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EX-99.1 - EX-99.1 - SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS INCd255754dex991.htm
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8-K - 8-K - SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS INCd255754d8k.htm

Exhibit 4.2

SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

and

AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC,

as Rights Agent

TAX BENEFITS PRESERVATION RIGHTS PLAN

Dated as of September 29, 2016


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section 1. Certain Definitions

     1   

Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent

     7   

Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates

     7   

Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates

     10   

Section 5. Countersignature and Registration

     11   

Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates

     11   

Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights

     12   

Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates

     15   

Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Shares

     15   

Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date

     16   

Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights

     17   

Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares

     24   

Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power

     25   

Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares

     27   

Section 15. Rights of Action

     28   

Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders

     29   

Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder

     29   

Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent

     31   

Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

     31   

Section 20. Rights and Duties of Rights Agent

     32   

 

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Section 21. Change of Rights Agent

     35   

Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates

     35   

Section 23. Redemption and Termination

     36   

Section 24. Exchange

     37   

Section 25. Notice of Certain Events

     38   

Section 26. Notices

     39   

Section 27. Supplements and Amendments

     41   

Section 28. Successors

     41   

Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc.

     41   

Section 30. Benefits of this Plan

     42   

Section 31. Severability

     42   

Section 32. Governing Law

     42   

Section 33. Counterparts

     42   

Section 34. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation

     42   

Section 35. Force Majeure

     43   

Exhibit A – Form of Certificate of Amendment to Amend and Restate Article Fourth of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of SunLink Health Systems, Inc.

Exhibit B – Form of Rights Certificate

Exhibit C – Form of Summary of Rights

 

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SUNLINK TAX BENEFITS PRESERVATION RIGHTS PLAN

SUNLINK TAX BENEFITS PRESERVATION RIGHTS PLAN, dated as of September 29, 2016 (the “Plan”), between SunLink Health Systems, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Trust & Transfer Company, LLC (the “Rights Agent”).

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, in connection with this Plan, on September 29, 2016 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) outstanding at the close of business on September 29, 2016 (the “Record Date”), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each Common Share issued (whether as an original issuance or from the Company’s treasury) between the Record Date and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) and in certain other circumstances provided herein, each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of the Preferred Shares of the Company having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Amendment to Amend and Restate Article Fourth of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of SunLink Health Systems, Inc. filed by the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio on September 29, 2016, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A to this Plan, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Plan (the “Rights”); and

WHEREAS, the Company has generated certain Tax Benefits (as hereinafter defined) for United States federal income tax purposes, such Tax Benefits may potentially provide valuable benefits to the Company, the Company desires to avoid an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Treasury Regulations (as hereinafter defined) promulgated thereunder, and thereby preserve its ability to utilize such Tax Benefits, and, in furtherance of such objective, the Company desires to adopt this Plan.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Certain Definitions.

For purposes of this Plan, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a)    “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include:

 

  (i) the Company;

 

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  (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company;

 

  (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company, or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan;

 

  (iv) any Person who or which becomes the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding solely as a result of (A) a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the repurchase of Common Shares by the Company (or any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) or (B) a share dividend, share split, reverse share split or similar transaction effected by the Company, in each case unless and until such Person acquires Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares, except solely as the result of any subsequent transaction described in clause (A) or (B) of this Section 1(a)(iv);

 

  (v) any Person who or which, within ten (10) Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to the Company that such Person acquired Common Shares in excess of 4.899% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter within ten (10) Business Days following such certification reduces such Person’s, together with its Affiliates’ and Associates’, Beneficial Ownership to less than 4.9% of the Common Shares then outstanding; provided, however, that (x) if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within ten (10) Business Days or breaches or violates such certification, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such ten (10) Business Day period or such breach or violation or (y) if the Person together with its Affiliates and Associates fails to reduce Beneficial Ownership to less than 4.9% within ten (10) Business Days following such certification, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such ten (10) Business Day period;

 

  (vi) any Exempt Person, but only for so long as such Exempt Person, together with such Person’s Affiliates and Associates, does not become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares while such Person is an Exempt Person, except solely as the result of any transaction described in clause (A) or (B) of Section 1(a)(iv); or

 

  (vii) any Person that the Board has affirmatively determined in its sole discretion, prior to the Distribution Date, in light of the intent and purposes of this Plan or other circumstances facing the Company, shall not be deemed an Acquiring Person, for so long as such Person complies with any limitations or conditions required by the Board in making such determination.

(b)    “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

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(c)    “Adjustment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(d)    “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 and, to the extent not included within the foregoing, shall also include with respect to any Person, any other Person whose Common Shares would be deemed to be constructively owned by such first Person, owned by a “single entity” with respect to such first Person as defined in Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned by such first Person, pursuant to the provisions of Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

(e)    “Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Plan.

(f)    “Articles of Incorporation” means the Company’s Articles of Incorporation as amended as of the date hereof or as subsequently amended after the date hereof.

(g)    A “Beneficial Owner” of means, and “beneficially own” means where a Person shall be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, and shall be deemed to beneficially own:

(i)    any securities that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates owns directly or has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately, or only after the passage of time, compliance with regulatory requirements, the fulfillment of a condition, or otherwise) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (A) any Common Shares by virtue of owning securities or other interests (including rights, options or warrants) that are convertible or exchangeable into, or exercisable for, Common Shares, except to the extent that upon the issuance, acquisition or transfer of such securities or other interests, such securities or other interests would be treated as exercised under Section 1.382-4(d) or other applicable sections of the Treasury Regulations, (B) securities tendered pursuant to a tender offer 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 or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights;

(ii)    any securities that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates (A) directly or indirectly has the right to vote or dispose of, alone or in concert with others, or (B) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, including, with respect to both clause (A) and clause (B), pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), but only if the effect of such agreement, arrangement or understanding is to treat such Persons as an “entity” under Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations; provided that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or

 

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to beneficially own, any security under this Section 1(g) (ii) on account of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security that (X) arises solely from a revocable proxy given to such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates in response to a public proxy solicitation made pursuant to and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (Y) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); and

(iii)    any securities that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person, if such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with such other Person or any of such other Person’s Affiliates or Associates for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (other than voting pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to Section 1(g)(ii) hereof) or disposing of any securities of the Company, but only if the effect of such agreement, arrangement or understanding is to treat such Persons as an “entity” under Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own,” securities if such Person would be deemed constructively to own such securities pursuant to Sections 1.382-2T(h) and 1.382-4(d) of the Treasury Regulations, such Person owns such securities pursuant to a “coordinated acquisition” treated as a single “entity” as defined in Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or such securities are otherwise aggregated with securities owned by such Person, pursuant to the provisions of Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. Nothing in this Section 1(g) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition, and then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person at such expiration of forty (40) days.

The term “Beneficial Ownership” shall have a corresponding meaning.

(h)    “Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Plan.

(i)    “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the State of Georgia are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

(j)    “close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

(k)    “Code” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Plan.

(l)    “Common Shares” shall mean the common shares of the Company of no par value, except that “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital shares of such Person with the greatest voting

 

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power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person (or, if such Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons that ultimately control such first mentioned Person).

(m)    “Common Share Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(n)    “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Plan.

(o)    “Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.

(p)    “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(q)    “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

(r)    “Equivalent Preferred Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.

(s)    “Exempt Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is, as of the Exempt Time, the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding. Any Exempt Person who, together with such Person’s Affiliates and Associates, after the Exempt Time becomes the Beneficial Owner of less than 4.9% of the Common Shares then outstanding shall cease to be an Exempt Person and shall be subject to all the provisions of this Plan in the same manner as any Person who is not and was not an Exempt Person.

(t)    “Exempt Time” shall mean the time of the first public announcement of adoption of this Plan.

(u)    “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(v)    “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(w)    “Existing Plan” shall mean that certain Shareholder Plan between the Company and the Rights Agent in its capacity as rights agent thereunder dated as of February 10, 2014.

(x)    “Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

(y)    “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

(z)    “NASDAQ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

(aa)    “NOLs” shall mean the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards.

(bb)    “NYSE” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

(cc)    “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust, syndicate or other entity, or

 

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group of persons making a “coordinated acquisition” of Common Shares or otherwise treated as an “entity” within the meaning of Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations or otherwise, and also includes any successor (by merger or otherwise) of any such individual or entity.

(dd)    “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series B Preferred Shares, without par value, of the Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series B Preferred Shares authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of preferred shares of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series B Preferred Shares.

(ee)    “Principal Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) hereof.

(ff)    “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) hereof.

(gg)    “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Plan.

(hh)    “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.

(ii)    “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Plan.

(jj)    “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Plan.

(kk)    “Rights Certificates” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

(ll)    “Rights Dividend Declaration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Plan.

(mm)    “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall mean any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(nn)    “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(oo)    “Section 13 Event” shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.

(pp)    “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(qq)    “Share Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

(rr)    “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation or other entity of which an amount of securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors or other Persons having similar functions of such corporation or other entity are at the time, directly or indirectly, beneficially owned, or otherwise controlled by such Person.

 

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(ss)    “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(tt)    “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.

(uu)    “Tax Benefits” shall mean the net operating loss carryovers, capital loss carryovers, general business credit carryovers, alternative minimum tax credit carryovers and foreign tax credit carryovers, as well as any loss or deduction attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(vv)    “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

(ww)    “Treasury Regulations” shall mean the final and temporary (but not proposed) tax regulations promulgated under the Code, as such regulations may be amended from time to time.

(xx)    “Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.

Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the express terms and conditions hereof (and no implied terms or conditions), and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-rights agent.

Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.

(a)    Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth (10th) Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth (10th) Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close of business on the tenth (10th) Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 3) by the certificates evidencing the Common Shares registered in the names of the holders of the Common Shares (which certificates evidencing the Common Shares shall be deemed also to be certificates evidencing the Rights) and not by separate certificates (or, for shares participating in a direct registration

 

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system, by notations in the respective book entry accounts for such Common Shares), and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Shares (including a transfer to the Company). The Company promptly shall notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on or prior to the next following Business Day. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice of such occurrence, the Rights Agent, if requested by the Company and provided with all necessary information and documentation, will, subject to the following sentence, send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail (or such other means as may be selected by the Company and not reasonably objected to by the Rights Agent), to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder then shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or the registrar for the Common Shares, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Rights Certificates”), duly executed and countersigned in the manner provided for in Section 5(a) hereof, evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. To the extent that a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has also occurred, the Company may implement such procedures, as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion, to minimize the possibility that Rights are received by Persons whose Rights would be null and void under Section 7(e) hereof. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates and may be transferred by the transfer of the Rights Certificates as permitted hereby, separately and apart from any transfer of one or more Common Shares, and the holders of such Rights Certificates as listed in the records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights shall be the record holders thereof.

(b)    The Company will make available, as promptly as practicable following the date hereof, a copy of the Summary of Rights in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the Expiration Date. With respect to certificates evidencing the Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, or issued subsequent to the Record Date, unless and until the Distribution Date shall occur, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the Common Shares (or, in the case of shares reflected on a direct registration system, the notations in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Shares) and the registered holders of the Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the transfer of any Common Shares in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Plan, upon the effectiveness of

 

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a redemption pursuant to Section 23 hereof or an exchange pursuant to Section 24 hereof, the Company shall not thereafter issue any additional Rights and, for the avoidance of doubt, no Rights shall be attached to or shall be issued with any Common Shares (including any Common Shares issued pursuant to an exchange) at any time thereafter.

(c)    Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares that are issued (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear a legend in substantially the following form if such certificates are issued after the Exempt Time but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Plan between SunLink Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) and the Rights Agent thereunder (the “Rights Agent”) dated as of September 29, 2016, as originally executed and as it may be amended or restated from time to time (the “Plan”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Plan, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Plan, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Plan, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Plan), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates. Similarly, during such time periods, transfers of shares participating in the direct registration system shall also be deemed to be transfers of the associated Rights. In the case of any shares participating in a direct registration system, the Company shall cause the transfer agent for the Common Shares to include on each direct registration account statement with respect thereto issued prior to the Distribution Date a notation to the effect that the Company will mail to the shareholder a copy of the Plan, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor and that the recipient of the statement, as a holder of Common Shares, may have certain rights thereunder. In the event that any Common Shares are not represented by certificates, references in this Plan to certificates shall be deemed to refer to the notations in the book-entry accounts reflecting ownership of such shares.

 

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Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.

(a)    The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such changes or marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan and which do not affect the rights, duties, liabilities or responsibilities of the Rights Agent, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one one-thousandths of a share, the “Purchase Price”), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

(b)    Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a), Section 11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of the Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of the Acquiring Person) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer that the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) that has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (if the Company and the Rights Agent have knowledge that such Person is an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate thereof or transferee of such Persons or a nominee of any of the foregoing and to the extent feasible) a legend in substantially the following form:

The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Plan between SunLink Health Systems, Inc. and the rights agent thereunder dated as of September 29, 2016, as originally executed and as it may be amended or restated from time to time (the “Plan”)). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Plan.

 

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Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.

(a)    The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Plan any such person was not such an officer.

(b)    Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice of such occurrence and of all other necessary information and documentation, as provided in Section 3(a) hereof, the Rights Agent will keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.

Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.

(a)    Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that may have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Shares, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitles such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to

 

11


be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder thereof shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate, (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request, and (iii) paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates as required by Section 9(e) hereof. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14 and Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested, registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder. The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company may specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under any section of this Plan related to the exchange, issuance or delivery of Rights Certificates unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

(b)    Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate, if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered holder thereof in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

(a)    Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time after the Distribution Date the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, at or prior to the earliest of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on September 29, 2019 or such later date as may be established by the Board prior to the expiration of the Rights as long as the

 

12


extension is submitted to the shareholders of the Company for ratification at the next succeeding annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company (such date, as it may be extended by the Board, the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof, (iii) the time at which the Rights may be exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, (iv) the close of business on the effective date of the repeal of Section 382 of the Code if the Board determines that this Plan is no longer necessary or desirable for the preservation of Tax Benefits, or (v) the close of business on the first day of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board of Directors of the Company determines that no material Tax Benefits may be carried forward sufficient to justify continued restrictions on transfer (the earliest of (i) – (v) being herein referred to as the “Expiration Date”).

(b)    The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right initially shall be $4.00, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 and Section 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with Section 7(c) below.

(c)    Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 7(f) and Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes each such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs each such depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when necessary to comply with this Plan, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or, upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Plan, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the

 

13


Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Plan. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would be issued.

(d)    In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and, if requested and provided with all necessary information and documents by the registered holder of Rights Certificates, delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to its duly authorized assigns, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

(e)    Notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of the Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of the Acquiring Person) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer that the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, or any Rights Certificate which formerly evidenced such Rights, whether under any provision of this Plan or otherwise. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent when this Section 7(e) and/or Section 4(b) hereof applies and shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability or obligation to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring Person’s Affiliates, Associates or their respective transferees hereunder. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall have no duties, responsibilities or obligations with respect to this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof.

(f)    Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights or other securities upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase

 

14


set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination, redemption or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Plan. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Shares.

(a)    The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Shares and/or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Plan including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

(b)    So long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

(c)    The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company will also take such action

 

15


as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension has been rescinded. In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law, or a registration statement in respect thereof shall not have been declared effective. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing after it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(c) and furnish the Rights Agent with a copy of such announcement(s).

(d)    The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

(e)    The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to (i) pay any tax or charge that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise, or (ii) issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificates at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate evidencing a number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional Preferred Shares (or Common

 

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Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes and charges) was duly made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including 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 expressly provided herein.

Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

(a)    (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Plan (A) declare a dividend on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide or split the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine or consolidate the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of shares, through a reverse share split or otherwise, or (D) issue any shares of its capital shares in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification, and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or capital shares, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of Preferred Shares or capital shares, as the case may be, that, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification. If an event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

  (ii)

Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event that any Person shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, then, promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof)

 

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  shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Plan, in lieu of a number of one one-thousandths of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of Preferred Shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Plan) by fifty percent (50%) of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Common Share on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”). The Company shall provide the Rights Agent with written notice of the identity of any Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such notice in carrying out its duties under this Plan, and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing unless and until it shall have received such notice.

 

  (iii)

In the event that the number of Common Shares authorized by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as may be amended from time to time, but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”), and (B) with respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including shares, or units of shares, of preferred shares, such as the Preferred Shares, that the Board has deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights as Common Shares (such equity securities being referred to herein as “Common Share Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “Spread” shall mean the excess of (i) the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days

 

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  after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is herein called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that action should be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for such authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement (with 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 Adjustment Share shall be the Current Market Price per Common Share on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or per unit value of any Common Share Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price per Common Share on such date.

(b)    In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“Equivalent Preferred Shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent Preferred Shares at a price per Preferred Share or per Equivalent Preferred Share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent Preferred Shares) less than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Preferred Shares that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be so offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities to be so offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities to be so offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent that shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

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(c)    In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all holders of Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Shares, but including any dividend payable in shares or equity securities other than Preferred Shares) or evidences of indebtedness, or of subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent that shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a Preferred Share, and the denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d)    (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “Current Market Price” per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to but not including such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following but not including such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per Common Share is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Shares payable in such Common Shares or securities convertible into such Common Shares (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination, consolidation, reverse share split or reclassification of such Common Shares, and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination, consolidation, reverse share split or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York

 

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Stock Exchange including the NYSE MKT, LLC equities exchange (the “NYSE”) or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected by the Board. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Shares are not publicly held or not so listed or traded, the Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.

 

  (ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Market Price” per Preferred Share shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Shares in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Market Price per Preferred Share cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Shares are not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in Section 11(d)(i), the Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 1,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as share splits, share dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Shares occurring after the date of this Plan) multiplied by the Current Market Price per Common Shares. If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.

(e)    Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that 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 Common Shares or other share or one-millionth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction that mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.

 

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(f)    If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any capital shares other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Section 7, Section 9, Section 10, Section 13 and Section 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

(g)    All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

(h)    Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) and Section 11(c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

(i)    The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written 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 day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the

 

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option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

(j)    Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share and the number of one one-thousandth of a share that were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.

(k)    Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(l)    In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (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 number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital shares or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital shares or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(m)    Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv) share dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.

(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

 

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Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates.

(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 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

(p)    Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with each Common Share then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each Common Share following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each Common Share immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.

Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made or any event affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including without limitation an event which causes Rights to become null and void) occurs as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment or describing such event, and a brief, reasonably detailed statement of the facts, computations and methodology accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, a copy of such certificate, and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or

 

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effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement therein contained and shall have no duty or liability with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of, any adjustment or any such event unless and until it shall have received such a certificate.

Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.

(a)    In the event that, following the Share Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for shares or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Plan, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party, not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is 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 number of such one one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event), and (2) dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Plan) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per Common Share of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Plan; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to

 

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such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.

(b)    “Principal Party” shall mean:

 

  (i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and

 

  (ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions; provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value.

(c)    The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of its authorized Common Shares that have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in Section 13(a) and Section 13(b) and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in Section 13(a), the Principal Party will:

 

  (i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date;

 

26


  (ii) take all such other action as may be necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including the registration or qualification of such securities under all requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary or appropriate; and

 

  (iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates that comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.

The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).

Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any Trading Day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights, selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.

(b)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred

 

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Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). In lieu of the issuance of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share shall be one one-thousandth of the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(c)    Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one Common Share shall be the closing price per Common Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(d)    Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or any fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any section of this Plan relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

(e)    The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.

Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Plan, other than the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 and Section 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Plan.

 

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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 Plan and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Plan.

Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

 

  (a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares;

 

  (b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, properly executed and duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates duly executed;

 

  (c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate (or book entry shares in respect of Common Shares)) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate (or notices provided to holders of book entry shares of Common Shares) made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

 

  (d) notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Plan by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company shall use its best efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as promptly as is reasonably practicable.

Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange of the

 

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Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

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Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

(a)    The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, negotiation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Plan and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel), incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (each as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Plan, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability and the costs and expenses of enforcing this right of indemnification. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 hereof shall survive the termination of this Plan, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

(b)    The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Plan and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith, unless and until it has received such notice.

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, share transfer or corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Plan without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; but only if such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Plan, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned

 

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but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned, and if at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent. In all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Plan.

(b)    If at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and if at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name. In all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Plan.

Section 20. Rights and Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Plan (and no implied duties) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a)    The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to, 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 the absence of gross negligence, bad faith and willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) and in accordance with such advice or opinion.

(b)    Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Plan the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent, and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent for, 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 the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) under the provisions of this Plan in reliance upon such certificate.

(c)    The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its and its directors’, officers’, employees’, and representatives’ own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined

 

32


by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary in this Plan notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Plan will be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

(d)    The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Plan or in the Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

(e)    The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Plan or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Plan or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11 hereof) or any change or adjustment in the terms of the Rights required under the provisions of Section 3, Section 11, Section 23 or Section 24 hereof (provided, that the foregoing does not nullify any express duties the Rights Agent may have in such Sections herein) or responsible for the manner, method or amount thereof or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt of the certificate described in Section 12 hereof, upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares or Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Plan or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares or Preferred Shares will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f)    The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Plan.

(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 Chief Financial Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for

 

33


any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received by any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Plan and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five (5) Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.

(h)    The Rights Agent and any shareholder, 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 the Rights Agent were not Rights Agent under this Plan. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such shareholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

(i)    The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company 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 (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction).

(j)    No provision of this Plan 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 reasonably believes, after consultation with counsel, that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(k)    If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

 

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Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Plan upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company, and in the event that the Rights Agent or one or more of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, by registered or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date, to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and in the event that the Rights Agent or one or more of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares to each other transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a Person organized and doing business in good standing under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or of any other state of the United States, having an office in the State of New York or authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, share transfer or shareholder services powers and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $5,000,000 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, and the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each other transfer agent of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Plan or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption, exchange or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the

 

35


exercise of options or under any employee benefit plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company (except as may otherwise be provided in the instrument(s) governing such securities), and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

Section 23. Redemption and Termination.

(a)    The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth (10th) Business Day following the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the Share Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth (10th) Business Day following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any share split, share dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Shares (based on the Current Market Price of the Common Shares at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.

(b)    Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder’s last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice that 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.

(c)    Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 and other than in connection with the purchase or repurchase by any of them of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.

 

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Section 24. Exchange.

(a)    The Board may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any share split, share dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after (i) any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding or (ii) the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof.

(b)    Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering 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 a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c)    Following the action of the Board ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a), the Company may implement such procedures in its sole discretion as it deems appropriate for the purpose of ensuring that the Common Shares (or such other consideration) issuable upon an exchange pursuant to Section 24 not be received by holders of Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof. In furtherance thereof, if so directed by the Company, all or a portion of the Common Shares (or other consideration) potentially issuable to holders of Rights upon an exchange pursuant to Section 24, who have not verified to the satisfaction of the Company, in its sole discretion, that they are not Acquiring Persons, may be deposited in a trust established by the Company pending receipt of appropriate verification.

(d)    In any exchange pursuant to Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or Equivalent Preferred Shares) for Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or Equivalent Preferred Share) for each Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to reflect share splits, share dividends and other similar transactions after the date hereof.

 

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(e)    In the event that after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.

(f)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this Section 24, the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.

(a)    In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in shares of any class to the holders of Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of any class of capital shares or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to the extent feasible to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which notice shall specify the record date for the purposes of such share dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to but not including the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to but not including the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

 

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(b)    In the event that any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in Section 25(a) to Preferred Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Shares and/or, if appropriate, other securities. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that no such Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred.

Section 26. Notices.

(a)    All notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers and other communications authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (a) when delivered by hand (with written confirmation of receipt), (b) when received by the addressee if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (receipt requested), (c) on the date sent by facsimile or e-mail of a PDF document (with confirmation of receipt from the Company) if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and on the next Business Day if sent after normal business hours of the recipient, or (d) on the third day after the date mailed, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. Such communications must be sent to the Company and to its designee at the following addresses (or at such other address for the Company or its designee as shall be specified in a notice given as provided in this Section 26(a) by the Company, in the case of the Company, or its designee, in the case of its designee):

To the Company:

SunLink Health Systems, Inc.

900 Circle 75 Parkway

Suite 1120

Atlanta, GA 30339

Attn: Robert M. Thornton, Jr.

Tel: (770) 933-7000

Email: robert.thornton@sunlinkhealth.com

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

Suite 3100, Promenade

1230 Peachtree Street, NE

Atlanta, GA 30309

Attn: Howard E. Turner, Esq.

Tel: (404) 815-3532

Email: hturner@sgrlaw.com

 

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(b)    Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, all notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers and other communications authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (a) when delivered by hand (with written confirmation of receipt), (b) when received by the Rights Agent if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (receipt requested), (c) on the date sent by facsimile or e-mail of a PDF document (with confirmation of receipt from the Rights Agent) if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and on the next Business Day if sent after normal business hours of the recipient, or (d) on the third day after the date mailed, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid. Such communications must be sent to the Rights Agent and its designee at the following addresses (or at such other address for the Rights Agent or its designee as shall be specified in a notice given as provided in this Section 26(b) by the Rights Agent, in the case of the Rights Agent, or its designee, in the case of its designee):

To the Rights Agent:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11219

Attn: Corporate Actions

Tel: (718) 921.8200

Email: admin42@amstock.com

with copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11219

Attn: General Counsel

Tel: (718) 921.8200

Email: admin42@amstock.com

(c)    All notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers and other communications authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing Common Shares) shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent or delivered by recognized national overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company, the Rights Agent or the Company’s transfer agent for the Rights of the Common Shares.

 

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Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Subject to this Section 27, this Plan may be supplemented or amended at the times and for the purposes set forth below. Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Plan without the approval of any holders of Common Shares. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Plan without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that 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 that the Company may deem necessary or desirable and that shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that 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; provided, however, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Plan may not be amended (other than pursuant to clauses (i) or (ii) of the third sentence of this Section 27) at a time when the Rights are not redeemable.

Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Plan by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc. For all purposes of this Plan, any calculation of the number of Common Shares or any other class of capital shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act or Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, as appropriate. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Plan 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 Plan, including, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Plan, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Plan). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other Persons, and (y) not subject the Board, or any of the directors on the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights. The Rights Agent shall be entitled to assume the Board acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in the Rights Agent’s reliance thereon.

 

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Section 30. Benefits of this Plan. Nothing in this Plan shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Plan. This Plan shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of Common Shares).

Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Plan 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 Plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall adversely affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately upon written notice to the Company; and, provided, further, that notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 Plan would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Plan, 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 (10th) Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board. Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring a specific group of directors of the Company to act is held by any court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, such determination shall then be made by the Board in accordance with applicable law and the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations, each as may be amended from time to time.

Section 32. Governing Law. This Plan, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Ohio and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.

Section 33. Counterparts. This Plan 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. A signature to this Plan transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect and enforceability as an original signature.

Section 34. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation.

(a)    Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Plan are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

(b)    Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Plan, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

 

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(c)    For purposes of this Plan, whenever a specific provision of the Code or a specific Treasury Regulation is referenced, such reference shall also apply to any successor or replacement provision or Treasury Regulation, as applicable.

Section 35. Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war or civil unrest.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Plan to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.
By:  

 

Name:   Robert M. Thornton, Jr.
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
AMERICAN STOCK TRUST & TRANSFER COMPANY, LLC
By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

 

44


EXHIBIT A

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT TO

AMEND AND RESTATE ARTICLE FOURTH OF THE

AMENDED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

FOURTH: The maximum number of shares which the Corporation is authorized to have outstanding is 14,000,000 shares which shall be classified as follows:

2,000,000 Preferred Shares without par value (hereinafter called “Preferred Shares”); and

12,000,000 Common Shares without par value (hereinafter called “Common Shares”).

SECTION 1.    The express terms and provisions of the Preferred Shares are as follows:

VII.    Preferred Shares may be issued in series from time to time. Within the limitations and restrictions set forth in this Article FOURTH, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized, at one time or from time to time, to adopt amendments to the Articles of Incorporation in respect of any authorized and unissued Preferred Shares to fix or alter the division of such shares into series, the designation and number of shares of each series, the dividend rates, the date of payment of dividends, the dates from which dividends shall be cumulative, redemption rights, redemption prices, liquidation prices, sinking fund requirements, conversion rights, and restrictions on issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series. The express terms and provisions of Preferred Shares of different series shall be identical except that there may be variations in respect of any or all of the particulars hereinbefore set forth in this subsection I. In case the stated dividends or the amounts payable on dissolution, liquidation, or sale of assets of the corporation are not paid in full, all Preferred Shares of all series shall participate ratably in the payment of dividends, including accumulations, if any, in proportion to the sums which would be payable thereon if all dividends thereon were paid in full, and, in any distribution of assets other than by way of dividends, in proportion to the sums which would be payable on such distribution if all sums payable thereon to holders of Preferred Shares were discharged in full.

VIII.    The holders of a series of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive when and as declared out of the surplus of the Corporation, subject to any limitations prescribed by statute, cash dividends at the respective rates and on the respective dates fixed by the Board of Directors for the shares of the specified series of Preferred Shares, and no more. Dividends on each specified series of Preferred Shares shall be cumulative from the date fixed therefor by the Board of Directors.

 

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Subject to the provisions of this Article FOURTH, the holders of all Common Shares shall be entitled to receive such dividends as may from time to time be declared thereon by the Board of Directors.

IX.    Upon dissolution, liquidation or sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation, the holders of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive the following sums, before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Shares with respect to payment upon dissolution, liquidation or sale of assets:

(a) in case of any involuntary dissolution or liquidation or forced sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation, each Preferred Share of each series shall be entitled to receive the sum fixed for such contingency by the Board of Directors in respect of such series, together with a sum, whether or not earned or declared, equivalent to all accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon to the date of such payment; or

(b) in case of any voluntary dissolution or liquidation or voluntary sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation, each Preferred Share of each series shall be entitled to receive the amount fixed for such contingency by the Board of Directors in respect of such series prior to the initial issuance of the first shares or series, together with a sum, whether or not earned or declared, equivalent to all accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon to the date of such payment. After all sums payable on the Preferred Shares as herein provided upon a particular contingency shall have been paid in full, but not prior thereto, the Common Shares shall be entitled to payment of all other sums then distributable. For the purposes of this Section III(b), a consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other corporation, or a consolidation or merger of any other corporation, with or into the Corporation shall not be deemed a dissolution, liquidation, or sale of assets.

X.    The holders of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to one vote for each Preferred Share held by them respectively when voting as a series or class.

V.    So long as any of the Preferred Shares shall remain outstanding, no dividend (other than dividends payable in Common Shares) shall be paid, nor shall any distribution (by purchase, redemption, payment to any sinking fund or market fund, or otherwise) be made, on any of the Common Shares unless:

(a) all dividends on all outstanding Preferred Shares shall have been paid, and full dividends thereon for the then current dividend period shall have been declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart therefor; and

(b) the Corporation shall not be in arrears in respect of any sinking fund obligation in respect of any series of Preferred Shares.

XI.    Preferred Shares acquired by the Corporation through the exercise by the holders thereof of any conversion privilege shall not be re-issued except as hereinafter

 

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provided. Such shares and any other Preferred Shares acquired by the Corporation otherwise than through the operation of any sinking fund and not used to reduce the amount of any sinking fund installment shall, upon compliance with such provisions of law relating to the retirement of shares as may be applicable, have the status of authorized and unissued Preferred Shares which are unclassified into any series. Preferred Shares acquired by the Corporation through the operation of any sinking fund or which have been used to reduce the amount of any sinking fund installment shall be canceled and not reissued, and the Corporation shall from time to time take appropriate corporate action to reduce the authorized number of Preferred Shares accordingly.

XII.    Series A Voting Preferred Shares:

From the authorized number of Preferred Shares of Corporation, a series of Preferred Shares designated as “Series A Voting Preferred Shares” is hereby created and shall consist of 500,000 Preferred Shares of which the preferences, relative and other rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof shall be (in addition to those set forth elsewhere in these Articles) as follows:

10.    Voting Rights. The holders of Series A Voting Preferred Shares shall be entitled to one hundred votes for each Preferred Share held by them respectively and shall be entitled to vote on all matters on which the Common Shares are entitled to vote.

11.    Dividends. The Board shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Voting Preferred Shares immediately after it declares any dividend or distribution on the Common Shares. Such dividends or distributions shall be in an amount per share equal to the amount per share of the dividend or distribution declared for each Common Share, multiplied by 100.

12.    Reacquired Shares. Any Series A Voting Preferred Shares purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after such acquisition. All such shares, upon their cancellation, shall become authorized but unissued Preferred Shares, without designation as to series, and may be reissued as part of any series of Preferred Shares created by the Board (including Series A Voting Preferred Shares) subject to the condition and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

13.    Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to:

(a) the holders of (x) Preferred Shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Voting Preferred Shares or (y) any holder of Common Shares, unless (prior thereto) the holders of Series A Voting Preferred Shares have received the greater of: (i) One Dollar ($1.00) per share ($0.01 per one one-hundredth of a share), plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon (whether or not declared) to the date of such payment, or (ii) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment herein set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Shares; or

 

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(b) the holders of Preferred Shares ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Voting Preferred Shares, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Voting Preferred Shares and all other such parity Preferred Shares in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

If the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then (and in each such event) the aggregate amount to which the holder of each share of Series A Voting Preferred Shares was entitled immediately prior to such event under paragraph (a) of this Section 4 shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

14.    Combination. If the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the Common Shares are exchanged for or changed into other stock, securities, cash or any other property, then (in each such event) the Series A Voting Preferred Shares shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per Share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each Common Share is changed or exchanged. If, at any time on or after the Rights Declaration Date, the Corporation (i) declares any dividend on Common Shares payable outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Shares, (ii) subdivides the outstanding Common Shares; or (iii) combines the outstanding Common Shares 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 Series A Voting Preferred Shares shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

15.    No Redemption. The Series A Voting Preferred Shares shall not be redeemable; provided, however, that the Corporation may acquire Series A Voting Preferred Shares in any other manner permitted by law or these Articles.

16.    Ranking. Unless otherwise provided in these Articles or any subsequent amendment of these Articles relating to a subsequent series of Preferred Shares of the Corporation, the Series A Voting Preferred Shares shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets on liquidation, dissolution or winding up and shall rank senior to the Common Shares.

 

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17.    Amendment. These Articles shall not, following the issuance of any shares of Series A Voting Preferred, be further amended in any manner which would materially and adversely alter or change the powers, preference or special rights of the Series A Voting Preferred Shares without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding Series A Voting Preferred Shares, voting together as a single series.

18.    Fractional Shares. Series A Voting Preferred Shares may be issued in fractions of a share (in one one-hundredths (1/100) of a Share and integral multiples thereof) that 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 Voting Preferred Shares.

VIII. Series B Preferred Shares:

From the authorized number of Preferred Shares of Corporation, a series of Preferred Shares designated as “Series B Voting Preferred Shares” is hereby created and shall consist of 900,000 Preferred Shares of which the preferences, relative and other rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof shall be (in addition to those set forth elsewhere in these Articles) as follows:

11.    Voting Rights. The holders of Series B Voting Preferred Shares shall be entitled to one thousand votes for each Preferred Share held by them respectively and shall be entitled to vote on all matters on which the Common Shares are entitled to vote.

12.    Dividends. The Board shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series B Voting Preferred Shares immediately after it declares any dividend or distribution on the Common Shares. Such dividends or distributions shall be in an amount per share equal to the amount per share of the dividend or distribution declared for each Common Share, multiplied by 1000.

13.    Reacquired Shares. Any Series B Voting Preferred Shares purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after such acquisition. All such shares, upon their cancellation, shall become authorized but unissued Preferred Shares, without designation as to series, and may be reissued as part of any series of Preferred Shares created by the Board (including Series B Voting Preferred Shares) subject to the condition and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

 

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14.    Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to:

(a) the holders of (x) Preferred Shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Voting Preferred Shares or (y) any holder of Common Shares, unless (prior thereto) the holders of Series B Voting Preferred Shares have received the greater of: (i) One Dollar ($1.00) per share ($0.01 per one one-thousandth of a share), plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon (whether or not declared) to the date of such payment, or (ii) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment herein set forth, equal to 1000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Shares; or

(b) the holders of Preferred Shares ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Voting Preferred Shares, except distributions made ratably on the Series B Voting Preferred Shares and all other such parity Preferred Shares in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

If the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then (and in each such event) the aggregate amount to which the holder of each share of Series B Voting Preferred Shares was entitled immediately prior to such event under paragraph (a) of this Section 4 shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

15.    Combination. If the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the Common Shares are exchanged for or changed into other stock, securities, cash or any other property, then (in each such event) the Series B Voting Preferred Shares 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 or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each Common Share is changed or exchanged. If, at any time on or after the Rights Declaration Date, the Corporation (i) declares any dividend on Common Shares payable outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Shares, (ii) subdivides the outstanding Common Shares; or (iii) combines the outstanding Common Shares 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 Series B Voting Preferred Shares shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

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16.    No Redemption. The Series B Voting Preferred Shares shall not be redeemable; provided, however, that the Corporation may acquire Series B Voting Preferred Shares in any other manner permitted by law or these Articles.

17.    Ranking. Unless otherwise provided in these Articles or any subsequent amendment of these Articles relating to a subsequent series of Preferred Shares of the Corporation, the Series B Voting Preferred Shares shall rank pari passu to the Series A Voting Preferred Shares and junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets on liquidation, dissolution or winding up and shall rank senior to the Common Shares.

18.    Amendment. These Articles shall not, following the issuance of any shares of Series B Voting Preferred, be further amended in any manner which would materially and adversely alter or change the powers, preference or special rights of the Series B Voting Preferred Shares without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding Series B Voting Preferred Shares, voting together as a single series.

19.    Fractional Shares. Series B Voting Preferred Shares may be issued in fractions of a share (in one one-thousandths (1/1000) of a Share and integral multiples thereof) that 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 B Voting Preferred Shares.

20.    Rights Plan. The Series B Voting Preferred Shares are the Series B Preferred Shares referred to in that certain SunLink Tax Benefits Preservation Rights Plan between the Corporation and the Rights Agent identified therein dated as of September 29, 2016.

SECTION 2.    The express terms and provisions of the Common Shares are as follows:

V.    The rights and preferences of the Common Shares shall be subject in all respects to the rights and preferences of the Preferred Shares in the manner and to the extent provided in this Article FOURTH.

VI.    The Common Shares shall rank junior to the Preferred Shares with respect to the payment of dividends. Out of the assets of the Corporation available for dividends remaining after there shall have been paid or declared and set apart for payment full dividends on the Preferred Shares, and subject to the restrictions or limitations contained in the express terms and provisions of any series of Preferred Shares with respect to the payment of dividends, dividends may be declared and paid upon the Common Shares, but only when and as determined by the Board of Directors.

 

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VII.    The Common Shares shall rank junior to the Preferred Shares with respect to payment upon dissolution, liquidation or sale of assets of the Corporation. Upon the dissolution, liquidation or sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation, after there shall have been paid to or set apart for holders of the Preferred Shares the full preferential amounts to which they are entitled, the holders of Common Shares shall be entitled to receive pro rata all of the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its shareholders.

VIII.    The holders of Common Shares shall be entitled to one vote for each Common Share held by them respectively.

SECTION 3.    No shareholder of the Corporation shall have the right to vote cumulatively in the election of directors of the Corporation.

 

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EXHIBIT B

Form of

Rights Certificate

 

Certificate No. R-                    

                        Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 OR SUCH EARLIER DATE AS THE RIGHTS ARE REDEEMED, EXCHANGED OR TERMINATED. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.001 PER RIGHT, AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]1

RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

This certifies that [                    ], or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, dated as of September 29, 2016 (the “Plan”), between SunLink Health Systems, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Trust and Transfer Company, LLC, a limited liability trust company, as rights agent (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York, New York time) on September 29, 2019, unless such date is extended prior thereto by the Board of Directors, and unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid, nonassessable share of Series B Preferred Shares (the “Preferred Shares”) of the Company, at a purchase price of $4.00 per one one-thousandth of a share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth

 

1 

The portion of the legend in the second brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.

 

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above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of September 29, 2016, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Plan) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares will be issued. Capitalized terms used in this Rights Certificate without definition shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.

Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Plan, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.

As provided in the Plan, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or other securities that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events, including Triggering Events.

This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Plan reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Plan. Copies of the Plan are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Company and are also available upon written request to the Company.

This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate may be 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 tenth (10th) Business Day following the Share Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the Plan), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. In addition, under certain circumstances following the Share Acquisition Date, the Rights may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for Common Shares, or other securities of the Company having essentially the same value or economic rights as such Preferred Shares. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing any such exchange, and without any further action or any notice, the Rights (other than Rights which are not subject to such exchange) will terminate and the Rights will only enable holders to receive the securities issuable upon such exchange.

 

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No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Plan. The Company, at its election, may require that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would be issued.

No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Plan or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give consent to or withhold consent from any corporate action, or, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Plan), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Plan.

This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

WITNESS the signature of a proper officer of the Company.

Dated as of             , 20    .

 

SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

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[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED                      hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                                          this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                      as attorney-in-fact, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within named Company, with full power of substitution.

Dated             , 20    .

(Please print name and address of transferee)

 

Signature

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

NOTICE: The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

Certification

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

(1) this Rights Certificate is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Plan);

(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [                    ] did [                    ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated             , 20    .

Signature                                                              

Signature Guaranteed:

NOTICE: The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

 

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The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certification must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the certification set forth above is not completed in connection with a purported assignment, the Company may deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or a transferee of any of the foregoing and accordingly may deem the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate to be null and void and not transferable or exercisable.

The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

 

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FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to

exercise Rights represented by the

Rights Certificate.)

To: SUNLINK HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise                                          Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security

or other identifying number:                                                             

 

 

 

 

(Please print name and address)

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security

or other identifying number:                                                             

 

 

 

 

(Please print name and address)

Dated             , 20    .

Signature:                                                             

Signature Guaranteed:

NOTICE: The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

 

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Certification

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate 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 pursuant to the Plan);

(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [                    ]did [                     ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated             , 20    .

Signature:                                                             

Signature Guaranteed:

NOTICE: The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

NOTICE

The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certification must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the certification set forth above is not completed in connection with a purported exercise, the Company may deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or a transferee of any of the foregoing and accordingly may deem the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate to be null and void and not transferable or exercisable.

The signature(s) must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent.

 

 

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EXHIBIT C

FORM OF

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

SERIES B PREFERRED SHARES

Effective September 29, 2016, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of SunLink Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”), authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding Common Share of the Company with no par value (the “Common Shares”) to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 29, 2016 (the “Record Date”). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share (a “Unit”) of a series of Series B Preferred Shares, without par value (the “Preferred Shares”), at a purchase price of $4.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment (the “Purchase Price”). The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the Plan, dated as of September 29, 2016 (the “Plan”), between the Company and American Stock Trust & Transfer, LLC, as Rights Agent.

The purpose of the Plan is to diminish the risk that the Company’s ability to use its net operating losses and certain other tax assets (“Tax Benefits”) to reduce potential future federal income tax obligations would become subject to limitations by reason of the Company’s experiencing an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). A company generally experiences such an ownership change if the percentage of its Common Shares owned by its “5-percent shareholders,” as defined in Section 382 of the Code, increases by more than 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. The Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group, together with its affiliates and associates, being or becoming the beneficial owner of 4.9% or more Common Shares.

Rights Certificates; Exercise Period.

Initially, the Rights will be attached or deemed attached to all Common Shares then outstanding, and no separate rights certificates (“Rights Certificates”) will be distributed. Subject to certain exceptions specified in the Plan, the Rights will separate from the Common Shares and a distribution date (a “Distribution Date”) will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) Business Days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the “Share Acquisition Date”), other than as a result of (x) repurchases of Common Shares by the Company, (y) a share dividend, share split, reverse share split or similar transaction or (z) certain inadvertent actions by certain shareholders; and (ii) ten (10) business days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following the commencement after the date of the Plan of a tender offer or exchange offer that, if consummated, would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person. However, no person who, at the time of the first public announcement of the Plan, beneficially owned 4.9% or more of the outstanding Common Shares will be deemed an Acquiring Person, unless and until such person acquires beneficial ownership of additional shares of Common Shares, with certain

 

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exceptions. In addition, no person who beneficially owns 4.9% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Shares will be deemed an Acquiring Person if the Board, in its sole discretion, so determines in light of the intent and purposes of the Plan or other circumstances facing the Company. For purposes of the Plan, beneficial ownership is defined to include any securities which a person would be deemed to constructively own or which otherwise would be aggregated with shares owned by a person pursuant to Section 382 of the Code.

Until a Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the Common Shares (or, in the case of shares reflected on a direct registration system, by the notations in the book-entry account system) and will only be transferred with such Common Shares, (ii) new Common Shares certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a legend incorporating the Plan by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates. Pursuant to the Plan, the Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as defined below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only (i) whole Common Shares or (ii) whole Preferred Shares and fractional shares of Preferred Shares that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share will be issued.

The Rights are not exercisable until a Distribution Date and will expire on the earliest of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on September 29, 2019 or such later date as may be established by the Board prior to the expiration of the Rights, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed pursuant to the Plan, (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged pursuant to the Plan, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 or any successor statute if the Board determines that the Plan is no longer necessary or desirable for the preservation of Tax Benefits, or (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no material Tax Benefits may be carried forward sufficient to justify continued restrictions on transfer.

As soon as practicable after a Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on a Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board, only Common Shares issued prior to a Distribution Date will be issued with the Rights.

Flip-in Trigger.

In the event that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company (including the Preferred Shares)) having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Plan) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.

 

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Flip-over Trigger.

In the event that, at any time following the Share Acquisition Date, (i) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation and the Common Shares of the Company are changed or exchanged, or (iii) fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which have previously been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the paragraph under the heading “Flip-in Trigger” are referred to as the “Triggering Events.”

Exchange Feature.

At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group that have become null and void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio (the “Exchange Ratio”) of one Common Share, or one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred shares having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment). Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the exchange of any Rights, the right to exercise such Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holder of such Right will be to receive the Exchange Ratio.

Equitable Adjustments.

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Shares 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 dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, a subdivision or split of outstanding Preferred Shares, a combination or consolidation of Preferred Shares into a smaller number of shares through a reverse share split or otherwise, or reclassification of the Preferred Shares, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Shares are granted certain rights, options or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Shares or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Shares, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of cash, assets, evidences of indebtedness or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least one percent (1%) of the Purchase Price. No fractional Units will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

Redemption Rights.

At any time until ten business days following the Share Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price (subject to adjustment) of $0.001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Shares or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board). Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $0.001 redemption price.

 

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Amendment.

Prior to a Distribution Date, the provisions of the Plan may be amended or supplemented by the Company (acting through the Board) and the Rights Agent without the approval of any holders of Common Shares. After a Distribution Date, the provisions of the Plan may be amended by the Company (acting through the Board) and the Rights Agent in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions of the Plan, to make changes that do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable, except to cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any provision contained in the Plan which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision therein.

Anti-Takeover Effects.

The Rights may have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights may cause substantial dilution to any person or group that attempts to acquire the Company without the approval of the Board. As a result, the overall effect of the Rights may be to render more difficult or discourage a merger, tender offer or other business combination involving the Company that is not supported by the Board.

Miscellaneous.

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no separate rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends in respect of the Rights. Although the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to shareholders or to the Company, shareholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Shares (or other consideration) of the Company or for Common Shares of the acquiring company or in the event of the redemption of the Rights as set forth above.

A copy of the Plan has been or will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K or a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Plan is available free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

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