Document:

SHAREHOLDERS RIGHTS AGREEMENT 

This Shareholders Rights Agreement (this “Rights Agreement”) is made and entered into as of           , 2007, by and between Global Ship Lease, Inc., a Republic of the Marshall Islands corporation (the “Corporation”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) has (a) authorized and declared a dividend of one right (the “Right”) for each share of the Corporation’s common shares, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”) held of record as of the Close of Business (as such as the term is hereinafter defined) on           , 2007 (the “Record Date”) and (b) has further authorized the issuance of one Right in respect of each share of Common Shares that shall become outstanding (i) at
any time between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), or (ii) upon the exercise or conversion, prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, of any option or other security of the Corporation exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Shares, which option or other such security of the Corporation is outstanding on the Distribution Date; and

WHEREAS, each Right represents the right of the holder thereof to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Shares (as such number may hereafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions hereof), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the Certificate of Designations of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A Participating Preferred Shares, attached hereto as Exhibit A.

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

1. Certain Definitions.

“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 shares of Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include the Corporation, any Subsidiary of the Corporation or any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary of the Corporation, or any entity holding shares of Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or an Exempted Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Shares by the Corporation 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
shares of Common Shares of the Corporation then outstanding; provided, however, that a Person who (i) becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Shares of the Corporation then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Corporation and (ii) then after such share purchases by the Corporation, becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Shares of the Corporation (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Corporation on the outstanding shares of Common Shares in shares of Common Shares or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Shares) representing one percent or more of the Common Stock then outstanding, such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person unless upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Shares of the Corporation such Person does not beneficially own 15% or
more of the shares of Common Shares of the Corporation then outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if the Board determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined herein, has become such inadvertently (including, without limitation, because (A) such Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of the shares of Common Shares that would otherwise cause such Person to be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined herein, or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of the shares of 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 Corporation, and if such Person divested or divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined herein, 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 shares of Common Shares outstanding, such Person shall not be or become an “Acquiring Person,” as defined herein, unless and until such time as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Shares (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Corporation on the outstanding shares of Common Shares in shares of Common Shares or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Shares), unless, upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Shares, such Person is not then the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Shares then outstanding.

“Adjustment fraction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(i) hereof.

“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.

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 subsection (ii)(A) to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (i) 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 (ii) 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 Corporation and such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) if such agreement has been approved by the Board 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 subsection (ii)(B) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (i) 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 (ii) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G 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 subsection (ii)(B) above) or disposing of any securities of the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case shall an officer or director of the Corporation be deemed (i) the Beneficial Owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Corporation solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity as officers or directors of the Corporation or (ii) the Beneficial Owner of securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation for the benefit of any employee of the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the 

 

 

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Corporation, other 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 such a plan.

“Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at the beginning of this Rights Agreement.

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

“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.

“Common Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble. Common Shares when used with reference to any Person other than the Corporation 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.

“Common Shares Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

“Corporation” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble, subject to the terms of Section 13(a)(iii)(C) hereof.

“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 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 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 30 Trading Day or 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 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 reported high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market 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. 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 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 the Current Per Share Market Price of the shares of Common Shares as determined pursuant to this definition, as appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof, multiplied by 1000. 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, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

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

 

 

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“Distribution Date” shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day 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 Board) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Corporation, any Subsidiary of the Corporation, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary of the Corporation, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Corporation for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or an Exempted Person) 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.

“Equivalent Shares” shall mean Preferred Shares and any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation which is entitled to the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares.

“Exchange Act” shall mean the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

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

“Exempted Person” shall collectively mean CMA CGM S.A. and any of its Affiliates and Associates.

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

“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 orders the exchange of the Rights as provided in Section 24 hereof.

“Final Expiration Date” shall mean           , 2017.

 “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

“Post-event Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e) hereof.

“Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series A Participating Preferred Shares, US$0.01 par value, of the Corporation.

“Pre-event Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e) hereof.

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

“Qualified Offer” shall mean a tender offer for all outstanding Common Shares of the Corporation which meets all of the following requirements on the date on which the offer is commenced (for purposes of this definition, the “date on which the offer is commenced” shall be determined within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the general rules and regulations under the Exchange Act) and immediately prior to the consummation of the offer.

(i) the same per share price is offered for all Common Shares in the offer, provided that such per share price (A) is greater than the highest closing price for the Common Shares during the 365 calendar day period immediately preceding the date on which the offer is commenced, and (B) represents a reasonable premium above the average of the closing prices for the five trading days immediately preceding the date on which the offer is commenced;

(ii) the consideration is at least 70% cash (and any non-cash portion is comprised of shares of common stock or American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) of the offering Person that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market, such

 

 

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consideration to be adjusted to reflect any decrease in the value of such securities prior to the consummation of the offer) and is to be paid upon consummation of the offer for all Common Shares tendered or exchanged in the offer;

(iii) in the case of an offer that includes shares of common stock or ADRs of the offering Person, (A) the value of such securities for purposes of this definition shall be the lower of (1) the average of the last sale prices (regular way) of such securities reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to such securities for the five trading days immediately preceding the date of any determination, and (2) the lowest reported market price for such securities of the offering Person during the five trading days immediately preceding the date on which the offer is commenced, (B) the offering Person is a publicly listed corporation and its common stock or ADRs, as applicable, are listed or admitted to trading on either the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market, (C) no stockholder approval of the offering Person is
required to issue such common stock or ADRs, or, if required, has already been obtained, (D) no other class of voting stock or ADRs (other than the voting shares represented by such ADRs), as applicable, of the offering Person is outstanding, and (E) the offering Person shall permit a U.S. nationally recognized investment banking firm retained by the Board and legal counsel designated by the Corporation to have access to such offering Person’s books, records, management, accountants and other appropriate outside advisers for the purposes of permitting such investment banking firm and such legal counsel to conduct a due diligence review of the offering Person in order to permit such investment banking firm (relying as appropriate on the advice of such legal counsel) to be able to render an opinion to the Board with respect to whether the consideration being offered to the Corporation’s shareholders is fair;

(iv) on or prior to the date on which the offer is commenced, such offering Person:

(A) has on hand cash or cash equivalents for the full amount necessary to consummate such offer and has irrevocably committed in writing to the Corporation to utilize such cash or cash equivalents for purposes of such offer if consummated and to set apart and maintain available such cash or cash equivalents for such purposes until the offer is consummated or withdrawn; or

(B) has all financing in the full amount necessary to consummate such offer and has: (1) entered into, and provided to the Corporation certified copies of, definitive financing agreements (including exhibits and related documents) for funds for such offer which, when added to the amount of cash and cash equivalents available, committed in writing, set apart and maintained in the same manner as described in clause (A) above, are in an amount not less than the full amount necessary to consummate such offer, which agreements are with one or more responsible financial institutions or other entities having the necessary financial capacity and ability to provide such funds, constitute firm, unqualified commitments to provide the funding described above without market or company maximum limitations, and are subject only to customary terms and conditions (which shall in
no event include conditions requiring access by such financial institutions to non-public information to be provided by the Corporation, conditions based on the accuracy of any information concerning the Corporation, or conditions requiring the Corporation to make any representations, warranties or covenants in connection with such financing), and (2) provided to the Corporation copies of all written materials prepared by such Person for such financial institutions in connection with entering into such financing agreements; provided that, “the full amount necessary to consummate such offer” in either clause (A) above or this clause (B) shall be an amount sufficient to pay for all Common Shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis, the consideration pursuant to the offer, the second-step transaction required by clause (vii) below and all related expenses; 

 

 

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(v) such offer is conditioned on receiving a minimum of at least 90% of the outstanding Common Shares (other than those owned by the offering Person) being tendered and not withdrawn as of the offer’s expiration date, which condition shall not be waivable; 

(vi) prior to or on the date that such offer is commenced, the Corporation shall have received an irrevocable written commitment of the offering Person that the offer will remain open for at least 60 Business Days and, if a Special Meeting is duly requested in accordance with Section 23(c), for at least 10 Business Days after the date of the Special Meeting or, if no Special Meeting is held within 90 Business Days following receipt of the Special Meeting Notice in accordance with Section 23(c), for at least 10 Business Days following such 90 Business Day period; provided, however, that (x) if there is any increase in the price of such offer, such offer must remain open for at least an additional 15 Business Days after the last such increase, (y) such offer must remain open for at least
15 Business Days after the date that any bona fide alternative offer is made which, in the opinion of one or more investment banking firms designated by the Corporation, provides for consideration per share in excess of that provided for in such offer, and (z) such offer must remain open for at least 15 Business Days after the date, if any, on which such offering Person reduces the per share price offered in accordance with clause (vii)(B) below (provided, in the case of each of clauses (x), (y) and (z) above, in no event will such offer have been outstanding for less than 60 Business Days); provided further, however, that such offer need not remain open, as a result of this clause (vi), beyond (1) the time which any other offer satisfying the criteria for a Qualified Offer is then required to be kept open under this clause (vi),
or (2) the scheduled expiration date, as such date may be extended by public announcement on or prior to the then scheduled expiration date, of any other tender offer for Common Shares with respect to which the Board has agreed to redeem the Rights immediately prior to acceptance for payment of Common Shares thereunder (unless such other offer is terminated prior to its expiration without any Common Shares having been purchased thereunder);

(vii) prior to or on the date that such offer is commenced, such offering Person makes an irrevocable written commitment to the Corporation and, with respect to clause (A) to the Corporation’s shareholders,

(A) to consummate a transaction or transactions promptly upon the completion of such offer (and in no event later than five Business Days thereafter), whereby all Common Shares not purchased in such offer will be acquired at the same cash price per share paid in such offer,

(B) that the offering Person will not make any amendments to the offer to reduce the offer consideration, or otherwise change the terms of the offer in a way that is adverse to a tendering shareholder (other than a reduction to reflect any dividend declared by the Corporation, other than a regular quarterly dividend, after the commencement of such offer or any material change in the capital structure of the Corporation initiated by the Corporation after the commencement of such offer, whether by way of reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, repurchase or otherwise), and

(C) if the offer is not consummated, that neither such offering Person nor any of its Affiliates or Associates will make any offer for or purchase any equity securities of the Corporation for a period of one year after the commencement of the original offer if such original offer does not result in the tender of at least 85% of the outstanding Common Shares not owned by such offering Person (including its Affiliates and Associates), unless another tender offer by another party for all outstanding Common Shares is commenced that (a) constitutes a Qualified Offer (in which event, any new offer by such offering Person or of any Affiliates or Associates must be at a price no less than that provided for in such original offer) or (b) is approved by the Board (in which event, any new offer by such offering Person or of any of its Affiliates or Associates must be at a
price no less than that provided for in such approved offer); and

 

 

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(viii) the offer is subject only to the conditions required in this definition and other customary terms and conditions, and is not subject to any financing, funding or similar condition, nor any condition relating to completion of or satisfaction with any due diligence or similar investigation.

“Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at the beginning of this Rights Agreement.

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

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

“Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at the beginning of this Rights Agreement.

“Rights Agent” shall mean American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, or its successor or replacement as provided in Sections 19 and 21 hereof.

“Rights Agreement” shall mean this shareholder rights agreement.

“Rights Certificate” shall mean a certificate substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

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

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

“Securities Act” shall mean the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“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 Corporation 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 as defined herein, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be deemed to have occurred.

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

“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.

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

“Summary of Rights” shall mean a summary of this Agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.

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

“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.

A “Triggering Event” shall be deemed to have occurred upon any Person, becoming an Acquiring Person.

2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Corporation hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Corporation and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the

 

 

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Distribution Date also be the holders of the shares of Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Corporation may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.

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 shares of 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 shares of Common Shares. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for transfer of certificates for shares of Common Shares shall also constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Shares represented thereby. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Corporation will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Corporation will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares 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 Corporation, a Rights Certificate evidencing one Right for each share of Common Shares so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Shares has been made pursuant to Section 11 hereof, then at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Corporation 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 shares of Common Shares, and the holders of such Rights Certificates as listed in the records of the Corporation or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights shall be the record holders thereof.

(b) On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Corporation will send a copy of the Summary of Rights by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Record Date that requests a Summary of Rights, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Corporation’s transfer agent and registrar. With respect to certificates for shares of 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. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for shares of Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights,
shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Shares represented thereby.

(c) Unless the Board by resolution adopted at or before the time of the issuance of any shares of Common Shares specifies to the contrary, Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Shares that are issued 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. Certificates representing such shares of 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 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, INC. AND AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, AS RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF           , 2007, (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 GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, 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 

 

 

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CERTIFICATE. GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, 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 (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the shares of 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 shares of Common Shares represented thereby.

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

4. Form of Rights Certificates.

(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares of 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 Corporation may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or 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 shares of Common Shares issued by the Corporation after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance of such shares of 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 transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (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 such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board
has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, 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

 

 

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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.

5. Countersignature and Registration.

(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Corporation 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 Corporation, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Corporation’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 Corporation who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Corporation before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Corporation, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned
by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Corporation with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates on behalf of the Corporation had not ceased to be such officer of the Corporation; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Corporation by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Corporation 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, 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.

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 Corporation shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and 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 Corporation 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 Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

(b) Upon receipt by the Corporation 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 loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Corporation’s request, 

 

 

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reimbursement to the Corporation 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 Corporation 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.

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

(a) Subject to Sections 7(e), 23(b), 23(c) 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 twenty-five U.S. dollars ($25), 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 transfer tax 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 Corporation hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests or (B) if the Corporation 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 depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary 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 depositary agent) and the Corporation hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
when appropriate, requisition from the Corporation the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such 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 transfer tax 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 Corporation. In the event that the Corporation is obligated to issue
securities of the Corporation other than Preferred Shares, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Corporation 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

 

 

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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 Board 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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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 (i) 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 Corporation shall reasonably request.

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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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 Corporation otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Rights Certificates to the
Corporation, or shall, at the written request of the Corporation, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Corporation.

9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.

(a) The Corporation 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 shares of 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 Corporation shall hereafter list any of its Preferred Shares on a national securities exchange, then so long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of Common Shares and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon exercise of the Rights may be listed on such exchange, the Corporation shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such

 

 

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time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent 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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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 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 Corporation may temporarily suspend, 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 Corporation shall issue a public announcement 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 that the suspension is no longer in effect. The Corporation 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 effective.

(d) The Corporation 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 Corporation) 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 shares.

(e) The Corporation further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or of any Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Corporation) upon the exercise of Rights. The Corporation shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax 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 depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Corporation) 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 depositary receipts for Preferred Shares (or other
securities of the Corporation) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Corporation’s satisfaction that no such tax is due.

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 Corporation) 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 Corporation) represented thereon, 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 Corporation are
closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the transfer books of the Corporation 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 Corporation) for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to 

 

 

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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 Corporation, except as provided herein.

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) (i) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Corporation 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 Corporation is the continuing or surviving corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise provided in this Section 11 and Section 7(e) hereof: (i) 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 Corporation issuable upon exercise of such Right; and (ii) 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 share of Common Shares 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 share of Common Shares has associated with it immediately following the adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i).

(ii) Subject to Sections 23 and 24 of this Agreement, in the event 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 shares of Common Shares of the Corporation as shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event by 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, and dividing that product by 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price for shares of Common Shares on the date of occurrence of the Triggering Event; provided, however, that the Exercise Price and the number of shares of Common Shares of the Corporation 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 shares of Common Shares of the Corporation after the occurrence of the Triggering Event.

(iii) In lieu of issuing shares of Common Shares in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Corporation may, if the Board determines that such action is necessary or appropriate and not

 

 

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contrary to the interest of holders of Rights and, in the event that the number of shares of Common Shares which are authorized by the Corporation’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 Corporation, the Corporation shall: (A) determine the excess of (i) the value of the shares of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) over (ii) the Exercise Price (such excess, the “Spread”) and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate
provision to substitute for such shares of Common Shares, upon exercise of the Rights, (i) cash, (ii) a reduction in the Exercise Price, (iii) other equity securities of the Corporation (including, without limitation, shares or units of shares of any series of preferred stock which the Board has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares (such shares or units of shares of preferred stock are herein called “Common Shares Equivalents”)), except to the extent that the Corporation has not obtained any necessary Shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, (iv) debt securities of the Corporation, except to the extent that the Corporation has not obtained any necessary Shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, (v) other assets or (vi) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the
Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, if the Corporation 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 Corporation’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 Corporation 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 Corporation has not obtained any necessary Shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance,
and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board 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 Corporation may seek Shareholder 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 Corporation determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Corporation (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 Corporation 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. 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 Shares Equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on
such date.

(b) In case the Corporation 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 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 

 

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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 Corporation issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, 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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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, 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 Corporation 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) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in 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 share of Common Shares 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 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 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of 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

 

 

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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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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 Corporation 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
Corporation shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Exercise Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 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 Corporation 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 Corporation, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held
by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Corporation, 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 Corporation, 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 Corporation shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Corporation 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.

 

 

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(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 Corporation may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or securities of the Corporation, 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 Corporation, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Corporation 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) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 11 to the contrary, prior to the Distribution Date, the Corporation shall be entitled to make such reductions 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 Shares or Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares or Common Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares 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 Corporation to holders of its Preferred
Shares or Common Shares shall not be taxable to such Shareholders.

(m) The Corporation 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 the Corporation shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in shares of Common Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Common Shares (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of shares of Common Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the shares of Common Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Corporation 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: (i) each share of Common Shares (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 share of Common Shares immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses (A)-(D) above; (ii) 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 shares 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 shares 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 Corporation issuable upon exercise of such Right; and (iii) 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 share of Common Shares 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 share of Common Shares 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)

 

 

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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.

12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the Corporation shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, 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 Corporation 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 not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.

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

(ii) any Person shall consolidate with the Corporation, or merge with and into the Corporation and the Corporation shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the shares of Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other person (or the Corporation); or

(iii) the Corporation 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 Corporation and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Corporation 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 shares of 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 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price of the shares of 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 shares 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;

(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 Corporation pursuant to this Agreement;

 

 

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(C) the term “Corporation” 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 shares of 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 shares of 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 Corporation and its Subsidiaries shall be determined in good faith by the Board on the basis of the operating earnings of each business operated by the Corporation 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 Corporation or any Subsidiary during three full fiscal years preceding such date, during the period such business was operated by the Corporation 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 shares of Common Shares are converted in such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the shares of 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 shares of 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 Corporation if it survives) or (z) the Person resulting from
the consolidation; and

(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 shares 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 shares of 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 (i) if such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the shares of Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, the 

 

 

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term “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person, or (ii) 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 shares of Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, or (iii) 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 (i) and (ii) 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 ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the total of such interests.

(c) The Corporation shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of 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 Corporation 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 shares 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;

(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; 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 F-1 (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, shares of 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, shares of 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 shares of Common Shares of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13 hereof, then, in such event, the Corporation hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the

 

 

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Corporation 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 Corporation 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 Shareholders 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.

(f) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.

14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a) The Corporation 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 this Agreement.

(b) The Corporation 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 Corporation, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Corporation and a depositary selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares
represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Corporation 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 one thousand times the closing price of a share of Common Shares (as determined pursuant to the terms hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(c) The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Shares upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Shares, the Corporation 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 share of Common Shares. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of a share of Common Shares shall be the closing price of a share of Common Shares (as determined pursuant to the terms hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

 

 

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(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 integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of a Right.

15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the shares of Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the shares of 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 shares of 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 Corporation 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 of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.

16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Corporation 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 shares of 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

(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f) hereof, the Corporation 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 Corporation or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Corporation nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Corporation which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a Shareholder of the Corporation or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to Shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting Shareholders (except as provided in
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.

18. The Rights Agent.

(a) The Corporation 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 administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Corporation also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense, incurred 

 

 

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without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises. In no event will the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever, even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage.

(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or shares of Common Shares or for other securities of the Corporation, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, 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.

19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust 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 corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of 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. 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.

20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Corporation 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 Corporation), and the written advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such written advice or opinion.

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by the Corporation prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full

 

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authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Corporation and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

(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 Corporation only.

(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Corporation 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.

(f) The Corporation 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 Corporation, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Corporation may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or
after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the Corporation actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.

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

(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent 

 

 

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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 Corporation resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

(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 there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to 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 Corporation.

21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ written notice mailed to the Corporation 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 Corporation may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days’ written notice, 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 Corporation shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Corporation shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after receiving written notice 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 Corporation), 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 Corporation or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or Shareholder 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 $100 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Corporation 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 written notice thereof 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.

22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Corporation may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board 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 shares of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Corporation (a) shall, with respect to shares of 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 Corporation outstanding at the date hereof or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Corporation and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no

 

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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 Corporation 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.

23. Redemption.

(a) The Rights may be redeemed pursuant to this Section 23, but shall not be redeemed in any other manner.

(b) The Corporation may, at its option and with the approval of the Board, at any time prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the close of business on the Distribution Date and (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being herein referred to as the “Redemption Price”) and the Corporation may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price either in shares of 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 Corporation may be made effective at
such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The date on which the Board elects to make the redemption effective shall be referred to as the “Redemption Date”.

(c) (i) In the event the Corporation, not earlier than 60 Business Days nor later than 80 Business Days following the commencement of a tender offer which is a Qualified Offer within the meaning of Rule 14(d)-2(a) under the Exchange Act, which has not been terminated prior thereto and which continues to be a Qualified Offer, receives a written notice complying with the terms of this Section 23(c) (the “Special Meeting Notice”) that is properly executed by the holders of record (or their duly authorized proxy) of not less than 15% of the Common Shares then outstanding directing the Board to submit to a vote of shareholders at a special meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation (a “Special Meeting”) a resolution authorizing the redemption of all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price (the “Shareholder Resolution”), then the Board shall take such actions as are necessary or desirable to cause the Shareholder Resolution to be so submitted to a vote of shareholders, by including a proposal relating to adoption of the Shareholder Resolution in the proxy materials of the Corporation for the Special Meeting. The Board shall set a date for determining the shareholders of record entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting in accordance with the Corporation’s articles of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law. 

(ii) Any Special Meeting Notice must be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation and must set forth as to the shareholders of record executing the request (x) the name and address of such shareholders, as they appear on the Corporation’s books and records, (y) the number of Common Shares which are owned of record by each of such shareholders, and (z) in the case of Common Shares that are owned beneficially by another Person, an executed certification by the holder of record that such holder has executed such Special Meeting Notice only after obtaining instructions to do so from such beneficial owner. 

(iii) Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Board may take a position in favor of or opposed to the adoption of the Shareholder Resolution, or no position with respect to the Shareholder Resolution, as it determines to be appropriate in the exercise of its duties. At the offering Person’s request, the Corporation shall include in any proxy soliciting material prepared by it in connection with the Special Meeting proxy soliciting material submitted by the offering Person; provided, however, that the offering Person, by written agreement with the Corporation contained in or delivered with such request, shall have indemnified the Corporation against any and all liabilities resulting from any statements found to be defamatory, misstatements, misleading statements or
omissions contained in or omitted from the offering Person’s proxy soliciting

 

 

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materials and have agreed to pay the Corporation’s incremental costs incurred as a result of including such material in the Corporation’s proxy soliciting material. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained this Rights Agreement, if the Board determines that it is in the best interests of shareholders to seek an alternative transaction so as to obtain greater value for shareholders than that provided by any Qualified Offer, the Corporation shall be entitled to include information relating to such alternative transaction in the proxy soliciting material prepared by it in connection with the Special Meeting. 

(iv) In the event that no Person has become an Acquiring Person prior to the redemption date referred to in this Section 23(c), and the Qualified Offer continues to be a Qualified Offer and either (i) the Special Meeting is not held on or prior to the 90th Business Day following receipt of the Special Meeting Notice (the “Outside Date”), or (ii) if, at the Special Meeting, a majority of the Common Shares voted on the Shareholder Resolution at the Special Meeting (or such higher vote requirement as may be required by the Corporation’s articles of incorporation) shall vote in favor of the Shareholder Resolution, then (x) all of the Rights shall be deemed redeemed by such failure to hold the Special Meeting or as a result of such shareholder action, as the case may be, at
the Redemption Price, or (y) the Board shall take such other action as would prevent the existence of the Rights from interfering with the consummation of the Qualified Offer, effective immediately prior to the consummation of the Qualified Offer (provided that the Qualified Offer is consummated prior to 60 days after the earlier of the date of the Special Meeting or the Outside Date).

(v) Nothing in this paragraph (c) shall be construed as limiting or prohibiting the Corporation or any offering Person from proposing or engaging in any acquisition, disposition or other transfer of any securities of the Corporation, any merger or consolidation involving the Corporation, any sale or other transfer of assets of the Corporation, any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, or any other business combination or other transaction, or any other action by the Corporation or such offering Person; provided, however, that the holders of Rights shall have the rights set forth in this Rights Agreement with respect to any such acquisition, disposition, transfer, merger, consolidation, sale, liquidation, dissolution, winding-up, business combination, transaction or action. 

(d)The right of the registered holders of Right Certificates to exercise the Rights evidenced thereby or, if the Distribution Date has not theretofore occurred, the inchoate right of the registered holders of Rights to exercise the same shall, without notice to such holders or to the Rights Agent and without further action, terminate and be of no further force or effect effective as of the earlier of (1) the time of adoption by the Board of a resolution authorizing and directing the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 23 (or, alternatively, if the, Board qualified such action as to time, basis or conditions, then at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board may have established pursuant to such paragraph (b)); and (2) or the effectiveness of such redemption pursuant to Section 23(c); thereafter, the only right
of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Corporation shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption pursuant to paragraphs (b) or (c) of this Section 23; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after the adoption of any redemption resolution pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 23, the Corporation shall give notice of such redemption to 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
shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.

24. Exchange.

(a) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to subsection 24(c) below, the Corporation may, at its option, by action of the Board, at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering 

 

 

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Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Shares 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 shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Corporation, any Subsidiary of the Corporation, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or
an Exempted Person), 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 ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Corporation 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 Corporation 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 shares of 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 void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of 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 Corporation shall either take such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option of a majority of the Board, with respect to each Right (i) pay cash in an amount equal to the Current Value (as hereinafter defined), in lieu of issuing shares of 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 shares of 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, or (iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, shares of 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 shares of Common Shares on the date of the occurrence of the event described above in subparagraph (a), multiplied by the number of shares of Common Shares for which the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient shares available. To the extent that the Corporation determines that some action need be taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 24(c), the Board may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period of up to 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 shares of 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 Corporation shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended.

(d) The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Shares, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Shares (as determined pursuant to the terms hereof).

 

 

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(e) The Corporation may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board, 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, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment banking firms.

(f) Immediately upon the action of the Board 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 determined by the Board in accordance with subsection 24(e) above. The Corporation 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 Corporation 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 shares of Common Shares of the Corporation. 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.

25. Notice of Certain Events.

(a) In case the Corporation shall propose to effect or permit to occur any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event, the Corporation shall give notice thereof to each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof at least 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 Corporation shall as soon as practicable thereafter give 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.

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 Corporation 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:

Global Ship Lease, Inc.

c/o Global Ship Lease Services Limited

Millbank Business Centre, Millbank Tower

Fourth Floor

London SW1P 4QP

United Kingdom

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation 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 Corporation) as follows:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company

59 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation 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 Corporation.

 

 

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27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the occurrence of a Distribution Date, the Corporation may supplement or amend this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of Rights and the Rights Agent shall, if the Corporation so directs, execute such supplement or amendment. From and after the occurrence of a Distribution Date, the Corporation 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 or omission, (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 Corporation
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 Corporation 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. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights
shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Shares.

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

29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of 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 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 Corporation, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) 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 Corporation, 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.

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

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 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.

 

 

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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 New York and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such jurisdiction applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such jurisdiction.

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.

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.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Shareholder Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, INC.
 
	
                          
 	
                         
 	
                        By: 
 	
                          
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        Name: 
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        Title: 
 

 

	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER &
 TRUST COMPANY
 
	
                          
 	
                         
 	
                        By: 
 	
                          
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        Name:
 	
                         
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        Title:
 	
                         
 
						

 

 

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EXHIBIT A

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS OF RIGHTS, PREFERENCES AND PRIVILEGES OF

SERIES A

PARTICIPATING PREFERRED SHARES OF GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, INC.

The undersigned, Mr. Flemming R. Jacobs and           do hereby certify:

1. That they are the duly elected and acting Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of Global Ship Lease, Inc., a Republic of the Marshall Islands corporation (the “Corporation”).

2. That pursuant to the authority conferred by the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Corporation’s Board of Directors on           , 2007 adopted the following resolution designating and prescribing the relative rights, preferences and limitations of the Corporation’s Series A Participating Preferred Shares:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) by the Articles of Incorporation, the Board does hereby establish a series of preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share, and the designation and certain powers, preferences and other special rights of the shares of such series, and certain qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereon, are hereby fixed as follows:

Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Participating Preferred Shares.” The Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall have a par value of $0.01 per share, and the number of shares constituting such series shall initially be 1,000,000, which number the Board may from time to time increase or decrease (but not below the number then outstanding).

Section 2. Proportional Adjustment. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the issuance of any share or shares of Series A Participating Preferred Shares (i) declare any dividend on the common shares of the Corporation par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”) payable in shares of Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Corporation shall simultaneously effect a proportional adjustment to the number of outstanding Series A Participating Preferred Shares.

Section 3. Dividends and Distributions.

(a) Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any shares of any series of preferred shares ranking prior and superior to the Series A Participating Preferred Shares with respect to dividends, the holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive when, as and if declared by the Board out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of January, April, July and October 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 Share, 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 Shares or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Shares 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 Shares.

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

 

 

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(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue on outstanding Series A Participating Preferred Shares from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date immediately preceding the date of issue of such Series A Participating Preferred Shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 may fix a record date for the determination of holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall have the following voting rights:

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

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

(c) Except as otherwise required herein or required by law, holders of Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Shares 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 Shares after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Shares unless concurrently therewith it shall declare a dividend on, make a distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration the Series A Participating Preferred Shares as required by Section 3 hereof.

(b) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Shares as provided in Section 3 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Shares; (ii) declare or pay dividends on, 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 Series A Participating Preferred
Shares, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Shares, 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 Shares; (iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any Series A Participating Preferred Shares, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Participating

 

 

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Preferred Shares, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board, 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 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein and, in the Articles 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 Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Shares plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends on such Series A Participating Preferred Shares.

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 Shares are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Shares is changed or exchanged.

Section 9. No Redemption. The Series A Participating Preferred Shares shall not be redeemable.

Section 10. Ranking. The Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Articles 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 Shares so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series A Participating Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class.

Section 12. Fractional Shares. Series A Participating Preferred Shares 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 Shares.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the Chairman, the President or any Vice President and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary 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 Republic of the Marshall Islands law and to take such actions as they may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of the foregoing resolution.

 

 

36

 

REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

 

 

37

 

We further declare under penalty of perjury that the matters set forth in the foregoing Certificate of Designation are true and correct of our own knowledge.

Executed on                  , 2007.

 

	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        
 
 

 

	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        Secretary
 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

 

 

EXHIBIT C

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS

 

	
                        Distribution and Transfer of Rights:
 	
                         
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Distribution Date:
 	
                         
 	
                        The rights will separate from the common shares and become exercisable after (i) the 10th day after a person or group acquires ownership of 15% or more of the company’s common shares or (ii) the 10th business day (or such later date as determined by the company’s board of directors) after a person or group announces a tender or exchange offer which would result in that person or group holding 15% or more of the company’s common shares.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Preferred Stock Purchasable Upon
 Exercise of Rights:
 	
                         
 	
                        On the Distribution Date, each holder of a right will be entitled to purchase a fraction (1/1000th) of one share of the company’s preferred stock which has similar economic terms as one share of common shares, for $25 (the “Exercise Price”), subject to adjustment.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Flip-in:
 	
                         
 	
                        If an acquiring person (an “Acquiring Person”) acquires more than 15% of the company’s common shares then each holder of a right (except that acquiring person) will be entitled to buy at the Exercise Price, a number of shares of the company’s common shares which has a then current market value of twice the Exercise Price.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Flip-over:
 	
                         
 	
                        If after an Acquiring Person acquires more than 15% of the company’s common shares, the company merges into another company (either as the surviving corporation or as the disappearing entity) or the company sells more than 50% of its assets or earning power, then each holder of a right (except for those owned by the acquirer) will be entitled to purchase at the Exercise Price, a number of shares of common shares of the surviving entity which has a then current market value of twice the Exercise Price.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Exchange Provision:
 	
                         
 	
                        Any time after the date an Acquiring Person obtains more than 15% of the company’s common shares and before that Acquiring Person acquires more than 50% of the company’s outstanding common shares, the company may exchange each right owned by all other rights holders, in whole or in part, for one share of the company’s common shares.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Redemption of Rights:
 	
                         
 	
      The company can redeem the rights at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the Distribution Date and (ii)           , 2017. In the event the company receives a Qualified Offer (as described below), the rights may be redeemed by way of shareholder action taken at a special meeting of shareholders called for the purpose of voting on a resolution accepting the Qualified Offer and authorizing the redemption of the rights pursuant to the provisions of the Shareholder Rights Agreement. The special meeting must be held within 90 business days after the company receives a request from shareholders to hold such a meeting. If a
 

 

 

 

	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                        resolution to redeem the rights is approved at the special meeting (or if the special meeting is not held on or before the 90th business day after receipt of the request for a meeting), the redemption of the rights will become effective immediately prior to the consummation of any Qualified Offer consummated within 60 days after the earlier of the special meeting or the 90th business day after receipt of a request for a special meeting of shareholders. A “Qualified Offer” is a tender offer for all the company’s outstanding common shares not already beneficially owned by the person making the offer that meets certain conditions, including that: (i) the same per share price is offered for all shares and it is greater than the highest closing price for the company’s common shares during the year period immediately preceding the date on
which the offer is commenced and (ii) the offer is accompanied by written financing commitments and/or the offering person has on hand cash or cash equivalents, for the full amount of all financing necessary to consummate the transaction.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
      Expiration of Rights:
 	
                         
 	
                        The rights expire on the earliest of (i)           , 2017 or (ii) the exchange or redemption of the rights as described above.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
      Amendment of Terms of Rights:
 	
                         
 	
                        The terms of the rights and the Shareholder Rights Agreement may be amended without the consent of the rights holders at any time on or prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the terms of the rights and the Shareholder Rights Agreement may be amended to make changes, which do not adversely affect the rights of the rights holders (other than the Acquiring Person).
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Voting Rights:
 	
                         
 	
                        The rights will not have any voting rights.
 
	
                         
 	
                         
 	
                         
 
	
                        Anti-dilution Provisions:
 	
                         
 	
                        The rights will have the benefit of certain customary anti-dilution protections.GUARANTEE

 

THIS GUARANTEE, dated as of _______ __, 2007 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, this “Guarantee”), made by Global Ship Lease, Inc., a Republic of the Marshall Islands Corporation (the “Guarantor”), in favor of each charterer listed on Schedule I hereto (each, a “Charterer”, and collectively, the “Charterers”) is to take effect as a deed.

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, each Charterer is entering into individual time charter agreements on the date listed on Schedule I (as amended from time to time, each a “Charter” and collectively the “Charters”) pursuant to which a Charterer will agree to time charter the applicable vessel (the “Vessels”) owned by the relevant vessel-owning company (collectively, the “Owners”), as specified on Schedule I;

 

WHEREAS, each of the Owners is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guarantor; and

 

WHEREAS, in order to induce each Charterer to enter into its Charter with the applicable Owner, Guarantor agrees to execute this Guarantee to guarantee each Owner’s payment, performance obligations and compliance under the Charters.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

Section 1.

Guarantee.  Guarantor, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, irrevocably, unconditionally and absolutely hereby guarantees to each Charterer the due and punctual payment of all obligations and liabilities owing by an Owner under its Charter with a Charterer and the due performance and compliance by such Owner with all other terms, conditions and agreements contained therein (all such obligations and liabilities being herein collectively called the “Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations”).  In case of failure of an Owner to punctually pay any of the amounts or to perform and comply with any other terms, conditions and agreements required to satisfy the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations, Guarantor shall cause such amounts to be punctually paid and all terms, conditions and agreements to be performed and complied on demand, by notice in writing from Charterer, as if such payment were made, and such terms, conditions and agreements were performed or complied, as applicable, by such Owner.  For the avoidance of doubt, if any extension of time is agreed to in writing between an Owner and a Charterer with respect to any payments due under a Charter, Guarantor shall have the benefit of such extension.  Guarantor also shall pay any and all expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the applicable Charterer in enforcing its rights under this Guarantee provided that such Charterer is successful in enforcing its rights hereunder.

 

Section 2.

Unconditional Obligations.  The obligation of Guarantor to guarantee the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations set forth in  above shall be absolute and unconditional irrespective of (i) any lack of enforceability against an Owner of the applicable Charter or this Guarantee, (ii) any change of the time, manner or place of payment or any other term, condition or agreement, of the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations, (iii) the failure, omission, delay or lack on the part of a Charterer to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against Guarantor or any Owner, (iv) any invalidity, illegality or unenforceability in whole or in part of any Charter and (v) any law, regulation or order of any jurisdiction affecting any term of the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations, a charter or a Charterer’s rights with respect thereto.  Guarantor hereby waives promptness, diligence, protest, demand of payment and notices with respect to the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations.  Notwithstanding anything in this Guarantee to the contrary, Guarantor shall be entitled to the benefit of any right to or claim of any defense, setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination to which an Owner is entitled.

 

Section 3.

Nature of Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations.  (a) Guarantor hereby agrees that this Guarantee is a guarantee of payment, performance and compliance and not of collection only.

 

(b) Any and all payments by Guarantor under the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of any and all taxes, monetary transfer fees or other amounts except to the extent such deduction or withholding of any tax is required by applicable law.  If Guarantor shall be required by applicable law to deduct or withhold any tax or other amount from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to or for the benefit of a Charterer, to the extent the amount to be received from Guarantor after such withholding is less than the amount that would have been received from the applicable Owner, Guarantor shall pay to such Charterer such additional amount as shall be necessary to enable such Charterer to receive, after such withholding (including any withholding with respect to such additional amount), the amount it would have received if such withholding had not been required.

(c) This Guarantee is and shall at all times be a continuing security and shall cover the ultimate balance of all monies payable but unpaid under this Guarantee.  Any payment made by Guarantor under this Guarantee shall reduce the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations by a corresponding amount.

 

Section 4.

Insolvency.  This Guarantee shall continue to be effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, in whole or in part of any of the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by a Charterer upon the bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangements, adjustment, composition, dissolution, liquidation, or the like, of an Owner or Guarantor, or as a result of the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee, or other officer with similar powers with respect to any Owner or Guarantor or any substantial part of either person’s respective property, or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made notwithstanding any termination of this Guarantee or the applicable Charter.

 

Section 5.

Representations and Warranties of Guarantor.  Guarantor hereby represents and warrants to each Charterer that this Guarantee has been duly executed and delivered by Guarantor and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Guarantor, enforceable against Guarantor in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 6.

Waivers and Amendments; Non-Contractual Remedies; Preservation of Remedies.  This Guarantee may be amended, superseded, canceled, renewed or extended, and the terms hereof may be waived, but only by a written instrument signed by the parties or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance.  No delay on the part of any party on exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any waiver on the part of any party of any right, power or privilege, nor any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege, preclude any further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other such right, power or privilege.  The rights and remedies herein provided are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that any party may otherwise have at law or in equity.

 

Section 7.

Governing Law.  This Guarantee shall be construed, performed and enforced in accordance with the laws of England and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with its subject matter shall be settled in the same manner as is set forth in the applicable Charter.

 

Section 8.

Notices.  All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Guarantee must be delivered in the same manner as set forth in the applicable Charter.

 

Section 9.

Assignment; Binding Effect.  This Guarantee shall be binding upon Guarantor and its successors, permitted assigns and legal representatives and shall inure to the benefit of each Charterer and its successors, permitted assigns and legal representatives.  This Guarantee and any rights of either party hereunder, may not be assigned, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the other party (which consent may not be unreasonably withheld).  Any assignment in violation 

2

of this  shall be treated as void and having no force and effect, it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that in the event that a party shall (i) merge or consolidate with or into another entity or enter into a business combination or other similar transaction with another entity and (ii) not continue as the surviving entity, then such transaction shall constitute an assignment requiring the prior written consent of the other party.

 

Section 10.

Termination.  This Guarantee shall terminate with no further force or effect upon the later of: (i) the complete satisfaction and fulfillment of the Maximum Amount Guaranteed Obligations or (ii) three (3) months after the termination of any Charter, but only with respect to that specific Charter.

Section 11.

No Third-Party Beneficiaries.  Nothing in this Guarantee will confer any rights or benefits upon any person or entity other than a Charterer and a successor or permitted assignee of any Charterer.

 

Section 12.

Negotiated Agreement.  This Guarantee has been negotiated by the parties and the fact that the initial and final draft will have been prepared by either party or an intermediary will not give rise to any presumption for or against any party to this Guarantee or be used in any respect or forum in the construction or interpretation of this Guarantee or any of its provisions.

 

Section 13.

Severability.  If any provision of this Guarantee is held to be void or unenforceable, in whole or in part, (i) such holding shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remainder of this Guarantee, including any other provision, paragraph or subparagraph and (ii) the parties agree to attempt in good faith to reform such void or unenforceable provision to the extent necessary to render such provision enforceable and to carry out its original intent.

Section 14.

Counterparts.  This Guarantee may be executed by the parties hereto in counterparts, each of which, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

Remainder of page left intentionally blank.  Signature page follows.

 

3

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this document has been executed as a deed and is delivered and takes effect on the date stated at the beginning of it.

					
	NEWCO

	Executed and delivered as a deed by GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, INC., as Guarantor

	 

	 

	 

	By:

 

	 

	 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	 

	Title:  

	 
	 
	 
	 
	 

	NEWCO

	 

	 

	 

	 

	By:

 

	 

	 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name: 

	 

	 

	Title:   

 

Executed and delivered as a deed by CMA CGM S.A.

				
	By:

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

	 
	 
	 
	 

	By:

 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

	 
	 
	 
	 

Executed and delivered as a deed by S.N.C. Pacific I

				
	By:

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

	 
	 
	 
	 

	By:

 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

Executed and delivered as a deed by S.N.C. Pacific II

				
	By:

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

	 
	 
	 
	 

	By:

 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

4

Executed and delivered as a deed by Delmas S.A.S.

				
	By:

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

	 
	 
	 
	 

	By:

 

	 

	Authorised Signatory

Name:

	 

	Title:

5

SCHEDULE I

									
	 
	 

	Owners

	 

	Charterer

	 

	Date of Charter

	 
	Vessel

	1.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 1 Limited
/P>

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	Ville d’Orion

	2.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 2 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	Ville d’Aquarius

	3.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 3 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Matisse

	4.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 4 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Utrillo

	5.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 5 Limited

	 
	Delmas S.A.S.

	 
	 
	 
	MOL Rainbow

	6.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 6 Limited

	 
	Delmas S.A.S.

	 
	 
	 
	Julie Delmas

	7.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 7 Limited

	 
	Delmas S.A.S.

	 
	 
	 
	Kumasi

	8.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 8 Limited

	 
	Delmas S.A.S.

	 
	 
	 
	Marie Delmas

	9.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 9 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM La Tour

	10.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 10 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Manet

	11.

	 
	

GSL Alcazar Inc.

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Alcazar

	12.

	 
	

GSL
Château d’lf Inc.

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Château d’lf

	13.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 13 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	10,960 TEU newbuilding

	14.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 14 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Jamaica

	15.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 15 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Sambhar

	16.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 16 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM America

	17.

	 
	

Global Ship Lease 17 Limited

	 
	CMA CGM S.A.

	 
	 
	 
	CMA CGM Berlioz

6

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