<PAGE>
 
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 4.1
                                                                    -----------



                               RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                                  DATED AS OF

                               NOVEMBER 25, 1998

                                    BETWEEN

                             CITATION CORPORATION

                                      AND

                             THE BANK OF NEW YORK,

                                AS RIGHTS AGENT

<PAGE>
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
  Section                                                                                                        Page
<S>                                                                                                              <C> 
1.  Certain Definitions........................................................................................   1
                                                                                                                  
2.  Appointment of Rights Agent................................................................................   4
                                                                                                                  
3.  Issue of Right Certificates................................................................................   4
                                                                                                                  
4.  Form of Right Certificates.................................................................................   5
                                                                                                                  
5.  Countersignature and Registration..........................................................................   6
                                                                                                                  
6.  Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen      
         Right Certificates....................................................................................   6
                                                                                                                  
7.  Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights..............................................   7
                                                                                                                  
8.  Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.........................................................   8
                                                                                                                  
9.  Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock..................................................................   8
                                                                                                                  
10. Preferred Stock Record Date................................................................................   9
                                                                                                                  
11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights...............................   9

12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.................................................  14
                                                                                                                 
13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earnings Power......................................  15
                                                                                                                 
14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares....................................................................  17
                                                                                                                 
15. Rights of Action...........................................................................................  18
                                                                                                                 
16. Agreement of Right Holders.................................................................................  18
                                                                                                                 
17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder..........................................................  18
                                                                                                                 
18. Concerning the Rights Agent................................................................................  19
                                                                                                                 
19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent..................................................  19
                                                                                                                 
20. Duties of Rights Agent.....................................................................................  20
                                                                                                                 
21. Change of Rights Agent.....................................................................................  21
                                                                                                                 
22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.........................................................................  22
                                                                                                                 
23. Redemption.................................................................................................  22
</TABLE> 
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE> 
<S>                                                                                                              <C> 
24.  Exchange.................................................................................................   22
                                                                                                                   
25.  Notice of Certain Events.................................................................................   23
                                                                                                                   
26.  Notices..................................................................................................   24
                                                                                                                   
27.  Supplements and Amendments...............................................................................   24
                                                                                                                   
28.  Successors...............................................................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
29.  Benefits of this Agreement...............................................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
30.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.....................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
31.  Severability.............................................................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
32.  Governing law............................................................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
33.  Counterparts.............................................................................................   25
                                                                                                                   
34.  Descriptive Headings.....................................................................................   25 
</TABLE> 


<PAGE>
 
                                RIGHTS AGREEMENT
                                ----------------
                                        

          This Rights Agreement is dated as of November 25, 1998 ("Agreement"),
between Citation Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and The
Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation, as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agent").

          The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a
dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each share of
Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the Close
of Business (as defined below) on December 7, 1998 (the "Record Date"), each
Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth (subject to
adjustment) of a share of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), upon the
terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized
and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided
herein) with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding
between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the
Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined); provided, however, that
Rights may be issued with respect to shares of Common Stock that shall become
outstanding after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date in
accordance with Section 22.

          Accordingly, 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 meaning indicated:

          (a)   "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding, but shall not include an Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter
defined); provided, however, that if the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring
Person" became such inadvertently, and if such Person as promptly as practicable
divests itself of Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient number of shares of
Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," then
such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an "Acquiring Person"
for any purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person
shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of shares of
Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding,
increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned
by such Person to 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding,
provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of such share
acquisitions by the Company and shall thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of
any additional shares of Common Stock, then such Person shall be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person" unless upon the consummation of the acquisition of such
additional shares of Common Stock such Person does not own 15% or more of the
shares of Common Stock then outstanding.  In addition, notwithstanding the
foregoing, no Person who or which on November 25, 1998 was the Direct Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or the
Indirect Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding shall be an "Acquiring Person" as the result of such Direct or
Indirect Beneficial Ownership as of such date; provided however, if such Person
who is a Direct or Indirect Beneficial Owner of more than 15% of such shares
shall thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common
Stock, or if such Person who is an Indirect Beneficial Owner of more than 15% of
such shares shall thereafter convert such Person's ownership of any shares held
as an Indirect Beneficial Owner into shares held as a Direct Beneficial Owner,
then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" unless upon the
consummation of the acquisition of such additional shares of Common Stock or
such conversion from Indirect Beneficial Ownership to Direct Beneficial
Ownership such Person does not own 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including
for purposes of determining

                                       1
<PAGE>
 
the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which
any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last
sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect
on the date hereof.

          (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 Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Rights Agreement.

          (c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, shall be
deemed to have "Beneficial Ownership" 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 or shares the right to vote (or to
direct the voting) or to dispose (or to direct the disposition) of, including
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing); or

              (ii)  which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), 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,
securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf
of such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such
tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to
vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however,
that (notwithstanding Section 1(c)(i) above) a Person shall not be deemed the
Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security by reason of any
agreement, arrangement or understanding if the agreement, arrangement or
understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or
consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent
solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and
regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then
reportable 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 with which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary
agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect
to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring,
holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section
1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company; provided, however,
that no Person who is an officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person shall
be deemed, solely by reason of such Person's status or authority as such, to be
the "Beneficial Owner" of, to have "Beneficial Ownership" of or to "beneficially
own" any securities that are "beneficially owned" (as defined in this Section
1(c)), including, without limitation, in a fiduciary capacity, by an Exempt
Person or by any other such officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person.

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

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

          (f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
the Common Stock, presently par value $0.01 per share, of the Company. "Common
Stock" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean
the common stock (or, in the case of an unincorporated entity, the equivalent
equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such
other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
          (g) "Common Stock equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (h) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (i) "Direct Beneficial Owner" shall mean a Person who beneficially
owns any securities within the meaning of Section 1(c)(i) hereof.  As to such
securities, such Person is a Direct Beneficial Owner.

          (j) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.

          (k) "Equivalent preferred shares" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b) hereof.

          (l) "Exempt Person" shall mean the Company or any Subsidiary (as such
term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, in each case including, without
limitation, in its fiduciary capacity, or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding
Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of
funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.

          (m) "Exchange Consideration" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 24 hereof.

          (n) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.

          (o) "Flip-In Event" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.

          (p) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.

          (q) "Indirect Beneficial Owner" shall mean a Person who beneficially
owns any securities within the meaning of Sections 1(c)(ii) or 1(c)(iii). As to
such securities, such Person is an Indirect Beneficial Owner.

          (r) "NASDAQ" shall mean the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System.

          (s) "New York Stock Exchange" shall mean the New York Stock Exchange,
Inc.

          (t) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership, association, trust, group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under
the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement or any successor
rule or provision) or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger
or otherwise) to such entity.

          (u) "Preferred Stock" shall mean the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and
preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate of Designations attached to
this Rights Agreement as Exhibit A.

          (v) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13
hereof.

          (w) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4
hereof.

          (x) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the second
introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

          (y) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.

          (z) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23
hereof.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
          (aa) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.

          (bb) "Rights" shall mean the rights to purchase Preferred Stock (or
other securities) as provided in this Agreement.

          (cc) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.

          (dd) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (ee) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.

          (ff) "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) of the Exchange Act) by the
Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, or such
earlier date as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become aware of the
existence of an Acquiring Person.

          (gg) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting
power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons
performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
such Person, and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise controlled by
such Person.

          (hh) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (ii) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.

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

          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
be the holders of Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and conditions
hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may
from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or
desirable. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no
event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.

          Section  3. Issue of Right Certificates.
                      --------------------------- 

          (a)  Until the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the tenth day
after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later
date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time
as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by
any Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement
of the intention of such Person (other than an Exempt Person) to commence, a
tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person
(other than an Exempt Person) becoming the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common
Stock aggregating 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding (including
any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the
issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as
the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Stock
registered in the names of the holders thereof and not by separate Right
Certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution
Date, the Company will notify the Rights Agent in writing that the Distribution
Date has occurred and the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent
will countersign and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights
Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail,
to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of
the Company, a Right Certificate, in

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Right Certificate"), evidencing
one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) for each share of Common
Stock so held.  As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely
by such Right Certificates.

          (b)  On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred
Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of Rights"),
by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as
of the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such
holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for
Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the
holders thereof together with the Summary of Rights.  Until the Distribution
Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any
certificate for Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a
copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented thereby.

          (c)  Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without
limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock, disposition of Common
Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of
authorized but unissued shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier
of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date shall have impressed on,
printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:

          This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder
          hereof to certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement
          between Citation Corporation and The Bank of New York, as
          Rights Agent, dated as of November 25, 1998 as the same may
          be amended from time to time (the "Rights Agreement"), the
          terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference
          and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive
          offices of Citation Corporation. Under certain
          circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such
          Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will
          no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Citation
          Corporation will mail to the holder of this certificate a
          copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of
          a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as
                                      -------------------------------
          set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights owned by or
          -----------------------------------------------------
          transferred to any Person who is or becomes an Acquiring
          -------------------------------------------------------- 
          Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain
          ------------------------------------------------------- 
          transferees thereof will become null and void and will no
          ---------------------------------------------------------
          longer be transferable.
          ----------------------

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate, except as otherwise provided
herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or
otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the
Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed
canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any
Rights associated with the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.

     Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend shall not
affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any
holder of the Rights.

     Section  4.  Form of Right Certificates.  The Right Certificates (and the
                  --------------------------                                  
forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the
reverse thereof) shall 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

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or inter-dealer quotation
system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to
conform to usage.  Subject to the provisions of Sections 11, 13 and 22 hereof,
the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number
of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth
therein at the price per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock set
forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the number of such one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock and the Purchase Price shall be subject to
adjustment as provided herein.  All references herein to the Purchase Price
shall mean the Purchase Price as in effect at the time in question.

     Section  5.  Countersignature and Registration.
                  --------------------------------- 

     (a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, any of its Vice Presidents, or
Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto
the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof and shall be attested by the Secretary
of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.  The Right
Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not
be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the
Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be
such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and
issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right 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 Right
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right
Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of
the execution of this 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 an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for
registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder.  Such
books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right
Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right
Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

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

     (a)   Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 11(a)(ii) and 14 hereof,
at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, any
Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates that have
become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged
pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the
registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then
entitled such holder to purchase.  Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall
make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender
the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the
Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case
may be, as so requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.

     (b)   Subject to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, at any time
after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, upon receipt by
the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of
the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case
of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory
to them, and, at the Company's request, 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 Right Certificate if mutilated, the
Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu
of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

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

     (a)   Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become
exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of
any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as
otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in
part upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to
purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the
office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with
payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or other
assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised, at any time
which is both after the Distribution Date and prior to the time (the "Expiration
Date") that is the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on November 25, 2008
(the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date") or (iii) the time at which
such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.

     (b) The Purchase Price shall be initially $45.00 for each one one-hundredth
of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right.  The
Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock or other securities or property to be acquired upon exercise of a Right
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and
13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America
in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 7.

     (c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of
the aggregate Purchase Price for the shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased
and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the
holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof, in cash or
by certified check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the
Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any
transfer agent of the Preferred Stock certificates for the number of shares of
Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing interests in such number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in
which case certificates for the Preferred Stock represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the
Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in
lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same
to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) after receipt, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order
of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.  The payment of the Purchase
Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof) may be
made in cash or by certified bank check or money order payable to the Company.
In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the
Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a)
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.

     (d)   In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise
less than all of the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the exercisable Rights remaining unexercised
shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right
Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.

     (e)   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 of Rights upon the occurrence of any purported
transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or this Section 7
unless such registered holder

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the
Rights Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise and (ii) provided
such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.

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

     Section 9.  Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock.
                 ----------------------------------------- 

     (a)  The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and
kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock or
any shares of Preferred Stock held in its treasury, the number of shares of
Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights.

     (b)  So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the time
that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other
securities) issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, 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 or
admitted to trading on such exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, upon official notice
of issuance upon such exercise.

     (c)  From and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the
Company shall use its best efforts, if then necessary to permit the issuance of
shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the time that any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other securities) upon the exercise
of Rights, to register and qualify such shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common
Stock and other securities) under the Securities Act and any applicable state
securities or "Blue Sky" laws (to the extent exemptions therefrom are not
available), cause such registration statement and qualifications to become
effective as soon as possible after such filing and keep such registration and
qualifications effective until the earlier of the date as of which the Rights
are no longer exercisable for such securities and the Expiration Date. The
Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, the
exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file a registration
statement under the Securities Act and permit it to become effective. Upon any
such suspension, the Company shall notify the Rights Agent and 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 unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have
been obtained and until a registration statement under the Securities Act (if
required) shall 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 shares of Preferred Stock (and, following
the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and
other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase
Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable shares.

     (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 Right

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
Certificates or of any shares of Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock or
other securities) 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 Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred
Stock (or shares of Common Stock or other securities) in a name other than that
of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered
for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for
Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock or other securities) upon the
exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax
being payable by that holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender)
or until it has been established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that
no such tax is due.

     Section 10.  Preferred Stock Record Date.  Each Person in whose name any
                  ---------------------------                                
certificate for Preferred Stock is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares of
Preferred Stock represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the
date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer
taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company
are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such
shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day
on which the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company are open.  Prior to
the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate
shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Stock for which the
Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote or
to receive dividends or other distributions, 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 and
                  -----------------------------------------------------------
Number of Rights.  The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred Stock
----------------                                                              
or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the
number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in this Section 11.

          (a)(i)  In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares
of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred
Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the
Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase
Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the
effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the
number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of
capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were
open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to
receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.

          (ii)    Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person (the first occurrence of such event being
referred to hereinafter as the "Flip-In Event"), then (A) the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the
Flip-In Event multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
Flip-In Event, whether or not such Right was then exercisable, and (B) each
holder of a Right, except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)(ii) and
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise thereof at a price equal to the Purchase Price (as so adjusted), in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred
Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained
by dividing the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) by 50% of the current per share
market price of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
on the date of such Flip-In Event; provided, however,

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
that the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of shares of Common
Stock so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall, following the Flip-In Event,
be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f)
hereof.

     Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however, from
and after the Flip-In Event, any Rights that are beneficially owned by (x) any
Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (y) a
transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who
becomes a transferee after the Flip-In Event or (z) a transferee of any
Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee
prior to or concurrently with the Flip-In Event pursuant to either (I) a
transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any
Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer which the Board of Directors
has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has the
purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent
transferees of such Persons, shall be void without any further action and any
holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to
such Rights under any provision of this Agreement.  The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) are
complied with, but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any
liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the
Company's failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person
or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.  From and after the
Flip-In Event, no Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or
Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to
the provisions of this paragraph, and any Right Certificate delivered to the
Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the
provisions of this paragraph shall be cancelled.  From and after the occurrence
of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have
not been exercised pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall thereafter be
exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and not pursuant to this Section
11(a)(ii).

          (iii)  The Company may at its option substitute for a share of Common
Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock having
an aggregate current market value equal to the current per share market price of
a share of Common Stock.  In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares
of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit
the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii), the Board of Directors shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law
and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party (A)
determine the excess (such excess, the "Spread") of (1) the value of the shares
of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price
(as adjusted in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii)), and (B) with
respect to each Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the
foregoing subparagraph (ii)), make adequate provision to substitute for the
shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii) upon exercise of the Right and payment of the Purchase Price (as adjusted
in accordance therewith), (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase Price, (3)
shares of Preferred Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including,
without limitation, shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock which, by
virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially
comparable to those of the shares of Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by
the Board of Directors to have substantially the same value as the shares of
Common Stock (such shares of Preferred Stock and shares or fractions of shares
of preferred stock are hereinafter referred to as "Common Stock equivalents")),
(4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of
the foregoing, having a value which, when added to the value of the shares of
Common Stock actually issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an
aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in
such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the
Board of Directors upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking
firm selected in good faith by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that
if the Company shall not make adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to
clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the Flip-In Event (the
"Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to
deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements
then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise
of a Right and without requiring payment of such Purchase Price, shares of
Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if necessary, such

                                       10
<PAGE>
 
number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and
then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal
to the Spread.  If, upon the occurrence of the Flip-In Event, the Board of
Directors shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient
additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise
in full of the Rights, then, if the Board of Directors so elects, 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 stockholder approval for the authorization of such
additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is herein
called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines
that some action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third sentence of
this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii) 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 second sentence and
to determine the value thereof.  In the event of any such suspension, the
Company shall notify the Rights Agent and shall issue a public announcement
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect.  For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the shares of
Common Stock shall be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant
to Section 11(d)(i)) on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or
fractional value of any "Common Stock equivalent" shall be deemed to equal the
current per share market price of the Common Stock. The Board of Directors of
the Company may, but shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate
the right to receive shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights
among holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii).

     (b)   In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them
(for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock ("equivalent preferred
shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred
shares at a price per share of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred shares
(or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into shares
of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current
per share market price of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof), on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred shares
outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock and
equivalent preferred shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of shares of Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock and
equivalent preferred shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of
additional shares of Preferred Stock 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); provided, however, that in no event
shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than
the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon exercise of one Right.  In case such subscription price may be paid in a
consideration part or all of which shall 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 conclusive for all purposes.  Shares of
Preferred Stock and equivalent 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, options or warrants are not so
issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

     (c)   In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those

                                       11
<PAGE>
 
referred to in Section (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 then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock
(determined pursuant to Section (d) hereof, 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 assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share
of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Preferred
Stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid
upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the
shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right.
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 again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in
effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (d)   (i) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(d)(i), for
the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share market price"
of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any
date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of
such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter
defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event
that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a
period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a
dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or
securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading
Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record
date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each
such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to
reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. 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 by the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is 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 Security is
listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is 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 Security is 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 Security selected by the Board of Directors of the
Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is
open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

          (ii)  For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred
Stock is publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the Preferred
Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section
11(d)(i).  If the Preferred Stock is not publicly traded but the Common Stock is
publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the Preferred Stock
shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the
Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) multiplied by one-one
hundredth (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof).  If neither the Common
Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, "current per share market
price" 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.

     (e)  No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 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 one

                                       12
<PAGE>
 
ten-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock or share of Common Stock or other
share or security, as the case may be.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of
this Section (e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no
later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which
requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.

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

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

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

     (i)   The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Purchase Price pursuant to Sections 11(a)(i), 11(b) or 11(c) hereof to adjust
the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a
Right.  Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-
hundredth) 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 Right Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public
announcement.  If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company may, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right
Certificates on such record date Right 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
Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment.  Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in
the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.

     (j)   Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and

                                       13
<PAGE>
 
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock which were expressed in the
initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

     (k)   Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Stock or other
shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall
take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary
in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable shares of Preferred Stock or other such shares 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
issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Stock and other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the
basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided,
however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares 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 it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, issuance
wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market
price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock or securities which by their
terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock, dividends on
Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock or issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by
the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such
stockholders.

     (n)   Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event that at any time after the date of this Rights Agreement and prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination
or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then in such case, the number of Rights associated
with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered
thereafter, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights
thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event
shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated
with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction
the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator
of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately following the occurrence of such event.

     (o)   The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution Date
or the Stock Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23,
24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the
time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.

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

     Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment,
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock and the
Preferred Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof
to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof (if
so required under Section 25 hereof).    The Rights Agent shall be fully
protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein
contained, shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such

                                       14
<PAGE>
 
adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate, and shall
not be required or permitted to question the requirement for or the calculation
of any such adjustment.

     Secton  13.  Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
                   ------------------------------------------------------
Earnings Power.
-------------- 

     (a)   In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after the Flip-In
Event (i) the Company shall merge with and into any other Person, (ii) any
Person shall consolidate with the Company, or any Person shall merge with and
into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of
the Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other
securities of any other Person (or of the Company) or cash or any other
property, or (iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more
of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person (other than the Company or one or more wholly owned Subsidiaries of
the Company), then upon the first occurrence of such event, proper provision
shall be made so that:  (A) each holder of a Right (other than Rights which have
become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price (as
theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock or
Common Stock of the Company, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock 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 equal
the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in
accordance with Section (a)(ii) hereof) by 50% of the current per share market
price of the Common Stock of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer; provided, however, that the Purchase Price (as theretofore
adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) and the number of shares
of Common Stock of such Principal Party so receivable upon exercise of a Right
shall be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section
11(f) hereof to reflect any events occurring in respect of the Common Stock of
such Principal Party after the occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer; (B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall
assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the
obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Rights Agreement; (C) the
term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party; and
(D) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to,
the reservation of a sufficient number of its shares of Common Stock in
accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such 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 the
shares of its Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the
Rights; provided that, upon the subsequent occurrence of any consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary transaction in respect
of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to
receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price as provided
in this Section 13(a), such cash shares, rights, warrants and other property
which such holder would have been entitled to receive had such holder, at the
time of such transaction, owned the Common Stock of the Principal Party
receivable upon the exercise of a Right pursuant to this Section 13(a), and such
Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to,
reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent
exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash,
shares, rights, warrants and other property.

     (b)   "Principal Party" shall mean

           (i)  in the case of any transaction described in (i) or (ii) of the
first sentence of Section  13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of
the securities into which the shares of Common Stock are converted in such
merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer
the shares of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of
shares outstanding, or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that
is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives said merger, or, if
there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock of
which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding or (y) if
the Person that is the other party to the merger does not survive the merger,
the Person that does survive the merger (including the Company if it survives)
or (z) the Person resulting from the consolidation; and

                                       15
<PAGE>
 
          (ii)    in the case of any transaction described in (iii) of the
first sentence in Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving
the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such
transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party to such
transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning
power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the
assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons as is
the issuer of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding; provided, however, that in any such case described in the foregoing
clause (b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time
or has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so
registered, the term "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or (2)
if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person,
the Common Stock of all of which is and has been so registered, the term
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding,
or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture
formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the
same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to
each of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the Person owned by
the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and
the Principal Party in each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in
this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the
total of such interests.

     (c)  The Company shall not consummate any consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer referred to in Section 13(a) hereof unless prior thereto the Company
and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and delivered to
the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of Sections 13(a)
and (b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance with their terms and
that such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets shall not result in
a default by the Principal Party under this Agreement as the same shall have
been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof
and providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement
pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party will:

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

          (ii)    use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal
Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or
on another national securities exchange, to list or admit to trading (or
continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise
of the Rights on the New York Stock Exchange or such securities exchange, or, if
the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or a national securities exchange, to
cause the Rights and the securities receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be
authorized for quotation on NASDAQ or on such other system then in use;

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

          (iv)    obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive
rights in respect of the Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase
upon exercise of outstanding Rights.

     (d)  In case the Principal Party has provision in any of its authorized
securities or in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument
governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i)
causing such Principal Party to issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant
to this Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of, the
consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common

                                       16
<PAGE>
 
Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then current market price per
share thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or securities
exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock of such Principal Party at
less than such then current market price, or (ii) providing for any special
payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the Common
Stock of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13, then, in
such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall
not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such
Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such
Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the
authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will
have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of
the proposed transaction.

     (e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after
the Flip-In Event, enter into any transaction of the type described in clauses
(i) through (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof if (i) at the time of or immediately
after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or other transaction 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, (ii) prior to,
simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale,
transfer or other transaction, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes,
or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof
shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or
any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization
of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights.

     Section  14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
                  --------------------------------------- 

     (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to
distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights (except prior to
the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(n) hereof). In lieu of such
fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right
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 the 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 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 date no such market maker is making a
market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

     (b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of
a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock).  Interests in fractions of Preferred Stock in integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an
appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it;
provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary
receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are
entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Stock represented by such
depositary receipts.  In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are
not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, the
Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time
such

                                       17
<PAGE>
 
Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one share of Preferred Stock.  For the
purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a share of Preferred
Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the
date of such exercise.

     (c)   The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives
his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right (except as provided by this Section 14).

     Section  15.  Rights of Action.  All rights of action in respect of this
                   ----------------                                          
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), on his own behalf and for his own
benefit, may 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 Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, such Common Stock) in the manner provided therein 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
will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of
any Person subject to this Agreement.

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

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

     (b)   after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable
only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or
agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;

     (c)   the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in
whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common
Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Right Certificates or the Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the
Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary;

     (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; and

     (e)   such holder shall be entitled to the benefits of this Agreement but
shall not be entitled to any right not specifically set forth herein, nor shall
any provision of this Agreement be deemed to impose any fiduciary duty on the
officers or directors of the Company or the Rights Agent with respect to any
holder of the Rights.

     Section  17.  Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder,
                   --------------------------------------------------           
as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Stock or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of

                                       18
<PAGE>
 
any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the
Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent
to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions
affecting stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement), or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by
such Right 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, on demand of
the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other
disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and
the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company also agrees
to indemnify the Rights Agent, its officers, employees, agents and directors,
for, and to hold all of them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense,
incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part
of the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party, for anything done or
omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance or administration
of this Agreement or performance hereunder, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or
indirectly, and will promptly reimburse the Rights Agent therefor.

     (b)   The Rights Agent, its officers, employees, agents and directors shall
be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action
taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this
Agreement or the exercise or performance of its duties hereunder in reliance
upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Stock or Common
Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or
transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction,
consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document believed by it to be
genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of
counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.

     Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event
shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or
damage or any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even
if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage
and regardless of the form of action.

     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
stock transfer or corporate trust powers 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 Right Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights
Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such
Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates
and in this Agreement.

     (b)   In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name

                                       19
<PAGE>
 
or in its changed name and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have
the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

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

     (a)  The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the 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 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 any person believed in good faith by the
Rights Agent to be the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the
President, any Vice President, the Treasurer and the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate
shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered
in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.

     (c)  The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

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

     (e)  The Rights Agent is serving as an administrative agent only, and
accordingly shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of
any provision 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 Right 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 Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a) (ii) hereof) or any adjustment in
the terms of the Rights provided for herein, or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with
respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt
of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 11, describing such change or
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares
of Preferred Stock or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement
or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or other
securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued fully paid and
nonassessable.

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

     (g)  The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary or the Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, and to
apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties,
and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith
in accordance

                                       20
<PAGE>
 
with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting
for those instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written
instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth
in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under
this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or
such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any
action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date
any officer of the Company actually receives such application unless any such
officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to
taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the
Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such
application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.

     (h)  The Rights Agent and any stockholder, 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 reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.

     (j)  If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of
assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof,
as the case may be, has not been completed to certify the holder is not an
Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof), a 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 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent
of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and,
following the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by
first-class mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and, following
the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right 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 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 Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his
Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of
any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized
and doing business under the laws of the United States or the State of Alabama
or the State of New York (or of any other state of the United States so long as
such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the
State of Alabama or the State of New York), in good standing, having an office
in the State of Alabama or the State of New York, 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 has at the
time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50 million.  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

                                       21
<PAGE>
 
at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose.  Not later than the effective
date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing
with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock or
Preferred Stock, and, following the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Right 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 Right Certificates.  Notwithstanding any of
                   ----------------------------------                         
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such forms
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 Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection
with the issuance or sale of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and
prior to the Expiration Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common
Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii)
under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise, conversion or
exchange of securities notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a
contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing prior to the
Distribution Date, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number
of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.

     Section  23.  Redemption.
                   ---------- 

     (a)   The Board of Directors of the Company may, at any time prior to a
Flip-In Event, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a
redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof
(the redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price").
The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis
and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish.

     (b)   Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at
such later time as the Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of
such redemption), 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.  The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity
of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board of
Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company
shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its
Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at
any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23
or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of
Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.

     Section  24.  Exchange.
                   -------- 

     (a)  The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time
after a Flip-In Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and
exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a) (ii) hereof) by exchanging for each
such Right one share of Common Stock, appropriately adjusted to reflect an
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after  he date of
such Flip-In Event (such amount per Right being hereinafter referred to as the
"Exchange Consideration"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors
shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person
(other than an Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and Associates of
such Person, becomes

                                       22
<PAGE>
 
the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock aggregating 50% or more of the
shares of Common Stock then outstanding. From and after the occurrence of an
event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have not
been exchanged pursuant to this  Section 24 all thereafter be exercisable only
in accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this Section
24(a).

     (b)   Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24
and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise
such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such
Rights shall be to receive the Exchange Consideration. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of
such exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to
all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they
appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed
in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which
the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in
the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged.
Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights
(other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

     (c)   The Company may at its option substitute, and, in the event that
there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding
or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in
accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall substitute to the extent of
such insufficiency, for each share of Common Stock be issuable upon exchange of
a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or  fractions thereof (or
equivalent preferred shares, as such term is defined in  Section 11(b)) having
an aggregate current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common
Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of the Flip-
In Event.

     (d)   The Company shall not, in connection with any exchange pursuant to
this Section 24, be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In
lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of
Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value
of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common
Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

     Section  25.  Notice of Certain Events.
                   ------------------------ 

     (a)  In case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend
payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock or to make
any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock (other than a
regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred
Stocks or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of
Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights
or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other
than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred
Stock), (iv) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, or (v) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
Common Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in
Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of
a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such
stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock,
if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case
of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior

                                       23
<PAGE>
 
to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Stock for purposes
of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior
to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, whichever
shall be the earlier.

     (b)   In case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 shall
occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution Date,
the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice
of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and or
sequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) and Section
13 hereof.

     Section  26.  Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
                   -------                                                    
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered by hand,
sent by overnight courier or sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as
follows:

          Citation Corporation
          2 Office Park Circle
          Suite 204
          Birmingham, Alabama 35223
          Attention: Secretary

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if delivered by hand, sent by overnight courier or sent by first-class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company) as follows:

          Stock Transfer Administration
          The Bank of New York
          101 Barclay Street - 12 West
          New York, New York 10286

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate 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  27.  Supplements and Amendments.  Except as provided in the
                   --------------------------                            
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then
redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights
Agent shall if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this
Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights.  At
any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order to (i) cure any
ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may
be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) shorten or
lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) change or supplement the provisions
hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable;
provided that no such supplement or amendment shall adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), and no such amendment may cause
the rights again to become redeemable or cause the Agreement again to become
amendable other than in accordance with this sentence.  Notwithstanding any
thing to the contrary contained herein, no supplement or amendment which changes
the rights and duties of the Rights Agent hereunder shall be effective without
the written consent of the Rights Agent, which consent shall be given in the
sole discretion of the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which
changes the Redemption Price. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Company

                                       24
<PAGE>
 
which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the
terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or
amendment; provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall have no duty to
execute such supplement or amendment in the absence of its consent where such
consent is required by this Section 27.

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

     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 Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this
Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates
(and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock).

     Section  30.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.  The
                   ----------------------------------------------------      
Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority
to exercise the rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors
of the Company or to the Company, 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.)imitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the
Rights or to amend this Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) that are done or made by the Board
of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and
binding on the Company and the holders of the Rights, as such, and (y) not
subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.

     Section  31.  Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or
                   ------------                                      
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.

     Section  32.  Governing law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
                   -------------                                            
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and
performed entirely within such State, except that the rights and duties of the
Rights Agent shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York applicable
to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such state.

     Section  33.  Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
                   ------------                                                 
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.

     Section  34.  Descriptive Headings.  Descriptive headings of the several
                   --------------------                                      
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

                                       25
<PAGE>
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


Attest:                                  CITATION CORPORATION

By /s/ Stanley B. Atkins                  By /s/ Frederick F. Sommer

Name: Stanley B. Atkins                  Name: Frederick F. Sommer
Title: Vice President and                Title: President and CEO
       Corporate Secretary


WITNESS:                                 THE BANK OF NEW YORK


/s/ John Sivertsen                       By /s/ Ralph Chianese
Vice President                           Name: Ralph Chianese
                                         Title: Vice President

                                       26
<PAGE>
 
                                                                       Exhibit A
                                                                       ---------

                                    FORM OF
                          CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

                                      of

                 SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

                                      of

                             Citation Corporation

            Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation law
                           of the State of Delaware

          Citation Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

    That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in
accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the said
Corporation, the said Board of Directors on November 25, 1998 adopted the
following resolution creating a series of 300,000 shares of Preferred Stock
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock":

               RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
          Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the
          Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock, par value
          $0.01 per share, of the Corporation be and hereby is created, and that
          designation and number of shares thereof and the voting and other
          powers, preferences and relative, participle optional or other rights
          of the shares of such series and the qualifications, limitations and
          restrictions thereof are as follows:

                 SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

     1.   Designation and Amount.  There shall be a series of Preferred Stock
that shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock," and
the number of shares constituting such series shall be 300,000. Such number of
shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than the number of shares then
issued and outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of
outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding
securities issued by the Corporation.

     2.   Dividends and Distribution.

          (A)  Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in
preference to the holders of shares of any class or series of stock of the
Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors
out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in
cash on such quarterly dates as shall be determined by the Corporation's Board
of Directors in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a
"Quarterly Dividend

                                      A-1
<PAGE>
 
Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after
the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest
cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined
below) times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and the
Adjustment Number times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all
non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") since the
immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.  The
"Adjustment Number" shall initially be 100.  In the event the Corporation shall
at any time after November 25, 1998 (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock
or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares,
then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such
event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock). (C) Dividends shall
begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record
date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on
such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after
the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and
before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends
paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount
less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on
such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such
shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for
the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution
declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the
date fixed for the payment thereof.

     3.   Voting Rights.  The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

          (A)  Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.

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

     4.   Certain Restrictions.
 
          (A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:

                                      A-2
<PAGE>
 
          (i)    declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on,
or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;

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

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

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

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

     6.   Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  (A) Upon any liquidation
(voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no
distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received
$100.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the
"Series A Liquidation Preference").  Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made
to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received
an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by
dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) the Adjustment Number.
Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference
and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of (1) Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and (2) Common Stock, respectively, (a)
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and (b) holders of
shares of Common Stock shall, subject to the prior rights of all other series of
Preferred Stock, if any, ranking prior thereto, 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 (x) the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and (y) the Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

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

                                      A-3
<PAGE>
 
     (C)  Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with
another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation
into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.

     7.   Consolidation, Merger, Etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into
any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares
of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities,
cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the Adjustment Number times
the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property
(payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of
Common Stock is changed or exchanged.

     8.   No Redemption.  Shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall not be subject to redemption by the Company.

     9.   Ranking.  The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock
as to such matters.

     10.  Amendment.  At any time that any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation
of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

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

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this 30th
day of November, 1998.


ATTEST:                             CITATION CORPORATION



_______________________________     By:  ________________________________
Name:                               Name:
Title:                              Title:

                                      A-4
<PAGE>
 
                                                                       Exhibit B
                                                                       ---------


                           Form of Right Certificate

Certificate No. R-_____                                            _______Rights

           NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 7, 2008 OR EARLIER IF 
           REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT
           REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS
           SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
           CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, 
           RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR
           BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
           AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME 
           NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
     
                               Right Certificate

                             Citation Corporation

          This certifies that _______________ or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of November 25, 1998 as the same may be amended from time to
time (the "Rights Agreement"), between Citation Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York (the "Rights Agent"), to
purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term
is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York time, on
December 7, 2008 at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid
non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value
$0.01 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Company, at a purchase price of
$45.00 per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (the "Purchase
Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form
of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the
Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of December
7, 1998, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.  As provided
in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of
a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property) which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights and the number of Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the
happening of certain events.

          This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the
Company and the above-mentioned office or agency of the Rights Agent.  The
Company will mail to the holder of this Right Certificate a copy of the Rights
Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.

          This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of
like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the
Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled

                                      B-1
<PAGE>
 
such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part,
the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right
Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

          Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption
price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares
of the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, or shares of Preferred
Stock.

          No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which
may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but
in lieu thereof, the Company will make cash payments, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.

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

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

          WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal.  Dated as of ________________ ___, 199__.

ATTEST:                          CITATION CORPORATION



_____________________________    By:  __________________________________
Name:                            Name:
Title:                           Title:


Countersigned:


_____________________________
as Rights Agent


By  _________________________
   Authorized Signature

                                      B-2
<PAGE>
 
                   Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate

                              FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
                              ------------------


               (To be executed by the registered holder if such
               holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate)

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED _________________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
                 (Please print name and address of transferee)

________________________________________________________________________________

this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ______________________________
Attorney, to transfer said Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named
Company, with full power of substitution.

Dated:_______________________


                              ______________________________________
                               Signature

Signature Guaranteed:


     Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.

 ................................................................................
                               (To be completed)

     The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned
from, and are not being assigned to an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).


                              ______________________________________
                              Signature

                                      B-3
<PAGE>
 
             Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued

                         FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
                         ----------------------------


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

To:  Citation Corporation

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ___________ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock
(or other securities or property) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such shares of Preferred Stock (or such other
securities) be issued in the name of:

________________________________________________________________________________
                        (Please print name and address)

________________________________________________________________________________

     If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining 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 must conform to holder specified on Right Certificate)

Signature Guaranteed:  Signature must be guaranteed by a member firm of a
registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office
or correspondent in the United States.

________________________________________________________________________________
                               (To be completed)

                                      B-4
<PAGE>
 
             Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued


     The undersigned certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by, and were not acquired by the
undersigned from, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as
defined in the Rights Agreement).


                               _________________________________________
                               Signature

________________________________________________________________________________


                                    NOTICE
                                    ------


     The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as
the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.

     In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or
the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

                                      B-5
<PAGE>
 
                                                                       Exhibit C
                                                                       ---------


          UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT,
          RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
          ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN
          TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE
          TRANSFERABLE.

                         SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
                           SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK


     On November 25, 1998, the Board of Directors of Citation Corporation (the
"Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right")
for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.1 per share, of the
Company (the "Common Stock"). The dividend is payable on December 7, 1998 (the
"Record Date") to the stockholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles
the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
"Preferred Stock") of the Company at a price of $45.00 per one one-hundredth of
a share of Preferred Stock (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The
description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement dated as
of November 25, 1998, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Rights
Agreement"), between the Company and The Bank of New York as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent").

     Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement
that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring
Person") has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person
or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the
commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or
exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"),
the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock
certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate
together with a copy of this Summary of Rights.

     Existing holdings of 15% or more of the Company's Common Stock by persons
who are deemed to own directly such shares will not cause the Rights to be
exercisable, or entitle the holders of Rights to purchase additional shares of
the Company or any other entity, unless such holder acquires additional shares.
Also, existing holdings of 15% or more of the Company's Common Stock by persons
who are deemed to own indirectly such shares will not cause the Rights to be
exercisable, or entitle the holders of Rights to purchase additional shares of
the Company or any other entity, unless such holder acquires additional shares
or converts any of such holder's holdings from indirect to direct beneficial
ownership.

     The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier
redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and
only with the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption
or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued after the
Record Date upon transfer or new issuances of Common Stock will contain a
notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution
Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the
Record Date, even without such notation or a copy of this Summary of Rights,
will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of
Common Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following
the Distribution Date, separate certificates

                                      C-1
<PAGE>
 
evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record
of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and
such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

          The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date.  The
Rights will expire, if not previously exercised, on December 7, 2008 (the "Final
Expiration Date"), unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the
Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case as
described below.

          The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred
Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights is
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of
certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a
price, or securities convertible into Preferred Stock with a conversion price,
less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in
Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).

          The number of outstanding Rights is also subject to adjustment in the
event of a stock split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or subdivisions, consolidations or
combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to the
Distribution Date.

          Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will
not be redeemable. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled, when, as and
if declared, to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 per
share but will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend
declared per share of Common Stock.  In the event of liquidation, the holders of
the Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation
payment of $100.00 per share (plus any accrued but unpaid dividends) but will be
entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per share of
Common Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock will have 100 votes, voting together
with the Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or
other transaction in which shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged,
each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount
received per share of Common Stock. These rights are protected by customary
antidilution provisions.

          Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock's dividend, liquidation
and voting rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a share of
Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the
value of one share of Common Stock.

          In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights
beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void),
will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right at the then-
current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of Common Stock (or,
under certain circumstances, on economically equivalent such as the Preferred
Stock) having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.

          In the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring
Person, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold,
proper provisions will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person which will have become void) will
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then-
current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of
the person with whom the Company has engaged in the foregoing transaction (or
its parent), which number of shares at the time of such transaction will have a
market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.

          At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the earlier of one of the events described in the previous paragraph or
the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights
(other than

                                      C-2
<PAGE>
 
Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or
in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or one one-
hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or shares of a class or series of the
Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges).

          With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price.  No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be
evidenced by depositary receipts), and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash
will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last
trading day prior to the date of exercise.

          At any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the
Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price"). The redemption of
the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights
will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive
the Redemption Price.

          For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, except
with respect to the redemption price, amend the Rights in any manner.  After the
Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, except with respect to the
redemption price, amend the Rights in any manner that does not adversely affect
the interests of holders of the Rights.

          Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.

          A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated
December 1, 1998.  A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge
from the Company.  This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement,
as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby incorporated
herein by reference.

                                      C-3