exhibit4-1.htm


    Exhibit
4.1

    


    ARTICLES
OF AMENDMENT

    


    OF

    


    CAPITAL
BANK CORPORATION

    


    Capital
Bank Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the
State of North Carolina (the “Corporation”), for
the purpose of amending its articles of incorporation to fix the preferences,
limitations and relative rights of a new series of its Preferred Stock in
accordance with provisions of Section 55-6-02 and 55-10-06 of the North Carolina
Business Corporation Act, hereby submits these Articles of
Amendment:

    


    1. The name
of the corporation is CAPITAL BANK CORPORATION

    


    2. The
following text will be added to Article 4 of the Articles of Incorporation of
the Corporation to set forth the terms of the Corporation’s Fixed Rate
Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, by adding a new section (c) to
such Article:

    


     
“(c)  Fixed
Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A.”

    


    Part 1.
Designation and Number
of Shares. There is hereby created out of the authorized and unissued
shares of preferred stock of the Corporation a series of preferred stock
designated as the “Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A”
(the “Designated
Preferred Stock”). The authorized number of shares of Designated
Preferred Stock shall be 41,279.

    


    Part 2.
Standard
Provisions. The Standard Provisions contained in Annex A attached hereto
are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be
a part of these Articles of Amendment to the same extent as if such provisions
had been set forth in full herein.

    


    Part. 3.
Definitions.
The following terms are used in these Articles of Amendment (including the
Standard Provisions in Annex A hereto) as defined below:

    


    (a)                 “Common Stock” means
the common stock, no par value per share, of the Corporation.

    


    (b)                 “Dividend Payment
Date” means February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each
year.

    


    (c)                 “Junior Stock” means
the Common Stock, and any other class or series of stock of the Corporation the
terms of which expressly provide that it ranks junior to Designated Preferred
Stock as to dividend rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation.

    


    (d)                 “Liquidation Amount”
means $1,000 per share of Designated Preferred Stock.

    


    (e)                 “Minimum Amount” means
$10,319,750.00.

    


    (f)                 “Parity Stock” means
any class or series of stock of the Corporation (other than Designated Preferred
Stock) the terms of which do not expressly provide that such class or series
will rank senior or junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to dividend rights
and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation
(in each case without regard to whether dividends accrue cumulatively or
non-cumulatively).

    


    (g)                 “Signing Date” means
the Original Issue Date.

    


    Part. 4.
Certain Voting
Matters.  Holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock will
be entitled to one vote for each such share on any matter on which holders of
Designated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, including any action by written
consent.


    
      
         


      

      
        - 1
-

        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    

    3.      The
amendments to the articles of incorporation contained herein do not require
shareholder approval pursuant to Section 55-6-02 of the North Carolina Business
Corporation Act since they create a new series of shares of a class that has no
outstanding shares and do not affect a series of a class of shares in one or
more of the ways described in Section 55-10-04 of the North Carolina Business
Corporation Act. The amendments to the articles of incorporation were duly
adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation on December 10,
2008.

    


    [Remainder
of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 2
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      

    

    IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, Capital Bank Corporation has caused these Articles of Amendment
to be signed by B. Grant Yarber its Chief Executive Officer this 10th day
of December, 2008.

    


    
      	 
      	
              CAPITAL BANK
      CORPORATION

            	 
      
	 
      	 
      	 
      
	 
      	 
      	 
      
	 
      	
              By:          /s/ B. Grant
      Yarber

            	 
      
	 
      	
              Name:     B. Grant
    Yarber

            	 
      
	 
      	
              Title:       Chief Executive
      Officer

            	 
      


    

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 3
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      
ANNEX
A


    STANDARD
PROVISIONS

    


    Section
1. General
Matters. Each share of Designated Preferred Stock shall be identical in
all respects to every other share of Designated Preferred Stock. The Designated
Preferred Stock shall be perpetual, subject to the provisions of Section 5 of
these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Articles of Amendment. The
Designated Preferred Stock shall rank equally with Parity Stock and shall rank
senior to Junior Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and the
distribution of assets in the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding
up of the Corporation.

    


    Section
2. Standard
Definitions. As used herein with respect to Designated Preferred
Stock:

    


    (a)           “Applicable Dividend
Rate” means (i) during the period from the Original Issue Date to, but
excluding, the first day of the first Dividend Period commencing on or after the
fifth anniversary of the Original Issue Date, 5% per annum and (ii) from and
after the first day of the first Dividend Period commencing on or after the
fifth anniversary of the Original Issue Date, 9% per annum.

    


    (b)           “Appropriate Federal Banking
Agency” means the “appropriate Federal banking agency” with respect to
the Corporation as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act
(12 U.S.C. Section 1813(q)), or any successor provision.

    


    (c)           “Articles of
Amendment” means the Articles of Amendment relating to the Designated
Preferred Stock, of which these Standard Provisions form a part, as it may be
amended from time to time.

    


    (d)           “Business Combination”
means a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction
that requires the approval of the Corporation’s stockholders.

    


    (e)           “Business Day” means
any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in the
State of New York generally are authorized or required by law or other
governmental actions to close.

    


    (f)           “Bylaws” means the
bylaws of the Corporation, as they may be amended from time to
time.

    


    (g)           “Charter” means the
Corporation’s certificate or articles of incorporation, articles of association,
or similar organizational document.

    


    (h)           “Dividend Period” has
the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

    
      


      (i)           “Dividend Record Date” has
the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

      
        


        (j)           “Liquidation Preference” has
the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

        
           

        

      

    

    
      (k)           “Original Issue Date”
means the date on which shares of Designated Preferred Stock are first
issued.

       

      
        (l)           “Preferred Director” has the
meaning set forth in Section 7(b).

        
           

        

      

    

    (m)           “Preferred Stock”
means any and all series of preferred stock of the Corporation, including the
Designated Preferred Stock.

    


    (n)           “Qualified Equity
Offering” means the sale and issuance for cash by the Corporation to
persons other than the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries after the Original
Issue Date of shares of perpetual Preferred Stock, Common Stock or any
combination of such stock, that, in each case, qualify as and may be included in
Tier 1 capital of the Corporation at the time of issuance under the applicable
risk-based capital guidelines of the Corporation’s Appropriate Federal Banking
Agency (other than any such sales and issuances made pursuant to agreements or
arrangements entered into, or pursuant to financing plans which were publicly
announced, on or prior to October 13, 2008).


    
      
         


      

      
        - 4
-

        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    

    (o)           “Share Dilution
Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

    


    (p)           “Standard Provisions”
mean these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Articles of Amendment
relating to the Designated Preferred Stock.

    


    (q)           “Successor Preferred
Stock” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).

    


    (r)           “Voting Parity Stock”
means, with regard to any matter as to which the holders of Designated Preferred
Stock are entitled to vote as specified in Sections 7(a) and 7(b) of these
Standard Provisions that form a part of the Articles of Amendment, any and all
series of Parity Stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are
exercisable with respect to such matter.

    


    Section
3. Dividends.

    


    (a)           Rate. Holders of
Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, on each share of
Designated Preferred Stock if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors or
any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, but only out of assets
legally available therefor, cumulative cash dividends with respect to each
Dividend Period (as defined below) at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable
Dividend Rate on (i) the Liquidation Amount per share of Designated Preferred
Stock and (ii) the amount of accrued and unpaid dividends for any prior Dividend
Period on such share of Designated Preferred Stock, if any. Such dividends shall
begin to accrue and be cumulative from the Original Issue Date, shall compound
on each subsequent Dividend Payment Date (i.e., no dividends shall
accrue on other dividends unless and until the first Dividend Payment Date for
such other dividends has passed without such other dividends having been paid on
such date) and shall be payable quarterly in arrears on each Dividend Payment
Date, commencing with the first such Dividend Payment Date to occur at least 20
calendar days after the Original Issue Date. In the event that any Dividend
Payment Date would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, the
dividend payment due on that date will be postponed to the next day that is a
Business Day and no additional dividends will accrue as a result of that
postponement. The period from and including any Dividend Payment Date to, but
excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date is a “Dividend Period”,
provided that the
initial Dividend Period shall be the period from and including the Original
Issue Date to, but excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date.

    


    Dividends
that are payable on Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period
shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day
months. The amount of dividends payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any
date prior to the end of a Dividend Period, and for the initial Dividend Period,
shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day
months, and actual days elapsed over a 30-day month.

    


    Dividends
that are payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date will
be payable to holders of record of Designated Preferred Stock as they appear on
the stock register of the Corporation on the applicable record date, which shall
be the 15th calendar day immediately preceding such Dividend Payment Date or
such other record date fixed by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized
committee of the Board of Directors that is not more than 60 nor less than 10
days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “Dividend Record
Date”). Any such day that is a Dividend Record Date shall be a Dividend
Record Date whether or not such day is a Business Day.

    


    Holders
of Designated Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether
payable in cash, securities or other property, other than dividends (if any)
declared and payable on Designated Preferred Stock as specified in this Section
3 (subject to the other provisions of the Articles of Amendment).

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 5
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      

    

    (b)           Priority of
Dividends. So long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains
outstanding, no dividend or distribution shall be declared or paid on the Common
Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than dividends payable solely
in shares of Common Stock) or Parity Stock, subject to the immediately following
paragraph in the case of Parity Stock, and no Common Stock, Junior Stock or
Parity Stock shall be, directly or indirectly, purchased, redeemed or otherwise
acquired for consideration by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries unless
all accrued and unpaid dividends for all past Dividend Periods, including the
latest completed Dividend Period (including, if applicable as provided in
Section 3(a) above, dividends on such amount), on all outstanding shares of
Designated Preferred Stock have been or are contemporaneously declared and paid
in full (or have been declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has
been set aside for the benefit of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred
Stock on the applicable record date). The foregoing limitation shall not apply
to (i) redemptions, purchases or other acquisitions of shares of Common Stock or
other Junior Stock in connection with the administration of any employee benefit
plan in the ordinary course of business (including purchases to offset the Share
Dilution Amount (as defined below) pursuant to a publicly announced repurchase
plan) and consistent with past practice, provided that any purchases
to offset the Share Dilution Amount shall in no event exceed the Share Dilution
Amount; (ii) purchases or other acquisitions by a broker-dealer subsidiary of
the Corporation solely for the purpose of market-making, stabilization or
customer facilitation transactions in Junior Stock or Parity Stock in the
ordinary course of its business; (iii) purchases by a broker-dealer subsidiary
of the Corporation of capital stock of the Corporation for resale pursuant to an
offering by the Corporation of such capital stock underwritten by such
broker-dealer subsidiary; (iv) any dividends or distributions of rights or
Junior Stock in connection with a stockholders’ rights plan or any redemption or
repurchase of rights pursuant to any stockholders’ rights plan; (v) the
acquisition by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries of record ownership in
Junior Stock or Parity Stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons
(other than the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries), including as trustees
or custodians; and (vi) the exchange or conversion of Junior Stock for or into
other Junior Stock or of Parity Stock for or into other Parity Stock (with the
same or lesser aggregate liquidation amount) or Junior Stock, in each case,
solely to the extent required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered
into prior to the Signing Date or any subsequent agreement for the accelerated
exercise, settlement or exchange thereof for Common Stock. “Share Dilution
Amount” means the increase in the number of diluted shares outstanding
(determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States, and as measured from the date of the Corporation’s consolidated
financial statements most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission prior to the Original Issue Date) resulting from the grant, vesting
or exercise of equity-based compensation to employees and equitably adjusted for
any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, reclassification or
similar transaction.

    


    When
dividends are not paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set
aside for the benefit of the holders thereof on the applicable record date) on
any Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having dividend
payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend payment
date falling within a Dividend Period related to such Dividend Payment Date) in
full upon Designated Preferred Stock and any shares of Parity Stock, all
dividends declared on Designated Preferred Stock and all such Parity Stock and
payable on such Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having
dividend payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend
payment date falling within the Dividend Period related to such Dividend Payment
Date) shall be declared pro
rata so that the respective amounts of such dividends declared shall bear
the same ratio to each other as all accrued and unpaid dividends per share on
the shares of Designated Preferred Stock (including, if applicable as provided
in Section 3(a) above, dividends on such amount) and all Parity Stock payable on
such Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having dividend
payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend payment
date falling within the Dividend Period related to such Dividend Payment Date)
(subject to their having been declared by the Board of Directors or a duly
authorized committee of the Board of Directors out of legally available funds
and including, in the case of Parity Stock that bears cumulative dividends, all
accrued but unpaid dividends) bear to each other. If the Board of Directors or a
duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors determines not to pay any
dividend or a full dividend on a Dividend Payment Date, the Corporation will
provide written notice to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock prior to
such Dividend Payment Date.

    


    Subject
to the foregoing, and not otherwise, such dividends (payable in cash, securities
or other property) as may be determined by the Board of Directors or any duly
authorized committee of the Board of Directors may be declared and paid on any
securities, including Common Stock and other Junior Stock, from time to time out
of any funds legally available for such payment, and holders of Designated
Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such
dividends.


    
      
         


      

      
        - 6
-

        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    

    Section
4. Liquidation
Rights.

    


    (a)           Voluntary or Involuntary
Liquidation. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up
of the affairs of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of
Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive for each share of
Designated Preferred Stock, out of the assets of the Corporation or proceeds
thereof (whether capital or surplus) available for distribution to stockholders
of the Corporation, subject to the rights of any creditors of the Corporation,
before any distribution of such assets or proceeds is made to or set aside for
the holders of Common Stock and any other stock of the Corporation ranking
junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution, payment in full in
an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Liquidation Amount per share and (ii) the
amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends (including, if applicable as provided
in Section 3(a) above, dividends on such amount), whether or not declared, to
the date of payment (such amounts collectively, the “Liquidation
Preference”).

    


    (b)           Partial Payment. If
in any distribution described in Section 4(a) above the assets of the
Corporation or proceeds thereof are not sufficient to pay in full the amounts
payable with respect to all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock and
the corresponding amounts payable with respect of any other stock of the
Corporation ranking equally with Designated Preferred Stock as to such
distribution, holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the holders of such
other stock shall share ratably in any such distribution in proportion to the
full respective distributions to which they are entitled.

    


    (c)           Residual
Distributions. If the Liquidation Preference has been paid in full to all
holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the corresponding amounts payable with
respect of any other stock of the Corporation ranking equally with Designated
Preferred Stock as to such distribution has been paid in full, the holders of
other stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets
of the Corporation (or proceeds thereof) according to their respective rights
and preferences.

    


    (d)           Merger, Consolidation and
Sale of Assets Not Liquidation. For purposes of this Section 4, the
merger or consolidation of the Corporation with any other corporation or other
entity, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Designated
Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or other property for their shares, or
the sale, lease or exchange (for cash, securities or other property) of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, shall not constitute a
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

    


    Section
5. Redemption.

    


    (a)           Optional Redemption.
Except as provided below, the Designated Preferred Stock may not be redeemed
prior to the first Dividend Payment Date falling on or after the third
anniversary of the Original Issue Date. On or after the first Dividend Payment
Date falling on or after the third anniversary of the Original Issue Date, the
Corporation, at its option, subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal
Banking Agency, may redeem, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to
time, out of funds legally available therefor, the shares of Designated
Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, upon notice given as provided in
Section 5(c) below, at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) the
Liquidation Amount per share and (ii) except as otherwise provided below, any
accrued and unpaid dividends (including, if applicable as provided in Section
3(a) above, dividends on such amount) (regardless of whether any dividends are
actually declared) to, but excluding, the date fixed for
redemption.

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 7
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      

    

    Notwithstanding
the foregoing, prior to the first Dividend Payment Date falling on or after the
third anniversary of the Original Issue Date, the Corporation, at its option,
subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, may redeem,
in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, the shares of Designated
Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, upon notice given as provided in
Section 5(c) below, at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) the
Liquidation Amount per share and (ii) except as otherwise provided below, any
accrued and unpaid dividends (including, if applicable as provided in Section
3(a) above, dividends on such amount) (regardless of whether any dividends are
actually declared) to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption; provided that (x) the
Corporation (or any successor by Business Combination) has received aggregate
gross proceeds of not less than the Minimum Amount (plus the “Minimum Amount” as
defined in the relevant articles of amendment for each other outstanding series
of preferred stock of such successor that was originally issued to the United
States Department of the Treasury (the “Successor Preferred
Stock”) in connection with the Troubled Asset Relief Program Capital
Purchase Program) from one or more Qualified Equity Offerings (including
Qualified Equity Offerings of such successor), and (y) the aggregate redemption
price of the Designated Preferred Stock (and any Successor Preferred Stock)
redeemed pursuant to this paragraph may not exceed the aggregate net cash
proceeds received by the Corporation (or any successor by Business Combination)
from such Qualified Equity Offerings (including Qualified Equity Offerings of
such successor).

    


    The
redemption price for any shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be payable
on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the
certificate(s) evidencing such shares to the Corporation or its agent. Any
declared but unpaid dividends payable on a redemption date that occurs
subsequent to the Dividend Record Date for a Dividend Period shall not be paid
to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date,
but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such
Dividend Record Date relating to the Dividend Payment Date as provided in
Section 3 above.

    


    (b)           No Sinking Fund. The
Designated Preferred Stock will not be subject to any mandatory redemption,
sinking fund or other similar provisions. Holders of Designated Preferred Stock
will have no right to require redemption or repurchase of any shares of
Designated Preferred Stock.

    


    (c)           Notice of Redemption.
Notice of every redemption of shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be
given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record
of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the
books of the Corporation. Such mailing shall be at least 30 days and not more
than 60 days before the date fixed for redemption. Any notice mailed as provided
in this Subsection shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given,
whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such
notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any
holder of shares of Designated Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall
not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other
shares of Designated Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares
of Designated Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The
Depository Trust Corporation or any other similar facility, notice of redemption
may be given to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock at such time and in
any manner permitted by such facility. Each notice of redemption given to a
holder shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the number of shares of
Designated Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held
by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from
such holder; (3) the redemption price; and (4) the place or places where
certificates for such shares are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption
price.

    


    (d)           Partial Redemption.
In case of any redemption of part of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at
the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either pro rata or in such other
manner as the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof may
determine to be fair and equitable. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board
of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof shall have full power and
authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Designated
Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time. If fewer than all the
shares represented by any certificate are redeemed, a new certificate shall be
issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holder
thereof.

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 8
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      

    

    (e)           Effectiveness of
Redemption. If notice of redemption has been duly given and if on or
before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for the
redemption have been deposited by the Corporation, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the
holders of the shares called for redemption, with a bank or trust company doing
business in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and having a capital
and surplus of at least $500 million and selected by the Board of Directors, so
as to be and continue to be available solely therefor, then, notwithstanding
that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been
surrendered for cancellation, on and after the redemption date dividends shall
cease to accrue on all shares so called for redemption, all shares so called for
redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights with respect to
such shares shall forthwith on such redemption date cease and terminate, except
only the right of the holders thereof to receive the amount payable on such
redemption from such bank or trust company, without interest. Any funds
unclaimed at the end of three years from the redemption date shall, to the
extent permitted by law, be released to the Corporation, after which time the
holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to the
Corporation for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

    


    (f)           Status of Redeemed
Shares. Shares of Designated Preferred Stock that are redeemed,
repurchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation shall revert to authorized
but unissued shares of Preferred Stock (provided that any such
cancelled shares of Designated Preferred Stock may be reissued only as shares of
any series of Preferred Stock other than Designated Preferred
Stock).

    


    Section
6. Conversion.
Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shares shall have no right to exchange or
convert such shares into any other securities.

    


    Section
7. Voting
Rights.

    


    (a)           General. The holders
of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any voting rights except as set
forth below or as otherwise from time to time required by law.

    


    (b)           Preferred Stock
Directors. Whenever, at any time or times, dividends payable on the
shares of Designated Preferred Stock have not been paid for an aggregate of six
quarterly Dividend Periods or more, whether or not consecutive, the authorized
number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by two
and the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock shall have the right, with
holders of shares of any one or more other classes or series of Voting Parity
Stock outstanding at the time, voting together as a class, to elect two
directors (hereinafter the “Preferred Directors”
and each a “Preferred
Director”) to fill such newly created directorships at the Corporation’s
next annual meeting of stockholders (or at a special meeting called for that
purpose prior to such next annual meeting) and at each subsequent annual meeting
of stockholders until all accrued and unpaid dividends for all past Dividend
Periods, including the latest completed Dividend Period (including, if
applicable as provided in Section 3(a) above, dividends on such amount), on all
outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock have been declared and paid in
full at which time such right shall terminate with respect to the Designated
Preferred Stock, except as herein or by law expressly provided, subject to
revesting in the event of each and every subsequent default of the character
above mentioned; provided that it shall be a
qualification for election for any Preferred Director that the election of such
Preferred Director shall not cause the Corporation to violate any corporate
governance requirements of any securities exchange or other trading facility on
which securities of the Corporation may then be listed or traded that listed or
traded companies must have a majority of independent directors. Upon any
termination of the right of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock
and Voting Parity Stock as a class to vote for directors as provided above, the
Preferred Directors shall cease to be qualified as directors, the term of office
of all Preferred Directors then in office shall terminate immediately and the
authorized number of directors shall be reduced by the number of Preferred
Directors elected pursuant hereto. Any Preferred Director may be removed at any
time, with or without cause, and any vacancy created thereby may be filled, only
by the affirmative vote of the holders a majority of the shares of Designated
Preferred Stock at the time outstanding voting separately as a class together
with the holders of shares of Voting Parity Stock, to the extent the voting
rights of such holders described above are then exercisable. If the office of
any Preferred Director becomes vacant for any reason other than removal from
office as aforesaid, the remaining Preferred Director may choose a successor who
shall hold office for the unexpired term in respect of which such vacancy
occurred.

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 9
-

          
            

          

        

        
           


        

      

    

    (c)           Class Voting Rights as to
Particular Matters. So long as any shares of Designated Preferred Stock
are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders
required by law or by the Charter, the vote or consent of the holders of at
least 66 2/3% of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time
outstanding, voting as a separate class, given in person or by proxy, either in
writing without a meeting or by vote at any meeting called for the purpose,
shall be necessary for effecting or validating:

    


    (i)         Authorization of Senior
Stock. Any amendment or alteration of the Articles of Amendment for the
Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter to authorize or create or increase the
authorized amount of, or any issuance of, any shares of, or any securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of, any class or
series of capital stock of the Corporation ranking senior to Designated
Preferred Stock with respect to either or both the payment of dividends and/or
the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation;

    


    (ii)         Amendment of Designated
Preferred Stock. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of
the Articles of Amendment for the Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter
(including, unless no vote on such merger or consolidation is required by
Section 7(c)(iii) below, any amendment, alteration or repeal by means of a
merger, consolidation or otherwise) so as to adversely affect the rights,
preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Designated Preferred Stock;
or

    


    (iii)         Share Exchanges,
Reclassifications, Mergers and Consolidations. Any consummation of a
binding share exchange or reclassification involving the Designated Preferred
Stock, or of a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with another
corporation or other entity, unless in each case (x) the shares of Designated
Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or
consolidation with respect to which the Corporation is not the surviving or
resulting entity, are converted into or exchanged for preference securities of
the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent, and (y) such shares
remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have
such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and
restrictions thereof, taken as a whole, as are not materially less favorable to
the holders thereof than the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers,
and limitations and restrictions thereof, of Designated Preferred Stock
immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole;

    


    provided, however, that for all
purposes of this Section 7(c), any increase in the amount of the authorized
Preferred Stock, including any increase in the authorized amount of Designated
Preferred Stock necessary to satisfy preemptive or similar rights granted by the
Corporation to other persons prior to the Signing Date, or the creation and
issuance, or an increase in the authorized or issued amount, whether pursuant to
preemptive or similar rights or otherwise, of any other series of Preferred
Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any
other series of Preferred Stock, ranking equally with and/or junior to
Designated Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends (whether
such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and the distribution of assets
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation will not be
deemed to adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers,
and shall not require the affirmative vote or consent of, the holders of
outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock.

    


    (d)           Changes after Provision for
Redemption. No vote or consent of the holders of Designated Preferred
Stock shall be required pursuant to Section 7(c) above if, at or prior to the
time when any such vote or consent would otherwise be required pursuant to such
Section, all outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock shall have
been redeemed, or shall have been called for redemption upon proper notice and
sufficient funds shall have been deposited in trust for such redemption, in each
case pursuant to Section 5 above.

    


    (e)           Procedures for Voting and
Consents. The rules and procedures for calling and conducting any meeting
of the holders of Designated Preferred Stock (including, without limitation, the
fixing of a record date in connection therewith), the solicitation and use of
proxies at such a meeting, the obtaining of written consents and any other
aspect or matter with regard to such a meeting or such consents shall be
governed by any rules of the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee
of the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may adopt from time to time, which
rules and procedures shall conform to the requirements of the Charter, the
Bylaws, and applicable law and the rules of any national securities exchange or
other trading facility on which Designated Preferred Stock is listed or traded
at the time.


    
      
         


      

      
        - 10
-

        
          

        

      

      
         


      

    

    Section
8. Record
Holders. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the
Corporation and the transfer agent for Designated Preferred Stock may deem and
treat the record holder of any share of Designated Preferred Stock as the true
and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Corporation nor such
transfer agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

    


    Section
9. Notices. All
notices or communications in respect of Designated Preferred Stock shall be
sufficiently given if given in writing and delivered in person or by first class
mail, postage prepaid, or if given in such other manner as may be permitted in
these Articles of Amendment, in the Charter or Bylaws or by applicable law.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Designated Preferred Stock are
issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Corporation or any
similar facility, such notices may be given to the holders of Designated
Preferred Stock in any manner permitted by such facility.

    


    Section
10. No Preemptive
Rights. No share of Designated Preferred Stock shall have any rights of
preemption whatsoever as to any securities of the Corporation, or any warrants,
rights or options issued or granted with respect thereto, regardless of how such
securities, or such warrants, rights or options, may be designated, issued or
granted.

    


    Section
11. Replacement
Certificates. The Corporation shall replace any mutilated certificate at
the holder’s expense upon surrender of that certificate to the Corporation. The
Corporation shall replace certificates that become destroyed, stolen or lost at
the holder’s expense upon delivery to the Corporation of reasonably satisfactory
evidence that the certificate has been destroyed, stolen or lost, together with
any indemnity that may be reasonably required by the Corporation.

    


    Section
12. Other
Rights. The shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any
rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers or relative, participating,
optional or other special rights, or qualifications, limitations or restrictions
thereof, other than as set forth herein or in the Charter or as provided by
applicable law.

    

      
        
           


        

        
          - 11
-