Document:

Exhibit 4.1

 

 

	 
	
DORIAN LPG LTD.

	
and

	
COMPUTERSHARE INC.

	
Rights Agreement

	
Dated as of December 16, 2016

	 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	 	 	
Page

	 	 	 
	
Section 1.

	
Definitions

	
1

	 	 	 
	
Section 2.

	
Appointment of Rights Agent

	
4

	 	 	 
	
Section 3.

	
Issue of Right Certificates

	
4

	 	 	 
	
Section 4.

	
Form of Right Certificates

	
5

	 	 	 
	
Section 5.

	
Countersignature and Registration

	
5

	 	 	 
	
Section 6.

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

	
6

	 	 	 
	
Section 7.

	
Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights

	
6

	 	 	 
	
Section 8.

	
Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates

	
7

	 	 	 
	
Section 9.

	
Availability of Preferred Shares

	
7

	 	 	 
	
Section 10.

	
Preferred Shares Record Date

	
8

	 	 	 
	
Section 11.

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

	
8

	 	 	 
	
Section 12.

	
Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares

	
12

	 	 	 
	
Section 13.

	
Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power

	
13

	 	 	 
	
Section 14.

	
Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares

	
13

	 	 	 
	
Section 15.

	
Rights of Action

	
14

	 	 	 
	
Section 16.

	
Agreement of Right Holders

	
14

	 	 	 
	
Section 17.

	
Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder

	
15

	 	 	 
	
Section 18.

	
Concerning the Rights Agent

	
15

	 	 	 
	
Section 19.

	
Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

	
16

	 	 	 
	
Section 20.

	
Duties of Rights Agent

	
16

	 	 	 
	
Section 21.

	
Change of Rights Agent

	
18

	 	 	 
	
Section 22.

	
Issuance of New Right Certificates

	
18

	 	 	 
	
Section 23.

	
Redemption

	
18

	 	 	 
	
Section 24.

	
Exchange

	
19

	 	 	 
	
Section 25.

	
Notice of Certain Events

	
20

	 	 	 
	
Section 26.

	
Notices

	
20

	 	 	 
	
Section 27.

	
Supplements and Amendments

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 28.

	
Successors

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 29.

	
Benefits of this Agreement

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 30.

	
Severability

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 31.

	
Governing Law

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 32.

	
Counterparts

	
21

	 	 	 
	
Section 33.

	
Descriptive Headings

	
22

	 	 	 
	
Section 34.

	
Customer Identification Program

	
22

	 	 	 
	
Section 35

	
Force Majeure

	
22

	 	 	 
	
Section 36.

	
Confidentiality

	
22

Exhibit A     -     Form of Right Certificate

Exhibit B     -     Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares

Rights Agreement (this "Agreement"), dated as of December 16, 2016, between Dorian LPG Ltd., a Marshall Islands corporation (the "Company"), and Computershare Inc., as rights agent (the "Rights Agent").

The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on December 27, 2016 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one one‐hundredth 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 Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption 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 Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a)     "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares 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 Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person who as of the first public announcement of the declaration of the Rights dividend Beneficially Owns (and who prior to the first public announcement of the declaration of the Rights dividend has publicly disclosed in a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G (or an amendment thereto) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission that such Person Beneficially Owns) 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding shall become an Acquiring Person unless such Person shall, after the time of the public announcement of the declaration of the Rights dividend, increase its Beneficial Ownership of the then-outstanding Common Shares (other than as a result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company) to an amount equal to or greater than the greater of (x) 15% or (y) the sum of (i) the lowest Beneficial Ownership of such Person as a percentage of the outstanding Common Shares as of any time from and after the time of the public announcement of the declaration of the Rights dividend plus (ii) 0.001%.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Common Shares of the Company Beneficially Owned by such Person to 15%; provided, however, that, if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after the public announcement of such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person."  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith 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 such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement, except as a result of subsequent actions by such Person that would otherwise cause such Person to be an Acquiring Person.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a bona fide swaps dealer who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" has become so as a result of its actions in the ordinary course of its business that the Board of Directors of the Company determines, in its sole discretion, were taken without the intent or effect of evading or assisting any other Person to evade the purposes and intent of this Agreement, or otherwise seeking to control or influence the management or policies of the Company, then, and unless and until the Board of Directors shall otherwise determine, such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.

(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 Agreement.

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(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 Agreement, and shall include without limitation, any entity that owns a majority of the equity of another entity, or is or would be entitled to a majority of the proceeds to equity holders upon liquidation of such other entity, is deemed to be an Associate of such entity (and vice versa).

(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 or the obligation to acquire (whether such right is exercisable, or such obligation is required to be performed, 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; 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 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);

(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; or

(iv)     which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Counterparty (or any of such Counterparty's Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract (without regard to any short or similar position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract) to which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates is a Receiving Party (as such terms are defined in the immediately following paragraph); provided, however, that the number of Common Shares that a Person is deemed to Beneficially Own pursuant to this clause (iv) in connection with a particular Derivatives Contract shall not exceed the number of Notional Common Shares with respect to such Derivatives Contract; provided, further, that the number of securities beneficially owned by each Counterparty (including its Affiliates and Associates) under a Derivatives Contract shall for purposes of this clause (iv) be deemed to include all securities that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Counterparty (or any of such other Counterparty's Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract to which such first Counterparty (or any of such first Counterparty's Affiliates or Associates) is a Receiving Party, with this proviso being applied to successive Counterparties as appropriate.

A "Derivatives Contract" is a contract between two parties (the "Receiving Party" and the "Counterparty") that is designed to produce economic benefits and risks to the Receiving Party that correspond substantially to the ownership by the Receiving Party of a number of Common Shares specified or referenced in such contract (the number corresponding to such economic benefits and risks, the "Notional Common Shares"), regardless of whether obligations under such contract are required or permitted to be settled through the delivery of cash, Common Shares or other property, without regard to any short position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract.  For the avoidance of doubt, interests in broad-based index options, broad-based index futures and broad-based publicly traded market baskets of stocks approved for trading by the appropriate federal governmental authority shall not be deemed to be Derivatives Contracts.

2

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 are issuable by the Company and which such Person would be deemed to Beneficially Own hereunder.

(e)     "Book Entry" shall mean an uncertificated book entry for any Common Share or Preferred Share.

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

(g)     "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.

(h)     "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.  "Common Shares" 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.

(i)     "Customer Identification Program" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 34 hereof.

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

(k)     "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(l)     "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(m)     "Final Expiration Date" shall mean the Close of Business on August 31, 2018.

(n)     "NASDAQ" shall mean the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC.

(o)     "Ownership Statements" means, with respect to any Book Entry Common Share, current ownership statements issued to the record holders thereof in lieu of a certificate representing such Common Share.

(p)     "Person" shall mean any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, limited liability partnership, joint venture, unincorporated organization or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity, as well as any group under Rule 13d-5(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

(q)     "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designations filed with the Registrar of Corporations of the Republic of the Marshall Islands on December 21, 2015.

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

(s)     "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

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

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

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(v)     "Right" shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

(w)     "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

(x)     "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

(y)     "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.

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

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

Section 2.     Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the express terms and conditions (and no implied 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.  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 tenth (10th) day after the Shares Acquisition Date (including any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares of the Company (or by Book Entry Common Shares of the Company) registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates or book entry, and (y) the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares of the Company.  As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, and upon written request of the Company, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information and documents at the expense of the Company, send) by first‐class, insured, postage‐prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (a "Right Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein.  As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and/or the Final Expiration Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following.  Until such written notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that none of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date has occurred.

(b)     On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send (directly, or at the expense of the Company, upon the written request of the Company and after providing all necessary information and documents, through the Rights Agent or the Company's transfer agent for the Common Shares) a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by first‐class, postage‐prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.  With respect to certificates for Common Shares of the Company or Book Entry Common Shares of the Company outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates (or such Book Entry Common Shares) 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 earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares or the transfer of any Book Entry Common Shares 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 Shares of the Company represented thereby.

4

(c)     Certificates for Common Shares (or Book Entry Common Shares) which become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption 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 Agreement between Dorian LPG Ltd. and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent (or any successor Rights Agent thereunder), dated as of December 16, 2016, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Dorian LPG Ltd.  Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate.  Dorian LPG Ltd. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.  As set forth in the Agreement, Rights that are or were acquired or Beneficially Owned (as defined in the Agreement)  by any Person (as defined in the Agreement)  who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Agreement) or an Associate or Affiliate (each as defined in the Agreement) thereof become null and void.

With respect to any Book Entry Common Shares of the Company, such legend shall be included in the Ownership Statement in respect of such Common Share or in a notice to the record holder of such Common Share in accordance with applicable law.  With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, or any Ownership Statement or notice containing the foregoing legend delivered to holders of Book Entry Common Shares, until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented by such certificates or such Book Entry Common Shares shall be evidenced by such certificates or such Book Entry Common Shares (including any Ownership Statement) alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate or the transfer of any Book Entry Common Share shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby.  In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares 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 Shares of the Company which are no longer outstanding.  Notwithstanding this Section 3(c), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Rights Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights.

Section 4.     Form of Right Certificates.  The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit A hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do not materially and adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any 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‐hundredths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one‐hundredth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the number of such one one‐hundredths 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 executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, its Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.  The Right Certificates shall be countersigned, either manually or by facsimile signature, 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 Agreement any such individual was not such an officer.

5

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

Section 6.     Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.  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 earlier of the Redemption 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‐hundredths 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 of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.  The Right Certificates are transferrable only on the registry books 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 executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate, shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby and the Affiliates and Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request and paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates as required hereunder.  Thereupon, the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested, registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.  The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice.  The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under any Section of this Agreement that requires the payment of taxes or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have 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,  such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) of the Rights evidenced by such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Right Certificate, or the Affiliates or Associates thereof, as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will issue, execute 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.  The Rights Agent may, at its option, issue replacement Right Certificates for mutilated certificates upon presentation thereof without such indemnity.

Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may amend this Rights Agreement to provide for uncertificated Rights in addition to or in place of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates.

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 herein), 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 of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one‐hundredth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i)  the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.  From such time as the Rights are no longer exercisable hereunder, the Rights Agent shall have no further duties, obligations or liabilities hereunder except as expressly stated herein.

6

(b)     The Purchase Price for each one one‐hundredth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $60, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 or 13 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 transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by cash or by certified check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) 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‐hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares with such depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such request; (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof; (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder; and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.  In the event that the Company is obligated to issue securities of the Company other than Preferred Shares (including Common Shares) of the Company pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities are available for distribution by the Rights Agent.

(d)     Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights or other securities upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise as set forth in Section 6 hereof or this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certification following the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise, (ii) tendered the Purchase Price (and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9) to the Company in the manner set forth in Section 7(c), and (iii) 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.

(e)     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 the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder's duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

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 delivered or surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement.  The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.  The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and, in such case, shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

Section 9.     Availability of 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 (or Common Shares and other securities as the case may be) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and other securities, as the case may be) (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

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The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights.  The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax that 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 or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge 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 or charge is due.

Section 10.     Preferred Shares Record Date.  Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares or other securities is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares or other securities represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered with the forms of election and certification properly completed and duly executed and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares or other securities 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 or other securities 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 Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of 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 share exchange, 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.

(ii)     Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right 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‐hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one‐hundredths 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 Shares 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 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.

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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 without any further action, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.  Neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company's or the Rights Agent's failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.  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 Common Shares 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.  The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such written notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, unless and until it shall have received such written notice.

(iii)     In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares 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 Shares 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 Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share 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 Common Share 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 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 written 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 or any Subsidiary 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.

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(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 share exchange, 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 written 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.

(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 but not including 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 Shares 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 hundred.  If neither the Common Shares 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.

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(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 ten‐millionth of a Preferred 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, 10 and 13 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

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

(h)     Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) 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‐hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one ten‐millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number of one  one‐hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (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‐hundredths 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‐hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment.  Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten‐thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price.  The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) 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 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.

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(j)     Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or in the number of one one‐hundredths 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‐hundredths 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‐hundredth 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 (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) 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 Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one one‐hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one‐hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share 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 or there is any event affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including without limitation an event that causes Rights to become null and void) as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment or describing such event  and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment or describing such event, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares 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 protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement therein contained and shall not be obligated or responsible for calculating any adjustment, nor shall it have any duty or liability with respect to, or be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment or event unless and until it shall have received such a certificate.

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Section 13.     Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.  In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such share exchange or merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one‐hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one‐hundredths 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 Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares of the Company thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.  The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless, prior thereto, the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing.  The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.  The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers, share exchanges, or consolidations or sales or other transfers.

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 purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable.  The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over‐the‐counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.  If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

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(b)     The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one‐hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one‐hundredth of a Preferred Share).  Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one‐hundredth 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‐hundredth 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)     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).

(d)     Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares or other securities 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 amounts of 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 protected in relying 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 or other securities under any Section of this Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares or other securities unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

Section 15.     Rights of Action.  All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), 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 Agreement.  Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement, and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent shall not have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of the inability of the Company or the Rights Agent to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory, self-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 all reasonable efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.

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

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

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(b)     after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable (subject to the provisions of this Agreement) only on the registry books maintained by the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of  the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer with a completed form of certification; 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 Shares certificate (or Book Entry Common Share)) 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 Shares certificate (or Ownership Statements or other notices provided to holders of Book Entry Common Shares) made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

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 any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange 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 or exchanged 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, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement 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, nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in connection herewith.  The reasonable costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company to the extent that the Rights Agent is successful in so enforcing its right of indemnification.

The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or  transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary pursuant to the Rights Agent's procedures, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.  The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, 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.

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The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 hereof shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

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 effect a share exchange, be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, share exchange, or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or document 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 Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been  countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

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 Agreement.

Section 20.     Duties of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent shall perform those duties and 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 the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken or omitted by it in the absence of bad faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.

(b)     Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of an Acquiring Person and the determination of the current per share market price of any security) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for any action taken or suffered by it in the absence of bad faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such a 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 determined by a final, nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction).  Any liability of the Rights Agent shall be limited to three times the amount of aggregate annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

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(d)     The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the 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 be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including but not limited to the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including but not limited to the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 13, 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 receipt of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 describing such change or adjustment upon which the Rights Agent may rely); 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 or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or other securities will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

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

(g)     The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in the absence of bad 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 by any such officer.  Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken, suffered or such omission shall be effective.  The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall not be less than five (5) Business Days after the date indicated in such application unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any such action, the Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted to be taken.  The Rights Agent shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person until receipt of written notice thereof from the Company.

(h)     The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights Agent under this Agreement.  Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

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

(j)     The Rights Agent shall not be obligated to expend or risk its own funds or to take any action that it believes would expose or subject it to expense or liability or to a risk of incurring expense or liability, unless it has been furnished with assurances of repayment or indemnity satisfactory to it.

Section 21.     Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, notice shall be given by the Company to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail.  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 as Rights Agent under this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) 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 Shares 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 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 either (a) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in  such state), 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 at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million (including its direct and indirect parents and Subsidiaries) or (b) an Affiliate or direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person or its wholly-owning parent.  After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose.  Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares 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 Agreement 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 Agreement.

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 $0.01 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.

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

Section 24.     Exchange.  (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after 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 Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share 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").  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.

(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 Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.  The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); 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 Shares 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 Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares 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 Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share 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 Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

(d)     The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares.  In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share.  For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (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.

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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  share exchange, 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 Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares), 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 share exchange, 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 Shares 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 Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

(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 the Rights Agent and 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 Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be in writing and  sufficiently given or made when 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:

Dorian LPG Ltd.

C/O Dorian LPG (USA) LLC

27 Signal Road

 Stamford, CT  06902

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

Computershare Inc.

Newport Office Center VII

480 Washington Boulevard

Jersey City, New Jersey 07310

 Attention:  Legal Department

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be in writing and sufficiently given or made when 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.

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Section 27.     Supplements and Amendments.  Subject to this Section, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if directed by the Company, from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement 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, or to 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 after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a) hereof to not less than 10% (the "Reduced Threshold"); provided; however, that no Person who Beneficially Owns a number of Common Shares equal to or greater than the Reduced Threshold shall become an Acquiring Person unless such Person shall, after the public announcement of the Reduced Threshold, increase its Beneficial Ownership of the then outstanding Common Shares (other than as a result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company) to an amount equal to or greater than the greater of (x) the Reduced Threshold or (y) the sum of (i) the lowest Beneficial Ownership of such Person as a percentage of the outstanding Common Shares as of any date on or after the date of the public announcement of such Reduced Threshold plus (ii) 0.001%.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall be entitled to adopt and implement such procedures and arrangements (including with third parties) as it may deem necessary or desirable to facilitate the exercise, exchange, trading, issuance or distribution of the Rights (and Preferred Shares) as contemplated hereby and to ensure that an Acquiring Person does not obtain the benefits thereof, and amendments in respect of the foregoing shall not be deemed to adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights.  Upon the delivery of a certificate executed by an appropriate officer of the Company that states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment; provided, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that materially and adversely affects the Rights Agent's own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement.

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

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

Section 30.     Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall materially and adversely affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign upon 10 Business Days' written notice to the Company pursuant to the requirements of Section 26 of this Agreement.

Section 31.     Governing Law.  This Agreement and each Right and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of New York 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 Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.  A signature to this Agreement executed and/or transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature.

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

Section 34.     Customer Identification Program.  The Company acknowledges that the Rights Agent is subject to the customer identification program ("Customer Identification Program") requirements under the USA PATRIOT Act and its implementing regulations, and that the Rights Agent must obtain, verify and record information that allows the Rights Agent to identify the Company.  Accordingly, prior to accepting an appointment hereunder, the Rights Agent may request information from the Company that will help the Rights Agent to identify the Company, including without limitation the Company's physical address, tax identification number, organizational documents, certificate of good standing, license to do business, or any other information that the Rights Agent deems necessary.  The Company agrees that the Rights Agent cannot accept an appointment hereunder unless and until the Rights Agent verifies the Company's identity in accordance with the Customer Identification Program requirements.

Section 35.     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, interruptions or malfunctions 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.  The Rights Agent shall provide the Company prompt notice as soon as practicable in the event that any such delay or failure in performance occurs and keep the Company apprised of developments and mitigation effort with respect thereto.

Section 36.     Confidentiality.  The Rights Agent and the Company agree that all books, records, information and data pertaining to the business of the other party, including inter alia, personal, non-public warrant holder information, which are exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement, including the fees for services set forth in the attached schedule, shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any other person, except as may be required by law, including, without limitation, pursuant to subpoenas from state or federal government authorities.

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

Attest:  DORIAN LPG LTD.

	
By

	
/s/ John C. Hadjipateras

	 	
By

	
/s/ Theodore B. Young

	
Name:

	
John C. Hadjipateras

	 	
Name:

	
Theodore B. Young

	
Title:

	
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

	 	
Title:

	
Chief Financial Officer

	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	
Attest: COMPUTERSHARE INC.

	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	
By

	/s/ Kevin Laurita 	 	By 	/s/ Eliesee Guardiola 
	
Name:

	Kevin Laurita  	 	Name: 	Eliesee Guardiola 
	
Title:

	Vice President 	 	Title: 	Relationship Manager 

23

Exhibit A

Form of Right Certificate

	Certificate No. R‐ 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	      Rights 

     

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE FINAL EXPIRATION DATE (AS DEFINED IN THE AGREEMENT OR EARLIER IF

REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS.  THE RIGHTS 

ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.01 PER RIGHT 

AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH

 IN THE AGREEMENT. 

Right Certificate

DORIAN LPG LTD.

This certifies that                     , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2016 (the "Agreement"), between Dorian LPG Ltd., a Marshall Islands corporation (the "Company"), and Computershare Inc. (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the Final Expiration Date (as such term is defined in the Agreement) at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one‐hundredth of a fully paid non‐assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the "Preferred Shares"), at a purchase price of $60 per one one‐hundredth 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‐hundredths 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 December 16, 2016, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date.  As provided in the Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one‐hundredths 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 Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates.  Copies of the Agreement 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 principal office 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 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 Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.01 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‐hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Agreement.

A-1

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 Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any  meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Agreement.

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

A-2

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

Attest:  DORIAN LPG LTD.

	
By

	 	 	
By

	 
	
Name:

	 	 	
Name:

	 
	
Title:

	 	 	
Title:

	 
	
Countersigned:

	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	
Attest: COMPUTERSHARE INC.

	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	
By

	 	 	 	 
	
Name:

	 	 	 	 
	
Title:

	 	 	 	 

A-3

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 Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a member or participant in the Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company's Transfer Agent.

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 Agreement) and are not issued with respect to Notional Common Shares related to a Derivatives Contract described in clause (iv) of the definition of Beneficial Owner (as such terms are defined in the Agreement).

	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	
Signature

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

 Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)

To:                                 , 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

A-4

Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a member or participant in the Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company's Transfer Agent.

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 Agreement) and are not issued with respect to Notional Common Shares related to a Derivatives Contract described in clause (iv) of the definition of Beneficial Owner (as such terms are defined in the Agreement).

	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	
Signature

A-5

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 Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

A-6

Exhibit B

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

 PREFERRED SHARES

Introduction

On December 16, 2016, the Board of Directors of Dorian LPG Ltd., a Marshall Islands corporation, declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share and adopted a shareholder rights plan, as set forth in the Rights Agreement dated as of December 16, 2016 (the "Rights Agreement"), by and between the Company and Computershare Inc., as rights agent.  The dividend is payable on December 27, 2016 to the stockholders of record on December 27, 2016.

Our Board has adopted this Rights Agreement to protect stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics.  In general terms, it works by imposing a significant penalty upon any person or group which acquires 15% or more of our outstanding common stock without the approval of our Board.  If a stockholder's beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the time of the public announcement of the rights plan and associated dividend declaration is at or above the applicable threshold (including through entry into certain derivative positions), that stockholder's then-existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after such announcement, the stockholder increases its ownership percentage by 0.001% or more. The Rights Agreement should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by our Board.

For those interested in the specific terms of the Rights Agreement as made between our Company and Computershare Inc., as the Rights Agent, on December 16, 2016, 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 Rights Agreement, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated December 16, 2016. A copy of the agreement is available free of charge from our Company.

The Rights.  Our Board authorized the issuance of a Right with respect to each outstanding share of common stock on December 16, 2016.  The Rights will initially trade with, and will be inseparable from, the common stock.  The Rights are evidenced only by certificates that represent shares of common stock.  New Rights will accompany any new shares of common stock we issue after December 27, 2016 until the Distribution Date described below.

Exercise Price.  Each Right will allow its holder to purchase from our Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (a "Preferred Share") for $60 (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 of 15% or more of our outstanding common stock.

Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions — whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying common stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act — are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of the company's common stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of the company's common stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts.  Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the rights plan are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.

B-1

For persons who, prior to the time of public announcement of the Rights Agreement, have publicly disclosed in a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G (or an amendment thereto) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission that they beneficially own 15% or more of our outstanding common stock, the Rights Agreement "grandfathers" their current level of ownership, so long as they do not purchase additional shares in excess of certain limitations.

The date when the Rights become exercisable is the "Distribution Date."  Until that date, the common stock certificates (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, by notations in the book-entry account system) will also evidence the Rights, and any transfer of shares of common 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.

Our Board may reduce the threshold at which a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person from 15% to not less than 10% of the outstanding common stock.

Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person.

	
·

	
Flip In.  If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $60, purchase shares of our common stock with a market value of $120, based on the market price of the common stock prior to such acquisition.

	
·

	
Flip Over.  If our Company is later acquired in a merger or similar transaction after the Distribution Date, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $60, purchase shares of the acquiring corporation with a market value of $120, based on the market price of the acquiring corporation's stock prior to such transaction.

 

	
·

	
Notional Shares.  Shares held by Affiliates and Associates of an Acquiring Person, including certain entities in which the Acquiring Person beneficially owns a majority of the equity securities, and Notional Shares held by counterparties to a Derivatives Contract with an Acquiring Person, will be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person.

Preferred Share Provisions.

Each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, if issued:

	
·

	
will not be redeemable;

	
·

	
will entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.01 per share, or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of common stock, whichever is greater;

	
·

	
will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $1.00 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; and

	
·

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

The value of one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred Share should approximate the value of one share of common stock.

B-2

Expiration.  The Rights will expire on August 31, 2018.

Redemption.  Our Board may redeem the Rights for $0.01 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 $0.01 per Right.  The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of our common stock.

Exchange.  After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of our outstanding common stock, 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.

Anti-Dilution Provisions.  Our Board may adjust the purchase price of the Preferred Shares, 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, a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or common stock.  No adjustments to the Exercise Price of less than 1% will be made.

Amendments.  The terms of the Rights Agreement may be amended by our Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights.  However, our Board may not amend the Rights Agreement to lower the threshold at which a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person to below 10% of our outstanding common stock.  In addition, the Board may not cause a person or group to become an Acquiring Person by lowering this threshold below the percentage interest that such person or group already owns.  After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, our Board may not amend the agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights.

B-3Exhibit 4.1

VALVOLINE INC.

2016 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES

(Effective October 1, 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VALVOLINE INC.

2016 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES

 

		1.	
PURPOSE

 

Valvoline Inc. hereby establishes the Valvoline Inc. 2016 Deferred Compensation Plan for Employees for the purpose of providing an opportunity to defer compensation for retirement or other future purposes to a select group of management or highly compensated employees (including former employees that met these criteria when employed). The obligations of Valvoline Inc. hereunder constitute a mere promise to make the payments provided for in this Plan. No employee, his or her spouse or the estate of either of them shall have, by reason of this Plan, any right, title or interest of any kind in or to any property of Valvoline Inc. or its Related Entities. To the extent any Participant has a right to receive payments from Valvoline Inc. under this Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of Valvoline Inc.

		2.	
DEFINITIONS

 

The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan:

(a)            “Accounting Date” means the Business Day on which a calculation concerning a Participant’s Compensation Account is performed, or as otherwise defined by the Committee or the Company.

(b)            “Ashland Plan” means the Ashland Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan for Employees, as amended.

 

(c)        “Beneficiary” means the estate of a deceased Participant.

 

(d)        “Board”means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e)            “Business Day” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading activity.

 

(f)        “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if:

 

		1. 	
there shall be consummated (A) any consolidation or merger of the Company (a “Business Combination”), other than a consolidation or merger of the Company into or with a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, as a result of which the shareholders of the Company own (directly or indirectly), immediately after the Business Combination, less than fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of common stock that are entitled to vote generally for the election of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination, or pursuant to which shares of the Company’s Common Stock would be converted into cash, securities or other property, other than a Business Combination in which the holders of the Company’s Common Stock immediately prior to the Business Combination have substantially the same proportionate ownership of common stock of the surviving corporation immediately after the Business Combination, or (B) any sale, lease, exchange or transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all or substantially all the assets of the Company, provided, however, that no sale, lease, exchange or other transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company shall be deemed to occur unless assets constituting at least eighty percent (80%) of the total assets of the Company are transferred pursuant to such sale, lease, exchange or other transfer;

 

 

		2.	
the shareholders of the Company shall approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company;

		3.	
any Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of securities of the Company representing twenty percent (20%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing in special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election of directors, as a result of a tender or exchange offer, open market purchases, privately-negotiated purchases or otherwise, without the approval of the Board; or

		4.	
at any time during a period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board shall cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, unless the election or the nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders of each new director during such two- (2-) year period was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of such two- (2-) year period.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred by virtue of (1) the consummation of any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the Common Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to have substantially the same proportionate ownership in an entity which owns all or substantially all of the assets of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions, (2) the repurchase by the Company of outstanding shares of Common Stock or other securities pursuant to a tender or exchange offer or (3) the Valvoline Spin-Off.

 

(g)       “Code”means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

(h)       “Committee”means the Compensation Committee of the Board or its designee.

 

(i)            “Common Stock” means (i) prior to the Separation Date, the common stock, $.01 per value, of Ashland Global Holdings Inc.; and (ii) on and after the Separation Date, the common stock, $.01 par value, of the Company.

 

-2-

 

(j)            “Common Stock Fund” means that hypothetical investment option, approved by the Committee or the Company, in which a Participant’s Compensation Account may be deemed to be invested and may earn income based on a hypothetical investment in Common Stock.

(k)            “Company” means Valvoline Inc., a Kentucky corporation, and any successor thereto.

(l)             “Compensation” means any compensation of an Employee determined by the Committee or the Company to be properly deferrable under the Plan.

(m)      “Compensation Account(s)” means the Deferred Account (also known as Retirement Account), the In-Service Account(s) (also known as Flexible Distribution Account(s)), the Transferred Excess Plan Account and/or the Transferred SERP Account.

(n)            “Corporate Human Resources” means the Corporate Human Resources Department of the Company.

(o)            “Credit Date” means the date Compensation otherwise would have been paid to the Participant if such Compensation was not Deferred Compensation.

(p)            “Deferral Account” also known as “Retirement Account” means the account(s), established annually as determined by the Committee or the Company, described in Section 9(a) to which the Participant’s Deferred Compensation is credited and from which distributions are made, and shall include any corresponding account(s) transferred from the Ashland Plan to this Plan.

(q)        “Deferred Compensation” means the Compensation the Participant elects to defer pursuant to the Plan, and which is credited to the Participant’s Compensation Account(s).

(r)            “Disability” means that a Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to result in death or last for a continuous period of twelve (12) or more months. Corporate Human Resources or its delegate shall determine whether a Participant has incurred a Disability.

(s)          “Election” means a Participant’s delivery of a notice of election to defer payment of all or a portion of his or her Compensation under the terms of the Plan or, with respect to accounts transferred from the Ashland Plan to this Plan, under the Ashland Plan. Such notice shall also include instructions specifying the time(s) the Deferred Compensation will be paid and the form (i.e., lump sum or installments) in which it will be paid. Such Elections may be annual or evergreen (as determined by the Committee or the Company), and shall comply with Code section 409A to the extent applicable and, be irrevocable except as otherwise provided in the Plan or pursuant to Treasury guidance. Elections shall be in the form, and made and delivered, as prescribed by the Committee or the Company.

(t)              “Employee” means a full-time, regular salaried employee (which term shall be deemed to include officers) of the Company and its present and future Related Entities.

 

-3-

 

(u)            “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

(v)        “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(w)          “Fair Market Value” means the price of a share of Common Stock, as reported on the Composite Tape for New York Stock Exchange issues on the date and at the time designated by the Company.

(x)      “In-Service Account(s)” also known as “Flexible Distribution Account(s)” means the account(s), established annually as determined by the Committee or the Company, described in Section 9(b) to which the Participant’s Deferred Compensation is credited and from which distributions are made, and shall include any corresponding account(s) transferred from the Ashland Plan to this Plan.

(y)          “Participant” means an Employee who is a highly-compensated or management Employee selected to participate in the Plan and who has elected to defer payment of all or a portion of his or her Compensation under the Plan or who otherwise has a Compensation Account in the Plan.

(z)           “Performance-Based Compensation” means Compensation that meets requirements specified by the Secretary of the Treasury, including Treasury Regulation section 1.409A-1(e). Performance-Based Compensation will include the attributes that it is variable, contingent on the satisfaction of pre-established metrics and is not readily ascertainable at the time of the Election to defer such compensation under Section 8(b).

(aa)     “Plan” means this Valvoline Inc. 2016 Deferred Compensation Plan for Employees as it now exists or as it may hereafter be amended.

(bb)        “Plan Year” means the calendar year.

(cc)     “Related Entities” means (a) any corporation that is a member of a “controlled group of corporations” as defined in Code section 414(b) that includes the Company, and (b) any trade or business that is under “common control” as defined in Code section 414(c) that includes the Company.

(dd)     “Secretary of the Treasury” or “Treasury” means the United States Department of Treasury.

(ee)     “Separation Date” means the date upon which the Valvoline Spin-Off is completed.

(ff)     “Separation from Service” or “Termination” means a termination from employment resulting in a cessation of performing active service for the Company and the Related Entities. An Employee is considered to incur a Separation from Service on the date the Employee terminates employment with the Company and the Related Entities or when it is reasonably anticipated that the Employee’s services to the Company and the Related Entities will permanently decrease to twenty percent (20%) or less of the average amount of services performed for the Company and the Related Entities during the immediately preceding thirty-six (36) month period (or period of total employment if less than thirty-six (36) months). Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, a Separation from Service does not occur as a result of military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence not exceeding six (6) months or the period during which the Employee retains a right to reemployment.

 

-4-

 

   (gg)    “Specified Employee” means, for a particular Plan Year, any Employee who was at anytime during the twelve (12) months ending on the December 31 preceding the start of the particular Plan Year (the Specified Employee identification date) classified on the records of the Company as a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) and Treasury Regulation section 1.409A-1(i). Such an Employee shall be classified as a Specified Employee as of January 1 of the particular Plan Year (the Specified Employee effective date) and shall remain classified as such for the entirety of such Plan Year. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no more than two hundred (200) Employees may be classified as Specified Employees for any Plan Year. Unless otherwise provided in the particular document, this definition of Specified Employee shall apply to all plans, programs, contracts, agreements and other arrangements maintained by the Company and the Related Entities that are subject to Code section 409A.

(hh)    “Transferred Excess Plan Account” means a Participant’s Excess Account under the Transferred Excess Plan that has been deferred by the Participant.

(ii)      “Transferred Excess Plan” means the Ashland Inc. Nonqualified Excess Benefit Pension Plan transferred by Ashland Inc. to, and assumed by, Valvoline effective as of September 1, 2016.

(jj)       “Transferred SERP Account” means a Participant’s SERP Account under the Transferred SERP that has been deferred by the Participant.

(kk)    “Transferred SERP” means the Amended and Restated Ashland Inc. Supplemental Early Retirement Plan for Certain Employees transferred by Ashland Inc. to, and assumed by, Valvoline effective as of September 1, 2016.

(ll)      “Unforeseeable Emergency” means a severe financial hardship of a Participant (that cannot be alleviated by compensation or reimbursement received insurance companies or otherwise as provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(3)) because of (i) an illness or accident of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse or dependent (as defined in Code section 152(a)); (ii) a loss of the Participant’s property due to casualty; or (iii) such other similar extraordinary unforeseeable circumstances because of events beyond the control of the Participant. Corporate Human Resources or its delegate shall determine whether a Participant has incurred an Unforeseeable Emergency.

(mm)   “Valvoline” means Valvoline LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

(nn)     “Valvoline Spin-Off” means the transaction or series of transactions initially approved by the board of directors of Ashland Inc. on September 16, 2015, intended to separate the Valvoline business from Ashland Inc.’s specialty chemical business and create two independent, publicly-traded companies.

 

-5-

 

		3.	
SHARES; ADJUSTMENTS IN EVENT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION

 

(a)            Shares Authorized for Issuance. There shall be reserved for issuance under the Plan one million (1,000,000) shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment pursuant to subsection (c) below.

(b)            Adjustments in Certain Events. In the event of any change in the outstanding Common Stock of the Company by reason of any stock split, share dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, reorganization, combination, or exchange or reclassification of shares, split-up, split-off, spin-off, liquidation or other similar change in capitalization, or any distribution to common shareholders other than ordinary cash dividends, the number or kind of shares that may be issued or credited under the Plan shall be automatically adjusted so that the proportionate interest of the Participants shall be maintained as before the occurrence of such event.  Such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan.

		4.	
ELIGIBILITY

 

The Committee shall have the authority to select from management and/or highly compensated Employees those Employees who shall be eligible to participate in the Plan; provided, however, that employees and/or retirees who have elected to defer an amount into this Plan from another plan sponsored or maintained or transferred and assumed by Valvoline, the terms of which allowed such employee or retiree to make such a deferral election into this Plan, shall be considered to be eligible to participate in this Plan.

		5.	
ADMINISTRATION

 

Full power and authority to construe, interpret and administer the Plan shall be vested in the Company and the Committee or one or more of their delegates. This power and authority includes, but is not limited to, selecting Compensation eligible for deferral, establishing deferral terms and conditions and adopting modifications, amendments and procedures as may be deemed necessary, appropriate or convenient by the Committee. This power and authority also includes, without limitation, the ability to construe and interpret provisions of the Plan, make determinations regarding law and fact, reconcile any inconsistencies between provisions in the Plan or between provisions of the Plan and any other statement concerning the Plan, whether oral or written, supply any omissions to the Plan or any document associated with the Plan, and to correct any defect in the Plan or in any document associated with the Plan. Decisions of the Company and the Committee (or their delegates) shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties. Day-to-day administration of the Plan shall be the responsibility of Corporate Human Resources. The administration of and all interpretations under the Plan shall be made consistent with all applicable law.

		6.	
PARTICIPANT COMPENSATION ACCOUNT(S)

 

Upon election to participate in the Plan, there shall be established a Deferral Account and/or In-Service Account(s), as designated by the Participant, to which there shall be credited any Deferred Compensation, as of each Credit Date. There shall also be established a Transferred Excess Plan Account and/or a Transferred SERP Account for a Participant who has made an applicable deferral election. Each such Compensation Account shall be credited (or debited) on each Accounting Date with hypothetical income (or hypothetical loss) based upon a hypothetical investment in any one or more of the investment options available under the Plan, as prescribed by the Committee, for the particular Compensation credited, which may include a Common Stock Fund, as elected by the Participant under the terms of Section 8. The crediting or debiting on each Accounting Date of hypothetical income (or hypothetical loss) shall be made for the respective amounts that were subject to each Election under Section 8. All investments of a Participant’s Compensation Account in which such Participant’s Compensation Account may be deemed invested in the Common Stock Fund, shall be on each relevant Accounting Date valued at Fair Market Value. Additionally, all distributions, investments and investment exchanges allowed and made under the Plan shall be as of the relevant Accounting Date at Fair Market Value.

 

-6-

  

		7.	
EARLY WITHDRAWAL

 

(a)            Unforeseeable Emergency. A Participant or a Participant’s legal representative may submit an application for a distribution from either a Deferral Account or an In-Service Account because of an Unforeseeable Emergency. The amount of the distribution shall not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the needs of the Unforeseeable Emergency. Such distribution shall include an amount to pay taxes reasonably anticipated as a result of the distribution. The amount allowed as a distribution under this Section 7(a) shall take into account the extent to which the Unforeseeable Emergency may be relieved by reimbursement, insurance or liquidation of the Participant’s assets (but only to the extent such liquidation would itself not cause a severe financial hardship). The distribution shall be made in a single sum and paid as soon as practicable (but not later than sixty (60) days) after the application for the distribution on account of the Unforeseeable Emergency is approved. The provisions of this Section 7(a) shall be interpreted and administered in accordance with applicable guidance that may be issued by the Treasury.

(b)            Disability. A Participant or a Participant’s legal representative may submit an application for a distribution from the Participant’s Deferral Account and In-Service Account because of the Participant’s Disability. The distribution shall be made in a single sum and paid as soon as practicable (but not later than sixty (60) days) after the application for the distribution on account of the Participant’s Disability is approved. The provisions of this Section 7(b) shall be interpreted and administered in accordance with applicable guidance that may be issued by the Treasury. If such guidance should allow an election of a period or form of distribution at the time of the application for a distribution on account of the Participant’s Disability then the Plan shall allow such elections.

(c)            Prohibition on Acceleration. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan and except as may be allowed in guidance from the Secretary of the Treasury, distributions from a Participant’s Compensation Account(s) may not be made earlier than the time such amounts would otherwise be distributed pursuant to the terms of the Plan.

 

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		8.	
DEFERRAL ELECTIONS

 

(a)            General. The Company or the Committee shall determine the timing of the filing of the appropriate Election forms (which may be an online Election form). An effective Election may not be revoked or modified except as otherwise determined by the Company or the Committee or as stated herein.

(b)            Permissible Deferral Election. A Participant’s Election to defer Compensation may only be made in the taxable year before the Compensation is earned, with two (2) exceptions. The first exception applies to a Participant during his or her first (1st) year of eligibility to participate in the Plan. In that event such a Participant may, if so offered by the Company or the Committee, elect to defer Compensation for services performed after the Election, provided that the Election is made within thirty (30) days of the date the Participant becomes eligible to participate in the Plan.

The second exception is with respect to an election to defer Performance-Based Compensation. If Performance-Based Compensation is based on services of a Participant performed over a period of at least twelve (12) months, then the Participant may, if so offered by (and on the terms and limitations specified by) the Company or the Committee, make an Election to defer all or part of such Performance-Based Compensation not later than six (6) months before the end of such service period.

A Participant’s Election under this Section 8(b) shall specify the amount or percentage of Compensation deferred and specify the time and form of distribution from among those described in Section 9 of the Plan. Each Election to defer Compensation is a separate election regarding the time and form of distribution.

(c)            Hypothetical Investment Alternatives — Existing Balances. A Participant may elect to change an existing selection as to the investment alternatives in effect with respect to an existing Compensation Account (in increments prescribed by the Committee or the Company) as often, and with such restrictions, as determined by the Committee or by the Company. If a Participant fails to make an investment selection for his or her Compensation Account, the Committee or the Company may prescribe a default selection or selections in any manner that appears reasonable in their discretion.

		9.	
DISTRIBUTION

 

(a)            Deferral Account. In accordance with a Participant’s Election under Section 8, but subject to Sections 7 and 11, amounts subject to such Election in the Deferral Account (determined in accordance with Section 6) shall be distributed -

		1.	
Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service as either a lump sum or in installments not exceeding fifteen (15) years; provided, however, that the distribution to a Participant who is a Specified Employee must not be made before the earliest of the date that is six (6) months after the Participant’s Separation from Service or the date of the Participant’s death;

 

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		2.	
For Elections made prior to October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary as either a lump sum or in installments not exceeding fifteen (15) years from the date of the Participant’s death; or for Elections made on or after October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary in a lump sum; or

		3.	
At a specified time or under a fixed schedule not exceeding fifteen (15) years from the Participant’s Separation from Service.

(b)            In-Service Account. In accordance with a Participant’s Election under Section 8, but subject to Sections 7 and 11, amounts subject to such Election in an In-Service Account (determined in accordance with Section 6) shall be distributed -

		1.	
For Elections made prior to October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary as either a lump sum or in installments not exceeding fifteen (15) years; or for Elections made on or after October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary in a lump sum; or

		2.	
At a specified time or under a fixed schedule not less than two (2) years measured from the beginning of the Plan Year after the Plan Year in which the Election is made and not exceeding fifteen (15) years measured from the beginning of the Plan Year after the Plan Year in which the Election is made.

(c)            Transferred Excess Plan Accounts and Transferred SERP Accounts. In accordance with a Participant’s Election under Section 8, but subject to Sections 7 and 11, amounts subject to such Election in either the Transferred Excess Plan Account or Transferred SERP Account, or both (determined in accordance with Section 6) shall be distributed -

		1.	
Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service and entitlement to a distribution under the Transferred Excess Plan and/or Transferred SERP, as applicable, as either a lump sum or in installments not exceeding 15 years from the date the Participant was entitled to a distribution under the Transferred Excess Plan and/or Transferred SERP, as applicable; provided, however, that the distribution to a Participant who is a Specified Employee must not be made before the earliest of the date that is six (6) months after the Participant was entitled to a distribution under the Transferred Excess Plan and/or Transferred SERP, as applicable or the date of the Participant’s death;

		2.	
For Elections made prior to October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary as either a lump sum or in installments not exceeding fifteen (15) years from the date of the Participant’s death; or for Elections made on or after October 1, 2016, upon a Participant’s death to the Participant’s Beneficiary in a lump sum; or

 

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		3.	
At a specified time or under a fixed schedule not exceeding fifteen (15) years from the date the Participant incurred a Separation from Service and was entitled to a distribution under the Transferred Excess Plan and/or Transferred SERP, as applicable.

(d)         Medium of Distribution and Default Method. A Participant’s Deferral Account, In-Service Account(s), Transferred Excess Plan Account and Transferred SERP Account shall be distributed in cash or shares of Common Stock (or a combination of both) as determined by the Committee or the Company. If no Election is made by a Participant as to the distribution or form of payment from one or more of his or her Compensation Account(s), upon the earliest time that a distribution from such account is to be made pursuant to the terms of the Plan, such account shall be paid in cash or shares of Common Stock (or a combination of both) as determined by the Committee or the Company in a lump sum, within sixty (60) days following the Participant’s Separation from Service (provided that if such sixty (60) day period begins in one calendar year and ends in the next calendar year, the Participant shall have no right, directly or indirectly, to designate the calendar year of payment).

(e)         Election to Delay the Time or Change the Form of Distribution. A Participant may make an Election to delay the time of a distribution or change the form of a distribution, or may elect to do both, with respect to an amount that would be payable pursuant to an Election (except in the event of a distribution on account of the Participant’s death) if all of the following requirements are met -

		1.	
Such an Election may not take effect until at least twelve (12) months after it is made;

		2.	
Any delay to the distribution that would take effect because of the Election is at least to a date five (5) years after the date the distribution otherwise would have begun; and

		3.	
Such an Election may not be made less than twelve (12) months before the date of the first scheduled payment.

(f)            Distribution Exceptions. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the following shall apply to the distribution of Contribution Account(s):

 

		1.	
Distribution pursuant to a domestic relations order as described in Section 12;

 

		2.	
Distribution of a Participant’s or Beneficiary’s Compensation Account(s) shall be made in a single lump sum payment as soon as possible provided the distribution will be of the entirety of the Participant’s or Beneficiary’s Compensation Account(s) and the distribution does not exceed the adjusted Code section 402(g) limit; and

 

		3.	
Distribution or suspension of contributions may be made in the discretion of the Company for any other permitted purpose under Treasury Regulation section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ii)-(xiv).

 

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(g)          Timing of Payments to Specified Employees. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, if a Participant is a Specified Employee as of the date of his or her Separation from Service, then no distribution/payment of such Participant’s Compensation Accounts shall be made upon the Participant’s Separation from Service until the first payroll date of the seventh month following the Participant’s Separation from Service (or, if earlier, upon the date of the Participant’s death or such other earlier time as would not result in a tax or penalty under Code section 409A) (the “Specified Employee Payment Date”). Any payments to which a Specified Employee otherwise would have been entitled under the Plan during the period between the Participant’s Separation from Service and the Specified Employee Payment Date shall be accumulated and paid in a lump sum payment on the Specified Employee Payment Date.

		10.	
BENEFICIARY

 

If the Participant dies before receiving distribution of all amounts due hereunder, the remaining unpaid amounts shall be paid in one lump sum to the estate of such Participant, which shall be the Participant’s “Beneficiary” under this Plan.

		11.	
CHANGE IN CONTROL

 

In the event of a Change in Control, the Company shall reimburse a Participant for the legal fees and expenses incurred if the Participant is required to seek to obtain or enforce any right to distribution. In the event that it is determined that such Participant is properly entitled to a cash or other distribution hereunder, such Participant shall also be entitled to interest thereon payable in an amount equivalent to the Prime Rate of Interest quoted by Citibank, N.A. as its prime commercial lending rate on the subject date from the date such distribution should have been made to and including the date it is made. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, this Section 11 and the definition of “Change in Control” may not be amended after a Change in Control occurs without the written consent of a majority in number of Participants.

		12.	
INALIENABILITY; UNFUNDED PLAN

 

The interests of the Participants and their Beneficiaries under the Plan may not in any way be voluntarily or involuntarily transferred, alienated or assigned, nor subject to attachment, execution, garnishment or other such equitable or legal process. A Participant or Beneficiary cannot waive the provisions of this Section 12. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, valid court ordered divisions of a Participant’s Compensation Account(s) pursuant to a domestic relations order may be recognized and distributions may be made pursuant to such an order provided that such distributions are consistent with this Section 12. A domestic relations order intended to assign a benefit hereunder to a former spouse of a Participant must be delivered to the Company. The Company or its delegate will review the order to determine if it is qualified. Upon notification by the Company or its delegate that the order is qualified, the spouse will be able to elect a distribution of the assigned benefit by the end of the fifth calendar year following the calendar year during which the Company or its delegate notifies the former spouse that the order is qualified. In all events, the entire assigned benefit must be distributed by the end of the fifth (5th) calendar year following the calendar year during which the Company or its delegate notifies the former spouse that the order is qualified. The Company or its delegate may prescribe procedures that are consistent with this Section 12 and applicable law to implement benefit assignments pursuant to qualified orders.

 

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   The Plan at all times shall be unfunded; and no provision shall be made at any time with respect to segregating assets of any Participant for the payment of any amounts hereunder. The Plan constitutes a mere promise of the Company and the Related Entities to make payments to Participants (and, to the extent applicable, Participants’ Beneficiaries) in the future. Participants and their Beneficiaries and estates have rights only as unsecured general creditors of the Company and the Related Entities.

		13.	
CLAIMS

 

(a)            Initial Claim — Notice of Denial. If any claim for benefits (within the meaning of section 503 of ERISA) is denied in whole or in part, the Company (which shall include the Company or its delegate throughout this Section 13) will provide written notification of the denied claim to the Participant or Beneficiary, as applicable, (hereinafter referred to as the claimant) in a reasonable period, but not later than ninety (90) days after the claim is received. The ninety- (90-) day period can be extended under special circumstances. If special circumstances apply, the claimant will be notified before the end of the ninety- (90-) day period after the claim was received. The notice will identify the special circumstances. It will also specify the expected date of the decision. When special circumstances apply, the claimant must be notified of the decision not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the claim is received.

The written decision will include:

		1.	
The reasons for the denial.

		2.	
Reference to the Plan provisions on which the denial is based. The reference need not be to page numbers or to section headings or titles. The reference only needs to sufficiently describe the provisions so that the provisions could be identified based on that description.

		3.	
A description of additional materials or information needed to process the claim. It will also explain why those materials or information are needed.

		4.	
A description of the procedure to appeal the denial, including the time limits applicable to those procedures. It will also state that the claimant may file a civil action under section 502 of ERISA (ERISA — §29 U.S.C. 1132). The claimant must complete the Plan’s appeal procedure before filing a civil action in court.

If the claimant does not receive notice of the decision on the claim within the prescribed time periods, the claim is deemed denied. In that event the claimant may proceed with the appeal procedure described below.

 

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(b)            Appeal of Denied Claim. The claimant may file a written appeal of a denied claim with the Company in such manner as determined from time to time. The Company is the named fiduciary under ERISA for purposes of the appeal of the denied claim. The Company may delegate its authority to rule on appeals of denied claims and any person or persons or entity to which such authority is delegated may re-delegate that authority. The appeal must be sent at least sixty (60) days after the claimant received the denial of the initial claim. If the appeal is not sent within this time, then the right to appeal the denial is waived.

The claimant may submit materials and other information relating to the claim. The Company will appropriately consider these materials and other information, even if they were not part of the initial claim submission. The claimant will also be given reasonable and free access to or copies of documents, records and other information relevant to the claim.

Written notification of the decision on the appeal will be delivered to the claimant in a reasonable period, but not later than sixty (60) days after the appeal is received. The sixty- (60-) day period can be extended under special circumstances. If special circumstances apply, the claimant will be notified before the end of the sixty- (60-) day period after the appeal was received. The notice will identify the special circumstances. It will also specify the expected date of the decision. When special circumstances apply, the claimant must be notified of the decision not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the appeal is received.

Special rules apply if the Company designates a committee as the appropriate named fiduciary for purposes of deciding appeals of denied claims. For the special rules to apply, the committee must meet regularly on at least a quarterly basis.

When the special rules for committee meetings apply the decision on the appeal must be made not later than the date of the committee meeting immediately following the receipt of the appeal. If the appeal is received within thirty (30) days of the next following meeting, then the decision must not be made later than the date of the second committee meeting following the receipt of the appeal.

The period for making the decision on the appeal can be extended under special circumstances. If special circumstances apply, the claimant will be notified by the committee or its delegate before the end of the otherwise applicable period within which to make a decision. The notice will identify the special circumstances. It will also specify the expected date of the decision. When special circumstances apply, the claimant must be notified of the decision not later than the date of the third committee meeting after the appeal is received.

In any event, the claimant will be provided written notice of the decision within a reasonable period after the meeting at which the decision is made. The notification will not be later than five (5) days after the meeting at which the decision is made.

Whether the decision on the appeal is made by a committee or not, a denial of the appeal will include:

		1.	
The reasons for the denial.

 

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		2.	
Reference to the Plan provisions on which the denial is based. The reference need not be to page numbers or to section headings or titles. The reference only needs to sufficiently describe the provisions so that the provisions could be identified based on that description.

		3.	
A statement that the claimant may receive free of charge reasonable access to or copies of documents, records and other information relevant to the claim.

		4.	
A description of any voluntary procedure for an additional appeal, if there is such a procedure. It will also state that the claimant may file a civil action under section 502 of ERISA (ERISA — §29 U.S.C. 1132).

If the claimant does not receive notice of the decision on the appeal within the prescribed time periods, the appeal is deemed denied. In that event the claimant may file a civil action in court. The decision regarding a denied claim is final and binding on all those who are affected by the decision. No additional appeals regarding that claim are allowed.

		14.	
GOVERNING LAW

 

The provisions of this Plan shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, except to the extent preempted by Federal law.

		15.	
AMENDMENTS

 

The Company may amend, alter or terminate this Plan at any time without the prior approval of the Board or the Committee; provided, however, that the Company may not, without approval by the Board:

(a)        increase the number of securities that may be issued under the Plan (except as provided in Section 3(b));

 

(b)     materially modify the requirements as to eligibility for participation in the Plan; or

 

(c)     otherwise materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan.

 

		16.	
COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 16b-3

 

It is the intention of the Company that the Plan comply in all respects with Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

		17.	
COMPLIANCE WITH 409A

 

It is the intention of the Company and the Committee that the Plan be administered in compliance with Code section 409A and the applicable guidance issued thereunder by the Secretary of the Treasury. Any provision that is found to be inconsistent with Code section 409A or the applicable guidance issued thereunder by the Secretary of the Treasury shall be reformed and applied by the Company in a manner consistent with applicable law, as determined by the Company.

 

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		18.	
EFFECTIVE DATE

 

The Plan was approved by the Personnel and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Ashland Inc. and adopted by the Company to be effective as of October 1, 2016.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Plan is executed by Valvoline Inc. this _____  day of _________________________ 2016.

	 	VALVOLINE INC.	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

		 
	 	 		 
	 	Title:		 
	 	 	 	 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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