ex41052010.htm


EXHIBIT 4.1


 







 







 







 







 







 


STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT


 


Dated as of April 29, 2010


 


BY AND BETWEEN


 


HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.


 


and


 


CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY


 


as RIGHTS AGENT


 







 






  





  











  








TABLE OF CONTENTS




 




	
Section 1

	
Certain Definitions

	
1


	
Section 2

	
Appointment of Rights Agent

	
5


	
Section 3

	
Distribution Date; Issue of Rights Certificates

	
6


	
Section 4

	
Form of Rights Certificates

	
7


	
Section 5

	
Countersignature and Registration

	
8


	
Section 6

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

	
8


	
Section 7

	
Exercise of Rights; Expiration Date of Right

	
9


	
Section 8

	
Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates

	
11


	
Section 9

	
Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock

	
11


	
Section 10

	
Company Common Stock Record Date

	
12


	
Section 11

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

	
13


	
Section 12

	
Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares

	
20


	
Section 13

	
[Reserved]

	
20


	
Section 14

	
Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares

	
20


	
Section 15

	
Rights of Action

	
21


	
Section 16

	
Agreement of Rights Holders

	
21


	
Section 17

	
Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder

	
22


	
Section 18

	
Concerning the Rights Agent

	
22


	
Section 19

	
Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

	
23


	
Section 20

	
Duties of Rights Agent

	
23


	
Section 21

	
Change of Rights Agent

	
25


	
Section 22

	
Issuance of New Rights Certificates

	
26


	
Section 23

	
Redemption and Termination

	
26


	
Section 24

	
Exchange

	
27


	
Section 25

	
Notice of Certain Events

	
27


	
Section 26

	
Notices

	
28


	
Section 27

	
Supplements and Amendments

	
28


	
Section 28

	
Successors

	
29


	
Section 29

	
Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors

	
29


	
Section 30

	
Benefits of this Agreement

	
30


	
Section 31

	
Severability

	
30


	
Section 32

	
Governing Law

	
30


	
Section 33

	
Counterparts

	
30


	
Section 34

	
Descriptive Headings

	
30














Exhibit A - Form of Right Certificate


Exhibit B - Summary of Rights to Acquire Common Stock


 







 












 


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STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT


 


STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of April 29, 2010 (this "Agreement"), by and between HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY (the "Rights Agent").


 


WHEREAS, effective on April 29, 2010 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a distribution of one Right for each share of Company Common Stock outstanding at the Close of Business on April 29, 2010 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant hereto) for each share of Company Common Stock issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury), and except as otherwise provided in Section 22, the Distribution Date, each Right initially representing the right to purchase one share of Company Common Stock (the "Rights") upon the terms and subject to the conditions in this Agreement;


 


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


 


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


 


"Acquiring Person" means any Person (a) which is on the Rights Dividend Declaration Date or (b) upon the acquisition of additional shares of Company Common Stock after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date becomes, the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the shares of Company Common Stock from time to time outstanding; provided, however, that the term "Acquiring Person" shall not include an Exempt Person.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company may determine in good faith (with the concurrence of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office prior to the time of the event causing a Person to become an Acquiring Person) that a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" is, in fact, not an "Acquiring Person" for purposes of this Agreement.


 


 


 












 


 




  





  











  








 


"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 ("Rule 12b-2"), as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that the term "Associate" shall not include any Person who would be an Associate only as a result of clause (2) of the definition of Associate contained in such Rule 12b-2.


 


"Beneficial Owner" or "Beneficial Ownership"  A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" or possessing "Beneficial Ownership" of, and shall be deemed to "beneficially own", any securities:


 


(i)           of which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates is considered to be a Beneficial Owner under Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (the "Exchange Act Regulations") as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any securities under this Paragraph (i) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such securities if such agreement, arrangement or understanding (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);


 


(ii)           which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of such other Person) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than customary agreements with and between or among underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide firmly committed public offering), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to the above Paragraph (i) or disposing of such securities;


 


(iii)           which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the satisfaction of conditions) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than customary agreements with and between or among underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide firmly committed public offering), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that under this Paragraph (iii) a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made in accordance with the Exchange Act or Exchange Act


 












 


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Regulations by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B) securities that may be issued upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities that may be issued upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights; or


 


(iv)           which are the subject of a derivative transaction entered into by such Person, or derivative security acquired by such Person, which gives such Person the economic equivalent of ownership of an amount of such securities due to the fact that the value of the derivative is explicitly determined by reference to the price or value of such securities, without regard to whether (A) such derivative conveys any voting rights in such securities to such Person, (B) the derivative is required to be, or capable of being, settled through delivery of such securities, or (C) such Person may have entered into other transactions that hedge the economic effect of such derivative. In determining the number of Common Stock deemed Beneficially Owned by virtue of the operation of this Section 1, the subject Person shall be deemed to Beneficially Own (without duplication) the number of Common Stock that are synthetically owned pursuant to such derivative transactions or such derivative securities. Common Stock deemed to be Beneficially Owned pursuant to the operation of this Section 1 is referred to herein as "Derivative Common Stock."


 


"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.


 


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


 


"Common Stock" of any Person other than the Company means the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or, if such Person shall have no capital stock, the equity securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the management of such Person.


 


"Common Stock Equivalents" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).


 


"Company Common Stock" means the Common Stock of the Company.


 


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


 












 


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"Current Market Price" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).


 


"Current Value" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).


 


"Depositary Agent" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c).


 


"Derivative Common Stock" has the meaning set forth in Subsection (iv) of the definition of Beneficial Ownership above.


 


"Distribution Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).


 


"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


 


"Exempt Person" means:


 


(i)           the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any person or entity organized, appointed, established or holding Company Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan;


 


(ii)           any Person who would otherwise become an Acquiring Person solely by virtue of a reduction in the number of outstanding shares of Company Common Stock; provided, however, that any such Person shall not be an Exempt Person if, subsequent to such reduction, such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Company Common Stock; or


 


(iii)           William P. Hales and his immediate family members and their Affiliates and Associates.


 


"Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).


 


"Final Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).


 


"NASDAQ" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).


 


"Person" shall mean any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, as well as any syndicate or group deemed to be a person under Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act.


 


"Purchase Price" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).


 


"Record Date" has the meaning set forth in the recital hereto.


 












 


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"Redemption Price" has the meaning set forth in Section 23.


 


"Registration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 9(c).


 


"Registration Statements" has the meaning set forth in Section 9(c).


 


"Right" has the meaning set forth in the recital hereto.


 


"Rights Certificate" has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).


 


"Rights Dividend Declaration Date" has the meaning set forth in the recital hereto.


 


"Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).


 


"Securities Act" has the meaning set forth in Section 9(c).


 


"Spread" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).


 


"Stock Acquisition Date" means the earlier of (i) the date of the first public announcement (including, without limitation, the filing of any report pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such (or if a Person is obligated to make such a public announcement pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act but has failed to do so as required by applicable law, the actual date upon which such Person is first required to make such a public announcement) or (ii) such earlier date that the Board of Directors of the Company first becomes aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person as evidenced by a resolution of the Board to such effect.


 


"Subsidiary" means, with reference to any Person, any other Person of which an amount of voting securities or equity interests sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors or equivalent governing body of such other Person is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such first-mentioned Person.


 


"Summary of Rights" has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b)).


 


"Trading Day" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).


 


"Triggering Event" means any Section 11(a)(ii) Event.


 


"Unit" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).


 


SECTION 2.  Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment.  With the consent of the Rights Agent, the Company may from time to time appoint such "co-Rights Agents" as it may deem necessary or desirable.


 












 


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SECTION 3.  Distribution Date; Issue of Rights Certificates.


 


(a)           Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office prior to such time and of which the Company will give the Rights Agent prompt written notice), and (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office prior to such time and of which the Company will give the Rights Agent prompt written notice) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than by the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a) of the Exchange Act Regulations or any successor rule, if upon consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the shares of Company Common Stock then outstanding (the earlier of (i) and (ii) above being the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Subsection (b) of this Section 3) by the shares of Company Common Stock, whether represented by certificates or uncertificated, registered in the names of the holders of shares of Company Common Stock as of and subsequent to the Record Date (which shares of Company Common Stock shall be deemed also to represent the Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Company Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company) and not separately.


 


As promptly as reasonably practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Company Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (the "Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Company Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein.  In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Company Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(o) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company may make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof, so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights.  As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.


 


(b)           As promptly as reasonably practicable following the Record Date, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Acquire Company Common Stock in a form which may be appended to certificates that represent shares of Company Common Stock which may be written statements describing shares of Company Common Stock, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Company Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.


 












 


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(c)           Rights shall, without any further action, be issued in respect of all shares of Company Common Stock which are issued (including any shares of Company Common Stock held in treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date.  Certificates representing such shares of Company Common Stock and written statements delivered to registered holders of the shares of Company Common Stock describing uncertificated shares of Company Common Stock registered to such holder, issued or delivered after the Record Date shall bear the following legend/notice substantially as follows:


 


"This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Stockholder Rights Agreement between Hemagen Diagnostics, Inc. (the "Company") and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights Agent") dated as of April 29, 2010 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal office of the stock transfer administration office of the Rights Agent.  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 the shares of stock described herein.  The Company will mail to the holder of the shares of stock described herein a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge as promptly as reasonably practicable after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void."


 


SECTION 4.  Form of Rights Certificates.


 


(a)           The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to exercise, assignment and certificate to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or any rule or regulation thereunder or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or to conform to usage.  Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to acquire such number of Units of Company Common Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein, but the amount and type of securities, cash or other assets that may be acquired upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.


 


(b)           Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant hereto that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) which becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) which becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and which receives such Rights pursuant


 












 


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to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding either the transferred Rights, shares of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined to be part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof shall, upon the written direction of the Board of Directors of the Company, contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:


 


The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement.


 


SECTION 5.  Countersignature and Registration.


 


(a)           Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or one of its Vice Presidents, if any, under its corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries.  The signature of any of these officers on the Rights Certificates may be manual or facsimile.  Rights Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of the individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the countersignature of such Rights Certificates or did not hold such offices at the date of such Rights Certificates.  No Rights Certificate shall be entitled to any benefit under this Agreement or be valid for any purpose unless there appears on such Rights Certificate a countersignature duly executed by the Rights Agent by manual signature of an authorized signatory, and such countersignature upon any Rights Certificate shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Rights Certificate has been duly countersigned as required hereunder.


 


(b)           Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office designated for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder.  Such books shall show the name and address of each holder of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each Rights Certificate and the date of each Rights Certificate.


 


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


 


(a)           Subject to the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to 












 


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acquire a like number of Units of Company Common Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to acquire.  Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.  Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and executed the certificate set forth in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) of the Rights represented by such Rights Certificate or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request; whereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.


 


(b)           If a Rights Certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, upon request by the registered holder of the Rights represented thereby and upon payment to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incident thereto, there shall be issued, in exchange for and upon cancellation of the mutilated Rights Certificate, or in substitution for the lost, stolen or destroyed Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate, in substantially the form of the prior Rights Certificate, of like tenor and representing the equivalent number of Rights, but, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, only upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the Company and the Rights Agent of such loss, theft or destruction of such Rights Certificate and, if requested by the Company or the Rights Agent, indemnity also satisfactory to it.


 


SECTION 7.  Exercise of Rights; Expiration Date of Rights.


 


(a)           Prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) anniversary hereof (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being the "Expiration Date"), or the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may, subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e) and 9(c) hereof, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to exercise and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together (if applicable) with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price (as defined in Subsection (b) below) for the number of Units of Company Common Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) for which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable.


 


(b)           The purchase price for each one share (each such one share being a "Unit") of Company Common Stock upon exercise of Rights shall be $0.15, subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 hereof (such purchase price, as so adjusted, being the "Purchase Price"), and shall be payable in accordance with Subsection (c) below.


 












 


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(c)           As promptly as reasonably practicable following the occurrence of the Distribution Date, the Company shall deposit with a corporation in good standing organized under the laws of the United States or any State of the United States, 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 (such institution being the "Depositary Agent"), shares of Company Common Stock that may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights and shall cause such Depositary Agent to enter into an agreement pursuant to which the Depositary Agent shall issue receipts representing interests in the shares of Company Common Stock so deposited.  Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to exercise and the certificate duly executed, accompanied (if applicable) by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price for the Units of Company Common Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased thereby as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or evidence satisfactory to the Company of payment of such tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) requisition from the Depositary Agent depositary receipts representing such number of Units of Company Common Stock as are to be acquired and the Company will direct the Depositary Agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate.  In the event that the Company is obligated to issue Company Common Stock, 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 Company Common Stock, other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.  The payment (if applicable) of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) may be made by certified or bank check or money order payable to the order of the Rights Agent (i.e., Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company).  The Rights Agent shall promptly transfer the amount of such payments received by it pursuant to this paragraph to the Company.


 


(d)           [Reserved]


 


(e)           Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of any Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of a Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) which becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) which becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the 


 












 


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Acquiring Person becoming such and which receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, shares of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined to be part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall be null and void without any further action, and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, nor shall any such Person be entitled to receive any property or securities in an exchange pursuant to Section 24 hereof, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.  The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determination under this Section 7(e) or such Section 4(b) with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees.


 


(f)           Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Rights Certificate to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise by such registered holder unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and executed the certificate following the form of election to exercise set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) of the Rights represented by such Rights Certificate or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.


 


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


 


SECTION 9.                      Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.  1)  The Company shall at all times prior to the Expiration Date cause to be reserved and kept available, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Company Common Stock, the number of shares of Company Common Stock that, as provided in this Agreement, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights or to permit any exchange pursuant to Section 24 hereof.  Upon the occurrence of any events resulting in an increase in the aggregate number of shares of Company Common Stock (or Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, as the case may be) issuable upon exercise of all outstanding Rights above the number then reserved, the Company shall make appropriate increases in the number of shares so reserved.


 












 


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(b)           If the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, as the case may be, to be issued and delivered upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall during the period from the Distribution Date through the Expiration Date use its best efforts to cause all securities reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.


 


(c)           To the extent necessary to permit the Rights to be exercised in accordance with the terms of this Agreement without conflict with applicable law, the Company shall use its best efforts (i) as soon as practicable following a Distribution Date (the date on which such registration statement is filed being the "Registration Date"), to file a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the securities that may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights (the "Registration Statement"), (ii) to cause the Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, (iii) to cause the Registration Statement to continue to be effective (and to include a prospectus complying with the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for the securities covered by the Registration Statement, and (B) the Expiration Date and (iv) to take as soon as practicable following the Registration Date such action as may be required to ensure that any acquisition of securities upon exercise of the Rights complies with any applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws.


 


(d)           The Company shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, as the case may be, that may be delivered upon exercise of Rights issued upon exercise of the Rights shall be, at the time of delivery of the certificates representing such securities, written statements describing such securities or depositary receipts for such securities, duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and non-assessable.


 


(e)           The Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or transfer tax imposed in connection with the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or upon the exercise of Rights; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to pay any such tax imposed in connection with the issuance or delivery of Units of Company Common Stock, or any certificates representing, written statements describing or depositary receipts for such Units of Company Common Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, any other securities, cash or assets, as the case may be) to any person other than the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing the Rights surrendered for exercise.  The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates, written statements or depository receipts for Units of Company Common Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, any other securities, cash or assets, as the case may be) to, or in a name other than that of, the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.


 


SECTION 10.  Company Common Stock Record Date.  Each Person in whose name any Units of Company Common Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) are issued and registered upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Units of Company Common Stock (or, 












 


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following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) on, and the date of such issuance and registration shall be, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (if applicable) and any applicable transfer taxes was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Company Common Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such securities on, and the date of such issuance and registration shall be, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Company Common Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) transfer books of the Company are open and, further provided, however, that if delivery of Units of Company Common Stock is delayed pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof, such Persons shall be deemed to have become the record holders of such Units of Company Common Stock only when such Units first become deliverable.  Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to securities for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.


 


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


 


(a)           (i)           In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Company Common Stock payable in shares of Company Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Company Common Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Company Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Company Common 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 Company Common Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date upon exercise of the Rights, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment (if applicable) of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Company Common Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification.  If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.


 












 


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(ii)           Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event that:


 


(A)           any Person shall become an Acquiring Person;


 


(B)           any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, (1) shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger or combination and Company Common Stock shall remain outstanding and unchanged, (2) shall, in one transaction or a series of transactions, transfer any assets to the Company or to any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for shares of Company Common Stock, for other equity securities of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or for securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (whether Company Common Stock or otherwise) or otherwise obtain from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, with or without consideration, any additional shares of such equity securities or securities exercisable for or convertible into such equity securities (other than pursuant to a pro rata distribution to all holders of Company Common Stock);


 


(C)           during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, there shall be any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split), or recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of the Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person), which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than one percent (1%) the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is directly or indirectly beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person;


 


(D)           during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, the Company shall issue new shares of capital stock to an Acquiring Person having voting power in the election of directors of the Company (other than Company Common Stock); or


 


(E)           during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, the Company shall take material steps to liquidate or dissolve;


 


then, immediately upon the date of the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii)(A)-(E) hereof (a "Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon full or partial exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this


 












 


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Agreement, in lieu of a number of one share of Common Stock, up to such number of shares of Company Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of Units for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) fifty percent (50%) of the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the earlier of (a) the date on which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person and (b) the date on which a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a) of the Exchange Act Regulations or any successor rule, if upon consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the shares of Company Common Stock then outstanding.


 


(iii)           In the event that the number of shares of Company Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing Paragraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), or in any exchange of the Rights pursuant to Section 24 hereof, the Company, by the vote of the Board of Directors shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess being the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the shares of Company Common Stock so issuable, upon payment of the Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock (such other shares being "Common Stock Equivalents")), (3) debt securities of the Company, (4) other assets, or (5) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, after receiving advice from an investment banking firm; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right, shares of Company Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash shall have an aggregate value equal to the Spread.  Any substitution pursuant to Subsection (ii) of this Section 11(a) shall be effected by the Company, by the vote of the Board of Directors, subject to Section 11(e) hereof, in its sole and absolute discretion.  For purposes of this Section 11(a)(ii), the value of a share of Company Common Stock shall be the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Company Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any common stock equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value as the Company Common Stock on such date.


 


(b)           In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Company Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five calendar days after such record date) shares of Company Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or securities 


 












 


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convertible into Company Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at a price per share of Company Common Stock or per share of Common Stock Equivalents (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Company Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents) less than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Company Common Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the sum of the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Company Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Company Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents 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 Company Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Company Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible).  In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.  Shares of Company Common Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company or any Subsidiary shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.  Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.


 


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


 












 


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(d)           For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "Current Market Price" per share of Company Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such shares for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days (as defined in this Section 11(d) below) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, if prior to the expiration of such requisite ten Trading Day period the issuer announces either (A) a dividend or distribution on such shares payable in such shares or securities convertible into such shares (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such shares, then, following the ex-dividend date for such dividend or the record date for such subdivision, as the case may be, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account such event.  The closing price for each day shall be, if the shares are listed and admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which such shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if such shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date such shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in such shares selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.  If on any such date no market maker is making a market in such shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.  If such shares are not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. The term "Trading Day" shall mean, if such shares are listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which such shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if such shares are not so listed or admitted, a Business Day.


 


(e)           Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment.  All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten thousandth of a Unit of Company Common Stock or other share.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment and (ii) the Expiration Date.


 


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


 












 


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(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 Units of Company Common Stock (or other securities or amount of cash or combination thereof) that may be acquired 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 Units of Company Common Stock (calculated to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Unit) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Units of Company Common Stock covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.


 


(i)           The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of Units of Company Common Stock that may be acquired upon the exercise of a Right.  Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Units of Company Common 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 ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price.  The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made.  This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, provided, however, that if the Rights Certificates have been issued, the record date shall be at least ten days later than the date of such public announcement.  If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment.  Rights Certificates to be so distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.


 


(j)           Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of Units of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per Unit and the number of Units of Company Common Stock which were expressed in the Initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.


 












 


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(k)           Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value of the number of Units of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue such fully paid and non-assessable number of Units of Company Common Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.


 


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


 


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


 


(n)           After the Distribution Date, the Company shall not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 25 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.


 


(o)           Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock payable in shares of Company Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of Company Common Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), the number of Rights


 












 


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associated with each share of Company Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Company Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Company Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.


 


SECTION 12.  Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.  Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Company Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) if Rights Certificates have been issued, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.


 


SECTION 13.  [Reserved]


 


SECTION 14.  Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.


 


(a)           The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.  In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the Persons to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to such fraction of the market value of a whole Right.  For purposes of this Section 14(a), the market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable.  The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be, if the Rights are listed or admitted to trading on a national securities 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 and such determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.


 












 


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(b)           In connection with any exercise of Rights, or any exchange of Rights pursuant to Section 24 hereof, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Company Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Company Common Stock.  If the Company elects not to issue fractional Company Common Stock or odd fractional Company Common Stock, then, in lieu of such fractional shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holder of each Right otherwise entitled to receive the same at the time such Right is exercised or exchanged as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share.  For the purposes of this Subsection (b), the current market value of a whole share of Company Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Company Common Stock, as the case may be (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.


 


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


 


SECTION 15.  Rights of Action.  All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of shares of Company Common Stock); and any  registered holder of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of shares of Company Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of shares of Company Common Stock), may, on its own behalf and for its own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company or any other Person to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement.  Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.


 


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


 


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


 


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


 


 












 


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


 


(d)           notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or any 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.


 


SECTION 17.  Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.  No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of shares of Company Common Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or, except as provided in Section 24 hereof, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders, or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.


 


SECTION 18.  Concerning the Rights Agent.


 


(a)           The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses, including reasonable fees and disbursements of its counsel, incurred in connection with the execution and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company shall indemnify the Rights Agent for, and hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability hereunder.


 


(b)           The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate, certificate for Company Common Stock, or written statement describing shares of Company Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer bearing a proper medallion stamp guarantee, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged by the proper Person or Persons.


 












 


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


 


(a)           Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust or shareholder services businesses 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 document or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof.  In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.


 


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


 


SECTION 20.  Duties of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:


 


(a)           The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the written opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.


 


(b)           Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be specified herein) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.


 


(c)           The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.  Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.


 



 












 


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


 


(e)           The Rights Agent shall not have any responsibility for the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or for the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or failure by the Company to satisfy conditions contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of the certificate describing any such adjustment contemplated by Section 12 hereof); 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 Company Common Stock or any other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Company Common Stock or any other securities will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.


 


(f)           The Company shall perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the performance by the Rights Agent of its duties under this Agreement and shall provide free upon request of any holder of a Right a copy of this Agreement.


 


(g)           The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.  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 such 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 shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the 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.


 


 



 












 


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(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.


 


(j)           No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of its rights hereunder if the Rights Agent shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.


 


(k)           If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to exercise, as the case may be, has either not been completed, not signed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.  If such certificate has been completed and signed and shows a negative response to clauses 1 and 2 of such certificate, unless previously instructed otherwise in writing by the Company (which instructions may impose on the Rights Agent additional ministerial responsibilities, but no discretionary responsibilities), the Rights Agent may assume without further inquiry that the Rights Certificate is not owned by a person described in Section 4(b) or Section 7(e) hereof and shall not be charged with any knowledge to the contrary.


 


SECTION 21.                                Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty days' prior notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the Company Common Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty days' prior notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Company Common Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.  If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States in good standing, shall be authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers, shall be subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and shall have at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of a corporation described in clause (a).


 


After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose.  Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Company Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates.  Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent.


 












 


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SECTION 22.  Issuance of New Rights Certificates.  Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement in the Purchase Price or the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property that may be acquired under the Rights Certificates.  In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Company Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Company Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.


 


SECTION 23.  Redemption and Termination.


 


(a)           Subject to Section 30 hereof, the Company may, at its option, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date (or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office prior to such time) or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.0000001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being the "Redemption Price"), and the Company may, at its option, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, pay the Redemption Price either in shares of Company Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price of the shares of Company Common Stock at the time of redemption) or cash.  Such redemption of the Rights by the Company 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; provided, however, if the Board of Directors of the Company authorizes redemption of the Rights on or after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then there must be Continuing Directors then in office and such authorization shall require the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors.


 


(b)           Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall be filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held.  Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of 




 











 


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such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for Company Common Stock.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.


 


SECTION 24.  Exchange.


 


(a)           The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Company Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Company Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the effective date of this Agreement (such exchange ratio being the "Exchange Ratio").


 


(b)           Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Subsection (a) of this Section 24 (or at such later time as may be specified by the Board in taking such action) and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Company Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.  The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights in accordance with Section 25 hereof.  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 Company 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 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.


 


SECTION 25.  Notice of Certain Events.


 


(a)           In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to offer to the holders of Company Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Company Common Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (ii) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or earning power Persons, (iii) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, (iv) to declare or pay any dividend on the Company Common Stock payable in Company Common Stock, or (v) to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Company Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Company Common Stock), then, in each such case, the 


 












 


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Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Company Common 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 ten (10) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Company Common Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Company Common Stock whichever shall be the earlier.


 


(b)           In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.


 


SECTION 26.   Notices.  All notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall, unless stated herein, be in writing and mailed or sent or delivered, if to the Company, at its address at:


 


Hemagen Diagnostics, Inc.


9033 Red Branch Road


Columbia, MD  21045


 


Attention:  President/CEO


 


and if to the Rights Agent, at its address at:


 


Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company


17 Battery Place, 8th Floor


New York, NY  10004


 


Attention:  Compliance Department


 


Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of shares of Company Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.


 


SECTION 27.  Supplements and Amendments.  Prior to the Distribution Date and subject to this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of shares of Company Common Stock.  From and after the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27 as described below, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement 


 












 


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without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder (which lengthening or shortening, following the first time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shall be effective only if there are Continuing Directors and shall require the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors), or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, however, that  this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) subject to Section 30 hereof, a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights.  Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the Redemption Price, the Purchase Price, the Expiration Date or the number of Units of Company Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable without the approval of the Board of Directors of the Company (and with the concurrence of a majority of the Continuing Directors, where specifically provided for herein).  Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Company Common Stock.


 


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.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.  For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Company 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 Exchange Act Regulations as in effect on the date hereof.  Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Board of Directors of the Company (and, where specifically provided for herein, the Continuing Directors) shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company (or, where specifically provided for herein, the Continuing Directors), or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power (i) to interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) to make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement.  All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board, any member thereof or the Continuing Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.


 












 


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


 


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; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement and the Rights shall not then be redeemable, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors of the Company.


 


SECTION 32.  Governing Law.  This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts executed in and to be performed entirely in such State.


 


SECTION 33.  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed (including by facsimile) in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.


 


SECTION 34.  Descriptive Headings.  The headings contained in this Agreement are for descriptive purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.


 


[Signature Page Follows]


 












 


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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.



 




	 	
HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.


 


 

	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	/s/ William P. Hales	 
	 	 	Name:  William P. Hales	 
	 	 	Title:    Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer	 
	 	 	 	 





 








	 	
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, 


as Rights Agent


 


 

	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	 /s/ Alexandra Albrecht	 
	 	 	Name:  Alexandra Albrecht	 
	 	 	Title:    Vice President	 
	 	 	 	 







 


 












 


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EXHIBIT A


 


[Form of Rights Certificate]


 


Certificate No. __________


 


NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT REFERRED TO BELOW).  THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.  [UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.]  [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT REFERRED TO BELOW).  ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(E) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]*


 


Rights Certificate


 


HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.


 


This certifies that ______________ or its registered assigns is the registered holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the registered holder thereof, subject to the terms and conditions of the Stockholder Rights Agreement dated as of April 29, 2010 (the "Rights Agreement") between Hemagen Diagnostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (which term shall include any successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date at the office of the Rights Agent, one fully paid and non-assessable share of Common Stock (the "Company Common Stock"), of the Company at the Purchase Price initially of $0.15 per one share (each such one share being a "Unit") of Company Common Stock, upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Election to Exercise and related certificate duly executed.  The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of Units which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per Unit set forth above shall be subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.  Terms defined in the Rights Agreement shall have the same meaning in this Rights Certificate unless otherwise defined differently herein.


 


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

 




 









  

* The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted where applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.














 


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In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced hereby may entitle the registered holder thereof to receive, upon exercise of such Rights, Common Stock of the Company or cash or other assets, all as provided in the Rights Agreement.


 


In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced hereby may entitle the registered holder thereof to receive, upon exercise of such Rights, capital stock of an entity other than the Company or cash or other assets, all as provided in the Rights Agreement.


 


This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates.  Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company and are available from the Company upon written request.


 


This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing an aggregate number of Rights equal to the aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered.  If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the registered holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.


 


Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company under certain circumstances at its option at a redemption price of $0.0000001 per Right, payable at the Company's option in cash or in common stock of the Company, subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.  No fractional shares of Company Common Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement. No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Company Common Stock or of any other securities which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.


 












 


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


 


WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.  Dated as of ____________, ____.


 




	 	 ATTEST:  HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC. 

 

	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	 	 
	 	 	Name 	 
	 	 	Title 	 
	 	 	 	 







 



	 	
Countersigned:


 


Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent


 

	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	 	 
	 	 	Name 	 
	 	 	Title 	 
	 	 	 	 





 












 


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[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]


FORM OF ASSIGNMENT


 


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


 


FOR VALUE RECEIVED __________________________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ________________________________ _______________________________ (Please print name and address of transferee) ____________________________________________________________________ this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ___________ Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.


 


Dated: ____________, ____


 







 







 


_____________________


Signature


 







 


Signature Guaranteed:


 


Certificate


 


The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:


 


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


 


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


 


Dated: ____________, ____


 







 


_____________________


Signature


 


Signature Guaranteed:


 












 


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NOTICE


 


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


 


Signatures must be guaranteed by an approved eligible financial institution acceptable to the Rights Agent in its sole discretion or by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock Exchange Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program.


 


In the event the certification set forth above is not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment, will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange for this Rights Certificate.


 












 


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FORM OF ELECTION TO EXERCISE


 


(To be executed if the registered holder desires to


exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)







To:           HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.


 


The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to acquire in exchange for the surrender of such Rights the Units of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person or other property which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that such Units be issued in the name of and delivered to:


 


_________________________________


(Please print name and address)


 


_________________________________


Please insert social security


 


or other identifying numbers:__________


 


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


 


_________________________________


(Please print name and address)


 


_________________________________


Please insert social security


 


or other identifying numbers:__________


 


Dated: ____________, ____


 


_________________________________


Signature


 


Signature Guaranteed:


 












 


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Certificate


 


The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:


 


(1)  the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate  o are  o are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement); and


 


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


 


Dated: ____________, ____


 







 


_________________________________


Signature


 


Signature Guaranteed:


 












 


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NOTICE


 


The signature in the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever. Signatures must be guaranteed by an approved eligible financial institution acceptable to the Rights Agent in its sole discretion or by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock Exchange Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program.


 


In the event the certification set forth above is not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment, will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange for this Rights Certificate.


 







 












 


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EXHIBIT B


 


SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO ACQUIRE


SHARES OF HEMAGEN COMMON STOCK


 


On April 29, 2010, the Board of Directors of Hemagen Diagnostics, Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one Common Stock Purchase Right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company (the “Company Common Stock”) to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 29, 2010 (the “Record Date”).  The Rights will also attach to new shares of Common Stock issued after the Record Date.  Each Right entitles the registered holder thereof to purchase from the Company one share (a “Unit”) of Common Stock of the Company at a cash exercise price of $0.15 per share (the “Exercise Price”), subject to adjustment, under certain conditions specified in a Rights Agreement dated as of April 29, 2010 (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Rights Agent”) and summarized below.  The Purchase Price is payable in cash or by certified or bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company.  The full description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the Rights Agreement.


 


Distribution Date


 


Initially, the Rights will be attached to the certificates representing outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, and no separate Rights certificates will be distributed.  The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date (as defined below) and will expire at the close of business on April 29, 2020 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.  Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by and will be transferred with and only with such Company Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after April 29, 2010, will contain a legend incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Company Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Company Common Stock represented by such certificate. As promptly as reasonably practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Company Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and thereafter, the separate Rights certificates alone will represent the Rights.  Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the only Company Common Stock that will be issued with Rights is Company Common Stock issued prior to the earliest of (i) the Distribution Date, and (ii) the Expiration Date.


 


The Rights will separate from the Company Common Stock and the "Distribution Date" will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, obtained the right to acquire, or otherwise obtained beneficial ownership of ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock (or an earlier date under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), and (ii) ten (10) business days following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Company Common Stock.  The Continuing Directors (defined as the directors who are not affiliated or associated with an Acquiring Person) may vote to extend these 


 












 


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timeframes in their discretion. In the event that (i) an Acquiring Person becomes the beneficial owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the then outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, (ii) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger with an Acquiring Person and shares of Company Common Stock shall remain outstanding, (iii) an Acquiring Person engages in one or more "self-dealing" transactions as set forth in the Rights Agreement, (iv) the Company takes steps to liquidate or dissolve, or (v) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, an event occurs which results in such Acquiring Person's ownership interest being increased by more than one percent (1%) (e.g., by means of a reverse stock split or recapitalization), then, in each such case, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to acquire, upon exercise of such Right, up to that number of shares of Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times (2x) the exercise price of the Right.  The exercise price is the Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Units of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of a Right prior to the events described in this paragraph. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void.


 


Subscription Rights


 


The Purchase Price and the number of Units of the Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Company Common Stock, (ii) if holders of the Company Common Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Company Common Stock or convertible securities at less than the Current Market Price of the Company Common Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to the holders of the Company Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness, cash or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least one percent (1%) of the Purchase Price.  The Company is not required to issue fractional Units or shares of the Company Common Stock.  In lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash may be made based on the market price of the Company Common Stock prior to the date of exercise or exchange.


 


Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote o to receive dividends.  While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholder or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable or exchangeable for Units or shares of Company Common Stock (or other consideration).


 












 


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Exchange Feature


 


At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person, but before any person becomes the beneficial owner of fifty percent or more of the Company's Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person or group which become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Company Common Stock, per Right (subject to adjustment).


 


The Rights Agreement excludes from the definition of Acquiring Person certain defined Exempt Person(s) and any Person the Board of Directors determines in good faith (with the concurrence of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office prior to the time of the event causing a Person to become an Acquiring Person) is, in fact, an Acquiring Person for purposes of the Rights Agreement.  William P. Hales and his immediate family members and their affiliates and associates are defined as an Exempt Person.


 


Adjustments


 


The Exercise Price payable, and the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Common Stock, (ii) if holders of the Common Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Common Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).


 


With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Exercise Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Exercise Price. The Company is not obligated to issue fractional shares. If the Company elects not to issue fractional shares, in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be made based on the fair market value of the Common Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.


 


Redemption


 


The Rights may be redeemed in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.0000001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors) by the Board of Directors only until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth (10th) business day after the Stock Acquisition Date or such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of Continuing Directors (as defined in the Rights Agreement) then in office prior to such time at which any person becomes an Acquiring Person; or (ii) the expiration date of the Rights Agreement.  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and, thereafter, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price. 

 




 












 


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Amendment


 


Any provision in the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors in order to cure any ambiguity, make corrections, lengthen or shorten time periods (which lengthening or shortening, following the first time a person becomes an Acquiring Person, shall be effective only if there are Continuing Directors and shall require the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors) and to otherwise make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person); provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period governing redemption may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable or to lengthen any time period unless for the purpose of protecting or enhancing the rights or benefits of the holders of the Rights.


 


Expiration Date


 


The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of business on the April 29, 2020 Final Expiration Date, unless previously redeemed or exchanged by the Company.


 


Miscellaneous


 


The form of Right Certificate is attached as Exhibit A to the Rights Agreement. The foregoing description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


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