SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OR 12(G) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
C3, INC.
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(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
NORTH CAROLINA 56-1928817
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(STATE OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION) (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
IDENTIFICATION NO.)
3800 GATEWAY BOULEVARD, SUITE 310, MORRISVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 27560
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(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES) (ZIP CODE)
SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:
TITLE OF EACH CLASS NAME OF EACH EXCHANGE ON WHICH
TO BE SO REGISTERED EACH CLASS IS TO BE REGISTERED
NONE NOT APPLICABLE
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IF THIS FORM RELATES TO THE REGISTRATION OF A CLASS OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT AND IS EFFECTIVE PURSUANT TO
GENERAL INSTRUCTION A.(C), CHECK THE FOLLOWING BOX. [ ]
IF THIS FORM RELATES TO THE REGISTRATION OF A CLASS OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT AND IS EFFECTIVE PURSUANT TO
GENERAL INSTRUCTION A.(D), CHECK THE FOLLOWING BOX. [X]
SECURITIES ACT REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILE NUMBER TO WHICH THIS FORM
RELATES: NOT APPLICABLE
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SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE ACT:
PREFERRED SHARE PURCHASE RIGHTS
(TITLE OF CLASS)
ITEM 1. Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered.
The securities being registered are Preferred Stock Purchase Rights (the
"Rights"). On February 21, 1999, the Board of Directors of C3, Inc., a North
Carolina corporation (the "Company"), declared a dividend distribution of one
Right for each outstanding share of the Company's common stock, no par value per
share (the "Common Stock"), to stockholders of record at the close of business
on March 8, 1999. One Right will also be distributed for each share of Common
Stock issued after March 8, 1999, until the Distribution Date (which is
described in the next paragraph). Each Right entitles the registered holder to
purchase from the Company, upon the occurrence of a Distribution Date, a unit
consisting of one one-hundredths of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"),
at a purchase price (the "Purchase Price") of $125.00 per Unit, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement dated as of February 22, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement") between the
Company and First Union National Bank, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will
be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earliest of (i) 10 business days following
a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire,
beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
(the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) 10 business days following the public
announcement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would, if consummated,
result in a person or group beneficially owning 20% or more of such outstanding
shares of Common Stock, subject to certain limitations.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights) (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and
will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new
Common Stock certificates issued after March 8, 1999 will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding, even without such
notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of
the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and,
thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at
the close of business on February 22, 2009, subject to extension by the Board of
Directors, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.
In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of
a Right will thereafter have the right (the "Flip-In Right") to receive, at the
time specified in the Rights Agreement, (x) upon exercise and payment of the
Purchase Price, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or
other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the Purchase
Price or (y) at the discretion of the Board of Directors, upon exercise and
without payment of the Purchase Price, Common Stock (or, in certain
circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value
equal to the difference between the Purchase Price and the value of the
consideration which would be payable under clause (x). Notwithstanding any of
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
Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null
and void. Flip-In 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.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger, statutory share exchange or other business
combination in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the
Company is the surviving party in a merger, statutory share exchange or other
business combination and all or part of the Company's Common Stock is exchanged
for stock or other securities of another corporation, or (iii) 50% or more of
the Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a
Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall
thereafter have the right (the "Flip-Over Right") to receive, upon exercise,
common stock of the acquiring corporation having a value equal to two times the
Purchase Price. The holders of a Right
will continue to have the Flip-Over Right whether or not such holder exercises
or surrenders the Flip-In Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in
the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock
or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Preferred Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain
rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at
less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). The number of outstanding Rights
and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock
split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in
Common Stock or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock
occurring, in each such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase
Price. No fractional Units will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in
cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last
trading date prior to the date of exercise.
At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Company
may exchange all or part of the Rights for shares of Common Stock at an exchange
ratio of one share per Right, as appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
dividend, stock split or similar transaction.
In general, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part,
at a price of $0.01 per Right, at any time until 10 business days following the
Stock Acquisition Date. After the redemption period has expired, the Company's
right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his
beneficial ownership to less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the Company and there
are no other Acquiring Persons. Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $0.01 redemption
price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not
be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon
the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become
exercisable for stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common
stock of the acquiring company as set forth above.
Prior to the Distribution Date, any of the provisions of the Rights
Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company. After the
Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the
Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely
affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any
Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights
Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period
governing redemption shall be made when the Rights are not redeemable.
The Company has initially authorized and reserved 1,000,000 shares of
Preferred Stock for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. As of March 1, 1999,
there were 7,004,669 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and an
additional 1,455,429 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon
exercise of stock options and grants of stock appreciation rights and restricted
awards in accordance with the Company's stock plans.
The Rights may be deemed to have certain antitakeover effects. The
Rights generally may cause substantial dilution to a person or group that
attempts to acquire the Company under circumstances not approved by the Board of
Directors of the Company.
The Rights Agreement between the Company and the Rights Agent specifying
the terms of the Rights, which includes the Articles of Amendment creating the
Preferred Stock, the Form of the Rights Certificate and the Summary of Rights to
Purchase Shares, is attached hereto as an exhibit and incorporated herein by
reference. The foregoing is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.
Item 2. Exhibits
The following exhibits are filed as a part of this registration
statement:
99.1 Rights Agreement dated as of February 22, 1999 between C3, Inc.
and First Union National Bank as Rights Agent which includes the
Form of Rights Certificate as Exhibit A, the Form of Summary of
Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock as Exhibit B and the Form of
Articles of Amendment setting forth the terms of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock as Exhiit C.
99.2 Press Release dated as of February 23, 1999 announcing the
adoption of the Rights Agreement.
99.3 Letter, dated March 11, 1999, from the Board of Directors of C3,
Inc. to shareholders.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
Date: March 9, 1999
C3, INC.
By: /s/ Robert S. Thomas
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Robert S. Thomas
President
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
by and between
C3, INC.
and
First Union National Bank
as Rights Agent
Dated as of February 22, 1999
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1. Certain Definitions.............................................. 1
2. Appointment of Rights Agent...................................... 5
3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.................................. 5
4. Form of Rights Certificates...................................... 7
5. Countersignature and Registration................................ 8
6. Transfer, Splitup, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates......... 8
7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.... 9
8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates............. 11
9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock................... 11
10. Preferred Stock Record Date..................................... 12
11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of
Rights.......................................................... 13
12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares...... 21
13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power21
14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares......................... 23
15. Rights of Action................................................ 24
16. Agreement of Rights Holders..................................... 25
17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.............. 25
18. Concerning the Rights Agent..................................... 26
19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent....... 26
20. Duties of Rights Agent.......................................... 27
21. Change of Rights Agent.......................................... 29
22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates............................. 30
23. Redemption and Termination...................................... 30
24. Exchange........................................................ 31
25. Notice of Certain Events........................................ 33
26. Notices......................................................... 33
27. Supplements and Amendments...................................... 34
28. Successors...................................................... 35
29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc....... 35
30. Benefits of This Agreement...................................... 35
31. Severability.................................................... 35
32. Governing Law................................................... 36
33. Counterparts.................................................... 36
34. Descriptive Headings............................................ 36
i
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit B -- Form of Summary of Rights
Exhibit C -- Form of Articles of Amendment
ii
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of February 22, 1999 (the "Agreement"),
between C3, Inc., a North Carolina corporation (the "Company"), and First Union
National Bank (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, on February 21, 1999 the Board of Directors of the Company
authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (each,
a "Right" and, collectively, the "Rights") for each share of Common Stock of the
Company outstanding at the close of business on March 8, 1999 (the "Record
Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth (1/100)
of a share of Preferred Stock, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in this Agreement, and further authorized and directed the issuance of one
Right with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding
between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the
Expiration Date.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following
terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner
of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not
include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or (iv) any
Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no person shall be deemed
to be an "Acquiring Person" as a result of the acquisition of shares of Common
Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding, increases the proportional number of shares beneficially owned by
such Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person;
provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of the Company's
acquisition of shares of Common Stock, and thereafter becomes the Beneficial
Owner of additional shares of Common Stock, then such Person shall be deemed an
"Acquiring Person." Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 1(a), no
person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" if the Board of Directors of
the Company determines in good faith that such Person became the Beneficial
Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding
inadvertently and such Person divests, as promptly as practicable after receipt
of a written notice from the Company, a sufficient number of shares of Common
Stock so that such Person is no longer the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of
the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and as
in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and shall be
deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right
is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights),
warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," securities tendered
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has
"beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an
agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement,
arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in
response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person
(or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of
acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in
the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing of any
voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this
paragraph (d) 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 days after the date of
such acquisition.
(e) "Agreement" shall mean this Rights Agreement.
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(f) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday
or United States federal holiday.
(g) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Morrisville, North Carolina time on such date; provided, however, that if such
date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Morrisville, North Carolina
time on the next succeeding Business Day.
(h) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, no par value, of the
Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person other
than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the greatest
aggregate voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interests
having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.
(i) "Company" shall mean C3, Inc., a North Carolina corporation.
(j) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(l) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(m) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(a) hereof.
(n) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b) hereof.
(o) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended and as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(p) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24
hereof.
(q) "Expiration Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Final
Expiration Date or (ii) the Redemption Date.
(r) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean the Close of Business on
February 22, 2009, unless extended by the Board of Directors of the Company as
provided in Section 27 hereof.
(s) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership, company or other entity.
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(t) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of the Company's Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, having the relative rights, preferences
and limitations set forth in the Articles of Amendment attached as Exhibit C
hereto, and, to the extent that there is not a sufficient number of shares of
Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other
series of the Preferred Stock of the Company designated for such purpose
containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock.
(u) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
13(b) hereof.
(v) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) hereof.
(w) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(x) "Redemption Date" shall mean the time at which the Rights are
redeemed as provided in Section 23 of this Agreement.
(y) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
23(a) hereof.
(z) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause
at the beginning of this Agreement.
(aa) "Rights Agent" shall mean First Union National Bank or any
Person that succeeds or replaces it in accordance with the provisions of Section
21 of this Agreement.
(bb) "Rights Certificates" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(cc) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(dd) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ee) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(ff) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(gg) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of a public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
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(hh) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation, partnership, company or other entity of which an amount of voting
securities sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors, managers,
trustees or similar persons, of such entity is beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(ii) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(jj) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
(kk) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.
2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights
Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in
accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall, prior to the Distribution Date, also be
the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and conditions
hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may
from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or
desirable.
3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth
Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, (ii) the Close of Business on the
tenth Business Day 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 be an Acquiring Person (the earliest of
(i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the
Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this
Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of
the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be
deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and
(y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the
underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company);
provided, however, that if a tender or exchange offer is terminated prior to the
occurrence of a Distribution Date, then no Distribution Date shall occur as a
result of such tender or exchange offer. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of
Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, a certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit A
attached hereto (a "Rights Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each share of
Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event
that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been
made pursuant to Section 11(o) hereof,
5
at the time of distribution of the Right Certificates, the Company shall make
the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section
14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of
Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of
and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such
Rights Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send a copy of the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock,
in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, by first-class, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of
Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as
of the Record Date, until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration
Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock and
the registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders
of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date, the transfer of any certificates representing shares of Common
Stock in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock
which are issued after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares
of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and
certificates issued after the Record Date shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between C3, Inc. (the
"Company") and First Union National Bank (the "Rights Agent") dated as of
February 22, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal office of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth
in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights
Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge promptly
after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances
set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any
Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement),
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 Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such Certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of
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any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange 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-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as
shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price
per one one-hundredths 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) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by any Person known
to be: (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 any Associate of Affiliate of an Acquiring Person to holders
of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect 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 when issued contain
(to the extent feasible in the circumstances) the following legend:
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.
7
5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by 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, 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 Rights Agreement any such person was not such an
officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its office designated as the appropriate place for
surrender of such Rights Certificates 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 certificate number and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
6. Transfer, Splitup, 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 may be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the
registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate
or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the
case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make
such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither
the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably
8
request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e)
and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.
The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
splitup, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(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 reasonably 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
owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the
Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of
election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly
executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect
to the total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the Expiration Date.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $125.00
and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11
and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase
Price per one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (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 applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k), hereof thereupon promptly (i)(A) requisition
from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if
the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the
total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased
and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with
all such requests, or (B) if the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have
elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one
one-hundredths of
9
a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates
for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be
deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will
direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from
the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu 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) 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) may be made in cash or by
certified bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company. In the
event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common
Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to
Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that
such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution
by or on behalf of the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. In the case of an
exercise of the Rights by a holder pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights
Agent shall return such Rights Certificate to the registered holder thereof
after imprinting, stamping or otherwise indicating thereon that the rights
represented by such Rights Certificate no longer include the rights provided by
Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement and, if less than all the Rights
represented by such Rights Certificate were so exercised, the Rights Agent shall
indicate on the Rights Certificate the number of Rights represented thereby
which continue to include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii).
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, or
the Rights Agent shall place an appropriate notation on the Rights Certificate
with respect to those Rights exercised.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from
and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an 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 from any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring
Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or in any
Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the
Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined (whether before or after such transfer) is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall
10
become null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights
shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any
provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable
efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b)
hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights
Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any
determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate, Associate
or transferee of an Acquiring Person hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for
such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, splitup,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case
shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, out
of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or
out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of
shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this
Agreement, including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, Common Stock 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 best efforts to cause,
from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved
for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance
upon such exercise.
11
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a 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, or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the
case may be, 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 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. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to
the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction, unless
the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and
until a registration statement has been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of the 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 federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates
and of any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay
any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of
Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of any
certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock 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 to issue or deliver any certificates or
depository receipts for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock 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 shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to
the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in whose name any certificate
for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common
Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate
shall be
12
dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was
duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer
taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock 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 Stock (or Common Stock 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, as such, 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, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to
receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
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 Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares
of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue
any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock
(including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation,
statutory share exchange 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, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or
capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that 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 shares of Preferred Stock or capital
stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately
prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the
Company were open, he would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to
receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification. If an event occurs which 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) In the event (A) 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), alone or together
with its Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, become an Acquiring Person, proper provision shall be made so that
each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then
current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
13
Agreement, in lieu of a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the then
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right
would have been exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event assuming the Distribution Date had already occurred, 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 Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the date of such
first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares"); provided,
however, that if the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing
adjustment is also subject to the provision of Section 13(a) hereof, then only
the provisions of Section 13(a) hereof shall apply and no adjustment shall be
made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock
which are authorized by the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other
than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this
Section 11(a), the Company, by resolution of its Board of Directors, shall: (A)
determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such
excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each Right, 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 Stock or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock
which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have substantially the
same value as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock, "Common
Stock 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, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of
Directors of the Company based upon the advice of one or more investment or
financial advisors selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided,
however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value
pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the 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, shares of Common
Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares
and/or cash shall have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of
Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that
sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance
upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such
period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that
the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first
and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company
14
(x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of
the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to the first sentence of this Section
11(a)(iii) and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes
of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be the Current
Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the
Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any "Common
Stock Equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Stock on
such date.
(iv) In lieu of issuing shares of Common Stock in accordance
with subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company, by resolution of the
Board of Directors, may, with respect to each Right, determine that such action
is in the best interests of the Company and not contrary to the interests of the
holders of Rights, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment
Shares, (x) upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and payment of the
applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3)
Common Stock, or other equity securities of the Company (including without
limitation Common Stock 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 where such aggregate value has been determined by the
Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of one or more
investment or financial advisers selected by the Board of Directors of the
Company or (y) upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring
payment of the Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company (including, without limitation, Common Stock
Equivalents), (3) debt securities of the Company, (4) other assets or (5) any
combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Spread
where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the
Company based upon the advice of one or more investment or financial advisors
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them to
subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar
days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock ("Equivalent
Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of
Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less
than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in
effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding
on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the
aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred Stock so to be offered
15
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so
to be offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator
of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or
all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall
not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution
to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection with a consolidation, statutory share exchange or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, 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 Stock, but
including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)
hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market
Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred
Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be
described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the
cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such
subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the
denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be
made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that
such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 11(a)(iv) hereof,
the "Current Market Price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed
to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for
the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined)
immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant
to Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, the "Current Market Price"
per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive
Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the
event that the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock is determined
during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of
16
(A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such
Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other
than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of
such Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of the requisite thirty (30)
Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, after the
ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such
subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the
"Current Market Price" shall be properly adjusted to take into account
ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale
price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or,
if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New
York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted
to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter
market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if
on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making
a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted
to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common
Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange,
a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or
traded, "Current Market Price" per share shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"Current Market Price" per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the
same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Market
Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided
above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a
manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "Current Market Price"
per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal
to 100 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market
Price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the
Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, "Current Market Price"
per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes.
17
For all purposes of this Agreement, the "Current Market Price" of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the "Current
Market Price" of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 100.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment
in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock
or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may
be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or
(ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than
Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j) and (l), and the provisions of
Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall
apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided
in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the
calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately
prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-millioneth) obtained by
(i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a
Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing
the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such
adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in
the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon
the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in
the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one
18
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The
Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of
Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the
time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. 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 option of
the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in
substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided
for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase
Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price
or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a
share and the number of one one-hundredths of a share which were expressed in
the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) 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 until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
of the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment;
provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due 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.
(l) 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 of Directors of the
Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
19
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares
of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock
shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(m) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(n)
hereof), (ii) merge with or into or enter into a statutory share exchange with
any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(n) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any
Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(n) hereof),
if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, statutory
share exchange, sale or transfer there are any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, 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 and Associates.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 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.
(o) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that the Company shall at any time on or after the date of this
Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the
outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number
of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued
or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with
each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
following the occurrence of such event.
20
(p) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the
Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of
Common Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(q) The exercise of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) shall only result
in the loss of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) to the extent so exercised and
shall not otherwise affect the rights represented by the Rights under this
Agreement, including the rights represented by Section 13.
12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever
an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the
Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly
file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Stock
and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary
thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution
Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in
accordance with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and
shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it
shall have received such certificate.
13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, on or following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, enter into a
statutory share exchange or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(n)
hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of
such consolidation, statutory share exchange or merger, (y) any Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section
11(n) hereof) shall consolidate with, enter into a statutory share exchange
with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation, statutory share
exchange or merger and, in connection with such consolidation, statutory share
exchange or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall
be changed into or exchanged for stock 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 or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any 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(n) hereof), then, and in each such case, proper
provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except holders
described 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 Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal
21
Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), 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-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock 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-hundredths of a share
of Preferred Stock 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), and 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 Agreement) by
(2) 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
hereof) per share of the Common Stock 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 Agreement; (iii)
the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party,
it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall
apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section
13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common
Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be
necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable,
as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions
of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence
of any Section 13 Event.
(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), the Person that is the issuer of any
securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in
such merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation, and if no securities are
so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger, statutory share
exchange or consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the
greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such
transaction or transactions; provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if
the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been
continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so
registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case
such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person,
the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered,
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
22
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
statutory share exchange, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party
shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of
the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the
Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights
Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs
(a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as
practicable after the date of any consolidation, statutory share exchange,
merger, sale or transfer mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, 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 Final Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights
and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the blue sky
laws of such jurisdictions 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 which comply in
all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the
Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers,
statutory share exchanges or consolidations or sales or other transfers. The
rights under this Section 13 shall be in addition to the rights to exercise
Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) and shall survive any exercise thereof.
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(o) hereof, or to
distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such
fractional Rights, there may be paid to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the Current Market
Value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the Current Market
Value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading
Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have
been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York
23
Stock Exchange, 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 of Directors of the Company. 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 of Directors of the Company shall
be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates 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-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the Current Market Value of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-hundredths of
the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company
shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise
of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay
to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
Current Market Value of one (1) share of Common Stock. For purposes of this
Section 14(c), the Current Market Value of one share of Common Stock shall be
the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement,
other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Section 18
hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder
24
of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the
Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may
institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to
enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights
evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights
Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any
remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged
that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any
breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the
obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by accepting the
same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every
other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and
the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of
Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder
of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or
enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
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
25
holder of the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any
Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a 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 in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
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 administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent, its directors,
officers, employees and agents for, and to hold each of them harmless against,
any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement or the performance of the Rights
Agent's duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending against
any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with its administration of this Agreement or the performance of the Rights
Agent's duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate
for Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of
assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter,
notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary,
verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
(c) The indemnity provided in this Section 18 shall survive the
expiration of the Rights and the termination of this Agreement.
19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto;
26
provided, however, that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a
successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the
time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this
Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a
predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned;
and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the
successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall
have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and
obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions,
by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their
acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall
be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any
action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such advice
or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of "Current Market Price") be proved or established by the Company
prior to taking or suffering 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
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 authorization to the Rights Agent for
any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
Certificates or be required to verify
27
the same (except as to its countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but
all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by
the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of
Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount
of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would
require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt of the certificate described in
Section 12 hereof setting forth any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to
be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge
and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all
such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be
required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights
Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the
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 it shall
not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith
in accordance with the instructions of any such officer or for any delay in
acting while awaiting instructions.
(h) Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions
from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing
any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such
omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action
taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date
the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the
Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer 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
or omitted.
28
(i) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(j) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct; provided, however, the Rights Agent was not grossly
negligent in the selection or continued employment thereof.
(k) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(l) 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.
(m) The Rights Agent undertakes only the express duties and
obligations imposed on it by this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations
shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent.
(n) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential
loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost
profits).
21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
may resign and thereby be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon
thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail,
and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company
may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days'
notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the
case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock,
by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the 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
29
the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a
period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall,
with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor
Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a)
a corporation or financial institution organized and doing business under the
laws of the United States or of the States of New York or North Carolina (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business as a banking institution in the States of New York or North
Carolina), in good standing, and having a principal office in the States of New
York or North Carolina, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal
or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent
a combined capital and surplus of at least $10,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a
corporation or financial institution described in clause (a) of this sentence.
After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same
powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named
as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent
shall deliver, and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the
time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective
date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing
with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in
this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality
or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment
of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities
or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance
or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to
the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect
to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b)
may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of
Directors of the Company, 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.
30
23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) (i) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time prior to the earlier of (x) the Close of Business on the
tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock
Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the Close of
Business on the tenth Business Day following the Record Date), or (y) the Final
Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at
a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately
adjusted, as determined by the Board of Directors, to reflect any stock split,
stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price").
(ii) If, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition
Date and the expiration of the right of redemption set forth in Section 23(a)(i)
but prior to any Section 13 Event, (x) a Person who is an Acquiring Person shall
have transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of shares of Common Stock in
one transaction or series of transactions, not directly or indirectly involving
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, such that such Person is thereafter a
Beneficial Owner of less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, and
(y) there are no other Persons, immediately following the occurrence of the
event described in clause (x), who are Acquiring Persons, then the right of
redemption shall be reinstated and thereafter be subject to the provisions of
this Section 23.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement
to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence
of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) until such time as the Company's
right of redemption hereunder has expired.
(iv) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption
Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the "Current Market Price," as
defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of
redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board
of Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company 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 of Directors 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 Stock. Any notice which
is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not
the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the
method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
31
24. Exchange.
(a) The Company may, at its option, by resolution of the Board of
Directors, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange
all or any part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not
include Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 7(e) of this Agreement)
for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio (the "Exchange Ratio") of one
share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring with respect to the
Common Stock after the date of this Agreement.
(b) Immediately upon action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) of this Agreement
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 shares of Common Stock equal to the
number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The
Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange, provided,
however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for
the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice
of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common
Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the
number of Rights which will be exchange. Any partial exchange shall be effected
pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void
pursuant to the provision of Section 7(e) of this Agreement) held by each holder
of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common
Stock authorized but unissued to permit the exchange in full of such Rights in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 24, the Company shall take all
such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock
for issuance upon the exchange of the Rights. In the event that the Company
shall, after a good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be
necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall
substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon
exchange of a Right, a number of shares of other equity securities or a fraction
thereof such that the Current Market Price of one share of such other equity
securities multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the Current Market
Price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such shares of
such other equity securities or fraction thereof.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
of Common Stock or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be
paid to the registered holders of the Rights
32
Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
Current Market Price of a whole share of Common Stock.
25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation,
statutory share exchange or merger into or with any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(n)
hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of
its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a
series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power
of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or
Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(n) hereof), or (v) to effect
the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such
case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the
extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such
stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, statutory share exchange, merger, sale,
transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date
of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any
such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any
action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to
the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least
twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the
date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock,
whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, (i) the
Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give 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 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 the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock
shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate,
other securities.
26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given
or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on
the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered by hand, sent by
overnight courier or sent by first-class mail,
33
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Rights Agent) as follows:
C3, Inc.
3800 Gateway Boulevard
Suite 310
Morrisville, NC 27560
Attention: Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
delivered by hand, sent by overnight courier or sent by first-class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company) as follows:
First Union National Bank
1525 West W.T. Harris Boulevard, 3C3
Charlotte, North Carolina 28288-1153
Attention: Shareholder Services Group
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or
amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
certificates representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the
Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, supplement or amend this Agreement 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 which may be defective or inconsistent
with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period
hereunder, including the Final Expiration Date, (iv) to alter the Purchase Price
if the Final Expiration Date is changed, or (v) to change or supplement the
provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
of any Acquiring Person); provided, however, this Agreement may not be
supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence,
(A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as
the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such
lengthening of such other time period is for the purpose of protecting,
enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of
Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the
Company which states that the proposed
34
supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the
Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment
that changes the rights or duties of the Rights Agent under this Agreement shall
be effective without the execution of such supplement or amendment by the Rights
Agent.
28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or
for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the
benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.
(a) For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including
for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares
of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in
accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company
(or, as set forth herein, certain specified members thereof) shall have the
exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all
rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company
or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of
this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i)
interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations
deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement
(including, but not limited to, a determination to redeem or not redeem the
Rights or to amend this Agreement). 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
of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and
binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all
other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of
the Rights.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, any determination to be made by
the Board of Directors of the Company may be made by a duly constituted
committee thereof if so authorized to act by the Board of Directors pursuant to
the Company's Bylaws, and in such circumstances any reference to the Board of
Directors herein shall be deemed to include a reference to such committee.
30. Benefits of This Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date,
registered holders of the Common Stock).
35
31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this
Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be
invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any
such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority
to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from
this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement,
the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and
shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following
the date of such determination by the Board of Directors of the Company.
32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of North Carolina 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.
33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of
this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect
the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
36
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
C3, INC.
By /s/ Robert S. Thomas
----------------------
Name: Robert S. Thomas
Title: President
Attest:
By /s/ Mark W. Hahn
----------------------
Name: Mark W. Hahn
Title: Secretary
[Corporate Seal]
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
By /s/ Patrick J. Edwards
-----------------------
Name: Patrick J. Edwards
Title: Vice President
Attest:
By /s/ Kristin N. Knapp
-----------------------
Name: Kristin N. Knapp
Title: Asst. Vice President
[Corporate Seal]
37
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- _____ ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 22, 2009 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY.
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER
RIGHT 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 TERM IS 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
C3, Inc.
This certifies that _____________________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Rights Agreement, dated as of February 22, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between C3, Inc., a North Carolina corporation (the "Company"), and First Union
National Bank (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time
prior to 5:00 P.M., Morrisville, North Carolina time, on February 22, 2009 at
the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its
successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredths of a fully paid, nonassessable
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock")
of the Company, at a purchase price of $125.00 per one one-hundredths 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 Purchase Price may be paid in cash or by certified bank check or
money order payable to the order of the Company. The number of Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares of Preferred Stock which
may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price
per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of February 22,
1999, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.
- --------
1The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the immediately preceding sentence of the legend.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement),
(ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of
any such Acquiring Person, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such 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 Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and
kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be purchased
upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject
to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including
Triggering Events (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions, and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are available upon written request to the
Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights
Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive
upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the
number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption
price of $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earliest of the Close of
Business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date (as
such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement) or (ii) the
Final Expiration Date. After the expiration of the redemption period referenced
in clause (i) above, the Company's right of redemption may be reinstated if an
Acquiring Person reduces his beneficial ownership to less than 10% of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions
not involving the Company and there are no other Acquiring Persons.
The Company may (but shall not be required to) issue fractional shares of
Preferred Stock upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other
than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the
Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), and in lieu thereof a cash
payment may be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS, the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal.
Dated as of ____________ __, ______
ATTEST:
[Corporate Seal] C3, INC.
____________________ By ____________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Countersigned:
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
By ________________________
Authorized Signature
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
[To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.]
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ____________________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ________________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated: ____________ __, ______
------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ]
did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any
Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Acquiring Person.
Dated: ____________ __, ______
---------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond
to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
[To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to
exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.]
To: The Rights Agent
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ______________
Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other Person which may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued
in the name of and delivered to:
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please insert social security or other identifying number: ____________________
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 print name and address)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please insert social security or other identifying number: ____________________
Dated: ____________ __, ______
--------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement);
(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
any such Acquiring Person.
Dated: ______________ __, ______
--------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
EXHIBIT B
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK
On February 21, 1999, the Board of Directors of C3, Inc., a North Carolina
corporation (the "Company"), declared a dividend distribution of one Right for
each outstanding share of the Company's common stock, no par value per share
(the "Common Stock"), to stockholders of record at the close of business on
March 8, 1999. One Right will also be distributed for each share of Common Stock
issued after March 8, 1999, until the Distribution Date (which is described in
the next paragraph). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from
the Company a unit consisting of one one-hundredths of a share (a "Unit") of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share (the
"Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of $125.00 per Unit, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement dated as of February 22, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement") between the
Company and First Union National Bank, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will
be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earliest of (i) 10 business days following
a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire,
beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
(the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) 10 business days following the public
announcement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would, if consummated,
result in a person or group beneficially owning 20% or more of such outstanding
shares of Common Stock, subject to certain limitations.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights) (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and
will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new
Common Stock certificates issued after March 8, 1999 will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding, even without such
notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of
the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and,
thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at
the close of business on February 22, 2009, subject to extension by the Board of
Directors, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.
In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a
Right will thereafter have the right (the "Flip-In Right") to receive, at the
time specified in the Rights Agreement, (x) upon exercise and payment of the
Purchase Price, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or
other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the Purchase
Price of the Right or (y) at the discretion of the Board of Directors, upon
exercise and without payment of the Purchase Price, Common Stock (or, in certain
circumstances, cash, property
or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to the difference
between the Purchase Price of the Right and the value of the consideration which
would be payable under clause (x). Notwithstanding any of 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 Rights
Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and
void. 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.
For example, at a Purchase Price of $125.00 per Right, each Right not
owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an event
set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase
$250.00 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for
$125.00. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $62.50 at such
time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase four shares
of Common Stock for $125.00. Alternatively, at the discretion of the Board of
Directors, each Right following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph,
without payment of the Purchase Price, would entitle its holder to Common Stock
(or other consideration, as noted above) worth $125.00.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger, statutory share exchange or other business
combination in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the
Company is the surviving party in a merger, statutory share exchange or other
business combination and all or part of the Company's Common Stock is exchanged
for stock or other securities of another corporation, or (iii) 50% or more of
the Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a
Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall
thereafter have the right (the "Flip-Over Right") to receive, upon exercise,
common stock of the acquiring corporation having a value equal to two times the
Purchase Price of the Right. The holders of a Right will continue to have the
Flip-Over Right whether or not such holder exercises or surrenders the Flip-In
Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding
paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution
to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). The number of outstanding Rights
and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock
split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in
Common Stock or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock
occurring, in each such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase
Price. No fractional Units will be
issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date
of exercise.
At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Company may
exchange all or part of the Rights for shares of Common Stock at an exchange
ratio of one share per Right, as appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
dividend, stock split or similar transaction.
In general, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part,
at a price of $0.01 per Right, at any time until 10 business days following the
Stock Acquisition Date. After the redemption period has expired, the Company's
right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his
beneficial ownership to less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the Company and there
are no other Acquiring Persons. Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $0.01 redemption
price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not
be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon
the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become
exercisable for stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common
stock of the acquiring company as set forth above.
Prior to the Distribution Date, any of the provisions of the Rights
Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company. After the
Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the
Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely
affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any
Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights
Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period
governing redemption shall be made when the Rights are not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated
_________, 1999. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from
the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement,
which is incorporated herein by reference.
EXHIBIT C
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
OF C3, INC.
C3, Inc., a North Carolina corporation (the "Corporation"), hereby submits
these Articles of Amendment for the purpose of amending its Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation to determine the preferences, limitations, and
relative rights of a new series of Preferred Stock, no par value per share:
(1) The name of the Corporation is C3, Inc.
(2) Pursuant to authority granted by Article II, Paragraph B of the
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation and in
accordance with the provisions of Section 55-6-02 of the North Carolina
Business Corporation Act, the Board of Directors of the Corporation duly adopted
on February 21, 1999, the following amendment to the Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation:
Article II of the Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation are hereby amended by adding the following as Paragraph E:
E. Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. There is hereby created
a new series of Preferred Stock designated "Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock." The number of shares constituting such series initially shall
be one million (1,000,000). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased
by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the
number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to a number
less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares
reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or
warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the
Corporation convertible into Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. The
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the preferences,
limitations and relative rights set forth below:
(a) Dividends and Distributions.
(i) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and
superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders
of Common Stock and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to
receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of
funds legally available therefor, quarterly dividends payable in
cash on the first day of February, May, August and November in each
year
(each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per
share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a)
$1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately
preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of
any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall on or at any
time after February 21, 1999 (the "Rights Declaration Date") (i)
declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine
or consolidate the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were
entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator
of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(ii) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
paragraph (i) above immediately after it declares a dividend or
distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock); provided that, subject to the requirements
of applicable law and the Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have
been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable
on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(iii) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of
issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, unless the date of
issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such
shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares,
or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or
is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to
receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin
to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.
Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such
dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be
allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares
at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record
date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall
be no more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment
thereof.
(b) Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(i) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters
submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time on or after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
or (iii) combine or consolidate the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes
per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator
of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(ii) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other
amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of
the Corporation or bylaw, the holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common
Stock shall vote together as one group on all matters submitted to a
vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(iii) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights
and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they
are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
(c) Certain Restrictions.
(i) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock as provided in Paragraph (a) are in arrears, thereafter and
until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or
not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation
shall not:
(A) declare or pay dividends on, redeem or purchase or
otherwise acquire for consideration, or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as
to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up)
to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(B) declare or pay dividends on, redeem or purchase or
otherwise acquire for consideration, or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, provided that there may be declared and paid ratably
dividends on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in
arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the
holders of all such shares are then entitled; and, provided
further, that the Corporation may at any time redeem or
purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock
in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking
junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution,
liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock; or
(C) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or
redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of stock
ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board
of Directors) to all holders of such shares
upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration
of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative
rights and preferences of the respective series and classes,
shall determine in good faith will result in fair and
equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(ii) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation (for the account of such subsidiary) to purchase or
otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (i) of
this Paragraph (c), purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at
such time and in such manner.
(iii) No dividend shall be declared and paid, or set apart for
payment on, any share of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock or any share of any other series of Preferred Stock or any
share of any class of stock, or series thereof, ranking on a parity
with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as to
dividends, for any dividend period unless at the same time a like
proportionate dividend for the same dividend period, ratably in
proportion to the respective dividends applicable thereto, shall be
declared and paid, or set apart for payment on, all shares of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all shares of all
other series of Preferred Stock and all shares of any class, or
series thereof, ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock as to dividends, then issued and
outstanding and entitled to receive dividends.
(d) Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any
manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the
acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as
part of a new series of Preferred Stock, subject to the conditions and
restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation (including Articles of
Amendment duly adopted in accordance with the North Carolina Business
Corporation Act) creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar
stock, or as otherwise required by law.
(e) Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(i) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution
or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to
the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per
share, plus an amount equal to all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such
payment (the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following the
payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference,
no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received
an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient
obtained by dividing (a) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (b)
100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (iii)
below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in
clause (b), the "Adjustment Number"). Following the payment of the
full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common
Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively,
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders
of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and
proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the
ratio of the Adjustment Number to one (1) with respect to such
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a
per share basis, respectively.
(ii) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A
Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other
series of Preferred Stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining
assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and such parity shares in
proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event
that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in
full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be
distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(iii) In the event the Corporation shall at any time on or
after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the
Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be
adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding
immediately prior to such event.
(iv) Neither the sale, lease or conveyance of all or
substantially all of the property or business of the Corporation,
nor the merger, consolidation or statutory share exchange of the
Corporation into or with any other corporation or the merger,
consolidation or statutory share exchange of any other corporation
into or with the Corporation, shall be deemed to be a liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up, voluntary or involuntary, for the
purposes of this Paragraph (e).
(f) Statutory Share Exchange, Merger Consolidation, etc. In case the
Corporation shall enter into any statutory share exchange, merger,
consolidation, combination or other transaction in which the shares of
Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities,
cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for
adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount
of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as
the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time on or
after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common
Stock, or (iii) combine or consolidate the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in
the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(g) No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
(h) Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms
of any such series shall provide otherwise.
(i) Amendment. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of
the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would
materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of
the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely,
except in accordance with the provisions of Section 55-10-04 of the North
Carolina Business Corporation Act, or as otherwise permitted by law.
(j) Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
may be issued in fractions of a share (which shall be integral multiples
of one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock), which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder's
fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends,
participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights
of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
This 23rd day of February, 1999.
C3, INC.
By: _______________________
Name: Robert S. Thomas
Title: President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: JESSICA BLUE, RICHARD FRENCH &
ASSOCIATES, 919-832-6300
C3, INC. ADOPTS SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
MORRISVILLE, N.C. - February 23, 1999 - C3, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTHR), a developer of
moissanite gemstones--a proprietary, colorless, lab-created gemstone--today
announced that its Board of Directors has approved the adoption of a Shareholder
Rights Plan under which all shareholders of record as of March 8, 1999, will
receive rights to purchase shares of a new series of Preferred Stock.
The Rights Plan is designed to enable all C3 shareholders to realize the full
value of their investment and to provide for fair and equal treatment for all
shareholders in the event that an unsolicited attempt is made to acquire C3. The
adoption of the Rights Plan is intended as a means to guard against abusive
takeover tactics and is not in response to any particular proposal.
The rights will be distributed as a non-taxable dividend and will expire in ten
years. The rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires 20
percent or more of the C3 Common Stock or announces a tender offer for 20
percent or more of the Common Stock.
If a person or group acquires 20 percent or more of C3's Common Stock, all
shareholders except the purchaser will be entitled to acquire C3 Common Stock at
a 50 percent discount. The effect will be to discourage acquisitions of more
than 20 percent of C3 Common Stock without negotiations with the Board.
The rights will trade with C3's Common Stock, unless and until they are
separated upon the occurrence of certain future events. The rights distribution
is not taxable to the shareholders. C3's Board of Directors may redeem the
rights prior to the expiration of a specified period following the acquisition
of more than 20 percent of C3's Common Stock. Additional details regarding the
Rights Plan will be outlined in a summary to be mailed to all shareholders
following the Record Date.
The Company also announced today 1998 year-end operating results in a separate
release.
C3, Inc., based in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina, became a
public company in 1997. For more information, please access WWW.MOISSANITE.COM.
THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT RELATE TO C3'S
FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES. THESE STATEMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE LACK OF AN OPERATING HISTORY
UPON WHICH C3 AND ITS PROSPECTS CAN BE EVALUATED, THE NEED FOR FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT OF C3'S PRODUCTS, C3'S RELIANCE ON CREE RESEARCH, INC. AS A
DEVELOPER AND SUPPLIER OF SILICON CARBIDE CRYSTALS, THE SMALL SIZE OF THE
CURRENT MARKET FOR C3'S PRODUCTS AND UNCERTAINTY OF MARKET ACCEPTANCE AND DEMAND
FOR SUCH PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE. THESE AND OTHER RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, WHICH
ARE DETAILED IN C3'S FILINGS WITH THE SEC INCLUDING FORMS 10-K AND 10-Q, COULD
CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS AND DEVELOPMENTS TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY ANY OF THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS
PRESS RELEASE.
###
March 11, 1999
Dear Shareholder:
On February 21, 1999, the Board of Directors adopted a shareholder rights plan
(the "Rights Plan") and declared a dividend of one right (each, a "Right") on
each outstanding share of the Company's Common Stock (the "Rights"). The Board
of Directors fixed March 8, 1999 as the record date for this rights dividend
distribution, and the distribution to holders of record of the Company's Common
Stock occurred at the close of business on that date. No action on your part is
required. This distribution does not involve any cash dividend, stock dividend
or stock split. This letter describes the Rights Plan and explains our reasons
for adopting it.
The Rights Plan was adopted to protect your interests in the event the Company
is confronted with coercive or unfair takeover tactics. The Rights Plan contains
provisions designed to safeguard you in the event of an unsolicited offer to
acquire the Company, whether through a gradual accumulation of shares in the
open market, a partial or two-tiered tender offer that does not treat all
shareholders equally, the acquisition in the open market or otherwise of shares
constituting control without offering fair value to all shareholders, or other
abusive takeover tactics which the Board believes are not in the best interests
of the Company's shareholders. These tactics unfairly pressure shareholders,
squeeze them out of their investment without giving them any real choice and
deprive them of the full value of their shares. The Rights Plan was not adopted
in response to any specific effort to acquire control of the Company, nor is the
Company aware of such an effort.
More than 2,500 companies have rights plans similar to the one we have adopted.
We consider the Rights Plan to be the best available means of protecting your
right to retain your equity investment in the Company and obtaining the fair
value of that investment, while not foreclosing a fair acquisition bid for the
Company.
The Rights Plan is not intended to prevent a takeover or proxy contest for
control of the Company. The Rights serve as a mechanism to encourage negotiation
and should increase the ability of the Board of Directors to effectively
represent the interests of shareholders in the event of any unsolicited attempt
to acquire the Company.
Issuance of the Rights does not in any way weaken the financial strength of the
Company or interfere with its business plan. The issuance of the Rights has no
dilutive effect, will not affect reported earnings per share, is not taxable to
the Company or to you, and will not change the way
Page 2
March 10, 1999
in which you can currently trade shares of the Company's Common Stock. C3, Inc.
Common Stock certificates outstanding on the record date will, as of that date,
be deemed to represent both shares and Rights, at the rate of one Right per
share of Common Stock. As explained in detail in the enclosed summary, the
Rights will only be exercisable if and when an event occurs which triggers their
effectiveness. They will then operate to protect you against abusive and
coercive takeover tactics.
A summary of the terms of the Rights Plan is enclosed. The summary is not
complete and is qualified in its entirety by the Rights Agreement relating
thereto, a copy of which can be obtained free of charge from C3, Inc., 3800
Gateway Boulevard, Suite 310, Morrisville, NC 27560, Attention: Secretary.
Your Board and management are enthusiastic about the potential of the Company
and are committed to serving the best interests of its shareholders. These new
Rights are intended to preserve the value of your investment in the Company
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Jeff N. Hunter
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Enclosure
