: James L. Thornton | Name: Craig M. McKenzie | |||||||||||
| Title: Senior Legal Counsel | Title: President and Chief Executive Officer | |||||||||||
| Attest: | AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC | |||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Isaac J. Kagan |
By: | /s/ Paula Caroppoli | |||||||||
| Name: | Isaac J. Kagan | Name: | Paula Caroppoli | |||||||||
| Title: | Vice President | Title: | Senior Vice President | |||||||||
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EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS, RIGHTS AND
PREFERENCES OF THE SERIES OF THE PREFERRED STOCK
OF
TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION
TO BE DESIGNATED
Series C Preferred Stock
Toreador Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), pursuant to the authority conferred on the Board of Directors of the Corporation by its Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), certifies that the Board of Directors of the Corporation, at a meeting duly called and held on June 19, 2011, duly adopted the following resolution providing for the establishment and issuance of a series of Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, to be designated “Series C Preferred Stock” and to consist of 500,000 shares as follows:
RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the authority expressly granted and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be and hereby is established, consisting of 500,000 shares, to be designated “Series C Preferred Stock” (the “Series C Preferred Stock”); the Board of Directors be and hereby is authorized to issue such shares of Series C Preferred Stock from time to time and for such consideration and on such terms as the Board of Directors shall determine; and subject to the limitations provided by law and by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, option or other special rights of, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions upon, the Series C Preferred Stock shall be as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series C Preferred Stock” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 500,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any other series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series C Preferred Stock with
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respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of January, April, July and October 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 Preferred Stock (the “First Issuance Time”), in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.15625 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series C Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time on or after the First Issuance Time: (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series C 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) On or after the First Issuance Time, the Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series C Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph (A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided, however that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $10.00 per share on the Series C Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall accrue and be deemed to accrue from day to day whether or not earned or declared and shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series C Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series C 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 Preferred Stock in an
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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 Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights.
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series C Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the First Issuance Time: (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as expressly set forth herein, holders of Series C Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series C Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not earned or declared, on shares of Series C Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series C 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 Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series C Preferred Stock and
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all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series C Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series C Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series C Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series C Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series C Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have received $10.00 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 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) 1000 (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
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full amount of the Series C Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series C Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series 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 Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the First Issuance Time (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case, the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(D) Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, share exchange 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 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 1000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the First Issuance Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
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Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Fractional Shares. Series C Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series C Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Ranking. The Series C 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 upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 11. Amendment. At any time any shares of Series C Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Amended and 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 Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate of Designations and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 20th day of June 2011.
| TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION | ||
|
| ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Attest: |
|
|
| Name: |
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EXHIBIT B
[Form of Right Certificate]
| Certificate No. R- | Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2011, SUBJECT TO EARLIER REDEMPTION OR EXPIRATION PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. 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. THE RIGHTS EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE SHALL NOT BE EXERCISABLE, AND SHALL BE VOID SO LONG AS HELD BY A HOLDER IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATION FOR 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. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN ASSOCIATE OR AFFILIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE BENEFICIAL OWNER OF THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE MAY BE AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR A SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF A RIGHT CERTIFICATE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY SUCH PERSONS. ACCORDINGLY, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AS PROVIDED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY WILL BE NULL AND VOID.]*
| * | The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence. |
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Right Certificate
TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement dated June 20, 2011, as amended, restated, renewed or extended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”) between Toreador Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited liability trust company (“Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M. New York time on December 31, 2011, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent, or its successors as Rights Agent, designated for such purpose, one one-thousandth of a fully paid, nonassessable share of Series C Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (a “Unit”) at a purchase price of $20.00, as the same may from time to time be adjusted in accordance with the Rights Agreement (“Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender or this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and included Certificate duly completed and executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of , 20 , based on the Units as constituted at such date.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of Units which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events and, upon the happening of certain events, securities other than Units, or other property, may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, as provided by the Rights Agreement.
As more fully set forth in the Rights Agreement, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
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Affiliate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of such Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate), or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of such Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with such Acquiring Person becoming such, such Rights shall become null and void without any further action, 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, whether under the Rights Agreement or otherwise.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities of the Rights Agent, the Company and the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive office of the Company and will be mailed to stockholders upon request to the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the registered holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Units as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled the holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, the Right Certificate indicating the remaining Rights represented thereby or another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be (x) redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the Close of Business on (i) the Stock Acquisition Date, and (ii) the Final Expiration Date, or under certain other conditions as specified in the Rights Agreement, and (y) exchanged, after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), at the option of the Board, for two Units (or, the extent
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determined by the Board of Directors, two shares of Common Stock of the Company or such lesser number of shares of Common Stock (but not less than one) as may be determined by the Board of Directors) as set forth in the Rights Agreement.
No fractional Units or other securities (other than fractions of a share of Preferred Stock represented by Units) shall be required to be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, and in lieu thereof, as provided in the Rights Agreement, a holder otherwise entitled to fractions of Units or other securities (other than fractions of a share of Preferred Stock represented by Units) may receive an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then current value of a Unit or such other securities.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Units, shares of Preferred Stock, shares of Common Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon 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 Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
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WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal, dated as of , .
| ATTEST: | TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION | |||||||
| By: |
|
By: |
| |||||
| Title | Title: | |||||||
| Countersigned: | ||
|
| ||
| Rights Agent | ||
| By: |
| |
| Authorized signature | ||
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[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder
desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
(Please print name and address of transferee)
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: , 20
|
|
| Signature |
| (Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed:*
| * | Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
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Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
[ ] are
[ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned
[ ] did
[ ] did not
acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated: , 20
| Signature: |
| |
| (Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) | ||
Signature Guaranteed:*
| * | Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
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FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if registered holder desires to Exercise the Right Certificate.)
To: TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and/or other securities issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates representing such share(s) or other securities be issued in the name of:
| Please insert social security or other identifying number |
| |
|
| ||
| (Please print name and address) | ||
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the remaining 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: , 20
|
|
| Signature |
| (Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of the Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed: *
| * | Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
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Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
[ ] are
[ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned
[ ] did
[ ] did not
acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated: , 20
|
|
| Signature: |
| (Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed:*
| * | Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
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EXHIBIT C
TOREADOR RESOURCES CORPORATION
SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THE RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
UNITS OF
Series C Preferred Stock
On June 19, 2011, the Board of Directors of Toreador Resources Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.15625 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company, payable to stockholders of record on June 30, 2011, and issuable as of that date. Except in the circumstances described below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series C Preferred Stock, $1.00 par value, of the Company (“Preferred Stock” and each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, a “Unit”) at a price of $20.00 per share (the “Purchase Price”). The rights of a holder of a Unit are substantially equivalent to the rights of a holder of a share of Common Stock. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited liability trust company (the “Rights Agent”).
As discussed below, initially the Rights will not be exercisable, certificates will not be sent to stockholders and the Rights will automatically trade with the Common Stock.
The Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates, and Rights relating to shares of Common Stock not represented by certificates will be represented by notation on the records of the Company, until the close of business on the earlier to occur of (i) the day on which a public announcement or filing that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has
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become an “Acquiring Person”, which is defined as a person who, at any time after the date of the Rights Agreement, has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding (which includes common stock referenced in derivative transactions and securities), subject to certain exceptions described below, or (ii) the tenth day (or a later date determined by the Board of Directors) after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in a person becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of these dates is called the “Distribution Date”).
As soon as practicable following a Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company, mail separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) to holders of record of shares of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and those separate certificates alone will evidence the Rights from and after the Distribution Date.
Each of the following persons will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, even if they have acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding: (i) the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company; (ii) any underwriter acting under an agreement with the Company; (iii) any person who becomes the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, with the prior approval of the Board (so long as the person’s beneficial ownership level does not exceed the level approved by the Board of Directors); (iv) any person who is, as of the date of the Rights Agreement, the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Common Stock of the Company, until the time as this person shall become the beneficial owner of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company; (v) any person who becomes an Acquiring Person solely by virtue of a reduction in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, unless the person thereafter becomes the beneficial owner of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, without the prior
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approval of the Board of Directors; and (vi) any person who becomes the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding inadvertently, in the judgment of the Board, and within fifteen business days after discovering that it would be an Acquiring Person (but for this exception) the person notifies the Company’s Board of Directors and as promptly as practicable (as determined by the Board) the Person divests itself of Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient number of the Common Stock so that the Person would not be an Acquiring Person (regardless of this exception).
The Rights are not exercisable until after the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire at the close of business on December 31, 2011, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.
The Purchase Price, and the number of Units 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) upon the grant to holders of Preferred Stock of 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 dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). The Purchase Price is also subject to adjustment from time to time in the event of a Common Stock dividend on, or a subdivision or combination of, the shares of Common Stock.
In the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then each holder of record of a Right, other than the Acquiring Person, will thereafter have the right to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price, that number of Units having a value (determined based on the market value of the Common Stock of the Company if the Units are not publicly held, listed or traded) at the time the person becomes an Acquiring Person equal to twice the Purchase Price. Any Rights that are or were at any time, on or after the Distribution Date, beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person will become null and void. After such an event, to the extent that insufficient Units are
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available for the exercise in full of the Rights, holders of Rights will receive upon exercise a number of Units to the extent available and then other securities of the Company, assets, or cash, in proportions determined by the Company, so that the aggregate value received is equal to twice the Purchase Price.
The Rights Agreement provides that, on or after a public announcement or filing indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, if the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination (in which any shares of Common Stock are changed into or exchanged for other securities or assets) or more than 30% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) are sold or transferred in one or a series of related transactions, proper provision will be made so that each registered holder of a Right will have the right to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price, in lieu of Units, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company having a value at the time of that transaction equal to two times the Purchase Price.
No fractional Units will be required to be issued upon exercise of the Rights and, in lieu thereof, a payment in cash equal to the fraction of the then current value of a Unit may be made.
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board may exchange all of part of the outstanding Rights (other than those held by an Acquiring Person) for Units at an exchange rate of two Units (or, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, two shares of Common Stock of the Company in lieu thereof or such lesser number of shares of Common Stock (but not less than one) as may be determined by the Board of Directors) for each Right. The Company will promptly give public notice of any exchange (although failure to give notice will not affect the validity of the exchange).
At any time until close of business on the day a public announcement or the filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person (and prior to the giving of notice of the exchange or redemption, as applicable to the holders of the Rights), or thereafter under certain circumstances, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of
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$0.001 per Right.
Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing exchange or redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate, and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive (if applicable) the Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company) issuable in connection with the exchange or the Redemption Price without any interest thereon.
Until the close of business on the day a public announcement or a filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, or thereafter under certain circumstances, the Company may amend the Rights in any manner. The Company may also amend the Rights Agreement after the close of business on the day a public announcement or filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, to cure ambiguities, to correct defective or inconsistent provisions or in any manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including the right to vote or to receive dividends.
The issuance of the Rights is not taxable to the Company or to stockholders under presently existing federal income tax law, and will not change the way in which stockholders can presently trade the Company’s shares of Common Stock. If the Rights should become exercisable, stockholders, depending on then existing circumstances, may recognize taxable income.
The Rights have anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to a person that attempts to acquire the Company without obtaining the approval of the Board of Directors, the redemption of the Rights or an amendment to the Rights Agreement permitting the acquisition. However, the Rights generally should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by the Board of Directors.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
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Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 20, 2011. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from either the Rights Agent by writing to American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 or the Company by writing to Toreador Resources Corporation, c/o Toreador Holding SAS, 5 rue Scribe, Paris, France, Attention: Corporate Secretary. 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 in this summary description by reference.
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