FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| | | | | | | | |
| Florida | | 65-0680967 |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
420 South Congress Avenue Delray Beach, Florida | |
33445 |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | | (Zip Code) |
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| | | | | | | | |
Title of each class
to be registered | | Name of each exchange on which each class is to be registered |
| Preferred Stock Purchase Rights | | NASDAQ Global Select Market |
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c) or (e), check the following box.
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d) or (e), check the following box.
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities concurrently with a Regulation A offering, check the following box.
Securities Act registration statement or Regulation A offering statement file number to which this form relates: N/A (if applicable)
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 1. Description of Registrant’s Securities To Be Registered.
On December 2, 2024, the board of directors (the “Board”) of PetMed Express, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), adopted a rights agreement and declared a dividend of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Company common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 16, 2024 (the “Record Date”). The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a rights agreement, dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Rights Agreement”), between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a federally chartered trust company, as rights agent (and any successor rights agent, the “Rights Agent”).
The Board adopted the Rights Plan to protect the investment of shareholders during a period in which it believes shares of the Company do not reflect the inherent value of the business or its long-term growth potential, and during which there have been recent significant accumulations of Common Stock by certain shareholders.
The Rights Plan is intended to enable shareholders to realize the long-term value of their investment in the Company by reducing the likelihood that any entity, person, or group is able to gain a control or control-like position in the Company through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or providing the Board sufficient opportunity to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of all shareholders. The rights plan does not prevent any action that the Board determines to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. The Rights Plan is not intended to interfere with any sale, merger, tender, exchange offer or other business combination approved by the Board. Nor does the Rights Plan prevent the Board from considering any offer that recognizes the full value of the Company and is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.
In general terms, the Rights Agreement imposes significant dilution upon any person or group (other than the Company and certain other Excluded Persons and Exempt Persons), that is or becomes the beneficial owner of 12.5% or more of the Common Stock without the prior approval of the Board following the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Rights Agreement. The term “beneficial ownership” is defined in the Rights Agreement and, as more fully discussed below, includes, among other things, certain derivative arrangements. Other capitalized terms not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Rights Agreement.
A person or group that beneficially owns 12.5% or more of the Common Stock prior to the Company’s first public announcement of its adoption of the Rights Agreement will not trigger any dilution under the Rights Agreement so long as, subject to certain exceptions described in the Rights Agreement, it does not increase its ownership of the Common Stock at a time when it still beneficially owns 12.5% or more of the Common Stock.
A summary of the terms of the Rights Agreement follows:
The Rights. Each Right entitles its registered holder, subject to the terms of the Rights Agreement, to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Preferred Stock”), of the Company at an exercise price of $27.00 per Right, subject to adjustment (the “Purchase Price”). The Rights will attach to any shares of Common Stock that become outstanding after the Record Date and prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date (as defined below), the Redemption Date (as defined below), the Final Expiration Date (as defined below), and in certain other circumstances described in the Rights Agreement.
Until the Distribution Date, the Rights are associated with Common Stock and evidenced by Common Stock certificates or, in the case of uncertificated shares of Common Stock, the book-entry account that evidences record ownership of such shares, which will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and the Rights are transferable with and only with the underlying shares of Common Stock. Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, the registered holder thereof, as such, will have no separate rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
Until the Distribution Date, the surrender for transfer of any shares of Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with those shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, separate rights certificates will be mailed to holders of record of Common Stock as of the Distribution Date. From and after the Distribution Date, the separate rights certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise provided in the Rights Agreement, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable prior to the Distribution Date and, thereafter, become exercisable only after such time as the Rights become no longer redeemable by the Company. Until a Right is exercised, its holder will have no separate rights as a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote or to receive dividends. Upon the Distribution Date, any Rights held by an Acquiring Person, its Related Persons, and certain transferees thereof become null and void and may not be exercised.
Exercisability; Separation and Distribution of Rights. Subject to certain exceptions, the Rights become exercisable and will be transferrable separately from Common Stock only upon the “Distribution Date,” which occurs upon the earlier of:
•the close of business on the tenth (10th) Business Day after the “Shares Acquisition Date” (or such later date as may be determined by the Board prior to the Distribution Date that would otherwise have occurred); “Shares Acquisition Date” is defined as (a) the first date of public announcement that any person or group has become an “Acquiring Person,” which is defined as a person or group that, together with its Related Persons, beneficially owns 12.5% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (with certain exceptions, including those described below) or (b) such other date, as determined by the Board, on which a person or group has become an Acquiring Person; or
•the close of business on the tenth (10th) business day (or such later date as may be determined by the Board prior to the Distribution Date that would otherwise have occurred) after the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that, if consummated, would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person.
Subject to the exceptions set forth in the Rights Agreement, an Acquiring Person does not include:
•any Exempt Person;
•any Existing Holder; or
•the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any officer, director, or employee of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company in his or her capacity as such, or any employee benefit plans of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or any entity, trustee, or administrator holding (or acting in a fiduciary capacity in respect of) shares of capital stock of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or other benefits for employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.
In addition, the Rights Agreement provides that no person or group will become an Acquiring Person as a result of share purchases or issuances directly from the Company or through an underwritten offering approved by the Board. Also, a person or group will not be an Acquiring Person if the Board determines that such person or group has become an Acquiring Person inadvertently and such person or group as promptly as practicable divests a sufficient number of shares so that such person or group would no longer be an Acquiring Person.
Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions, whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying Common Stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of Common Stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of Common Stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the Rights Agreement are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.
Final Expiration Date. The Rights will expire on the earliest to occur of (a) the close of business on December 2, 2025 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (b) the time at which the Rights are redeemed by the Company (as described below), or (c) the time at which the Rights are exchanged by the Company (as described below).
Exempted Persons and Exempted Transactions. The Rights Agreement grants discretion to the Board to designate a person as an “Exempt Person” or to designate a transaction involving the Common Stock as an “Exempt Transaction.” Except as otherwise provided in the Rights Agreement, an “Exempt Person” cannot become an Acquiring Person under the Rights Agreement. The Board can, in its sole discretion, revoke an “Exempt Person” designation.
Flip-in Event. In the event that any person or group (other than certain exempt persons as designated by the Board) becomes an Acquiring Person (a “Flip-in Event”), each holder of a Right (other than the Acquiring Person, its Related Persons, and certain transferees thereof, whose rights automatically become null and void) will have the right to receive, upon exercise and payment of the Purchase Price, Common Stock having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price, based on the market price of our Common Stock prior to such acquisition.
For example, at a Purchase Price of $27.00 per Right, following a Flip-in Event, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person, its Related Persons, or certain transferees thereof would entitle its holder to purchase $54.00 worth of Common Stock for $27.00. Assuming that Common Stock had a per share value of $4.50 at that time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase twelve (12) shares of Common Stock for $27.00.
Flip-over Event. In the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person, any of the following occurs (each, a “Flip-over Event”):
•the Company effects a share exchange, consolidates with, or merges with and into, any other Person;
•any Person engages in a share exchange with or consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, and the Company is the continuing or surviving entity and, in connection with such share exchange, consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other entity or cash or any other property; or
•the Company sells or otherwise transfers, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, 50% or more of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power;
each holder of a Right (except for Rights held by an Acquiring Person, its Related Persons, and certain transferees thereof, which will have been voided as described above) will have the right to acquire, upon payment of the Purchase Price, shares of the common stock of the person with whom the Company has engaged in the foregoing transaction (or its parent) a market value equal to twice the Purchase Price based on the market price of such person’s stock, prior to such merger.
Preferred Stock Provisions. Each share of Preferred Stock, if issued: (i) will not be redeemable; (ii) will entitle the holder thereof to quarterly dividend payments $0.001 per one one-thousandth of a share or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater; (iii) will entitle the holder to receive $1.00 per one one-thousandth of a share or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater, (iv) will have the same voting power as one share of Common Stock; and (v) if shares of Common Stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation or a similar transaction, will entitle the holders to a payment per one one-thousandth of a share equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock.
Anti-dilution Adjustments. Our Board may adjust the Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or Common Stock, as applicable. No adjustments to the Purchase Price of less than 1% will be made.
Redemption. At any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the close of business on the Final Expiration Date, the Company may redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights, at a price of $0.001 per Right (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, or similar transaction occurring after the date of the Rights Agreement). Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing any redemption, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.
Exchange. At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person, together with all Related Persons, becomes the beneficial owner of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person, together with all Related Persons, whose Rights will have become null and void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).
Amendment of the Rights Agreement. The Company may from time to time, in its sole discretion, amend or supplement the Rights Agreement without the consent of the holders of the Rights for so long as the Rights are redeemable. After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may not amend the Rights Agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights (other than holders of Rights that have become null and void).
Miscellaneous. While, under presently existing U.S. federal income tax law, the distribution of the Rights should not be taxable for U.S. federal income tax purposes to shareholders or to the Company, shareholders may, depending upon the circumstances then existing, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) or for common stock of the acquiring company (or its parent) or in the event of the redemption of the Rights as described above.
The foregoing description of the Rights Agreement and the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 2. Exhibits.
| | | | | |
| Exhibit No. | Description |
| 3.1 | |
| 4.1 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
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Date: December 3, 2024 | |
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
|
| | By: | /s/ Sandra Campos |
| | | Name: Sandra Campos |
| | | Title: Chief Executive Officer and President |
Privileged & Confidential
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
TO THE
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
(P96000010098)
DESIGNATING
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
PETMED EXPRESS, INC., a Florida corporation (the “Corporation”), in accordance with the provisions of Section 607.0602 of the Florida Business Corporation Act (the “FBCA”), does hereby certify, that pursuant to the authority contained in the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended (the “Articles of Incorporation”), and in accordance with the provisions of the FBCA, these Articles of Amendment were duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) on December 2, 2024, providing for the creation of a series of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, to be designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock”), out of the Corporation’s authorized shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), and pursuant to Section 607.0602(5) of the FBCA and the third paragraph of Article IV of the Articles of Incorporation, there being no shareholder action required, Article IV of the Articles of Incorporation is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of Article IV to create 100,000 shares of such Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock having the preferences, limitations and relative rights as follows:
“100,000 shares of preferred stock are designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, with the following designations, rights and preferences:
1. Designation and Amount. There is hereby created a series of Preferred Stock that shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 100,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any class or series of stock of this Corporation ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, and of any other stock ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first business day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section 2 immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall not be more than 60 (sixty) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other resolutions of the Board of Directors creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (both as to dividends and upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Articles of Incorporation or in any other resolutions of the Board of Directors creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, voluntary or otherwise, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”) equal to $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the assets
available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.
7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, share exchange or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable by the Corporation.
9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, except to the extent that any such other series specifically provides that it shall rank on a parity with or junior to the Series A Preferred Stock.
10. Amendment. At any time any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a single class.
11. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that 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 Preferred Stock.
The undersigned has executed these Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation as of the 3rd day of December, 2024.
| | | | | |
| PETMED EXPRESS, INC., a Florida corporation
By:____________________________________ Sandra Campos, Chief Executive Officer and President |
Privileged & Confidential
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
and
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
as Rights Agent
_________________
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of December 3, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Exhibit A – Terms of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
Exhibit B – Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C – Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Rights Agreement”), by and between PetMed Express, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a federally chartered trust company, as rights agent (the “Rights Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on December 16, 2024 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Definitions.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated: “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all of its Related Persons, from and after the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of this Agreement, shall be the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, whether or not such Person continues to be the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include (x) any Excluded Person, (y) any Exempt Person, or (z) any Existing Holder.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Common Shares of the Company Beneficially Owned by such Person, together with all of its Related Persons, to twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that, if a Person, together with all of its Related Persons, shall become the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company (other than as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split, reclassification, or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally or pursuant to a grant, vesting, or exercise described below in this Section 1(a)), then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person, ”unless, upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares of the Company, such Person, together with all of its
Related Persons, does not Beneficially Own twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then-outstanding. A Person will not be deemed to have become an “Acquiring Person” solely as a result of an Exempt Transaction unless and until such time as such Person or any Related Person of such Person thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares, other than as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split, reclassification, or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally or pursuant to a grant, vesting, or exercise described below in this Section 1(a).
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Board determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person” has become such inadvertently, without a plan or intention to acquire, change or influence control of the Company (including because such Person was unaware it beneficially owned twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Stock outstanding or such Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of becoming such a Beneficial Owner under this Rights Agreement), and such Person divests as promptly as practicable (as determined in good faith by the Board) a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Agreement.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” solely as a result of any unilateral grant of any security by the Company, or through the vesting or exercise of any options, warrants, rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers, and employees; provided, however, that if a Person, together with all of its Related Persons, becomes the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares then-outstanding by reason of a unilateral grant of a security by the Company, or through the vesting or exercise of any options, warrants, rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers and employees, then such Person shall nevertheless be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” if such Person, together with all of its Related Persons, thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of one or more additional Common Shares (unless, upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Share(s), such Person, together with all of its Related Persons, does not Beneficially Own twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares then-outstanding), except as a result of (A) a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares or a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares; or (B) a grant, vesting, or exercise described in this paragraph of Section 1(a).
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” by means of share purchases directly from or issuances (including debt for equity exchanges) directly by the Company or indirectly through an underwritten offering by the Company, in a transaction approved by the Board; provided, however,
that a Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” if such Person (A) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding following such transaction, and (B) subsequently becomes the Beneficial Owner of one or more additional shares of Common Stock (other than as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split, reclassification, or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally or pursuant to a grant, vesting, or exercise described above in this Section 1(a)) without the prior written consent of the Company and then Beneficially Owns twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares then-outstanding.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” if such Person is a bona fide swaps dealer who has become an “Acquiring Person” as a result of its actions in the ordinary course of its business that the Board determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, were taken without the intent or effect of evading or assisting any other Person to evade the purposes and intent of this Agreement, or otherwise seeking to control or influence the management or policies of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Person shall become an Acquiring Person if the Board shall have affirmatively determined, in its sole and absolute discretion, prior to or after the Distribution Date, in light of the intent and purposes of this Agreement or other circumstances facing the Company, that such Person shall not be deemed an Acquiring Person, for so long as such Person complies with any limitations or conditions required by the Board in making such determination.
For the avoidance of doubt, if, after the time of the first public announcement of this Agreement, any Derivative Contract or other agreement, arrangement or understanding pursuant to which any Existing Holder is deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares is, directly or indirectly, replaced, extended, amended, or substituted with respect to the same or different Common Shares for any reason (including, without limitation, because it expired, was settled in whole or in part, terminated or no longer confers any benefit to or imposes any obligation on the Existing Holder (or, as applicable, a Related Person of the Existing Holder)), then such Derivative Contract or other agreement, arrangement, or understanding shall be considered the acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares by the Existing Holder and render such Existing Holder an Acquiring Person for purposes of this Agreement unless, upon such acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares, such Person is not the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the Common Shares then-outstanding.
(b) “Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) “Associate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “Beneficially Own” any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons, directly or indirectly, has (A) the right or the obligation to acquire (whether such right is exercisable, or such obligation is required to be performed, immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing and 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 the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable by such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Related Person thereof) with which such Person or any of such Person’s Related Persons has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing and other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(d)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company; or
(iv) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Counterparty (or any of such Counterparty’s Related Persons) under any Derivatives Contract (without regard to any short or similar position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract) to which such Person or any of such
Person’s Related Persons is a Receiving Party (as such terms are defined in the immediately following paragraph); provided, however, that the number of Common Shares that a Person is deemed to Beneficially Own pursuant to this clause (iv) in connection with a particular Derivatives Contract shall not exceed the number of Notional Common Shares with respect to such Derivatives Contract; provided, further, that the number of securities beneficially owned by each Counterparty (including its Related Persons) under a Derivatives Contract shall for purposes of this clause (iv) be deemed to include all securities that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Counterparty (or any of such other Counterparty’s Related Persons) under any Derivatives Contract to which such first Counterparty (or any of such first Counterparty’s Related Persons) is a Receiving Party, with this proviso being applied to successive Counterparties as appropriate.
A “Derivatives Contract” is a contract between two parties (the “Receiving Party” and the “Counterparty”) that is designed to produce economic benefits and risks to the Receiving Party that correspond substantially to the ownership by the Receiving Party of a number of Common Shares specified or referenced in such contract (the number corresponding to such economic benefits and risks, the “Notional Common Shares”), regardless of whether obligations under such contract are required or permitted to be settled through the delivery of cash, Common Shares or other property, without regard to any short position under the same or any other Derivative Contract. Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary, with respect to any Person, for all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including, without limitation, for purposes of determining the particular percentage of the outstanding Common Shares of which any such Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall include the number of Common Shares not outstanding at the time of such calculation that such Person is otherwise deemed to Beneficially Own for purposes of this Agreement, but the number of Common Shares not outstanding that such Person is otherwise deemed to Beneficially Own for purposes of this Agreement shall not be included for the purpose of computing the percentage of the outstanding Common Shares Beneficially Owned by any other Person (unless such other Person is also deemed to Beneficially Own for purposes of this Agreement such Common Shares not outstanding).
(e) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking or trust institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) “Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York, 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, New York time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company. “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons that ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(h) “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
(i) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(j) “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).
(k) “Excluded Person” shall mean (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) any officers, directors, and employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries solely in respect of such Person’s status or authority as such (including, without limitation, any fiduciary capacity); or (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity, or any trustee or administrator holding (or acting in a fiduciary capacity in respect of) shares of capital stock of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or for the purpose of funding any such plan or other benefits for employees of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
(l) “Exempt Person” means any Person (together with all Related Persons of such Person) the Board determines is exempt from this Agreement, which determination shall be made by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion (provided, that no Person shall qualify as an Exempt Person unless such determination is made prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person), provided, however, that such a Person will cease to be an Exempt Person if the Board makes a contrary determination in its sole discretion with respect to such Person, regardless of the reason for such contrary determination.
(m) “Existing Holder” shall mean any Person that, together with all of its Related Persons, is, prior to the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of this Agreement, the Beneficial Owner of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) or more of the then-outstanding Common Shares. A Person ceases to be an “Existing Holder” if and when (i) such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of less than twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) of the Common Shares then-outstanding; or (ii) such Person increases its Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares by acquiring one or more additional Common Shares (other than as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split, reclassification, or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally or pursuant to a grant, vesting, or exercise described above in Section 1(a)).
(n) “Exempt Transaction” means any transaction (or series of related transactions) that the Board determines, in its sole discretion, is exempt for purposes of
this Agreement (provided, that no transaction (or series of related transactions) shall qualify as an Exempt Transaction pursuant to this Section 1(n) unless such determination is made prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person as a result of such transaction (or series of related transactions)).
(o) “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
(p) “Person” shall mean any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity, as well as any syndicate or group deemed to be a Person under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-5(b)(1) thereunder.
(q) “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company having the preferences and rights set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(r) “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
(s) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
(t) “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
(a) “Redemption Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a).
(u) “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a).
(v) “Related Person” shall mean, as to any Person, any Affiliates or Associates of such Person.
(w) “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
(x) “Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
(y) “Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i).
(z) “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, or such other date, as determined by the Board, on which a Person has become an Acquiring Person.
(aa) “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
(bb) “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).
(cc) “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).
(dd) “Trust” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).
(ee) “Trust Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the express terms and conditions hereof (and no implied terms and conditions), and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable, upon ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for the acts or omissions of any such co-rights agent.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day after the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth (10th) Business Day after the Shares Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date) (or such later date as the Board shall determine prior to the Distribution Date that would otherwise have occurred), or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine prior to the Distribution Date that would otherwise have occurred) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than an Excluded Persons) 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 upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person (including in either case any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b)) by the certificates for Common Shares of the Company registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates (or, for shares participating in the direct registration system, by notations in the respective book entry accounts for the Common Shares), and (y) the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares of the Company. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information and documents at the expense of the Company, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share of the Company so held, subject to
adjustment as provided herein. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will make available a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), to any holder of Rights (other than any Acquiring Person or any Related Person of any Acquiring Person) who may so request in writing from time to time prior to the earlier of the Final Expiration Date or the Redemption Date. With respect to certificates for Common Shares of the Company outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Shares of the Company (or, in the case of shares reflected on the direct registration system, the notations in the book entry account) and the registered holders of Common Shares of the Company shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares of the Company outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares of the Company that become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the penultimate sentence of this Section 3(c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement by and between PetMed Express, Inc. and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (or any successor rights agent) dated as of December 3, 2024, as it may be amended from time to time (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 PetMed Express, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Rights Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. PetMed Express, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. As set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights Beneficially Owned by any Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby. Similarly, during such time periods, transfers of shares participating in the direct registration system shall also be deemed to be transfers of the associated Rights. In the case of any shares participating in the direct registration system, the Company shall cause the transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company to include on each direct registration account statement with respect thereto issued prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date a notation to the effect that references to Common Shares of the Company also includes the associated Rights. To the extent that Common Shares of the Company are not represented by certificates, references in this Agreement to certificates shall be deemed to refer to the notations in the book entry accounts reflecting ownership of such shares. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares of the Company shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company which are no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding this Section 3(c), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any applicable rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a), Section 11(a)(i) or Section 22 that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by any Person known to be (i) an Acquiring Person or any Related Person of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Related Person) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Related Person) 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 (or any Related Person thereof) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or any Related Person thereof) or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or any Related Person thereof) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or
not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 11(a)(ii), and any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Right Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Right Certificate are or were Beneficially Owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 11(a)(ii) of such Rights Agreement.
The absence of the foregoing legend on any Right Certificate shall in no way affect any of the other provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii).
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned, either manually or by facsimile signature, by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the individual who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any individual who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such individual was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at an office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Related Persons thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request and paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates as required hereunder. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 14, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment by the holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of an open penalty surety bond reasonably satisfactory to them, holding the Company and the Rights Agent harmless, absent notice to the Rights Agent that such certificates have been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, and, if requested by at the Company, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will prepare, execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent will countersign and deliver to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may amend this Agreement to provide for uncertificated Rights in addition to or in place of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Each Right shall be exercisable to purchase one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, subject to further adjustment as provided herein. Subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in this Section 7 and elsewhere in this Agreement), in whole or in part, at any time after the Distribution Date, upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business 364 days after the date of this Agreement (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 (the “Redemption Date”), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24. For the avoidance of doubt, no Rights shall be exercisable until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $[____], and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 or 13, and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with Section 7(c).
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 by cash or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(j), thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes any such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares with such depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such request; (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14; (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder; and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including
Common Shares) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a), the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with the terms of this Agreement.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and, in such case, shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(c) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company and the Rights Agent shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred
Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s and the Rights Agent’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
(d) If the Company determines that registration under the federal Securities Act of 1933 is required, then the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts (i) to file, as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the federal Securities Act of 1933 with respect to the securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights, (ii) to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the federal Securities Act of 1933) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company shall also take such action as may be appropriate to ensure compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days, the exercisability of the Rights to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective or to qualify the rights, the exercise thereof or the issuance of securities upon the exercise thereof under state securities or blue sky laws. The Company shall issue a public announcement upon any such suspension stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement when the suspension is no longer in effect. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable for securities in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction has not been obtained, such exercise is not permitted under applicable law or a registration statement in respect of such securities has not been declared effective.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date.
Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to
receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights.
The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares, or fractions thereof, purchasable upon exercise of each Right, and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a share exchange, consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving Person), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock of the Company issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock of the Company which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then, promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that, upon expiration of the Redemption Period, each holder of a Right (except as provided in this Section 11(a)(ii)) shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of the occurrence of such event. After the Distribution Date and as long as any Rights are outstanding (other than Rights that have become null and void pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii)), the Company shall not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24, or Section 27
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are or were acquired or Beneficially Owned by (A) any Acquiring Person (or any Related Person of such Acquiring Person), (B) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Related Person) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes an Acquiring Person, or (C) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Related Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming an Acquiring Person and receives such Rights pursuant to either (1) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or any such Related Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or any such Related Person) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or any such Related Person) has any continuing written or oral plan, agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (2) a transfer that the Board has determined is part of a plan, agreement, arrangement, or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 11(a)(ii), shall be null and void without any further action, and no holder of such Rights shall thereafter have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, including, without limitation, the right to exercise such Rights, under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. Neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Related Persons or transferees hereunder. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 that represents Rights that have become null and void pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii); no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights have become null and void pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) or any Related Person thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Related Person ,or with respect to any Common Shares otherwise deemed to be Beneficially Owned by any of the foregoing; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person, any of its Related Persons, or other Person whose Rights have become null and void pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall be cancelled.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with subparagraph (ii) above, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of preferred shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of
one preferred share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such preferred shares or fraction thereof.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within forty five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a share exchange, consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving Person) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date,
less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii), the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii), the “current per share market price” of any security shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following but not including such date; provided, however, that, in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or Securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of thirty (30) Trading Days 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, reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the bid and asked prices, regular way, reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time by the National Association of Securities Dealers or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board. The
term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(e) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by 1,000. If neither the Common Shares of the Company nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.
(g) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(h) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(i) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations
made in Sections 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 Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (B) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(j) The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price, to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein, and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(k) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(l) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-thousandth of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred
Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(m) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(n) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of the Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(o) In the event that, at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 or 13, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment or describing such event and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment or describing such event, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares or the Common Shares of the Company the a copy of such certificate and (c) if such adjustment occurs at any time after the Distribution Date, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25. The Rights Agent will be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and will not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it has received such certificate. The Rights Agent will not be obligated or responsible for determining whether an adjustment event has occurred and calculating any adjustments contemplated under this Agreement.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.
In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving Person of such share exchange, consolidation or merger and, in connection with such share exchange, consolidation or merger, all or part of the Common Shares of the Company shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided in Section 11(a)(ii) and elsewhere herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving Person) as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation of such share exchange, consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such share exchange, consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares of the Company thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such share exchange, consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless, prior thereto, the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers, share exchanges, or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as Beneficial Owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary
receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action.
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement, and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders.
Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer, and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully completed and executed;
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right
Certificate or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use commercially reasonable efforts to have any such injunction, order, decree, judgment or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.
No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company 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), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder, and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, negotiation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company will also indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, suit, action, proceeding, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement or expense incurred (including without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) without gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration of, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly. The reasonable costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification will be paid by the Company.
The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where expressly required hereunder, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 or any written or oral instructions or statements from the Company with respect to any matter relating to its acting as Rights Agent.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. The Rights Agent will not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive written notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent will be fully protected and will incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith unless and until it has received such notice.
The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 will survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may effect a share exchange, be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, share exchange, or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or document or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right
Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations will be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent will perform those duties and obligations upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent will incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken or omitted by it in the absence of bad faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization to and protection of the Rights Agent will incur no liability for any action taken or suffered by it in the absence of bad faith, under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction). Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Rights Agent’s aggregate liability during any term of this Agreement with respect to, arising from, or arising in connection with this Agreement, or from all services provided or omitted to be provided under this Agreement, whether in contract, or in tort, or otherwise, is limited to, and will not exceed, three times the amount paid hereunder by the Company to Rights Agent as fees and charges, but not including reimbursable expenses, during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event for which recovery from the Rights Agent is being sought.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates
(except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) 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 Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate pursuant to Section 12 describing such change or adjustment upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or other securities will, when issued, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in the absence of bad faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent will be fully authorized and protected in relying upon instructions received by any such officer. The Rights Agent will not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person until receipt of written notice thereof from the Company.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall
preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) The Rights Agent will not be under any duty or responsibility to ensure compliance with any applicable federal or state securities laws in connection with the issuance, transfer or exchange of Right Certificates.
(k) No provision of this Agreement will require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or to a risk of incurring expense or liability or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights hereunder, unless the Rights Agent has been furnished with assurances of repayment or indemnity satisfactory to it.
(l) In the event the Rights Agent reasonably believes any ambiguity or uncertainty exists hereunder or in any notice, instruction, direction, request or other communication, paper or document received by the Rights Agent hereunder, the Rights Agent shall, as soon as practicable, inform the Company or such Person seeking clarification and may, in its sole discretion, refrain from taking any action, and will be fully protected and will not be liable in any way to the Company or other Person or entity for refraining from taking such action, unless the Rights Agent receives written instructions signed by the Company which eliminates such ambiguity or uncertainty to the reasonable satisfaction of the Rights Agent.
(m) The Rights Agent will not have any duty or responsibility in the case of the receipt of any written demand from any registered holder with respect to any action or default by the Company, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise or to make any demand upon the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company pursuant to the notice provisions contained in Section 26 and, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent
will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares are the same Person, the appointment of a successor transfer agent for the Common Shares shall without any further action be the appointment of such Person as successor Rights Agent. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares are the same Person, notwithstanding the foregoing notice provisions, (a) prior to the Distribution Date, no notice of resignation or removal need be given to holders of the Rights, and (b) a resignation notice from, and a removal notice to, the Rights Agent shall be given upon such number of days’ notice as is specified in the agreement governing the Rights Agent’s services as transfer agent, as such agreement may be amended from time to time. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent are not the same Person and the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be either (a) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York (or of any other state of the United States so long as such Person is authorized to do business as a banking institution in such state), in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has, individually or combined with an Affiliate, at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million or (b) an Affiliate or direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person or its wholly-owning parent. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date, and (ii) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date (the “Redemption Period”), redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Rights shall not be exercisable until such time as the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to this Section 23 has expired. The redemption of the Rights by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board, in its sole discretion, may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a), and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within ten (10) days after such action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Related Persons may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)) for Common Shares of the Company at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any adjustment in the number of Rights pursuant to Section 11(a)(i) (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 Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or any trustee, administrator or fiduciary of any such plan appointed by the Company), together with all Related Persons of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding. The exchange of the Rights by the Board may be made effective as such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Prior to effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Board may direct the Company to enter into a trust agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board shall then approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by the Trust Agreement (the “Trust”) all of the Common Shares or common stock equivalents, to the extent applicable pursuant to Section 24(c), issuable pursuant to the exchange (and any cash in lieu of fractional shares), and all Persons entitled to receive shares pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such Common Shares or common stock equivalents (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such shares are deposited in the Trust and any cash in lieu of fractional shares) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement.
(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 Common Shares of the Company equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares of the Company for Rights will be effected, and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares of the Company for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Shares of the Company, the Company shall substitute, for each
Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of preferred shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one preferred share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such preferred shares or fraction thereof.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares of the Company or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares of the Company. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares of the Company, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares of the Company would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this Section 24(d), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall, at any time after the Distribution Date, propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of the Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of the Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of the Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any share exchange, consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares of the Company payable in Common Shares of the Company or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares of the Company (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares of the Company), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, share exchange, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares of the Company and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least ten (10) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and, in the case of any such other action, at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the
taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares of the Company and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) shall occur, then the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii).
Section 26. Notices.
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
PetMed Express, Inc.
420 South Congress Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida 33445
Attention: Secretary
with copy to:
Foley & Lardner LLP
100 North Tampa Street
Suite 2700
Tampa, Florida 33602
Attention: Curt P. Creely
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Erika Young
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.
For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of Rights or Common Shares, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, execute such supplement or amendment. From and after the time that the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights (i) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein or (ii) to make any other changes or provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, including but not limited to extending the Final Expiration Date; provided, however, that no such supplement or amendment shall adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person), and no such supplement or amendment may cause the Rights again to become redeemable or cause this Agreement again to become amendable as to an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person, other than in accordance with this sentence; provided further, however, that the right of the Board to extend the Distribution Date shall not require any amendment or supplement hereunder.
Section 28. Successors.
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board, 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, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Rights Agreement, a determination whether or not a Person would be deemed to be an “Exempt Person” for the purposes of this Agreement or a transaction would be deemed to be an “Exempt Transaction” for the purposes of this Agreement, and any determination as to whether actions or any Person shall be such as to cause such Person to Beneficially Own shares held by another Person). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of this sentence, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent (except with respect to the Rights Agent’s own
rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement), the holders of the Rights and all other parties. For all purposes of this Agreement and to the extent permitted by law, any action taken by a duly authorized committee or subcommittee of the Board shall be deemed to be an action taken by the Board.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares of the Company) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares of the Company).
Section 31. Severability.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement or the Rights 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 and the Rights shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 32. Governing Law; Jurisdiction.
This Agreement, each Right and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Florida and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state or federal courts sitting in Florida, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 33. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. A signature to this Agreement executed and/or transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature.
Section 34. Customer Identification Program.
The Company acknowledges that the Rights Agent is subject to the customer identification program (“Customer Identification Program”) requirements under the USA PATRIOT Act and its implementing regulations, and that the Rights Agent must obtain, verify and record information that allows the Rights Agent to identify the Company. Accordingly, prior to accepting an appointment hereunder, the Rights Agent may request information from the Company that will help the Rights Agent to identify the Company, including without limitation the Company’s physical address, tax identification number, organizational documents, certificate of good standing, license to do business, or any other information that the Rights Agent deems necessary. The Company agrees that the Rights Agent cannot accept an appointment hereunder unless and until the Rights Agent verifies the Company’s identity in accordance with the Customer Identification Program requirements.
Section 35. Descriptive Headings; Section References.
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. All references in this Agreement to Sections mean the Section of this Agreement.
Section 36. Force Majeure.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunctions of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war or civil unrest.
Section 37. Confidentiality.
The Rights Agent and the Company agree that all books, records, information and data pertaining to the business of the other party, including inter alia, personal, non-public warrant holder information, which are exchanged or received pursuant to the negotiation or the carrying out of this Agreement, including the fees for services related hereto, shall remain confidential, and shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any other person, except as may be required by law, including, without limitation, pursuant to subpoenas from state or federal government authorities.
Section 38. Further Assurances.
The Company shall perform, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, documents, instruments and assurances as may be
reasonably required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
By: ____________________
Name:
Title:
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
By: ____________________
Name:
Title:
Exhibit A
TERMS
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
(Pursuant to Section 607.0602 of the
| | |
Florida Business
Corporation Act) |
Section 1. Designation and Amount. There is hereby created a series of Preferred Stock that shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 100,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any class or series of stock of this Corporation ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, and of any other stock ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first business day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or
effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section 2 immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which
is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other resolutions of the Board of Directors creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (both as to dividends and upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of
the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Articles of Incorporation or in any other resolutions of the Board of Directors creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, voluntary or otherwise, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”) equal to $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred
Stock in respect thereof, then the assets available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, share exchange or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable by the Corporation.
Section 9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, except to the extent that any such other series specifically provides that it shall rank on a parity with or junior to the Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Amendment. At any time any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a single class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that 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 Preferred Stock.
* * *
Exhibit B
Form of Right Certificate
| | | | | |
| Certificate No. R- | ___ Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 15, 2025 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS EVIDENCED HEREBY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY RELATED PERSON THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), WHETHER CURRENTLY BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR ON BEHALF OF SUCH PERSON OR BY ANY SUBSEQUENT BENEFICIAL OWNER, MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID AND NO LONGER TRANSFERABLE. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR ON BEHALF OF A PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR A RELATED PERSON OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 11(a)(ii) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]1
Right Certificate
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Rights Agreement”), between PetMed Express, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a federally chartered trust company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on December 15 , 2025 at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $[____] per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of December 3, 2024, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate in each case at the option of the Company (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares, shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company 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 the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of _____________ __, ____:
PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
| | |
| FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto |
| ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| (Please print name and address of transferee) |
| ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________ Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution. |
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker, dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature guarantee medallion program.
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Right Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who or which is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person.
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
To: PETMED EXPRESS, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise __________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares (or other securities) be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
| | |
| (Please print name and address) |
|
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
| | |
| (Please print name and address) |
| |
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker, dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature guarantee medallion program.
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Right Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who or which is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or a Related Person of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: __________
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or a Related Person thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
Exhibit C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On December 2, 2024, the Board of Directors of our Company, PetMed Express, Inc., a Florida corporation, declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The dividend is payable to the shareholders of record at the close of business on December 16, 2024 (the “Record Date”).
Our Board of Directors has adopted this Rights Agreement to protect shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics. In general terms, the Rights Agreement works by imposing a significant penalty upon any person or group which acquires 12.5% or more of our outstanding Common Stock without the approval of our Board of Directors. The Rights Agreement should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by our Board of Directors.
For those interested in the specific terms of the Rights Agreement as made between our Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as the Rights Agent, on December 3, 2024, we provide the following summary description. Please note, however, that this description is only a summary, and is not complete, and should be read together with the entire Rights Agreement, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 3, 2024. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from our Company.
The Rights. Our Board of Directors authorized the issuance of a Right with respect to each outstanding share of Common Stock on the Record Date. The Rights will initially trade with, and will be inseparable from, the Common Stock. The Rights are evidenced only by certificates that represent shares of Common Stock or, in the case of uncertificated shares of Common Stock, the book-entry account that evidences record ownership of such shares. New Rights will accompany any new shares of Common Stock we issue after the Record Date and prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, and the expiration date described below.
Purchase Price. Each Right will allow its holder to purchase from our Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Preferred Share”), for $[____] (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment, once the Rights become exercisable. This portion of a Preferred Share will give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of Common Stock. Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting, or liquidation rights.
Exercisability. The Rights will not be exercisable until the earlier of (1) ten (10) business days (or such later date as our Board of Directors shall determine) after the public announcement that a person or group has become an “Acquiring Person” by obtaining beneficial ownership of 12.5% or more of our outstanding Common Stock or (2) ten (10) business days (or such later
date as our Board of Directors shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an “Acquiring Person.” In addition, the Rights will not be exercisable until such time as the Company’s right to redeem the Rights has expired.
Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions — whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying Common Stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act — are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of the company’s Common Stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of the company’s Common Stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the Rights Agreement are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.
We refer to the date when the Rights become exercisable as the “Distribution Date.” Until that date, Common Stock certificates will also evidence the Rights, and any transfer of shares of Common Stock will constitute a transfer of Rights. After that date, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and be evidenced by book entry credits or by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of Common Stock. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are void and may not be exercised.
Exempted Persons and Exempted Transactions. The Rights Agreement grants discretion to the Board of Directors to designate a person as an “Exempt Person” or to designate a transaction involving our Common Stock as an “Exempt Transaction.” An “Exempt Person” cannot become an Acquiring Person under the Rights Agreement. Our Board of Directors can revoke an “Exempt Person” designation.
Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person.
Flip In. If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights (other than the Acquiring Person and certain related parties, whose rights automatically become null and void) will have the right to receive, for the Purchase Price, Preferred Shares with a market value equal to twice the Purchase Price, based on the market price of our Common Stock prior to such acquisition. However, the Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the foregoing event until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company, as further described below.
Flip Over. If our Company is acquired in a merger or similar transaction after the Distribution Date, all holders of Rights (other than the Acquiring Person and certain related parties, whose rights automatically become null and void) will have the right to receive, for the Purchase Price, shares of the acquiring corporation with a market value equal to twice the Purchase Price based on the market price of the acquiring corporation’s stock, prior to such merger.
Notional Common Shares. Common Stock held by Affiliates and Associates of an Acquiring Person, and Notional Common Shares held by counterparties to a Derivatives Contract with an Acquiring Person, will be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person.
Preferred Share Provisions. Each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, if issued:
will not be redeemable;
will entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.001 per one one-thousandth of a share or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater;
will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $1.00 per one one-thousandth of a share or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater;
will have the same voting power as one share of Common Stock; and
if shares of Common Stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation, or a similar transaction, will entitle holders to a payment per one one-thousandth of a share equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock.
The value of one one-thousandth interest in a Preferred Share should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.
Expiration. The Rights will expire on December 15, 2025.
Redemption. In general, our Board of Directors may redeem the Rights for $0.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date, and (ii) the date that the Rights expire. If our Board of Directors redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights. Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $0.001 per Right. The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of our Common Stock.
Exchange. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of our outstanding Common Stock, the Company’s Board of Directors may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of Common Stock or an equivalent security for each Right, subject to adjustment, other than Rights held by the Acquiring Person.
Anti-Dilution Provisions. Our Board of Directors may adjust the Purchase Price of the Preferred Shares, the number of Preferred Shares issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or Common Stock. No adjustments to the Purchase Price of less than 1% will be made.
Amendments. The terms of the Rights Agreement may be amended by our Board of Directors without the consent of the holders of the Rights for so long as the rights are redeemable. After such time as the rights are no longer redeemable, our Board of Directors may not amend the Rights Agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or any Affiliates or Associates thereof).
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