<PAGE>   1


                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.1

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                             COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD.


                                       and


                          EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.


                                  Rights Agent



                               ------------------



                                Rights Agreement

                         Dated as of ____________, 2001





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<PAGE>   2



                                Table of Contents



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Section                                                                                                      Page
-------                                                                                                      ----
<S>                                                                                                          <C>
1.    Certain Definitions................................................................................      1

2.    Appointment of Rights Agent........................................................................      4

3.    Issue of Rights Certificates.......................................................................      4

4.    Form of Rights Certificates........................................................................      5

5.    Countersignature and Registration..................................................................      6

6.    Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated,
      Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates......................................................      7

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

8.    Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates................................................      9

9.    Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock......................................................     10

10.   Preferred Shares Record Date.......................................................................     11

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

12.   Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.........................................     19

13.   Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power...............................     19

14.   Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares............................................................     21

15.   Rights of Action...................................................................................     22

16.   Agreement of Rights Holders........................................................................     23

17.   Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.................................................     23
</TABLE>


                                       i
<PAGE>   3

                          Table of Contents (Continued)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Section                                                                                                      Page
-------                                                                                                      ----
<S>                                                                                                          <C>
18.   Concerning the Rights Agent........................................................................     23

19.   Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent..........................................     24

20.   Duties of Rights Agent.............................................................................     24

21.   Change of Rights Agent.............................................................................     26

22.   Issuance of New Rights Certificates................................................................     27

23.   Redemption and Termination.........................................................................     27

24.   Notice of Certain Events...........................................................................     28

25.   Notices............................................................................................     29

26.   Supplements and Amendments.........................................................................     29

27.   Successors.........................................................................................     30

28.   Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc..........................................     30

29.   Benefits of this Agreement.........................................................................     31

30.   Severability.......................................................................................     31

31.   Governing Law......................................................................................     31

32.   Counterparts.......................................................................................     31

33.   Descriptive Headings...............................................................................     31


      Exhibit A --    Board of Directors Resolution...........................................A-1
      Exhibit B --    Form of Rights Certificate..............................................B-1
</TABLE>


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<PAGE>   4



                          Article I. RIGHTS AGREEMENT


         RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of _______________, 2001 (the "Agreement"),
between Cooper Industries, Ltd., a Bermuda company (the "Company"), and
EquiServe Trust Company, N.A. (the "Rights Agent").


                                   WITNESSETH

         WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the
issuance of its Class A Common Shares ("Common Shares") in conjunction with the
merger of Cooper Industries, Inc., an Ohio Corporation, and Cooper Mergerco,
Inc., an Ohio corporation, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of the Company
(the "Merger"); and

         WHEREAS, the shares of common stock of Cooper Industries, Inc. that
will be converted into Common Shares have certain rights attached; and

         WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company desires to replace the
rights attached to the common stock of Cooper Industries, Inc. so that the
holders have substantially the same rights before and after the Merger; and

         WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the
issuance of one Right for each Common Share outstanding at the close of business
on the effective date of the Merger (the "Record Date") and authorized the
issuance of one Right (as such number may hereafter be adjusted pursuant to the
provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each Common Share issued between the
Record Date and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined), each Right
initially representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a Series A
Participating Preferred Share, par value US$.01 per share, of the Company,
having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the Resolution of the
Board of Directors of the company attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms
and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the "Rights").

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

         Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:

                  (a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall
not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan, or any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person solely as a



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<PAGE>   5
result of a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the
repurchase of Common Shares by the Company, unless and until such Person shall
purchase or otherwise become the Beneficial Owner of additional Common Shares
constituting 1% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares.

                  (b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect
on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").

                  (c) 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, warrants or options, or
         otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
         "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities
         tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or
         any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
         securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities
         issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of
         a Triggering Event, or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights
         from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were
         acquired by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
         Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a)
         or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section
         11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any
         Original Rights;

                           (ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
         Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote
         or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant
         to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
         Act), 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


                                       2
<PAGE>   6

         pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to
         subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting
         securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this
         paragraph (c) shall cause a Person engaged in the business as an
         underwriter of securities to be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
         "beneficially own," any securities acquired through such Person's
         participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the
         expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition.

                  (d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Texas are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

                  (e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., Houston, Texas time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is
not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Houston, Texas time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.

                  (f) "Common Shares" shall mean the Class A Common Shares, par
value US$.01 per share, of the Company, except that "Common Shares" when used
with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock
of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such
Person.

                  (g) "Continuing Director" shall mean (i) any member of the
Board of Directors of the Company, while such Person is a member of the Board,
who is not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring
Person, or a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or
Associate, and was a member of the Board on the Record Date, or (ii) any Person
who subsequently becomes a member of the Board, while such Person is a member of
the Board, who is not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, or a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any such
Affiliate or Associate, if such Person's nomination for election or election to
the Board is recommended or approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors.

                  (h) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.

                  (i) "Preferred Shares" shall mean Series A Participating
Preferred Shares, par value US$.01 per share, of the Company and, to the extent
that there are not a sufficient number of Series A Participating Preferred
Shares authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of
Preferred Shares of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms
substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Participating Preferred
Shares.

                  (j) "Record Date" shall mean the effective time of the merger
of Cooper Mergerco, Inc. with and into Cooper Industries, Inc. determined in
accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.

                  (k) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean the event described
in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.



                                       3
<PAGE>   7
                  (l) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.

                  (m) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
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.

                  (n) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least
a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.

                  (o) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.

                  (p) "Triggering Event" shall mean the Section 11(a)(ii) Event
or any Section 13 Event.

         Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 Shares) 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.

         Section 3.  Issue of Rights Certificates.

                  (a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the
tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business
Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of
business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close of business on the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as the Board of Directors shall determine)
after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized,
appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of
the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation
thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common
Shares then outstanding (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as
the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the
Common Shares registered in the names of the holders of the Common Shares (which
certificates for Common Shares 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 Common
Shares (including a transfer to the Company). 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 Common Shares as of the close of business
on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of
the Company, one or more right certificates, in substantially the form of


                                       4
<PAGE>   8
Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each
Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event
that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made
pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights
Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

                  (b) Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares
which are issued after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such Common
Shares shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights and shall bear the
following legend:

                  This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
         to certain Rights as set forth in the 2001 Rights Agreement (the
         "Rights Agreement"), between Cooper Industries, Ltd. and EquiServe
         Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, the terms of which are hereby
         incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
         principal offices of Cooper Industries, Ltd. 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. Cooper Industries, Ltd. 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 Shares represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Shares
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates.

         Section 4.  Form of Rights Certificates.

                  (a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate 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 Preferred Share as shall be


                                       5
<PAGE>   9
set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one-hundredth 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: (i) an Acquiring
Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) 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 to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such 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 contain (to the extent feasible) 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 such Agreement.

         Section 5.  Countersignature and Registration.

                  (a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, the Deputy Chairman of the Board, 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 of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall
have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased
to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this 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 principal office or offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or


                                       6
<PAGE>   10
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face
by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights
Certificates.

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

                  (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e)
and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration
Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates 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
Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Shares, other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate
or Certificates surrendered then 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 principal office or offices 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 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, split up, 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.

         Section 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 including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)
hereof) 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


                                       7
<PAGE>   11
at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to
the total number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the
close of business on August 5, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the
time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the
earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date").

                  (b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be US$225,
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-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set
forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition
from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the
Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share to be purchased and the
Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such
requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number
of Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a
depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts
representing such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be
purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by
such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary
agent) and the Company 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 (x) in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable
to the order of the Company, or (y) by delivery of a certificate or certificates
(with appropriate stock powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a
number of Common Shares equal to the then Purchase Price divided by the closing
price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Common Share on the
Trading Day immediately preceding the date of such exercise. In the event that
the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of
the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other
securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the
Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights,
a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would be
issued.

                  (d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights


                                       8
<PAGE>   12
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.

                  (e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the occurrence of the 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 such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring
Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) 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 to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person
with whom the 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 the avoidance of this
Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action, and no
holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, 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 other Person as a result of its failure to
make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates,
Associates or transferees hereunder.

                  (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.

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


                                       9
<PAGE>   13
         Section 9.  Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.

                  (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and
unissued Common Shares and/or other securities), the number of Preferred Shares
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares 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 Preferred Shares (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities)
issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any
national securities exchange, the Company shall use its 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.

                  (c) The Company shall use its best efforts (i) to file, as
soon as practicable following the earliest date after the occurrence of the
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
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"), with respect to the securities purchasable
upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) to cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such
filing, and (iii) to 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 date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will
also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with,
the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the
exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period
of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of
the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in
order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration
statement shall not have been declared effective.

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


                                       10
<PAGE>   14
                  (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
Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be)
upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to 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 a
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of, the
registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for
exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities,
as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the
exercise of any Rights until such tax 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.

         Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each person in whose name any
certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common
Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise
of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record
of such fractional Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities,
as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated,
the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer
taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such
Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares
(fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or
other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.
Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights
Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company
with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including,
without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to
receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

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

                           (a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time
         after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the
         Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the
         outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred
         Shares into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its
         capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including
         any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger
         in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
         except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e)
         hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for


                                       11
<PAGE>   15
         such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination
         or reclassification, and the number and kind of Preferred Shares 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
         Preferred Shares 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 Share 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 any Person becomes an Acquiring
         Person, unless the event causing the 15% threshold to be crossed is a
         transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or is an acquisition of
         Common Shares pursuant to a tender offer or an exchange offer for all
         outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms determined by at
         least two-thirds (2/3) of the Continuing Directors, to be in the best
         interests of the Company and its shareholders (a "Qualifying Offer"),
         then, promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision
         shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below
         and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive,
         upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance
         with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one
         one-hundredths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares 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 Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior
         to the occurrence of the Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that
         product (which, following such 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 Common Share on the date of such occurrence
         (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").

                           (iii) In the event that the number of Common Shares
         which are authorized by the Company's Memorandum of Association but not
         outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
         exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in
         full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii)
         of this Section 11(a), the Company shall: (A) determine the 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 (subject to Section
         7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment
         Shares, upon the exercise of such Right and payment of the applicable
         Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3)
         Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including,


                                       12
<PAGE>   16
         without limitation, preferred shares or units of preferred shares which
         the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value
         as Common Shares (such preferred shares, "common share equivalents")),
         (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any
         combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the
         Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the
         Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally
         recognized investment banking firm 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 occurrence of the
         Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right
         of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and
         (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"),
         then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for
         exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase
         Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary,
         cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the
         Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in
         good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares
         could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights,
         the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the
         extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days 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
         (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 such first sentence 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 each Adjustment Share shall be the current
         market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
         Common Share on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or
         per unit value of any "common share equivalent" shall be deemed to be
         equal to the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section
         11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares on such date.

                  (b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Shares (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred
Shares ("equivalent preferred shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred
Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or per
equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less
than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)


                                       13
<PAGE>   17
per Preferred Share on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect
after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of
which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date,
plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the
total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be
offered (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 Preferred Shares outstanding on
such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or
equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities 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.
Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be
deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment
shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the
event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall
be adjusted to be the Purchase Price 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 Shares (including any such distribution
made in connection with a consolidation 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 Shares, but
including any dividend payable in shares other than Preferred Shares) 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 Preferred Share 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 Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be
such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
Preferred Share. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so made,
the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have
been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

                           (d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
         other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
         "current market price" per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to
         be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common
         Shares 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) hereof, the
         "current market price" per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to
         be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common



                                       14
<PAGE>   18
         Shares for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following
         such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current market
         price per Common Share is determined during a period following the
         announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (A) a dividend or
         distribution on such Common Shares payable in Common Shares or
         securities convertible into such Common Shares (other than the Rights),
         or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common
         Shares, and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution or
         the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification
         shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite
         thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth
         above, then, and in each such case, the "current market price" shall be
         properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing
         price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in
         case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing
         bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
         principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to
         securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange
         or, if the Common Shares 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 Common Shares are
         listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed
         or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last
         quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low
         asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the
         National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation
         System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such
         date the Common Shares are not quoted by any such organization, the
         average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
         professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected
         by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market
         maker is making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such
         shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board 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 Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the
         transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or
         admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business
         Day. If the Common Shares are not publicly held or not so listed or
         traded, "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 Preferred Share shall be determined in
         the same manner as set forth above for the Common Shares in clause (i)
         of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the
         current market price per Preferred Share cannot be determined in the
         manner provided above or if the Preferred Shares are not publicly held
         or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section
         11(d), the "current market price" per Preferred Share shall be
         conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 100 (as such number may be



                                       15
<PAGE>   19
         appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends
         and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Shares occurring after
         the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current market price per
         Common Share. If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are
         publicly held or so listed or traded, "current market price" per
         Preferred Share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in
         good faith by the Board 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. For all purposes of
         this Agreement, the "current market price" of one one-hundredth of a
         Preferred Share shall be equal to the "current market price" of one
         Preferred Share 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 Common
Share or other share or one-millionth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction 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 Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred
Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

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

                  (h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), 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 Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest
one-millionth) 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.


                                       16
<PAGE>   20
                  (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 Preferred Share purchasable
upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the
adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The
Company shall make a public announcement 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 Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-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) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number
of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights,
the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its
counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue
fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share at such adjusted Purchase Price.

                  (l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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 Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of


                                       17
<PAGE>   21
the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that
the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.

                  (m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of
Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i)
consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for
cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, (iii)
issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms
are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (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 Shares shall not be
taxable to such shareholders.

                  (n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section
11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or
(iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets 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(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.

                  (o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such
action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish
substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.

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


                                       18
<PAGE>   22
numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the
occurrence of such event.

         Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made 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 Shares and the Common Shares, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail
or cause the Rights Agent to 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 Common Shares) in accordance with Section 25 hereof.
The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and
on any adjustment therein contained.

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

                  (a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not
be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y)
any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or
into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such
consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding Common Shares shall be
changed into or exchanged for 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(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may
be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so
that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely
tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter
defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or
other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if the Section 11(a)(ii) Event has
occurred prior to the occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number
of such one one-hundredths of a share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the occurrence of the 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 Common Share of such Principal Party on
the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party


                                       19
<PAGE>   23
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 its Common Shares)
in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary
to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly
as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable
upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13
Event.

                  (b) "Principal Party" shall mean:

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

                           (ii) in the case of any transaction described in
         clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), 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 Shares of such
Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and
such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common
Shares of which are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer
to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or more of which
are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of
such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate
market value.

                  (c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized Common Shares 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, merger or sale of assets 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


                                       20
<PAGE>   24
         soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a
         prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
         Expiration Date; and

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

                  (d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired Common Shares pursuant to a
Qualifying Offer (or a wholly owned subsidiary of such Person or Persons), (ii)
the price per Common Share offered in such transaction is not less than the
price per Common Share paid to all holders of Common Shares whose shares were
purchased pursuant to such tender offer or exchange offer, and (iii) the form of
consideration being offered to the remaining holders of Common Shares pursuant
to such transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to
such tender offer or exchange offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction
contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.

         Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

                  (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.
In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall 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 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


                                       21
<PAGE>   25
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
Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the option of the Company, be
evidenced by depositary receipts) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share). In lieu
of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company may pay to the registered
holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein
provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section
14(b), the current market value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall
be one one-hundredth of the closing price of a Preferred Share (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 Common Shares upon exercise
of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common
Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the Company may pay to the
registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised
as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of one (1) Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the
current market value of one (1) Common Share shall be the closing price of one
(1) Common Share (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.

         Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior
to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in 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.



                                       22
<PAGE>   26
         Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by
accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and
with every other holder of a Right that:

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

                  (b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the 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
certificate representing Common Shares) is registered as the absolute owner
thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of
ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated certificate
representing Common Shares made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights
Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights
Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to
be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

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

         Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No
holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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 24 hereof),
or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.

         Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

                  (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,



                                       23
<PAGE>   27
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 for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, 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 in reliance upon any Rights
Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and,
where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.

         Section 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; 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.

         Section 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:


                                       24
<PAGE>   28
                  (a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the 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 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 Chairman of the Board, the Deputy Chairman of the Board, the President, any
Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the 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 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 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 actual notice of 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 Common Shares or
Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares or Preferred Shares will, when so
issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

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

                  (g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
the Chairman of the Board, the Deputy Chairman, the President, any Vice
President, the Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the



                                       25
<PAGE>   29
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 instructions of any such
officer.

                  (h) 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.

                  (i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any
such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was
exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

                  (j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability
in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its
rights if 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.

                  (k) If, with respect to any Right 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 of transfer without first consulting with the Company.

         Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each
transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, 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
Shares and Preferred Share, 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 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 corporation organized and doing business
under the laws of the United States or of the State of Texas (or of any other
state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do


                                       26
<PAGE>   30
business as a banking institution in the States of New York or Texas), in good
standing, having a principal office in the States of New York or Texas, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers
and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and
which either has or is an affiliate of a corporation which has at the time of
its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least
US$100,000,000. 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 Shares and the Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

         Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by 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 Common Shares following the Distribution Date and
prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with
respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the
Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities
hereinafter issued by the Company, 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.

         Section 23. Redemption and Termination.

                  (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option,
at any time prior to the earlier of (i) 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 day following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem
all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of
US$.01 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption
Price"). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary,
the Rights shall not be exercisable after the occurrence of the Section


                                       27
<PAGE>   31
11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder
has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
Common Shares (based on the "current market price," as defined in Section
11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Shares 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 Shares. 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.

         Section 24. 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 Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings
or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of
Preferred Share rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any
additional Preferred Shares or shares of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding Preferred Shares), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger
into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or
other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale
or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of
more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or
any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding
up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each
holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with
Section 25 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, merger,
sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, if any
such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any
action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to
the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of
such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares whichever shall be
the earlier.


                                       28
<PAGE>   32
                  (b) In case the Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, (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 25 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 Shares shall be
deemed thereafter to refer to Common Shares and/or, if appropriate, other
securities.

         Section 25. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:

                           Cooper Industries, Ltd.
                           Chase Tower
                           600 Travis Street, Suite 5800
                           Houston, Texas  77002
                           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
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

                           EquiServe Trust Company, N.A.
                           525 Washington Boulevard,
                           Suite 4660
                           Jersey City, New Jersey  07310
                           Attention:   Tenders and Exchanges
                                        Administration Department

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
Common Shares) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown
on the registry books of the Company.

         Section 26. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date
and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 26, 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 Common Shares. From and after the Distribution Date and subject to
the penultimate sentence of this Section 26, 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, or (iv) 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



                                       29
<PAGE>   33
Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
of an Acquiring Person); provided, 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 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 supplement or
amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent
shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained
in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made
which changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration Date, the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right
is exercisable; provided, however, that at any time prior to (i) a Stock
Acquisition Date or (ii) 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 any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule
14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon
consummation thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more
of the Common Shares then outstanding, the Board of Directors of the Company may
amend this Agreement to increase the Purchase Price or extend the Final
Expiration Date. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of
Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common
Shares.

         Section 27. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

         Section 28. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common
Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining
the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person
is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of
Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
The Board of Directors of the Company (with, where specifically provided for
herein, the concurrence of the Continuing Directors) shall have the exclusive
power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
powers specifically granted to the Board (with, where specifically provided for
herein, the concurrence of the Continuing Directors) or to the Company, or as
may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary
or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination
to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of
clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or
made by the Board (with, where specifically provided for herein, the concurrence
of the Continuing Directors) 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 or the Continuing Directors to any
liability to the holders of the Rights.


                                       30
<PAGE>   34
         Section 29. 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 Shares) 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 Shares).

         Section 30. 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. Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring a majority
of the Board of Directors of the Company to be Continuing Directors to act is
held by any court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid,
void or unenforceable, such determination shall then be made by the Board of
Directors of the Company in accordance with applicable law and the Company's
Bye-laws.

         Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of Bermuda and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of Bermuda.

         Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed
to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.

         Section 33. 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.


                                       31
<PAGE>   35


         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.

Attest:                                COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD.


 By                                    By
    -------------------------------          -----------------------------------
    Name:  Diane K. Schumacher               Name:  H. John Riley, Jr.
    Title: Senior Vice President             Title: Chairman, President and
           and General Counsel                      Chief Executive Officer

Attest:                                EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.


 By                                    By
    -------------------------------          -----------------------------------
    Name:                                    Name:
    Title:    Vice President                 Title:    Vice President



                                       32
<PAGE>   36


                                                                       EXHIBIT A


                   CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND
                RIGHTS OF SERIES A PARTICIPATING PREFERRED SHARES

                                       of

                             COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD


      Pursuant to Section 1.D. of the Bye-laws of Cooper Industries, Ltd.,
                        a Bermuda company (the "Company")

                  I, Diane K. Schumacher, Senior Vice President and General
Counsel of the Company, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:

                  That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors by Section 1.D. of the Bye-laws of the Company, the Board of Directors
of the Company on [month, day], 2001, adopted the following resolution creating
a series of [1,340,750] Preferred Shares designated as "Series A Participating
Preferred Shares":

                  RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board
of Directors of this Company in accordance with the provisions of its Bye-laws
and Memorandum of Association, a series of Preferred Shares of the Company be
and it hereby is created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the
voting powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional
and other special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications,
limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows:

                  Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Participating Preferred Shares" and the number
of shares constituting such series shall initially be [1,340,750], par value
US$.01 per share, such number of shares to be subject to increase or decrease by
action of the Board of Directors.

                  Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.

                  a. Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any series of Preferred Shares ranking prior and superior to the
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Shares with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Shares in preference to
the holders of Class A Common Shares, par value US$.01 per share, of the Company
(the "Class A Common Shares"), the Class B Common Shares, par value US$.01 per
share, of the Company (the "Class B Common Shares") and of any other junior
shares shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of
Directors out of funds legally available therefor, including capital surplus,
quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first business day of October,
January, April and July 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


                                      A-1
<PAGE>   37
Series A Participating Preferred Shares, in an amount per share (rounded to the
nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) US$10.00 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 noncash dividends or other distributions other than a
dividend payable in shares of Class A Common Shares or a subdivision of the
outstanding shares of Class A Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise),
declared on the Class A Common Shares 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
Participating Preferred Shares. In the event the Company shall at any time (i)
declare any dividend on Class A Common Shares payable in Class A Common Shares,
(ii) subdivide the outstanding Class A Common Shares, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Class A Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each
such case the amount to which holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares
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 Class A Common Shares outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Class
A Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                  b. The Company shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Participating Preferred Shares as provided in paragraph (a) above
concurrently with its declaration of a dividend or distribution on the Class A
Common Shares (other than a dividend payable in Class A Common Shares); provided
that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the
Class A Common Shares during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of
US$10.00 per Series A Participating Preferred Share shall nevertheless be
payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

                  c. Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding Series A Participating Preferred Shares from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Participating
Preferred Shares entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution
declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than thirty (30) days prior
to the date fixed for the payment thereof.


                                      A-2
<PAGE>   38


                  Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of Series A
Participating Preferred Shares shall have the following voting rights:

                    a. Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each Series A Participating Preferred Share shall entitle the holder
thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of
the Company. In the event the Company shall at any time (i) declare any dividend
on Class A Common Shares payable in Class A Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Class A Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Class A
Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number
of votes per share to which holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares
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 Class A
Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of Class A Common Shares that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.

                  b. Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Memorandum of
Association or Bye-laws of the Company or under applicable law, the holders of
Series A Participating Preferred Shares and the holders of Class A Common Shares
shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
shareholders of the Company.

                  c. If at any time dividends on any Series A Participating
Preferred Shares shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly
dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning
of a period (a "default period") that shall extend until such time when all
accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for
the current quarterly dividend period on all Series A Participating Preferred
Shares then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for
payment. During each default period, all holders of Series A Participating
Preferred Shares together with any other series of Preferred Shares then
entitled to such a vote under the terms of the Memorandum or Association and the
Bye-laws of the Company, voting as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect
two members of the Board of Directors of the Company.

                           i.       During any default period, such voting right
                           of the holders of Preferred Shares may be exercised
                           initially at a special general meeting called
                           pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Subsection
                           3(c) or at any annual general meeting of
                           shareholders, and thereafter at annual general
                           meetings of shareholders. The absence of a quorum of
                           the holders of Class A Common Shares or, to the
                           extent applicable, Class B Common Shares, shall not
                           affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred
                           Shares of such voting right. At any meeting at which
                           the holders of Preferred Shares shall exercise such
                           voting right initially during an existing default
                           period, they shall have the right, voting as a
                           separate class, to elect Directors to fill such
                           vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may
                           then exist up to two (2) Directors, or if such right
                           is exercised at an annual general meeting, to elect
                           two (2) Directors. If the number that may be so
                           elected at any special meeting does not amount to the
                           required number, the holders of the Preferred Shares
                           shall have the right to make such increase


                                      A-3
<PAGE>   39

                           in the number of Directors as shall be necessary to
                           permit the election by them of the required number.
                           After the holders of the Preferred Shares shall have
                           exercised their right to elect Directors in any
                           default period and during the continuance of such
                           period, the number of Directors shall not be
                           increased or decreased except by vote of the holders
                           of Preferred Shares as herein provided or pursuant to
                           the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to
                           or pari passu with the Series A Participating
                           Preferred Shares.

                  ii.      Unless the holders of Preferred Shares shall, during
                           an existing default period, have previously exercised
                           their right to elect Directors, the Board of
                           Directors may order, or any shareholder or
                           shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than
                           ten percent (10%) of the total number of Preferred
                           Shares outstanding, irrespective of series, may
                           request, the calling of a special general meeting of
                           the holders of Preferred Shares, which meeting shall
                           thereupon be called by the Chairman, Deputy Chairman
                           or President of the Company. Notice of such meeting
                           and of any annual meeting at which holders of
                           Preferred Shares are entitled to vote pursuant to
                           this Section 3 (c)(iii) shall be given to each holder
                           of record of Preferred Shares by mailing a copy of
                           such notice to such holder at such holder's last
                           address as the same appears on the books of the
                           Company. Such meeting shall be called for a time not
                           earlier than 10 days and not later than 60 days after
                           such order or request. In the event such meeting is
                           not called within 60 days after such order or
                           request, such meeting may be called on similar notice
                           by any shareholder or shareholders owning in the
                           aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the
                           total number of shares of Preferred Shares
                           outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
                           Section 3 (c)(iii), no such special general meeting
                           shall be called during the period within 60 days
                           immediately preceding the date fixed for the next
                           annual general meeting of the shareholders.

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


                                      A-4
<PAGE>   40


                  d. Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x)
the right of the holders of Preferred Shares, as a separate class, to elect
Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of
Preferred Shares, as a separate class, shall terminate, and (z) the number of
Directors shall be such number as may be provided for in, or pursuant to, the
Bye-laws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of Section
3(c)(ii) (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner
provided by law or in the Memorandum of Association or Bye-laws of the Company).
Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses
(y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the
remaining Directors, provided that a quorum is present.

                  e. Except as set forth herein or as otherwise provided in the
Memorandum of Association or Bye-laws of the Company, holders of Series A
Participating Preferred Shares 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 Class A Common Shares as set forth herein) for taking any
corporate action.

                  Section 4. Restrictions

                  a. Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Shares as provided
in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on Series A Participating
Preferred Shares outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Company shall not

                     (1) declare or pay or set apart for payment any dividends
         on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise
         acquire, directly or indirectly, for consideration any shares of any
         class of shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
         liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Participating
         Preferred Shares;

                     (2) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
         distributions on any shares ranking on a parity (either as to dividends
         or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
         Participating Preferred Shares, except dividends paid ratably on the
         Series A Participating Preferred Shares and all such parity shares 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; or

                     (3) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
         Series A Participating Preferred Shares or any shares ranking on a
         parity with the Series A Participating Preferred Shares, 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 provided that the Company may at any time
         redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any such parity shares in
         exchange for any shares of the Company ranking junior (either as to
         dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series
         A Participating Preferred Shares.


                                      A-5
<PAGE>   41


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

                  Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any Series A Participating
Preferred Shares purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition
thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but
unissued Preferred Shares and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Shares to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.

                  Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

                  a. Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution
or winding up of the Company, no distribution shall be made to the holders of
shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution
or winding up) to the Series A Participating Preferred Shares unless, prior
thereto, the holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall have
received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment
(the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following the payment of the full
amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall
be made to the holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares unless, prior
thereto, the holders of Class A Common Shares and Class B Common Shares shall
have received an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii)
100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in paragraph (c) below to reflect
such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect
to the Class A Common Shares and Class B common Shares) (such number in clause
(ii) being hereinafter referred to as 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares
and Class A Common Shares and Class B Common Shares, respectively, holders of
Series A Participating Preferred Shares and holders of Class A Common Shares and
Class B Common Shares shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the
remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1
with respect to such Series A Participating Preferred Shares and Class A Common
Shares and Class B Common Shares, on a per share basis, respectively.

                   b. If 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 Shares, if any, which rank on a
parity with the Series A Participating Preferred Shares then such remaining
assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in
proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. If there are sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation
Preference, but 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 Class A Common Shares and Class B Common Shares.


                                      A-6
<PAGE>   42


                  c. If the Company shall at any time (i) declare any dividend
on Class A Common Shares payable in Class A Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Class A Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Class A
Common Shares 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 Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Shares that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                  Section 7. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Shares shall not be redeemable.

                  Section 8. Ranking. The Series A Participating Preferred
Shares shall rank junior to all other series of the Company's Preferred Shares
as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms
of any such series shall provide otherwise.

                  Section 9. Amendment. The Bye-Laws of the Company shall not be
further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers,
preferences or special rights of the Series A Participating Preferred Shares so
as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of
two-thirds (2/3) or more of the outstanding shares of the Series A Participating
Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class.

                  Section 10. Fractional Shares. Series A Participating
Preferred Shares may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the
holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting
rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit
of all other rights of holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares.


         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate
and do affirm the foregoing as true this [ ]th day of [ ], 2001.



                               By:
                                  -----------------------------------
                                  Name:  Diane K. Schumacher
                                  Title: Senior Vice President
                                         and General Counsel


                                      A-7
<PAGE>   43

                                                                       EXHIBIT B


                           Form of Rights Certificate

Certificate No. R-                                                        Rights
                                                                 --------

         NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 5, 2007 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE
         COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE
         COMPANY, AT US$.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 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 SUCH AGREEMENT.](1)

                               Rights Certificate


                             COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD.

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 ___________, 2001 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Cooper Industries,
Ltd., a Bermuda company (the "Company"), and EquiServe Trust Company, N.A., (the
"Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M.
(Houston, Texas time) on August 5, 2007 at the office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one
one-hundredth of a fully paid, nonassessable share of Series A Participating
Preferred Shares (the "Preferred Shares") of the Company, at a purchase price of
US$225 per one one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election
to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The Purchase Price shall be
paid, at


--------
(1)      The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
         applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.


                                      B-1
<PAGE>   44


the election of the holder, in cash or Class A Common Shares of the Company
having an equivalent value. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise
thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are
the number and Purchase Price as of the Record Date based on the Preferred
Shares as constituted at such date.

         Upon the occurrence of the 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, Associate or
Affiliate, 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 an Acquiring Person, such
Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with
respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of the Section 11(a)(ii)
Event.

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

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

         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 Preferred Share as
the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights
Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive
upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the
number of whole Rights not exercised.

         Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption
price of US$.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier 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), and (ii) the
Final Expiration Date.



                                      B-2
<PAGE>   45


         The Company is not required to issue fractional Preferred Shares upon
the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which
are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at
the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment may be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

         No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Preferred Shares 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
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 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:                             COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD.



                                    By
--------------------                  --------------------------
    Secretary                         Name:
                                      Title:
Countersigned:


EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.


By
  --------------------------
  Authorized Signature


                                      B-3
<PAGE>   46


                  [Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

                         Article II. 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 terms are defined
pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and

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

Dated:                     ,
       --------------------  ----------         --------------------------------
                                                Signature

Signature Guaranteed:


                                      B-4
<PAGE>   47


                                     NOTICE

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


                                      B-5
<PAGE>   48


                          FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE


                  (To be executed if holder desires to exercise
                 Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)


To: COOPER INDUSTRIES, LTD.:

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

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Please print name and address)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Please insert social security
or other identifying number


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Please print name and address)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Dated:                     ,
       --------------------  ----------         --------------------------------
                                                Signature

Signature Guaranteed:



                                      B-6
<PAGE>   49



                                   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 terms are defined pursuant to 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 became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated:
      ------------------                   -------------------------------------
                                           Signature


Signature Guaranteed:




                              Article III. NOTICE

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




                                      B-7