Document:

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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.3

                               CURON MEDICAL, INC.

                                       and

                          MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC

                                  Rights Agent

                        PREFERRED STOCK RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                          Dated as of October 30, 2001

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                                TABLE OF CONTENTS

<TABLE>
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                                                                                  Page
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<C>           <S>                                                                 <C>
Section 1.    Certain Definitions ..............................................    1

Section 2.    Appointment of Rights Agent ......................................    7

Section 3.    Issuance of Rights Certificates ..................................    8

Section 4.    Form of Rights Certificates ......................................    9

Section 5.    Countersignature and Registration ................................   10

Section 6.    Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
              Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights
              Certificates .....................................................   11

Section 7.    Exercise of Rights; Exercise Price; Expiration Date of
              Rights ...........................................................   12

Section 8.    Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates ..............   14

Section 9.    Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares .................   14

Section 10.   Record Date ......................................................   15

Section 11.   Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares or Number of
              Rights ...........................................................   16

Section 12.   Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares .......   22

Section 13.   Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
              Earning Power ....................................................   23

Section 14.   Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares ..........................   27

Section 15.   Rights of Action .................................................   28

Section 16.   Agreement of Rights Holders ......................................   28

Section 17.   Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder ...............   29

Section 18.   Concerning the Rights Agent ......................................   29

Section 19.   Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent ........   30

Section 20.   Duties of Rights Agent ...........................................   30

Section 21.   Change of Rights Agent ...........................................   33
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Section 22.   Issuance of New Rights Certificates ..............................   34

Section 23.   Redemption .......................................................   34

Section 24.   Exchange .........................................................   35

Section 25.   Notice of Certain Events .........................................   37

Section 26.   Notices ..........................................................   37

Section 27.   Supplements and Amendments .......................................   38

Section 28.   Successors .......................................................   38

Section 29.   Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc ........   39

Section 30.   Benefits of this Agreement .......................................   39

Section 31.   Severability .....................................................   39

Section 32.   Governing Law ....................................................   39

Section 33.   Counterparts .....................................................   40

Section 34.   Descriptive Headings .............................................   40

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A     Form of Certificate of Designation

Exhibit B     Form of Rights Certificate

Exhibit C     Summary of Rights
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                                      -ii-

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                        PREFERRED STOCK RIGHTS AGREEMENT

     This Preferred Stock Rights Agreement ("Agreement") is dated as of October
30, 2001, between Curon Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Company"), and
Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company ("Rights
Agent").

     On October 30, 2001, (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the Board of
Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one Preferred
Share Purchase Right (a "Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined)
of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as hereinafter defined)
on November 20, 2001 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to
purchase one one-thousandth (0.001) of a share of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement), having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the
form of Certificate of Designations of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and further authorized and
directed the issuance of one Right (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to
the provisions of this Agreement) with respect to each Common Share that shall
become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution
Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), and in
certain circumstances after the Distribution Date.

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

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

          (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 then outstanding, but shall not include the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; provided, however, that U.S.
Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund and their
respective affiliates shall not be deemed an "Acquiring Person" until such time
as any of these entities together with their respective affiliates shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Company's Common Shares then outstanding
or until such time as any of these entities together with their respective
affiliates announces a tender offer to acquire 20% or more of the Company's
Common Stock (collectively, the "Limitations"). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as the result of an
acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially
owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and
Excelsior Private Equity Fund and their respective affiliates, increases such
number of shares to 20% or more of the

                                                                             -1-

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Common Shares of the Company then outstanding); provided, however, that if a
                                                --------  -------
Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of
the Company then outstanding (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET
Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund and their respective affiliates,
shall become the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares of the
Company then outstanding) by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall,
after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any
additional Common Shares of the Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or
distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in
Common Shares or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common
Shares), then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person unless upon
becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares of the Company
such Person does not beneficially own 15% or more of the Common Shares of the
Company then outstanding (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET
Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund and their respective affiliates,
does not beneficially own 20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if the Company's Board of
Directors 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 (including, without limitation,
because (A) such Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of
the Common Shares that would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring
Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a),
or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of the Common Shares it beneficially
owned but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such beneficial
ownership under this Agreement) and without any intention of changing or
influencing control of the Company, and if such Person divested or 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 or
to have become an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement; and
(ii) if, as of the date hereof, any Person is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the Common Shares outstanding (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners,
ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund and their respective
affiliates, is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares
outstanding), such Person shall not be or become an "Acquiring Person," as
defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), unless and
until such time as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of additional
Common Shares (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by
the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or pursuant to a
split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), unless, upon becoming
the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares, such Person is not then
the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding (or
with respect to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior Private
Equity Fund and their respective affiliates, is not the Beneficial Owner of 20%
or more of the Common Shares then outstanding).

          (b) "Adjustment Fraction" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(i) hereof.

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          (c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

          (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, for purposes of Section
13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or
successor law or regulation);

               (ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise;
provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed pursuant to this Section
--------  -------
1(d)(ii)(A) to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (1)
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 (2) securities
which a Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to
have the right to acquire pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement
between the Company and such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or
Associates) if such agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the
Company prior to there being an Acquiring Person; 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 under this Section 1(d)(ii)(B) 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 of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

               (iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person
or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement
or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than customary agreements
with and between 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))
or disposing of any securities of the Company; provided, however, that in no
                                               --------  -------
case shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (x) the Beneficial
Owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity
as officers or directors of the Company or (y) the Beneficial Owner of
securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, other

                                                                             -3-

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than the officer or director, by reason of any influence that such officer or
director may have over the voting of the securities held in the plan.

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

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

          (g) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
the shares of Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share. 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.

          (h) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (i) "Company" shall mean Curon Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
subject to the terms of Section 13(a)(iii)(C) hereof.

          (j) "Current Per Share Market Price" of any security (a "Security" for
purposes of this definition), for all computations other than those made
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall mean the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive
Trading Days immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations
made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Per Share Market Price
of any Security on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such Security for the ten (10) consecutive Trading
Days immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that
                                     --------  -------
the Current Per Share Market Price of the Security is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (i) a dividend or
distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities
convertible into such shares or (ii) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of the applicable
thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, after the ex-dividend
date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the Current Per
Share Market Price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market
price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day
shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in
either case as reported 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

                                                                             -4-

<PAGE>

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
sale price or, if such last sale price is not reported, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market
maker is making a market in the Security, the fair value of such shares on such
date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall
be used. If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the Current Per Share
Market Price of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be (x) the
Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Shares as determined pursuant to
this Section 1(j), as appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof, multiplied by
(y) 1,000. If the Security is not 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 statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for
all purposes.

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

          (l) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of
the Company's Board of Directors) after the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if the
tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the
Close of Business on the Record Date) or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Company's
Board of Directors) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule
14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if,
assuming the successful consummation thereof, such Person would be an Acquiring
Person.

          (m) "Equivalent Shares" shall mean Preferred Shares and any other
class or series of capital stock of the Company which is entitled to the same
rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares.

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

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

          (p) "Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a)
hereof.

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<PAGE>

          (q) "Expiration Date" shall mean the earliest to occur of: (i) the
Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the Redemption Date, or
(iii) the time at which the Board of Directors orders the exchange of the Rights
as provided in Section 24 hereof.

          (r) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean November 20, 2011.

          (s) "Nasdaq" shall mean The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.

          (t) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, limited
liability company, partnership, trust or other entity, and shall include any
successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

          (u) "Post-Event Transferee" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(e) hereof.

          (v) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share of the Company.

          (w) "Pre-Event Transferee" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(e) hereof.

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

          (y) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at
the beginning of this Agreement.

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

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

          (bb) "Rights Agent" shall mean (i) Mellon Investor Services LLC (ii)
its successor or replacement as provided in Sections 19 and 21 hereof or (iii)
any additional Person appointed pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

          (cc) "Rights Certificate" shall mean a certificate substantially in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

          (dd) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in the recitals at the beginning of this Agreement.

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

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<PAGE>

          (ff) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause (i),
(ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof.

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

          (hh) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such;
provided that, if such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring
-------------
Person pursuant to Section 1(a) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be
deemed to have occurred.

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

          (jj) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect a majority of
the directors or Persons having similar authority of such corporation or other
entity is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or any
corporation or other entity otherwise controlled by such Person.

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

          (ll) "Summary of Rights" shall mean a summary of this Agreement
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.

          (mm) "Total Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) hereof.

          (nn) "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which a referenced security is listed or admitted to
trading is open for the transaction of business or, if a referenced security is
not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a
Business Day.

          (oo) "Triggering Event" shall be deemed to have occurred upon any
Person becoming an Acquiring Person.

     Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
                ---------------------------
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such

                                                                             -7-

<PAGE>

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
co-Rights Agent.

     Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
                -------------------------------

          (a) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of Sections 3(b) and 3(c) hereof) by the certificates
for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which
certificates shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate
Rights Certificates and (ii) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for
transfer of certificates for Common Shares shall also constitute the surrender
for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented
thereby. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will
prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will
send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided
with all necessary information, send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to
each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company, a Rights Certificate evidencing one Right for each Common Share so
held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment
in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made pursuant to Section 11
hereof, then at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company
shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance
with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole
numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional
Rights. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such
Rights Certificates and may be transferred by the transfer of the Rights
Certificates as permitted hereby, separately and apart from any transfer of
Common Shares, and the holders of such Rights Certificates as listed in the
records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights shall
be the record holders thereof.

          (b) The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon
the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given
orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business
Day next following. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the
Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution
Date has not occurred.

          (c) On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of 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, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company's transfer agent and registrar. With respect to certificates for
Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the
holders thereof together with the Summary of Rights.

                                                                             -8-

<PAGE>

          (d) Unless the Board of Directors by resolution adopted at or before
the time of the issuance of any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to
the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (or, in certain
circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date)
specifies to the contrary, Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common
Shares that are so issued, and Certificates representing such Common Shares
shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following
legend:

         THIS CERTIFICATE ALSO EVIDENCES AND ENTITLES THE HOLDER HEREOF TO
         CERTAIN RIGHTS AS SET FORTH IN A RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN CURON
         MEDICAL, INC. AND MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC AS THE RIGHTS AGENT,
         DATED AS OF OCTOBER 30, 2001, (THE "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), THE TERMS OF
         WHICH ARE HEREBY INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AND A COPY OF WHICH
         IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF CURON MEDICAL, INC.
         UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, SUCH
         RIGHTS WILL BE EVIDENCED BY SEPARATE CERTIFICATES AND WILL NO LONGER BE
         EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE. CURON MEDICAL, INC. WILL MAIL TO THE
         HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFICATE A COPY OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITHOUT
         CHARGE AFTER RECEIPT OF A WRITTEN REQUEST THEREFOR. UNDER CERTAIN
         CIRCUMSTANCES SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS ISSUED TO, OR
         HELD BY, ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY
         AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
         AGREEMENT), WHETHER CURRENTLY HELD BY OR ON BEHALF OF SUCH PERSON OR BY
         ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER, MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the Rights associated
with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by
such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate
shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common
Shares represented thereby.

          (e) In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common
Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights
associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that
the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the
Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.

     Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
                ---------------------------

     (a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Common
Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be
substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do

                                                                             -9-

<PAGE>

not affect the rights, duties 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 rule or regulation made
pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or a
national market system, on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or
included, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and
Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated
as of the Record Date (or in the case of Rights issued with respect to Common
Shares issued by the Company after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance
of such Common Shares) and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to
purchase such number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set
forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share being hereinafter referred to as the
"Exercise Price" and the aggregate Exercise Price of all Preferred Shares
issuable upon exercise of one Right being hereinafter referred to as the "Total
Exercise Price"), but the number and type of securities purchasable upon the
exercise of each Right and the Exercise Price shall be subject to adjustment as
provided herein.

     (b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a Post-Event Transferee,
(iii) a Pre-Event Transferee or (iv) any subsequent transferee receiving
transferred Rights from a Post-Event Transferee or a Pre-Event Transferee,
either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer,
exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to
in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

         THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
         BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR
         AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
         DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
         AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
         CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.

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

          (a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial
Officer, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either
manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's
seal (if any) or a facsimile thereof. The Rights Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless
countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of
the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and

                                                                            -10-

<PAGE>

delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with
the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights
Certificates on behalf of the Company had not ceased to be such officer of the
Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by
any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate,
shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate,
although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person
was not such an officer.

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

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

          (a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, at
any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior
to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for
another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered
holder to purchase a like number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or,
following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then
entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall
surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split
up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any
action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have properly completed and signed
the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver
to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as
the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates. The Rights
Agent shall have no duty or obligation under this Section unless and until it is
satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

          (b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Rights Certificate, and, in case of

                                                                            -11-

<PAGE>

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

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

          (a) Subject to Sections 7(e), 23(b) and 24(b) hereof, the registered
holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby
(except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the
Distribution Date and prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date by
surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on
the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Exercise
Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering
Event, other securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) as to which
the Rights are exercised.

          (b) The Exercise Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be Thirty Dollars
($30.00), shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United
States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

          (c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Exercise Price for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets
as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or
charge required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in
accordance with Section 9(e) hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer
agent for the Preferred Shares) a certificate or certificates for the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) to be purchased and the
Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such
requests or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) issuable upon exercise of
the Rights hereunder with a depository agent, requisition from the depository
agent depository receipts representing such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or
other assets as the case may be) as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the Preferred Shares (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) represented by such
receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depository agent) and
the Company hereby directs the depository 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

                                                                            -12-

<PAGE>

depository receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt
thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Rights Certificate. The payment of the Exercise Price (as such amount may be
reduced (including to zero) pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) and an amount
equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such
Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9(e) hereof, may be made in cash
or by certified bank check, cashier's check or bank draft payable to the order
of the Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue securities
of the Company other than Preferred Shares, pay cash and/or distribute other
property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all
arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property
are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

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

          (e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from
and after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event, any Rights beneficially
owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring
Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or
Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such (a
"Post-Event Transferee"), (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently
with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to
either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring
Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person
with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the
Company's Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or
understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this
Section 7(e) (a "Pre-Event Transferee") or (iv) any subsequent transferee
receiving transferred Rights from a Post-Event Transferee or a Pre-Event
Transferee, either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees,
shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such
Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and
Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder
of Rights Certificates or to any other Person as a result of its failure to make
any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring
Person's Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.

          (f) 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 upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall, in
addition to having complied with the requirements of Section 7(a), have

                                                                            -13-

<PAGE>

(i) properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

     Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
                ---------------------------------------------------
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
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 Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise
than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled
Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the
Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate evidencing the destruction thereof to the Company.

     Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.
                ------------------------------------------------

          (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will use its best efforts
to cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued
Preferred Shares not reserved for another purpose (and, following the occurrence
of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares and/or
other securities), the number of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence
of the Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) that will be
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

          (b) If the Company shall hereafter list any of its Preferred Shares on
a stock exchange, then so long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities)
issuable and deliverable upon exercise of the Rights may be listed on such
exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such
time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that the Company's
Board of Directors determines that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will
be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such
exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

          (c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights is described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the
case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to
the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form,
(ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as
practicable after such filing and (iii) cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the

                                                                            -14-

<PAGE>

earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for
such securities and (B) the date of expiration of the Rights. The Company may
temporarily suspend, by issuing a public announcement, for a period not to
exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first
sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to
prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective.
Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating,
and notify the Rights Agent, that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement and notification to the
Rights Agent at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company
will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance
with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with
the exercisability of the Rights. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any
jurisdiction, unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have
been obtained, or an exemption therefrom shall be available, and until a
registration statement has been declared and remains effective.

          (d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or other securities of
the Company) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of
the certificates for such securities (subject to payment of the Exercise Price),
be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

          (e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due
and payable any and all taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the
original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or of any Preferred
Shares (or other securities of the Company) upon the exercise of Rights. The
Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a
person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depository
receipts for the Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company) in a name
other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing
Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or
depository receipts for Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company)
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 Rights
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the
Company's or the Rights Agent's satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

     Section 10. Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for a
                 -----------
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other securities of the
Company) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed
to have become the holder of record of Preferred Shares (or other securities of
the Company) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the
date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Total Exercise Price with respect to which the
Rights have been exercised (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made;
provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon
--------  -------
which the transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed
to have

                                                                            -15-

<PAGE>

become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated,
the next succeeding Business Day on which the transfer books of the Company are
open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a
Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred
Shares (or other securities of the Company) 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 Exercise Price, Number of Shares or Number of
                 -----------------------------------------------------------
Rights. The Exercise Price, the number and kind of shares or other property
------
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) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event that 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 (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of
Preferred Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
or surviving corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11 and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) the Exercise Price in
effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date
of such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be adjusted so that
the Exercise Price thereafter shall equal the result obtained by dividing the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such time by a fraction (the
"Adjustment Fraction"), the numerator of which shall be the total number of
Preferred Shares (or shares of capital stock issued in such reclassification of
the Preferred Shares) outstanding immediately following such time and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of Preferred Shares outstanding
immediately prior to such time; 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 such Right; and (2) the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or share of such other capital stock) issuable upon the exercise of each
Right shall equal the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or share
of such other capital stock) as was issuable upon exercise of a Right
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses (A)-(D) of
this Section 11(a)(i), multiplied by the Adjustment Fraction; provided, however,
that, no such adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i) to the
extent that there shall have simultaneously occurred an event described in
clause (A), (B), (C) or (D) of Section 11(n) with a proportionate adjustment
being made thereunder. Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an
adjustment has been made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i) shall have associated
with it the number of Rights, exercisable at the Exercise Price and for the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) as one Common Share has associated with it immediately following the
adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i).

                                                                            -16-

<PAGE>

               (i) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event that a
Triggering Event shall have occurred, then promptly following such Triggering
Event each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement and payment of the Exercise Price in
effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event, in lieu of a
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares of
the Company as shall equal the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the product
obtained by multiplying (1) the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to
the occurrence of the Triggering Event by (2) the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable (or would have been
exercisable if the Distribution Date had occurred) immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Triggering Event, by (B) 50% of the Current Per Share
Market Price for Common Shares on the date of occurrence of the Triggering
Event; provided, however, that the Exercise Price and the number of Common
       --------  -------
Shares of the Company so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to
further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(e) hereof to
reflect any events occurring in respect of the Common Shares of the Company
after the occurrence of the Triggering Event.

               (ii) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if the Company's Board of Directors
determines that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the
interest of holders of Rights and, in the event that the number of Common Shares
which are authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of
the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights, or
if any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance has not been obtained by
the Company, the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the
Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over
(2) the Exercise Price (such excess, the "Spread") and (B) with respect to each
Right, make adequate provision to substitute for such Common Shares, upon
exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Exercise Price, (3)
other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or
units of shares of any series of preferred stock which the Company's Board of
Directors has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares (such shares or
units of shares of preferred stock are herein called "Common Stock
Equivalents")), except to the extent that the Company has not obtained any
necessary stockholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, (4) debt
securities of the Company, except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary stockholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, (5)
other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value
equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by
the Company's Board of Directors based upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Company's Board of Directors;
provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to
--------  -------
deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the
later of (x) the first occurrence of a Triggering Event and (y) the date on
which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the
later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger
Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for
exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Exercise Price, Common
Shares (to the extent available), except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary stockholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, and
then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate

                                                                            -17-

<PAGE>

value equal to the Spread. If the Company's Board of Directors shall determine
in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could
be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights or that any
necessary regulatory approval for such issuance will be obtained, the thirty
(30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not
more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order
that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the authorization of such
additional shares or take action to obtain such regulatory approval (such
period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that
the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first
and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall
provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly
to all outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights
until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional shares, to take any action to obtain any required
regulatory approval and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the
event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent whenever it makes a public
announcement pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii) and give the Rights Agent a
copy of such announcement. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of
the Common Shares shall be the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common
Shares on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any Common Stock
Equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such
date.

          (b) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to
all holders of Preferred Shares entitling such holders (for a period expiring
within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or
purchase Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares or securities convertible into
Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares at a price per share (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or
Equivalent Shares) less than the then Current Per Share Market Price of the
Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares on such record date, then, in each such
case, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of
Preferred Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such record date,
plus the number of Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be,
which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares or
Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, to be offered or issued (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities to be offered
or issued) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of Preferred Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any)
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred Shares
or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, 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

                                                                            -18-

<PAGE>

shall be as determined in good faith by the Company's Board of Directors, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred
Shares and Equivalent Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company
shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the
Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would then be in
effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (c) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of
the Preferred Shares or of any class or series of Equivalent Shares (including
any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which
the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend, if any, or
a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights, options or
warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), then, in each such
case, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Per Share
Market Price of a Preferred Share or an Equivalent Share on such record date,
less the fair market value per Preferred Share or Equivalent Share (as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of
the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a Preferred
Share or Equivalent Share, as the case may be, and the denominator of which
shall be such Current Per Share Market Price of a Preferred Share or Equivalent
Share 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 issuable 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 Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would have
been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (d) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in
the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least one percent (1.0%) of the Exercise Price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(d)
--------  -------
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other
share or one hundred-thousandth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(d), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or
(ii) the Expiration Date.

          (e) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or
Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive any shares of

                                                                            -19-

<PAGE>

capital stock other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other
shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and, if required, the Exercise
Price thereof, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and
on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to
the Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(d), 11(g),
11(h), 11(i), 11(j), 11(k) and 11(l), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10,
13 and 14 with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any
such other shares.

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

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

          (h) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Exercise Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) or (c)
to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number
of Preferred Shares 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-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of
Rights (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing
the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Exercise
Price by the Exercise Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Exercise 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 Exercise Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if any
Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than
the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued,
upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(h), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates
evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of
the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such

                                                                            -20-

<PAGE>

holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates
held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender
thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the
Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights
Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in
the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the
adjusted Exercise Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of
record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public
announcement.

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

          (j) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Exercise Price below the par or stated value, if any, of the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 as
fully paid and nonassessable shares such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share at such adjusted Exercise Price.

          (k) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Exercise 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 number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or securities of
the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or securities of
the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise
Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company
                                          --------  -------
shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument
evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares (fractional or
otherwise) upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

          (l) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, prior
to the Distribution Date, the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments
in the Exercise 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 (i) consolidation or subdivision of
the Preferred or Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred
or Common Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash of Preferred or Common Shares or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred or Common Shares, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred or Common
Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

                                                                            -21-

<PAGE>

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

          (n) In the event that the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common
Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding
Common Shares (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of
Common Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
or surviving corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) each Common Share
(or shares of capital stock issued in such reclassification of the Common
Shares) outstanding immediately following such time shall have associated with
it the number of Rights as were associated with one Common Share immediately
prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses (A)-(D) above; (2) the
Exercise Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of
the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be
adjusted so that the Exercise Price thereafter shall equal the result obtained
by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such time by a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately prior to the event described in clauses (A)-(D) above,
and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately after such event; 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 such Right; and (3) the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital stock) issuable upon the
exercise of each Right outstanding after such event shall equal the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital stock) as
were issuable with respect to one Right immediately prior to such event. Each
Common Share that shall become outstanding after an adjustment has been made
pursuant to this Section 11(n) shall have associated with it the number of
Rights, exercisable at the Exercise Price and for the number of one-thousandths
of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital stock) as one Common Share
has associated with it immediately following the adjustment made pursuant to
this Section 11(n). If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under
both this Section 11(n) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided
for in this Section 11(n) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to,
any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

     Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares.
                 ----------------------------------------------------------
Whenever an adjustment is made or any event affecting the Rights or their
exercisability (including without limitation an event which causes Rights to
become null and void) occurs as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
or describing such event and a brief, reasonably detailed statement of the
facts, computations and methodology accounting for such adjustment, (b) file
with the Rights Agent and with each transfer

                                                                            -22-

<PAGE>

agent for the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief
summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with
Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the
Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the
validity of such adjustment or the force or effect of the requirement for such
adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such
certificate and on any adjustment contained therein and shall have no duty or
liability with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of, any
adjustment or any such event unless and until it shall have received such
certificate.

     Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
                 --------------------------------------------------------------
Power.
-----

          (a) In the event that, following a Triggering Event, directly or
indirectly:

               (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into,
any other Person (other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the state of
incorporation of the Company and which complies with Section 11(m) hereof);

               (ii) any Person shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with
and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation 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

               (iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company or one or more of its wholly
owned Subsidiaries in one or more transactions, each of which individually (and
together) complies with Section 11(m) hereof),

                    then, concurrent with and in each such case,

                    (A) each holder of a Right (except as provided in Section
7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise
thereof at a price equal to the Total Exercise Price applicable immediately
prior to the occurrence of the Section 13 Event in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as
hereinafter defined), free of any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal
or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing
such Total Exercise Price by an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the
Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Shares of such Principal Party on
the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event, provided, however, that the
                                                   --------  -------
Exercise Price and the number of Common Shares of such Principal Party so
receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to further adjustment as
appropriate in accordance with Section 11(e) hereof;

                                                                            -23-

<PAGE>

                    (B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and
shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties
of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;

                    (C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer
to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of
Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event;

                    (D) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including,
but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares)
in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary
to ensure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly
as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable
upon the exercise of the Rights; and

                    (E) upon the subsequent occurrence of any consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary transaction in respect
of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to
receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Total Exercise Price as
provided in this Section 13(a), such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other
property which such holder would have been entitled to receive had such holder,
at the time of such transaction, owned the Common Shares of the Principal Party
receivable upon the exercise of such Right pursuant to this Section 13(a), and
such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to,
reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent
exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash,
shares, rights, warrants and other property.

                    (F) For purposes hereof, the "earning power" of the Company
and its Subsidiaries shall be determined in good faith by the Company's Board of
Directors on the basis of the operating income of each business operated by the
Company and its Subsidiaries during the three fiscal years preceding the date of
such determination (or, in the case of any business not operated by the Company
or any Subsidiary during three full fiscal years preceding such date, during the
period such business was operated by the Company or any Subsidiary).

          (b) For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Principal Party" shall
mean:

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

                                                                            -24-

<PAGE>

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

          (c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless the
Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized Common Shares that
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of
the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the
Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement confirming that such Principal Party shall, upon
consummation of such Section 13 Event, assume this Agreement in accordance with
Sections 13(a) and 13(b) hereof, that all rights of first refusal or preemptive
rights in respect of the issuance of Common Shares of such Principal Party upon
exercise of outstanding Rights have been waived, that there are no 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 and that such transaction shall not result in a default by such Principal
Party under this Agreement, and further providing that, as soon as practicable
after the date of such Section 13 Event, such Principal Party will:

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

                                                                            -25-

<PAGE>

               (ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of)
the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a
national securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for
quotation on Nasdaq and list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on Nasdaq; and

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

     In the event that at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering Event
some or all of the Rights shall not have been exercised at the time of a
transaction described in this Section 13, the Rights which have not theretofore
been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable in the manner described in
Section 13(a) (without taking into account any prior adjustment required by
Section 11(a)(ii)).

          (d) In case the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof
has provision in any of its authorized securities or in its certificate of
incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs,
which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to
issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to Section 13 hereof), in
connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a Section 13 Event,
Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at less than the then
Current Per Share Market Price thereof or securities exercisable for, or
convertible into, Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at
less than such then Current Per Share Market Price, or (ii) providing for any
special payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the
Common Shares of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13
hereof, then, in such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of
Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto
the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the
Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question
of such Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the
authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will
have no effect in connection with or as a consequence of, the consummation of
the proposed transaction.

          (e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date, effect or permit to occur any Section 13 Event, if
(i) at the time or immediately after such Section 13 Event there are any rights,
warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect
which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended
to be afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such Section 13 Event, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or
would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof
shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or
any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization
of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights.

                                                                            -26-

<PAGE>

          (f) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers 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 Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable, as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 1(j) hereof.

          (b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Interests in
fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depository
receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a
depository selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the
                           --------
holders of such depository receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and
preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred
Shares represented by such depository receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred
Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at
the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a Preferred Share. For purposes
of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be
(x) one thousand multiplied by (y) the closing price of a Common Share (as
determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 1(j) hereof) for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares
upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such fractional Common
Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates
at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal
to the same fraction of the current market value of a Common Share. For purposes
of this Section 14(c), the current market value of a Common Share shall be the
closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence
of Section 1(j) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.

          (d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares (other than fractions that are

                                                                            -27-

<PAGE>

integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of
a Right. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation with respect to this
Section 14 and Section 24 below unless and until it has received specific
instructions (and sufficient cash, if required) from the Company with respect to
its duties or obligations under such Sections.

     Section 15. Rights of Action.
                 ----------------

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

          (b) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder
of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, 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 must 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 Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right, by
                 ---------------------------
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:

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

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

                                                                            -28-

<PAGE>

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

     Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder,
                 --------------------------------------------------
as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of the Preferred Shares
or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any
Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a 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 specifically provided in Section 25 hereof), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.

     Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
                 ---------------------------

          (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
other disbursements incurred in the preparation, 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, claims, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without
limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel), incurred without
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights
Agent, (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be
determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a
court of competent jurisdiction) for any action taken, suffered or omitted by
the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance administration exercise and
performance of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending
against any claim of liability in the premises. The costs and expenses incurred
in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company. The
provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the termination
of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation
or removal of the Rights Agent.

          (b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur
no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the
exercise and performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights
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,

                                                                            -29-

<PAGE>

endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate,
statement or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and
to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the
proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth
in Section 20 hereof.

     Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
                 ---------------------------------------------------------

          (a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the
shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent,
shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto; provided, however, that such 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 Rights 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 Rights
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.

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

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

          (a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the 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,
suffered or omitted by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.

                                                                            -30-

<PAGE>

          (b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by the
Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take 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 Chief Financial
Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered
to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken, suffered or omitted to
be taken by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.

          (c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct
(which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a
final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent
jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the
Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or
incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to
lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of
such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will
be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

          (d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
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 or have any
liability 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 Rights 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
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the
exercisability of the Rights or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights
(including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11,
13, 23 or 24, 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 Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of a
certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 describing such change or
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

                                                                            -31-

<PAGE>

          (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 Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full
authorization and protection to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall not
be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
accordance with the advice or 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 by the Rights
Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action
shall be taken, suffered by, or such omission shall be effective. The Rights
Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights
Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after
the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five
(5) Business Days after the date on which any officer of the Company actually
receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in
writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the
effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received
written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be
taken, suffered or omitted.

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

          (i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (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,
absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by
a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of
competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.

                                                                            -32-

<PAGE>

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

          (k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

     Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
                 ----------------------
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
thirty (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 Preferred
Shares and the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders
of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign
or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (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
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his or her Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed
by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a Person organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States (so long as such Person is
authorized to do business in the State of New York) or of any state of the
United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
stockholder services 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 or (b) an
Affiliate of such a Person. 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 Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

                                                                            -33-

<PAGE>

     Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
                 -----------------------------------
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Exercise Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities
or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance
or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the
redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to
Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or
under any employee plan or arrangement or upon the exercise, conversion or
exchange of other securities of the Company outstanding at the date hereof or
upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by
the Company and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate
by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing
the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale;
provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued and this
--------  -------
sentence shall be null and void ab initio if, and to the extent that, such
                                ---------
issuance or this sentence would create a significant risk of or result in
material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such
Rights Certificate would be issued or would create a significant risk of or
result in such options' or employee plans' or arrangements' failing to qualify
for otherwise available special tax treatment and (ii) no such Rights
Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment
shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

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

     The Company may, at its option and with the approval of the Board of
Directors, at any time prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the
fifth day following the Shares Acquisition Date (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Company's Board of Directors and publicly announced
by the Company) and (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than
all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being herein
referred to as the "Redemption Price") and the Company may, at its option, pay
the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the Current Per Share
Market Price thereof at the time of redemption) or cash. Such redemption of the
Rights by the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with
such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
The date on which the Board of Directors elects to make the redemption effective
shall be referred to as the "Redemption Date."

          (a) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been
filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right
thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price.
The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (with
prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the
                                                    --------  -------
failure to give, or any defect in, any

                                                                            -34-

<PAGE>

such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within ten (10)
days after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the
Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and
the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such
holders 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) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to
subsection 24(c) below, the Company may, at its option, by action of the Board
of Directors, at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, 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 7(e) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share
per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Board of Directors 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 ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection 24(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
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
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 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

                                                                            -35-

<PAGE>

          (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 Section 24(a), the Company shall
either take such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common
Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option
of a majority of the Board of Directors, with respect to each Right (i) pay cash
in an amount equal to the Current Value (as hereinafter defined), in lieu of
issuing Common Shares in exchange therefor, or (ii) issue debt or equity
securities or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the Current Value,
in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange for each such Right, where the
value of such securities shall be determined by a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected by majority vote of the Board of Directors, or
(iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, Common Shares and/or other
securities having a value equal to the Current Value in exchange for each Right.
For purposes of this Section 24(c) only, the Current Value shall mean the
product of the Current Per Share Market Price of Common Shares on the date of
the occurrence of the event described above in subparagraph (a), multiplied by
the number of Common Shares for which the Right otherwise would be exchangeable
if there were sufficient shares available. To the extent that the Company
determines that some action need be taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii)
of this Section 24(c), the Board of Directors may temporarily suspend the
exercisability of the Rights for a period of up to sixty (60) days following the
date on which the event described in Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order
to seek any authorization of additional Common Shares and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the above provision and
to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company
shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights
has been temporarily suspended (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights
Agent).

          (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, there shall be paid to the registered
holders of the Rights 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 (as determined pursuant to
the second sentence of Section 1(j) hereof).

          (e) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of
Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially
equivalent value, as determined reasonably and with good faith by the Board of
Directors based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms.

          (f) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection 24(e) 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 rights in exchange therefor as has been

                                                                            -36-

<PAGE>

determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with subsection 24(e) above.
The Company shall give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however,
                                                           --------  -------
that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the
validity of such exchange. The Company shall 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 transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company.
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 Rights will be effected.

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

          (a) In case the Company shall propose to effect or permit to occur any
Triggering Event or Section 13 Event, the Company shall give notice thereof to
each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof at least twenty (20)
days prior to occurrence of such Triggering Event or such Section 13 Event.

          (b) In case any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event shall occur,
then, in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give
to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance
with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall
specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under
Sections 11(a)(ii) and 13 hereof.

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

                               Curon Medical, Inc.
                               735 Palomar Avenue
                               Sunnyvale, CA 94085

                               with a copy to:

                               Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                               Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                               Palo Alto, California 94304-1050
                               Attention: David Saul and David J. Berger

     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 Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given
or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

                                                                            -37-

<PAGE>

                             Mellon Investor Services LLC
                             235 Montgomery St., 23rd Floor
                             San Francisco, CA 94104
                             Attention: Cecil Bobey

                             with a copy to:

                             Mellon Investor Services LLC
                             85 Challenger Road
                             Ridgefield Park, New Jersey 07660-2108
                             Attention: General Counsel

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

     Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the occurrence of a
                 --------------------------
Distribution Date, the Company may supplement or amend this Agreement in any
respect without the approval of any holders of Rights and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, execute such supplement or amendment. From and
after the occurrence of a Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent
may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of
any holders of Rights in order to (i) cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or
supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent
with any other provisions herein, (iii) shorten or lengthen any time period
hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner
that the Company may deem necessary or desirable and that shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, this Agreement may
                                                   --------
not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this
sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such
time as the Rights are not then redeemable or (B) any other time period unless
such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the
rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the
delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company and, if
requested by the Rights Agent, an opinion counsel, 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 unless such supplement
or amendment affects the Rights Agent's own rights, duties, obligations or
immunities under this Agreement. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests
of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the
holders of Common Shares.

     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.

                                                                            -38-

<PAGE>

     Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. For
                 ---------------------------------------------------------
all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common
Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining
the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person
is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of
Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board, or the Company, or as may be necessary or
advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the right and power (i) to interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) to make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for
the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other parties and
(y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights. The
Rights Agent is entitled to always assume the Company's Board of Directors acted
in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance
thereon.

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

     Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
                 ------------
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
--------  -------
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof
shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the
tenth day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.

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

                                                                            -39-

<PAGE>

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

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

                                                                            -40-

<PAGE>

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

"COMPANY"                           Curon Medical, Inc.

                                    By:   /s/ John Morgan
                                        ----------------------------------------

                                    Name: John Morgan

                                    Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

"RIGHTS AGENT"                      Mellon Investor Services LLC

                                    By:   /s/ Cecil D. Bobey
                                        ----------------------------------------

                                    Name:   Cecil D. Bobey
                                          --------------------------------------

                                    Title:   Assistant Vice President
                                           -------------------------------------

                                                                            -41-

<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT A
                                    ---------

                CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF RIGHTS, PREFERENCES
            AND PRIVILEGES OF SERIES A PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
                             OF CURON MEDICAL, INC.

     The undersigned, John W. Morgan, does hereby certify:

     1. That he is the duly elected and acting President and Chief Executive
Officer of Curon Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation").

     2. That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by
the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation,
the said Board of Directors on October 30, 2001 adopted the following resolution
creating a series of 50,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A
Participating Preferred Stock:

     "RESOLVED that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of the corporation by the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the
Board of Directors does hereby provide for the issue of a series of Preferred
Stock of the Corporation and does hereby state and express that upon a
Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement), the Rights
shall entitle each holder of Common Stock to purchase shares of Preferred Stock,
which Preferred Stock shall have designations, powers, preferences and relative
and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of
such series of Preferred Stock as follows

     Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
                ----------------------
designated as "Series A Participating Preferred Stock." The Series A
Participating Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share, and
the number of shares constituting such series shall be 50,000.

     Section 2. Proportional Adjustment. In the event that the Corporation shall
                -----------------------
at any time after the issuance of any share or shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock of the Corporation
("Common Stock") payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Corporation shall
simultaneously effect a proportional adjustment to the number of outstanding
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.

     Section 3. Dividends and Distributions.
                ---------------------------

          (a) Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders
of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive
when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally
available

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of March,
June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to
herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction
of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share
(rounded to the nearest cent) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate per share
amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount
(payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the
Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date,
or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first
issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock.

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

          (c) Dividends shall begin to accrue on outstanding shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for
the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such
shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless
the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the
record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall
begin to accrue from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid
dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such
dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro
rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.
The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of
a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

     Section 4. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Participating
                -------------
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

          (a) Each share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle
the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders of the Corporation.

          (b) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of
Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote
of stockholders of the Corporation.

          (c) Except as required by law, the holders of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not
be required (except to the extent that

                                                                             -2-

<PAGE>

they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for
taking any corporate action.

     Section 5. Certain Restrictions.
                --------------------

          (a) The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any
distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it
shall declare a dividend on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as
required by Section 3 hereof.

          (b) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 3
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall
not

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

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

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

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

          (c) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation
to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation

                                                                             -3-

<PAGE>

could, under paragraph (a) of this Section 5, purchase or otherwise acquire such
shares at such time and in such manner.

     Section 6. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Participating
                -----------------
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof.
All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued
shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein and in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as then
amended.

     Section 7. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation,
                --------------------------------------
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount
per share equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share
to holders of shares of Common Stock plus an amount equal to any accrued and
unpaid dividends on such shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.

     Section 8. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter
                --------------------------
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the
shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to 1,000 times the aggregate
amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind),
as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged.

     Section 9. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Participating Preferred
                -------------
Stock shall not be redeemable.

     Section 10. Ranking. The Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
                 -------
junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.

     Section 11. Amendment. The Amended and Restated Certificate of
                 ---------
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner
which would materially alter or change the powers, preference or special rights
of the Series A Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely
without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series.

     Section 12. Fractional Shares. Series A Participating Preferred Stock may
                 -----------------
be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion
to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive
dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other
rights of holders of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.

                                                                             -4-

<PAGE>

     RESOLVED FURTHER, that the President or any Vice President of this
corporation be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to prepare and file
a Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges in accordance
with the foregoing resolution and the provisions of Delaware law and to take
such actions as they may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent
of the foregoing resolution."

     I further declare under penalty of perjury that the matters set forth in
the foregoing Certificate of Designation is true and correct of my own
knowledge.

     Executed at Sunnyvale, California on November 9, 2001.

                                       /S/ John W. Morgan
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       President

                                                                             -5-

<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT B
                                    ---------

                           FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

Certificate No. R-                                              _________ Rights

         NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EARLIER OF (i) SEPTEMBER 20, 2011, (ii) THE
         DATE TERMINATED BY THE COMPANY OR (iii) THE DATE THE COMPANY EXCHANGES
         THE RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
         REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.001 PER RIGHT ON THE
         TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES,
         RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
         ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE
         RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME
         NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE
         OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING
         PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH
         TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS
         CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID
         IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH RIGHTS
         AGREEMENT.]*

                               RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

                               CURON MEDICAL, INC.

     This certifies that ______________________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Rights Agreement dated as of October 30, 2001, (the "Rights Agreement"),
between Curon Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Mellon
Investor Services LLC ( the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any
time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York time, on September 20, 2011 at the
office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its
successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth

--------------------

*   The portion of the legend in bracket shall be inserted only if applicable
    and shall replace the preceding sentence.

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

(1/1,000) of a fully paid and non-assessable share of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Preferred Shares"), of the
Company, at an Exercise Price of $30.00 per one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
(the "Exercise Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights
Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly
executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon
exercise hereof) set forth above are the number and Exercise Price as of
November 20, 2001 based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As
provided in the Rights Agreement, the Exercise Price and the number and kind of
Preferred Shares or other securities which may be purchased upon the exercise of
the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

     This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of
the Company and the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent.

     Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company, at its option, at a
redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in
whole or in part for Common Shares, substantially equivalent rights or other
consideration as determined by the Company.

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

     No fractional portion of less than one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby but in
lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

     No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of 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 Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise,

                                                                             -2-

<PAGE>

until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been
exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.

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

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

ATTEST:                                Curon Medical, Inc.

                                       By:
-----------------------------------        -----------------------------------
Secretary

                                       Its:
                                           -----------------------------------

Countersigned:

Mellon Investor Services LLC
as Rights Agent

By:
    -------------------------------

Its:
    -------------------------------

                                                                             -3-

<PAGE>

                   Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate

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

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

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED ______________________________ hereby sells, assigns

and transfers unto _____________________________________________________________

                        (Please print name and address of transferee)
________________________________________________________________________________

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

Dated: _______________, ____

                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by an "Eligible Guarantor Institution" (with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallian program) pursuant to
Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

                                   CERTIFICATE
                                   -----------

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

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

Dated: _______________, ____

                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by an "Eligible Guarantor Institution" (with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallian program) pursuant to
Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

             Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued

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

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

To:___________________________

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
_________________________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to
purchase the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 Rights
Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Please print name and address)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dated: _______________, ____

                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by an "Eligible Guarantor Institution" (with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallian program) pursuant to
Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

                                   CERTIFICATE
                                   -----------

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

         (1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement);

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

Dated: _______________, ____

                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by an "Eligible Guarantor Institution" (with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallian program) pursuant to
Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

             Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued

                                     NOTICE
                                     ------

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

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT C
                                    ---------

                             STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
                               CURON MEDICAL, INC.

                                Summary of Rights

Distribution and           The Board of Directors has declared a dividend of one
Transfer of Rights;        Right for each share of Common Stock of Curon
Rights Certificate:        Medical, Inc. (the "Company") outstanding. Prior to
                           the Distribution Date referred to below, the Rights
                           will be evidenced by and trade with the certificates
                           for the Common Stock. After the Distribution Date,
                           the Company will mail Rights certificates to the
                           Company's stockholders and the Rights will become
                           transferable apart from the Common Stock.

Distribution Date:         Rights will separate from the Common Stock and become
                           exercisable following (a) the tenth day (or such
                           later date as may be determined by the Company's
                           Board of Directors) after a person or group acquires
                           beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Company's
                           Common Stock or (b) the tenth business day (or such
                           later date as may be determined by the Company's
                           Board of Directors) after a person or group announces
                           a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which
                           would result in ownership by a person or group of 15%
                           or more of the Company's Common Stock. However, with
                           respect to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and
                           Excelsior Private Equity Fund, no Distribution Date
                           will occur until such time as any of these entities
                           acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the
                           Company's Common Stock or announces a tender offer to
                           acquire 20% or more of the Company's Common Stock
                           (collectively, the "Limitations").

Preferred Stock            After the Distribution Date, each Right will entitle
Purchasable Upon           the holder to purchase for $ 30.00 (the "Exercise
Exercise of Rights:        Price"), a fraction of a share of the Company's
                           Preferred Stock with economic terms similar to that
                           of one share of the Company's Common Stock.

Flip-In:                   If an acquiror (an "Acquiring Person") obtains 15% or
                           more of the Company's Common Stock (or with respect
                           to U.S. Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and
                           Excelsior Private Equity Fund, any of these entities
                           fails to comply with the Limitations), then each
                                                                  ----
                           Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person
                           or its affiliates) will entitle the holder thereof to
                           purchase, for the Exercise Price, a number of shares
                           of the Company's Common Stock having a then-current
                           market value of twice the Exercise Price.

Flip-Over:                 If, after an Acquiring Person obtains 15% or more of
                           the Company's Common Stock (or with respect to U.S.
                           Venture Partners, ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior
                           Private Equity Fund, any of these entities fails to
                           comply with the Limitations), (a) the Company merges
                           into another entity, (b) an acquiring entity merges
                           into the Company or (c) the Company sells more than
                           50% of the Company's assets or earning power, then
                                                                         ----
                           each Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring
                           Person or its affiliates) will entitle the holder
                           thereof to purchase, for the Exercise Price, a number
                           of shares of Common Stock of the person engaging in
                           the transaction having a then current market value of

                                                                             -1-

<PAGE>

                           twice the Exercise Price.

Exchange Provision:        At any time after the date on which an Acquiring
                           Person obtains 15% or more of the Company's Common
                           Stock (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners,
                           ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund,
                           any of these entities fails to comply with the
                           Limitations), and prior to the acquisition by the
                           Acquiring Person of 50% of the outstanding Common
                           Stock, a majority of the Board of Directors and the
                           Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the
                           Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring
                           Person or its affiliates), in whole or in part, for
                           shares of Common Stock of the Company at an exchange
                           ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right (subject
                           to adjustment).

Redemption of the          Rights will be redeemable at the Company's option for
Rights:                    $0.001 per Right at any time on or prior to the fifth
                           day (or such later date as may be determined by the
                           Company's Board of Directors) after public
                           announcement that a Person has acquired beneficial
                           ownership of 15% or more of the Company's Common
                           Stock (or with respect to U.S. Venture Partners,
                           ONSET Ventures, and Excelsior Private Equity Fund,
                           any of these entities fails to comply with the
                           Limitations) (the "Shares Acquisition Date").

Expiration of the          The Rights expire on the earliest of (a) November 20,
Rights:                    2011 or (b) exchange or redemption of the Rights as
                           described above.

Amendment of               The terms of the Rights and the Rights Agreement may
Terms of Rights:           be amended in any respect without the consent of the
                           Rights holders on or prior to the Distribution Date;
                           thereafter, the terms of the Rights and the Rights
                           Agreement may be amended without the consent of the
                           Rights holders in order to cure any ambiguities or to
                           make changes which do not adversely affect the
                           interests of Rights holders (other than the Acquiring
                           Person).

Voting Rights:             Rights will not have any voting rights.

Anti-Dilution              Rights will have the benefit of certain customary
Provisions:                anti-dilution provisions.

Taxes:                     The Rights distribution should not be taxable for
                           federal income tax purposes. However, following an
                           event which renders the Rights exercisable or upon
                           redemption of the Rights, stockholders may recognize
                           taxable income.

The foregoing is a summary of certain principal terms of the Stockholder Rights
Plan. It may be amended from time to time. A copy of the Rights Agreement will
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a
Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated November 9, 2001. A copy of the
Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company.

                                                                             -2-Exhibit 4.3.1.2

                          GMAC  COMMERCIAL CREDIT  LLC
                          1290 Avenue of the Americas
                            New York, New York 10104

                                               as of October 5, 2001

DELTA  MILLS,  INC.
100  Augusta  Street
Greenville,  South  Carolina  29601

               Re: Consent and Amendment to Credit Agreement and Other Documents
                   -------------------------------------------------------------

Gentlemen:

     Reference  is  made to the Revolving Credit and Security Agreement dated as
of  March  31,  2000  (as  amended,  restated,  renewed, extended, supplemented,
substituted or otherwise modified, the "Credit Agreement"), by and between DELTA
MILLS,  INC.  ("Borrower")  and  GMAC  COMMERCIAL CREDIT LLC, as a lender and as
agent  for  the lenders party to the Credit Agreement from time to time (in such
capacity, "Agent").  All capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein
shall  have  the  respective  meanings ascribed to them in the Credit Agreement.

     1.     Borrower  has  requested  that  Agent make certain amendments to the
Credit  Agreement  and  Agent  has  agreed  to  do  so, subject to the terms and
conditions  contained  herein.

     2.     Effective  as of the date hereof, the Credit Agreement and the Other
Documents  are  hereby  amended  as  follows:

          1     All  references  to "March 31, 2003" appearing  in  Section 9(a)
of  the  Amended  and  Restated  Factoring  Agreement  and Section 8.3(a) of the
Factoring  Service  Agreement are amended and restated to read "March 31, 2004."

          2     The  definition  of  "Term"  appearing  in  Section  1.2 of  the
Credit  Agreement  is  hereby  amended  and restated in its entirety as follows:

               " "Term" shall mean the Closing Date through March 31, 2004."
                  ----

          3     Exhibit 5.5(b)  of  the  Credit  Agreement  is hereby deleted in
its  entirety  and  Exhibit  5.5(b)  annexed  to  this  Amendment is substituted
therefor.

          4     Section  6.9  of  the  Credit  Agreement  is  hereby amended and
restated  in  its  entirety  to  read  as  follows:

               "6.9   Maximum  Leverage  Ratio.
                       ------------------------

               (a)     Maintain  as of the dates set forth below for
         the  four  consecutive  quarter  period  ending  thereon, a
         maximum  Leverage Ratio  of not more than the corresponding
         ratios  set  forth  below:

                 Maximum                       Four Quarter
                 Leverage  Ratio               Period  Ending
                 ---------------               --------------

                 25.5:1                        September 29, 2001
                 105.00:1                      December  29, 2001
                 18.50:1                       March 30, 2002
                 6.50:1                        June  29, 2002

<PAGE>
          and as of the last day of each of Borrower's fiscal quarters
          occurring  after  June  29, 2002 a maximum Leverage Ratio of
          not  more  than  the  lesser  of (a) 6.50:1 or (b) an amount
          equal  to  Funded  Indebtedness  on  the  last  day  of  the
          applicable  fiscal  quarter  divided  by  an amount equal to
          fifty percent (50%) of Borrower's EBITDA for Borrower's four
          consecutive  fiscal  quarters  ending  on  such  date.

               (b)     At  all  times,  if  at  the  end of any  fiscal
           quarter  the  aggregate  amount  of  outstanding  Revolving
           Advances ("Actual Advances") exceeds the amount of Revolving
           Advances  set  forth in the Borrower's business plan annexed
           hereto  as  Exhibit  5.5(b),  then  the  applicable  maximum
           Leverage  Ratio  set  forth in Section 6.9(a) above shall be
           increased  by multiplying such maximum Leverage Ratio by the
           quotient of (i) the Adjusted Funded Indebtedness (as defined
           below)  on  such  date  divided by (ii) the projected Funded
           Indebtedness  for  such date as set forth on Exhibit 5.5(b).
           For  the  purposes  hereof,  the   term   "Adjusted   Funded
           Indebtedness"  for  a  particular date shall mean the sum of
           the projected Funded Indebtedness for such date as set forth
           on Exhibit 5.5(b) plus the Actual Advances on such date. For
           the  purposes  of  clarity,  the following is provided as an
           example:

                              Funded        Actual    Scheduled  Adjusted
                              Indebtedness  Advances  Ratio*     Ratio
                              ------------  --------  ---------  ---------

           Per Business Plan  138,302       0         7.0:1      --

           Actual             188,302**     50,000    --         9.8:1

           Quotient           1.4           --        --         1.4

           * Scheduled Ratio shall mean the applicable Maximum Leverage
           Ratio  for  the  four  quarter period ending on the relevant
           date  on which Actual Advances exceed the Revolving Advances
           set  forth  in  the  Borrower's  business  plan.
           ** Adjusted Funded Indebtedness: 188,302 = 138,302 + 50,000"

     4.     Borrower has requested that Lender consent to the sale of Borrower's
"Furman Plant" located in Fountain Inn, South Carolina (the "Furman Plant").  By
its  signature  below, Lender hereby consents to the sale of the Furman Plant by
the Borrower.  Borrower and Lender hereby agree that for purposes of calculating
EBITDA  under  the  Credit  Agreement, impairment and restructuring costs of the
Furman  Plant  closing  as  reflected  on  the  Borrower's  income statements in
accordance  with  GAAP  are  considered  extraordinary costs as set forth on the
extraordinary  cost  line  in  Exhibit  5.5(b).

     5.     Except  as  specifically  set  forth  herein,  no  other  changes or
modifications to the Credit Agreement are intended or implied, and, in all other
respects, the Credit Agreement shall continue to remain in full force and effect
in  accordance with its terms as of the date hereof.  Except as specifically set
forth  herein,  nothing contained herein shall evidence a waiver or amendment by
Agent  of  any  other  provision  of  the  Credit  Agreement  nor shall anything
contained  herein  be  construed  as a consent by Agent to any transaction other
than  those  specifically  consented  to  herein.

     6.     The  terms and provisions of this agreement shall be for the benefit
of  the  parties  hereto  and  their respective successors and assigns; no other
person,  firm,  entity  or corporation shall have any right, benefit or interest
under  this  agreement.

     7.     This agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be
an original and all of which taken together constitute one amendment.  In making
proof  of  this  agreement,  it shall not be necessary to produce or account for
more  than  one  counterpart  signed  by  the  party  to  be  charged.

<PAGE>
     8.     This  agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding of
the parties with respect to the matters set forth herein.  This agreement cannot
be  changed, modified, amended or terminated except in a writing executed by the
party  to  be  charged.

                                       Very  truly  yours,

                                       GMAC COMMERCIAL CREDIT LLC, as Agent

                                       By:
                                           ----------------------------------

                                       Title:
                                              -------------------------------

                       [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]

<PAGE>
                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE]

ACKNOWLEDGED  AND  AGREED:

DELTA  MILLS,  INC.

By:
   ---------------------------------

Title:
      ------------------------------

<PAGE>

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