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Exhibit 4.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. 

  

  

and

  

  

Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent

 

  

Tax Benefit Preservation Plan

 

 Dated as of February 2, 2010

 

 TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN

 

                  Tax Benefit Preservation Plan, dated as February 2, 2010 (“Plan”) between Ambac Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company, as rights agent (the “Rights Agent”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

                  The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on February 16, 2010 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock of the Company that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).

 

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

 

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

 

                  (a)      “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (other than any Exempt Person) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; provided, however, that, (i) any Person who or which would otherwise be an Acquiring Person as of the date of this Plan (such person, an “Existing Holder”) will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purpose of this Plan prior to or after the date of this Plan unless and until such time as (A) such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person thereafter becomes, individually or in the aggregate, the Beneficial Owner of additional Common Stock representing one percent (1.0%) or more of the Common Stock then outstanding, not including shares of Common Stock obtained (1) pursuant to any agreement or regular-way purchase order for Common Stock that is in effect on or prior to the date of this Plan and consummated in accordance with its terms after the date of this Plan, or (2) as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Stock are treated equally, or (B) any other Person who is the Beneficial Owner of Common Stock becomes an Affiliate or Associate of such Person after the date of this Plan; provided,  however, that the foregoing exclusion in this clause (i) shall cease to apply with respect to any Person at such time as such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, Beneficially Owns less than 4.9% of the then-outstanding Common Stock, and (ii) a Person will not be deemed to have become an Acquiring Person solely as a result of a reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding 

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unless and until such time as (A) such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Stock, other than as a result of a stock dividend, stock split or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Stock are treated equally, or (B) any other Person who is the Beneficial Owner of Common Stock becomes an Affiliate or Associate of such Person after the date of this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) the Board of Directors of the Company determines that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and (2) such Person divests as promptly as practicable or agrees in writing with the Company to divest a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then, if the Board of Directors of the Company so chooses, such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Plan; provided, however, that the requirement in this clause (2) shall apply only if the actions specified therein are required by the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

                  (b)      “Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Plan and, to the extent not included within the foregoing, will also include, with respect to any Person, any other Person (other than an Exempt Person) whose Common Stock would be deemed owned constructively or indirectly by such first Person pursuant to the provisions of Section 382; provided, however, that a Person will not be deemed to be the Affiliate or Associate of another Person solely because either or both Persons are or were Directors of the Company.

 

                  (c)      “Associate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Plan.

 

                  (d)      A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” any securities:

 

          (i)      which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;

 

          (ii)      which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise, or the obligation to acquire as a result of of such Person’s ownership or beneficial ownership of the Company’s outstanding equity units or any purchase contract originally issued as part of an equity unit),; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not  

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be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

 

         (iii)      which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(d)(ii)(B) hereof) or disposing of any securities of the Company.

 

                  Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, to the extent not within the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (d), a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, any securities which such Person would be deemed to own constructively or indirectly pursuant to Section 382.

 

                  Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary, the phrase “then outstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

                  (g)      “Common Stock” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company. “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.

 

                  (h)      “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

 

                  (i)      “Early Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

 

                  (j)      “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

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                  (k)      “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

 

                  (l)      “Exempt Person” shall mean a Person whose Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) of 4.9% or more of the then-outstanding Common Stock, as determined after the date hereof by the Company’s Board of Directors in its sole discretion, (i) will not jeopardize or endanger the availability to the Company of any income tax benefit or (ii) is otherwise in the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that such a Person will cease to be an Exempt Person if the Board makes a contrary determination with respect to the effect of such Person’s Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) regardless of the reason therefor.

 

                  (m)      “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

 

                  (n)      “NASDAQ” shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System.

 

                  (o)     “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust, estate or other entity, or a group of Persons making a “coordinated acquisition” of shares or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such individual or entity, but shall not include a Public Group (as such term is defined in Section 1.382-2T(f)(13) of the Treasury Regulations).

 

                  (p)     “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate of Designations attached to this Plan as Exhibit A.

 

                  (q)     “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.

 

                  (r)     “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

 

                  (s)     “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

 

                  (t)     “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.

 

                  (u)     “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

 

                  (v)     “Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

 

                  (w)     “Section 382” shall mean Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor provision or replacement provision.

 

                  (x)     “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person, prior to the earliest of the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date and the Final Expiration Date, that an Acquiring Person has become such.

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                  (y)     “Stockholder Approval” shall mean the approval of this Plan by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company entitled to vote, and present, or represented by proxy, at the meeting of stockholders of the Company duly held in accordance with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (as amended) and applicable law.  

 

                  (z)     “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

                  (aa)     “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.

 

                  (bb)     “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.

 

                  (cc)     “Treasury Regulations” shall mean final, temporary and proposed income tax regulations promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any amendments thereto.

 

                  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. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable, upon ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent.  In the event the Company appoints one or more co-rights agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any co-rights agents under the provisions of this Plan shall be as the Company shall determine, and the Company will notify, in writing, the Rights Agent and any co-rights agents of such respective duties.  The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-rights agent.

 

                  Section 3.     Issue of Right Certificates. (a) Until the Close of Business on the tenth day after, but not including, the Shares Acquisition Date (including any such Shares Acquisition Date which is after the date of this Plan and prior to the issuance of the Rights) (the “Distribution Date”), (i) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Stock of the Company registered in the names of the holders thereof (such certificates for the Common Stock shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (ii) the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested by written notice and provided with all relevant information, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Stock, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock of the Company so held (other than with respect to Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof).   

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As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates and the Rights will be transferable only separately from the transfer of the shares of Common Stock.  

 

            The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent, in writing, upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following.  Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent  shall not be deemed to have knowledge of the occurrence of a Distribution Date, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith, unless and until it has received such notice in writing.    

 

                  (b)     On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will, at its option, either send (by first-class, postage-prepaid mail at the address shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or the registrar for the Common Stock) or make otherwise available to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”). With respect to certificates for Common Stock of the Company outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto. Until the Distribution Date (or the earliest of the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock of the Company outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented thereby.

 

                  (c)   Certificates for such Common Stock of the Company which become outstanding after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend in substantially the following form:

 

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in an Plan between Ambac Financial Group, Inc. and Mellon Investor Services LLC, dated as of February 2, 2010, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Ambac Financial Group, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Plan, such Rights (as defined in the Plan) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Ambac Financial Group, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Plan without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. As set forth in the Plan, Rights beneficially owned by any Person (as defined in the Plan) who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Plan) become null and void.

 

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate (prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date or  

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the Final Expiration Date) shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Stock of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock of the Company shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company which are no longer outstanding.

 

                  Section 4.      Form of Right Certificates. (a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan and which do not affect the rights, duties, obligations or liabilities of the Rights Agent, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any applicable rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share at the price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share set forth herein in Section 7(b), but the number of such one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

                  Section 5.      Countersignature and Registration. The Right Certificates shall be duly executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, its Treasurer, any Managing Director or any Vice President, the Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (any of the foregoing, an “Authorized Officer”), either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually or by facsimile countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the individual who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any individual who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Plan any such individual was not such an officer.

 

                  Following the Distribution Date and the receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect as provided in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office designated for such purposes, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

 

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                  Section 6.      Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates. Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earliest of the Redemption Date, the Early Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office designated for such purposes of the Rights Agent.   Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have properly completed and duly signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request. Thereupon or as promptly as practicable thereafter, the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.  The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon instructions received from any Authorized Officer to take any action under this Plan despite the fact that any such tax or charge has not yet been paid   

 

                  Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

 

                  Section 7.      Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights. (a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided in this Plan), in whole or in part, at any time after the Distribution Date, upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office designated for such purposes of the Rights Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on February 2, 2013 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption  

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Date”), (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 or any successor statute, or any other change, if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that this Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of tax benefits, (v) February 2, 2011 if Stockholder Approval has not been obtained prior to such date, in which event the Company shall notify the Rights Agent promptly thereafter or (vi) a determination by the Board, prior to the time any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, that the Plan and the Rights are no longer in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders (the earliest of the dates set forth in clauses (iv), (v), and (vi), the “Early Expiration Date”).

 

                  (b)      The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $5.00 (the “Purchase Price”),  and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 hereof, and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

 

                  (c)      Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes any such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares with such depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such request; (ii) when necessary to comply with or give effect to the terms of this Plan, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof; (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder (If the Company is obligated to deliver Common Stock or other securities or assets pursuant to this Rights Plan, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such securities and assets are available for delivery by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with or give effect to the terms of this Plan.); and (iv) when necessary to comply with or give effect to the terms of this Plan, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.  The payment of the Purchase Price shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including, without limitation, Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a), the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with the terms of this Plan. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would  

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be issued.

 

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

                 (e)     Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company will be obligated to undertake any action with respect to any purported transfer, split up, combination or exchange of any Right Certificate pursuant to Section 6 or exercise of a Right Certificate as set forth in this Section 7 unless the registered holder of such Right Certificate has (i) properly completed and duly signed the certificate following the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase, as applicable, set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer, split up, combination, exchange or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request.

 

                  Section 8.      Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Plan. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. Subject to applicable law and regulation, the Rights Agent shall maintain in a retrievable database electronic records of all cancelled or destroyed stock certificates which have been canceled or destroyed by the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall maintain such electronic records or physical records for the time period required by applicable law and regulation. Upon written request of the Company (and at the expense of the Company), the Rights Agent shall provide to the Company or its designee copies of such electronic records or physical records relating to rights certificates cancelled or destroyed by the Rights Agent.

 

                  Section 9.      Availability of Preferred Shares. The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7 hereof. The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

 

                  The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of  

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Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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                  (ii)      Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person) shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Plan and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Stock of the Company (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event. In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and does not become an Exempt Person prior to the Distribution Date and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

 

                  From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be null and void, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Plan. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate or with respect to any shares of Common Stock otherwise deemed to be Beneficially Owned by any of the foregoing; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person or other Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled.                  

 

(iii)      In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with subparagraph (ii) above, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Stock for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock of the Company that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock of the Company as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

 

                  (b)      In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price  

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per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

                  (c)      In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares 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 holders of the Rights) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date;  provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

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                  (d)      (i)      For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to, but not including, such date; provided, however, that, in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or Securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after, but not including, the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the bid and asked prices, regular way, reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time by NASDAQ or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

 

                  (ii)      For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one thousand. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent.

          

(e)      No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred  

15

Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.

 

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

 

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

 

                 (h)      Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (B) 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 substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date  

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Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein, and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

 

                  (j)      Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

                  (m)      Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b) hereof, hereafter made by the Company to holders of the Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

 

                  (n)      In the event that, at any time after the date of this Plan and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common  

17

Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each share of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each share of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected. 

 

                  Section 12.      Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts, computations and accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock or the Preferred Shares and the Securities and Exchange Commission a copy of such certificate and (c) if such adjustment occurs at any time after the Distribution Date, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall be fully entitled to rely on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement contained therein, and the Rights Agent shall have no duty or liability with respect to and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any 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 Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected  

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by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

 

                  (b)      The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (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.

 

                  (c)        Following the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of a share of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

 

                  (d)      The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).

(e)        Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payment and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments.  The Rights Agent shall be fully entitled to rely upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any Section of this Plan relating to payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate.  

 

                  Section 15.      Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Plan, excepting the rights of action expressly given to the Rights Agent hereunder, are vested in the respective  

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registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Plan. 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 by the Company of this Plan, and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations by the Company of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Plan.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

                  Section 17.      Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at  

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any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

                  Section 18.      Concerning the Rights Agent. The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder, and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, negotiation, delivery administration and execution of this Plan and any amendment of this Plan and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (each as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration of and performance of its duties under this Plan, including, without limitation, the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.  The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the termination of this Plan, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.  The costs and expenses incurred by the Rights Agent in successfully enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company.

 

                  The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its acceptance and administration of this Plan and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include actions taken by the Company under Section 11(i) and Section 11(l)) and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith, unless and until it has received such notice in writing.  

 

                  Section 19.      Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.  Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the  

21

successor to the Rights Agent under this Plan without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto;  provided  that such Person 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 Plan, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Plan.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

                  (b)      Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Plan 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, suffering or omitting to be taken any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate duly signed by any Authorized Officer and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith under the provisions of this Plan in reliance upon such certificate.

 

                  (c)      The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as finally determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction).  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  

22

limited to, lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.  Any liability of the Rights Agent  to the Company under this Plan will be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.  

 

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

 

                  (e)      The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Plan or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Plan or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 23 or 24 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Plan or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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

 

                  (g)      The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any Authorized Officer, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in  accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.  The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received from any such Authorized Officer with respect to a particular action or topic.     

 

                  (h)      The Rights Agent and any stockholder, Affiliate, 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 the Rights Agent were not Rights Agent under this Plan. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any stockholder, Affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other  

23

capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

 

                  (i)      The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.

 

(j)         No provision of this Plan shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it reasonably believes 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 purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

 

(l)         At any time and from time to time after the Distribution Date, upon the request of the Company, the Rights Agent shall deliver to the Company a list, as of the most recent practicable date (or as of such earlier date as may be specified by the Company), of the holders of record of the Rights.

 

                  Section 21.      Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Plan upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent by registered or certified mail, in the event that the transfer agent is a Person other than the Rights Agent or one of the Rights Agent’s affiliates. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Plan as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice; provided, however, that the Rights Agent will provide assistance as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the Company’s transition to a replacement rights agent.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any  

24

Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation or other entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has individually or combined with an Affiliate at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

 

                  Section 22.      Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Plan or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Plan.

 

                  Section 23.      Redemption. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors of the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, may establish.  The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the current per share market price of the Common Stock at the time of redemption as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.

 

                  (b)        Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, the  

25

Company shall mail a notice of redemption to the Rights Agent and all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date.

            

(c)        In the case of a redemption under Section 23(a) hereof, the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such action, all outstanding Right Certificates shall be null and void without any further action by the Company.

 

 

                  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 null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Stock of the Company at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any adjustment in the number of Rights pursuant to Section 11(i) (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”).

 

                  (b)      Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) 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 at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the 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 null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

 

                  (c)     In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Stock issued but not  

26

outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

 

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

 

                  Section 25.      Notice of Certain Events. (a) In case the Company shall, at any time after the Distribution Date, propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of the Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of the Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of the Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, 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 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such 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 Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and, in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

27

 

                  (b)      In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

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

	
 

	
 

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. 

One State Street Plaza

New York, New York 10004

Attention: General Counsel 

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

	
 

	
 

Mellon Investor Services LLC

Newport Office Center VII

480 Washington Blvd

Jersey City, NJ 07310

Attention: Relationship Manager

 

With a copy to: 

Mellon Investor Services LLC

Newport Office Center VII

480 Washington Blvd

Jersey City, NJ 07310

Attention: General Counsel

 

Notices or demands authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

 

                  Section 27.      Supplements and Amendments. The Company may from time to time supplement or amend this Plan without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or to amend or make any other provisions with respect to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that, from and  

28

after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person and does not become an Exempt Person prior to the Distribution Date, this Plan shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).  Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall promptly execute such supplement or amendment, provided, however, that the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplement or amendment that adversely affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties or obligations in its capacity as Rights Agent under this Plan. The Rights Agent hereby acknowledges that in all matters arising under this Plan, including any amendment hereto pursuant to this Section 27, time is of the essence.

 

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

 

                  Section 29.      Benefits of this Plan. Nothing in this Plan shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Plan; but this Plan shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock).

 

                  Section 30.      Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Plan 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 Plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if such excluded provision shall in any way adversely affect the rights, duties, immunities or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately upon two Business Days notice.    

 

                  Section 31.      Governing Law. This Plan and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such state.  

 

                  Section 32.      Counterparts. This Plan may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.  A signature to this Plan transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature. 

 

                  Section 33.      Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Plan are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

 

29

                  Section 34.      Determinations and Actions by the Board. For all purposes of this Plan, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, will be made in accordance with, as the Board of Directors deems to be applicable, the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act or the provisions of Section 382. The Board of Directors of the Company will have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Plan and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Plan, including without limitation the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Plan (including without limitation Section 27, this Section 34 and other provisions hereof relating to its powers or authority hereunder) and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan (including without limitation any determination contemplated by Section 1(a) or any determination as to whether particular Rights shall have become null and void). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, any omission with respect to any of the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith will (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 of Directors of the Company to any liability to any Person, including without limitation the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.  The Rights Agent shall be entitled to assume that the Company’s Board of Directors acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability in reliance thereon.

 

            Section 35.      Process to Seek Exemption. Any Person who desires to effect any acquisition of Common Stock that would, if consummated, result in such Person (together with its Affiliates and Associates) beneficially owning 4.9% or more of the then-outstanding Common Stock (or, in the case of an Existing Holder, additional shares of Common Stock representing 1.0% or more of the then-outstanding Common Stock) (a “Requesting Person”) may, prior to the acquisition of the Common Stock and in accordance with this Section 35, request that the Board grant an exemption with respect to such acquisition under this Plan so that such acquisition would be deemed to be an “Exempt Transaction” for purposes of this Plan (an “Exemption Request"). An Exemption Request shall be in proper form and shall be delivered by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive office of the Company. To be in proper form, an Exemption Request shall set forth (i) the name and address of the Requesting Person, (ii) the number and percentage of shares of Common Stock then beneficially owned by the Requesting Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of the Requesting Person, and (iii) a reasonably detailed description of the transaction or transactions by which the Requesting Person would propose to acquire Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock aggregating 4.9% or more of the then outstanding Common Stock (or, in the case of an Existing Holder, additional shares of Common Stock representing 1.0% or more of the then-outstanding Common Stock) and the maximum number and percentage of shares of Common Stock that the Requesting Person proposes to acquire. The Board shall make a determination whether to grant an exemption in response to an Exemption Request as promptly as practicable (and, in any event, within ten (10) Business Days) after receipt thereof; provided, that the failure of the Board to make a determination within such period shall be deemed to constitute the denial by the Board of the Exemption Request.  Any exemption granted hereunder  

30

may be granted in whole or in part, and may be subject to limitations or conditions (including a requirement that the Requesting Person agree that it will not acquire Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock in excess of the maximum number and percentage of shares approved by the Board), in each case as and to the extent the Board shall determine necessary or desirable. 

Any Exemption Request may be submitted on a confidential basis and, except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company shall maintain the confidentiality of such Exemption Request and the Board's determination with respect thereto. 

 

Section 36.      Force Majeure.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruption or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest.  

31

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

 

 

	
Attest: 

	
 

	
Ambac Financial Group, Inc.  

	
 

	
 

	
By           /s/ Anne G. Kelly

	
 

	
By           /s/ David Trick

	
         Name: Anne G. Kelly

	
 

	
         Name: David Trick

	
         Title:   Managing Director,

                   Secretary and Assistant

                   General Counsel

	
 

	
         Title:    Senior Managing Director, 

                    CFO & Treasurer

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
Mellon Investor Services LLC, 

as Rights Agent

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
By            /s/ Kayur Patel

	
 

	
 

	
         Name:  Kayur Patel

	
 

	
 

	
         Title:     VP

 

 

32

 

	
Exhibit A

 

	
FORM

 

 of

 

	
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

 

	
of

SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

	
of

 

	
Ambac Financial Group, Inc. 

 

 (Pursuant to Section 151 of the

 Delaware General Corporation Law)

 

             Ambac Financial Group, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 151 of the General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on January 26, 2010:

 

              RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock”), and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences, and limitations thereof as follows:

 

              Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

 

              Section 1.     Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series B Preferred Stock shall be 650,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series B Preferred Stock.

 

              Section 2.     Dividends and Distributions.

 

33

(A)      Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent), subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, other than, in each case, a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise). In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(B)       The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series B Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).

 

(C)       Dividends, to the extent payable as provided in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this Section, shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at  

34

the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

 

              Section 3.      Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

 

(A)      Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(B)       Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

 

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

 

              Section 4. Certain Restrictions.

 

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

 

 (i)      declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock;

 

(ii)    declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or  

35

winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

 

(iii)   redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock; or

 

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

 

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

 

              Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series B Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.

 

              Section 6.      Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (1) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have received $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (2) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series B Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to  

36

which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

              Section 7.      Consolidation, Merger, etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, conversion, share exchange or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock, a member’s interest, a partnership interest, a beneficial interest in a trust or other owner’s interest, or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, a member’s interest, a partnership interest, a beneficial interest in a trust or other owner’s interest, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

              Section 8.      No Redemption. The shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

 

              Section 9.      Rank. The Series B Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock.

 

              Section 10.      Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series B Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.

 

 

37

              

 

 

 

            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Secretary this 3rd day of February, 2010.

  

 

	
 

	
 

	
Ambac Financial Group, Inc. 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
By    

	
 

	
 

	
         Name: 

	
 

	
 

	
         Title 

38

 

Exhibit B

 

Form of Right Certificate

	
Certificate No. R- 

	
 

	
Rights

 

 

	
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 2, 2013 OR EARLIER 

	
IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS OR AS OTHER- 

	
WISE SPECIFIED IN THE AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS ARE 

	
SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EX- 

	
CHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT. 

 

Right Certificate

 

AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

 

              This certifies that ___________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, dated as of February 2, 2010 (the “Plan”), between Ambac Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Plan) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on February 2, 2013 (or earlier as specified in the Plan) at the office designated for such purpose of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), at a purchase price of $5.00 per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of February 2, 2010, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Plan, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

 

              This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Plan reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Plan are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the offices of the Rights Agent.

 

              This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office designated for such purposes of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to  

39

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

 

              Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share.

 

              No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Plan.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

	
ATTEST: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. 

	
 

	
 

	
_____________ 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
By  _____________

	
Name: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
         Name: 

	
Title: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
         Title: 

	
Countersigned: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
Mellon Investor Services LLC, 

As Rights Agent

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
By  _____________

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
     Name: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
     Title: 

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
 

40

 

 

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate

  

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

 

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

 holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)

	
                                        

	
 

	
                                         

	
 

	
 

	
 

	
                   FOR VALUE RECEIVED                               hereby sells, assigns and 

	
transfers unto  

	
                                   (Please print name and address of transferee) 

	
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby 

	
irrevocably constitute and appoint  

	
 

	
Attorney, to transfer the within 

	
Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of 

	
substitution. 

	
 

	
 

 

Dated:

	
__________________________

	
Signature 

 

Signature Medallion Guaranteed:

 

                    Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company's transfer agent. Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.

 

                     The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Plan).

	
 

	
Signature 

 

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued

 

41

 

 

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

 

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

 Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)

 

To: AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

 

                     The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:

 

Please insert social security

 or other identifying number

	
 

	
(Please print name and address) 

	
 

 

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

 

Please insert social security

 or other identifying number

	
 

	
(Please print name and address) 

	
 

 

Dated: ________________

  

	
 

	
Signature 

 

Signature Medallion Guaranteed:

 

                    Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company's transfer agent. Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.

 

                     The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Plan).

 

__________________________

 Signature  

                            

42

	
NOTICE

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

 

                     In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Plan) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

 

43

 

	
Exhibit C

 

	
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

 PREFERRED SHARES

Introduction

 

                     Our Company, Ambac Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, has entered into a Tax Benefit Preservation Plan with Mellon Investor Services LLC as Rights Agent, dated as of February 2, 2010 (the “Plan”). Our Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved the Plan in an effort to protect our ability to use our built in losses and any resulting net loss carryforwards to reduce potential future federal income tax obligations.

            

The Plan generally works to deter trading in our common stock that would result in an aggregate ownership change of the company and trigger a limitation on our ability to use our tax attributes.  In addition to the exceptions described below, the Board retains the sole discretion to exempt any person or group from the penalties imposed by the Plan.  The Board remains open to all alternatives to maximize stockholder value, and may exempt a proposed acquisition of our stock from the Plan if it determines that the acquisition is in the Company’s best interests, or if it will not jeopardize our tax benefits.  The Plan is not expected to interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by our Board.  

 

                     Under the Plan, from and after the record date of February 16, 2010, each share of our common stock will carry with it one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) until the Distribution Date or earlier expiration of the Rights, as described below. In general terms, the Rights will work to impose a significant penalty upon any person or group which acquires 4.9% or more of our outstanding common stock after February 2, 2010, without the approval of our Board. Stockholders who own 4.9% or more of the outstanding common stock as of the close of business on February 2, 2010, will not trigger the Rights so long as they do not (i) acquire additional shares of common stock representing one percent (1.0%) or more of the shares of common stock then outstanding or (ii) fall under 4.9% ownership of common stock and then reacquire shares that in the aggregate equal 4.9% or more of the common stock. 

 

                     For those interested in the specific terms of the Plan, we provide the following summary description. Please note, however, that this description is only a summary, and is not complete, and should be read together with the entire Plan, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K, dated February 2, 2010. A copy of the agreement is available free of charge from the Company.

 

The Rights. From the record date of February 16, 2010, until the Distribution Date or earlier expiration of the Rights, the Rights will trade with, and will be inseparable from, the common stock. New Rights will also accompany any new shares of Common Stock that we issue after February 16, 2010, until the Distribution Date or earlier expiration of the Rights.

 

Exercise Price. Each Right will allow its holder to purchase from our Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock (“Preferred Share”) for  

44

$5.00, subject to adjustment (the “Exercise Price”), once the Rights become exercisable. This portion of a Preferred Share will give the stockholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of common stock. Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting, or liquidation rights.

 

Exercisability. The Rights will not be exercisable until 10 days after the public announcement that a person or group has become an “Acquiring Person” by obtaining beneficial ownership, after February 2, 2010, of 4.9% or more of our outstanding common stock (or if already the beneficial owner of at least 4.9% of our outstanding common stock, by acquiring additional shares of our common stock representing one percent (1.0%) or more of the shares of common stock then outstanding), unless exempted by the Board.

 

            We refer to the date when the Rights become exercisable as the “Distribution Date.” Until that date or earlier expiration of the Rights, the common stock certificates and Series B Preferred Stock certificates will also evidence the Rights, and any transfer of shares of common stock or Series B Preferred Stock will constitute a transfer of Rights. After that date, the Rights will separate from the common stock and be evidenced by book-entry credits or by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of common stock. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are null and void and may not be exercised.

 

Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person. If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for payment of the Exercise Price, purchase shares of our common stock with a market value of twice the Exercise Price, based on the market price of the common stock as of the acquisition that resulted in such person or group becoming an Acquiring Person.

 

Exchange. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, our Board may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of common stock or an equivalent security for each Right, other than Rights held by the Acquiring Person.

 

Preferred Share Provisions. Each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, if issued:

·         will not be redeemable.

·         will entitle holders to dividends equal to the dividends, if any, paid on one share of common stock.

·         will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $1 per share or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of common stock, whichever is greater.

·         will have the same voting power as one share of common stock.

·         will entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share of common stock, if shares of our common stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation, or a similar transaction.

 

The value of one one-thousandth interest in a Preferred Share is expected to approximate the value of one share of common stock.

 

Expiration. The Rights will expire on the earliest of (i) February 2, 2013, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed, (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged, (iv) the repeal of  

45

Section 382 or any successor statute, or any other change, if the Board determines that this Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of tax benefits, (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no tax benefits may be carried forward, (vi) February 2, 2011 if approval of the Plan by a majority of our stockholders has not been obtained prior to such date, or (vii) a determination by the Board, prior to the time any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, that the Plan and the Rights are no longer in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

 

Redemption. Our Board may redeem the Rights for $0.001 per Right at any time before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person. If our Board redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights. Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $0.001 per Right. The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of our common stock.

 

Anti-Dilution Provisions. Our Board may adjust the Exercise Price, the number of Preferred Shares issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, or a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or common stock.

 

Amendments. The terms of the Plan may be amended by our Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and does not become an exempt person prior to the Distribution Date, our Board may not amend the agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).

 

 

46exv4w14

Exhibit 4.14

 

 

LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT

OF

RTK ACQUISITION SUB, LLC

A Delaware Limited Liability Company

 

 

 

 

LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT

OF

RTK ACQUISITION SUB, LLC

          This LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) of RTK Acquisition
Sub, LLC (the “Company”) is effective as of May 27, 2009.

          1. Formation of Limited Liability Company. Rentech, Inc., (the
“Member”), hereby forms the Company as a limited liability company
pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act,
6 Del. C §18-101, et seq., as it may be amended or succeeded from time to
time (the “Act”). The rights and obligations of the Member and the
administration of the Company shall be governed by the Agreement and the
Act. The Agreement shall be considered the “Limited Liability Company
Agreement” of the Company. To the extent this Agreement is inconsistent
in any respect with the Act, the Agreement shall control.

          2. Member. Rentech, Inc. is the sole and managing member of the
Company.

          3. Purpose. The Company may engage in any and all businesses or
activities in which a limited liability company may be engaged under
applicable law (including, without limitation, the Act).

          4. Name. The name of the Company shall be “RTK Acquisition Sub,
LLC”.

          5. Registered Agent and Principal Office. The registered office and
registered agent of the Company in the State of Delaware shall be as the
Member may designate from time to time. The Company may have such other
offices as the Member may designate from time to time. The mailing
address of the Company shall be 10877 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 710, Los
Angeles, CA 90024.

          6. Term of Company. The Company commenced on the date the
Certificate of Formation (the “Certificate”) first was properly filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and shall exist in
perpetuity or until its business and affairs are earlier wound up
following proper dissolution.

          7. Management of Company. All decisions relating to the business,
affairs, and properties of the Company shall be made by the Member. The
Member may appoint directors and/or
officers of the Company using any titles, and may delegate all or
some decision-making duties and responsibilities to such persons. Any
such directors and/or officers shall serve at the pleasure of the Member.
To the extent delegated by the Member, directors and/or officers shall
have the authority to act on behalf of, bind, and execute and deliver
documents in the name and on behalf of the Company. In addition, unless
otherwise determined by the Member, any officer(s) so appointed shall have
such

 

 

authority and responsibility as is generally attributable to the holders of such offices in
corporations incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware. No delegation of
authority hereunder shall cause the Member to cease to be a Member.

          8. Other Activities. The Member may engage or invest in, and devote
its time to, any other business venture or activity of any nature and
description (independently or with others), whether or not such other
activity may be deemed or construed to be in competition with the Company.
The Company shall not have any right by virtue of this Agreement or the
relationship created hereby in or to such other venture or activity of the
Member (or to the income or proceeds derived therefrom), and the pursuit
thereof, even if competitive with the business of the Company, shall not
be deemed wrongful or improper.

          9. Standards of Conduct. Whenever the Member is required or
permitted to make a decision, take or approve an action, or omit to do any
of the foregoing, then the Member shall be entitled to consider only such
interests and factors, including its own, as it desires, and shall have no
duty or obligation to consider any other interests or factors whatsoever.
To the extent that the Member has, at law or in equity, duties (including,
without limitation, fiduciary duties) to the Company or other person bound
by the terms of this Agreement, the Member acting in accordance with this
Agreement shall not be liable to the Company or any such other person for
its good faith reliance on the provisions of this Agreement. The
provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that they restrict the duties
of the Member otherwise existing at law or in equity, replace such other
duties to the greatest extent permitted under applicable law.

          10. Limited Liability. Except as otherwise required by any
non-waivable provision of the Act or other applicable law, the Member
shall not be personally liable in any manner whatsoever for any debt,
liability, or other obligation of the Company, whether such debt,
liability, or other obligation arises in contract, tort, or otherwise.

          11. Contributions. The Member has contributed capital to the Company
in the amounts reflected on the books and records of the Company. The
Member may not be required to contribute any additional capital without
such Member’s consent.

          12. Distributions. Each distribution of cash or other property by
the Company shall be made 100% to the Member. Cash shall not be retained
at the Company level any longer than administratively or legally
necessary. Each item of income, gain,
loss, deduction, credit, and other tax items of the Company shall be
allocated 100% to the Member.

          13. Tax Treatment. It is intended that, for federal tax purposes,
the Company be disregarded as an entity separate from the Member.

2

 

          14. Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Member
to the full extent permitted by law from and against any and all losses, claims,
demands, costs, damages, liabilities, expenses of any nature (including attorneys’
fees and disbursements), judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts
(collectively, “Costs”) arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits,
or proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative) (collectively,
Actions”) in which the Member may be involved, or threatened to be involved as a
party or otherwise, relating to the performance or nonperformance of any act
concerning the activities of the Company. In addition, to the extent permitted by
law, the Member may cause the Company to indemnify and hold harmless any managers
and/or officers from and against any and all Costs arising from any or all actions
arising in connection with the business of the Company or by virtue of such
person’s capacity as an agent of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all indemnification obligations of the Company shall be
satisfied only from the assets of the Company, and the Member shall have no liability or
responsibility therefor.

          15. Dissolution and Winding Up. The Company shall dissolve and its business
and affairs shall be wound up pursuant to a written instrument executed by the
Member. In such event, after satisfying creditors, all remaining assets shall be
distributed to the Member.

          16. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended or modified from time to time
only by a written instrument executed by the Member.

          17. Governing Law. The validity and enforceability of this Agreement shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware without regard to
other principles of conflicts of law.

[signature page follows]

3

 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement effective as of
the above stated date.

MEMBER:

RENTECH, INC.

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	By:  	/s/ Colin Morris
 	 	 
	 	Name:  	Colin Morris 	 	 
	 	Title:  	Secretary 	 	 
	 

(RTK Acquisition Sub, LLC Operating Agreement)

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