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8-K - 8-K - Edwards Lifesciences Corpa13-12753_18k.htm
EX-3.2 - EX-3.2 - Edwards Lifesciences Corpa13-12753_1ex3d2.htm

Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 

*****

 

The undersigned, Michael A. Mussallem, certifies that he is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), and does hereby further certify as follows:

 

(1)                                 The name of the Corporation is Edwards Lifesciences Corporation.

 

(2)                                 The name under which the Corporation was originally incorporated was CVG Controlled Inc. and the original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 10, 1999.

 

(3)                                 This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and only restates and integrates and does not further amend the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as theretofore amended or supplemented, and there is no discrepancy between such provisions and the provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

(4)                                 Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a copy of the Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock setting forth the designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of such preferred stock (the “Certificate of Designations”) as filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on March 31, 2000.  The Certificate of Designations shall remain in full force and effect following the filing of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

(5)                                 The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is amended and restated to read in its entirety, as follows:

 

FIRST:                                                      The name of the Corporation is Edwards Lifesciences Corporation.

 

SECOND:                                       The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is located at 1209 Orange Street in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle.  The name of the registered agent of the Corporation is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

THIRD:                                                  The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

 

FOURTH:                                     The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is Four Hundred Million (400,000,000) shares, of which Fifty Million (50,000,000) shares, par value $.01 per share, shall be preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”) and of which Three Hundred Fifty Million (350,000,000) shares, par value $1.00 per share, shall be common stock (the “Common Stock”).

 



 

Authority is hereby granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation to issue Preferred Stock in one or more series and in connection therewith to fix by resolutions providing for the issuance of such series the number of shares to be included in each such series, and the designations, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, to the full extent now and hereafter permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware. Without limiting the generality of the grant of authority contained in the preceding sentence, the Board of Directors is authorized to determine any or all of the following, and the shares of each series may vary from the shares of any other series in any or all of the following respects:

 

1.             The number of shares of such series (which may subsequently be increased, except as otherwise provided by the resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of such series, or decreased to a number not less than the number of shares then outstanding) and the distinctive designation thereof;

 

2.              The dividend rights, if any, of such series, the dividend preferences, if any, as between such series and any other class or series of stock, whether and the extent to which shares of such series shall be entitled to participate in dividends with shares of any other series or class of stock, whether and the extent to which dividends on such series shall be cumulative, and any limitations, restrictions or conditions on the payment of such dividends;

 

3.              The time or times during which, the price or prices at which, and any other terms or conditions on which the shares of such series may be redeemed, if redeemable;

 

4.             The rights of such series, and the preferences, if any, as between such series and any other class or series of stock, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation and whether and the extent to which shares of any such series shall be entitled to participate in such event with any other class or series of stock;

 

5.             The voting powers, if any, in addition to the voting powers prescribed by law of shares of such series and, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law, voting powers which may exceed one vote per share, and the terms of exercise of such voting powers;

 

6.             Whether shares of such series shall be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any other series or class of stock, or any other securities, and the terms and conditions, if any, applicable to such rights; and

 

7.             The terms and conditions, if any, of any purchase, retirement or sinking fund which may be provided for the shares of such series.

 

FIFTH:                                                    Subject to the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock or any series thereof to elect additional directors under specific circumstances, the number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be the number from time to time fixed by the Board of Directors. A decrease in the number of directors shall not affect the term of office of any director then in office.

 

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Subject to the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock or any series thereof to fill any newly-created directorships or vacancies, any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors, or for any other reason, may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

 

Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, prior to the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, any director may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of such director.

 

Unless the Corporation’s Bylaws specify otherwise, the election of directors of the Corporation need not be by written ballot.

 

SIXTH:                                                   Until the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, the directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock under specific circumstances, shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, and designated as Class I, Class II and Class III.  Members of each class shall hold office until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified. At each annual meeting of stockholders, prior to the 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, the successors of the class of directors whose terms are expiring shall be elected for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders or thereafter in each case until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, subject to death, resignation, retirement or removal from office.

 

Until the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, any director elected to fill a term resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall have the same term as the other members of such director’s class. From and after the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, a director elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more series of preferred stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately by series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation applicable thereto, and such directors so elected shall not be divided into classes pursuant to this Article SIXTH unless expressly provided by such terms.

 

Beginning with the 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, successors to the class or classes of directors whose term expires in that year shall be elected for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders.  Beginning with the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, the classification of the Board of Directors shall cease, and the entire Board of Directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders.

 

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SEVENTH:                              The Board of Directors shall have such powers as are permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware, including, without limitation, without the assent or vote of the stockholders, to make, alter, amend, change, add to, or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation; to fix and vary the amount to be reserved as working capital; to authorize and cause to be executed mortgages and liens upon all the property of the Corporation or any part thereof; to determine the use and disposition of any surplus or net profits over and above the capital stock paid in; and to fix the times for the declaration and payment of dividends.

 

EIGHTH:                                       Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock (as defined below), voting together as a single class, shall be required for approval of any stockholder-initiated proposal to amend or repeal, or adopt any provisions inconsistent with, the Bylaws of the Corporation or Articles FIFTH, SIXTH, and TWELFTH of this Certificate of Incorporation.  For the purposes of this Certificate of Incorporation, “Voting Stock” shall mean the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

 

NINTH:                                                  No person who is, or was at any time but is no longer serving as, a director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by such person as a director; provided that the provisions of this Article NINTH shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as so amended. No amendment to or repeal of this Article NINTH shall have the effect of increasing the liability or alleged liability of any director of the Corporation for or with respect to any act or omission of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

 

TENTH:                                              The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to each person who serves as an officer or director of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and each person who serves or may have served at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise from any liability incurred as a result of such service to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware as it may from time to time be amended, except with respect to an action commenced by such director or officer against the Corporation or by such director or officer as a derivative action by or in the right of the Corporation.

 

Each person who is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation and each officer or director who commences any action against the Corporation or a derivative action by or in the right of the Corporation may be similarly indemnified and receive an advance of expenses at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

 

4



 

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the Certificate of Incorporation shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in their official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

 

The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of this Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under this Certificate of Incorporation or Delaware law.

 

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Certificate of Incorporation shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

ELEVENTH:                   The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. No amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation or repeal of any article of this Certificate of Incorporation shall increase the liability or alleged liability or reduce or limit the right to indemnification of any directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation for acts or omissions of such person occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

 

TWELFTH:                         Effective from and after the date upon which the Corporation shall first have more than one stockholder, no action which requires the vote or consent of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting and vote of stockholders and the power of stockholders to consent thereafter in writing without a meeting to the taking of any action is specifically denied.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Michael A. Mussallem, its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, this 16th day of May, 2013.

 

 

 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael A. Mussallem

 

 

Michael A. Mussallem

 

 

Chairman of the Board and

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

5



 

Exhibit A

 

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

 

OF

 

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

OF

 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 

Pursuant to Section 151 of the

 

Delaware General Corporation Act

 

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), by the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”), the Board of Directors does hereby create, authorize and provide for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation, to be designated “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (hereinafter referred to as the “Series A Preferred Stock”), initially consisting of 3,500,000 shares, and to the extent that the designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the Series A Preferred Stock are not stated and expressed in the Charter, does hereby fix and herein state and express such designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, as follows (all terms used herein which are defined in the Charter shall be deemed to have the meanings provided therein):

 

Section 1.  Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 3,500,000.  Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

 



 

Section 2.  Dividends and Distributions.

 

(A)  Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first business day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $.01 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after March 10, 2000 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(B)  The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A 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, subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior to and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, a dividend of $.01 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless by payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

 

(C)  Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of

 



 

Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.  Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.  Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

 

Section 3.  Voting Rights.

 

The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

 

(A)  Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

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

 

(C)  (i)  If at any time dividends on any Series A Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a “default period”) which shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment.  During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two (2) Directors.

 



 

(ii)  During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that such voting right shall not be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.  The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting rights.  At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect Directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2) Directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) Directors.  If the number which may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number.  After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect Directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of Directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock.

 

(iii)  Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, a Vice President or the Secretary of the Corporation.  Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him or her at his or her last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation.  Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 10 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request, or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.

 



 

(iv)  In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and, if applicable, other classes of capital stock of the Corporation, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of Directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) Directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the Directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of capital stock which elected the Director whose office shall have become vacant.  References in this paragraph (C) to Directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include Directors appointed by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.

 

(v)  Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the articles of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the articles of incorporation or by-laws).  Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.

 

(D)  Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

 

Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.

 

(A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A 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 capital stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;

 



 

(ii)  declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

 

(iii)  redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any capital stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A 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 capital stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

 

(iv)  purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of capital stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

 

(B)  The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

 

Section 5.  Reacquired Shares.

 

Any shares of Series A 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 capital stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $100 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 A Liquidation Preference”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, and the payment of liquidation preferences of all other shares of capital stock which rank prior to or on a parity with Series A Preferred Stock, holders of Series A Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

 

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

 

(C)  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 7.  Consolidation, Merger, etc.

 

In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment

 



 

hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of capital stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, for which or into which each share of Common Stock is exchanged or changed.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 8.  No Redemption.

 

The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

 

Section 9.  Ranking.

 

The Series A 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, whether or not upon the dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

 

Section 10.  Amendment.

 

The Charter shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

 

Section 11.  Fractional Shares.

 

Series A 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 A Preferred Stock.