Crown Holdings, Inc 8-K, filed Nov 7, 2022
Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK)
About this 8-K
Crown Holdings, Inc filed this 8-K on November 7, 2022.
Items reported
- Item 1.01: Entered into a material agreement
- Item 3.03: Change to shareholders' rights
- Item 8.01: Other events
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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| Item 1.01. | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On November 3, 2022, Carl C. Icahn filed a statement on Schedule 13D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the Common Stock, par value $5.00 per share (the “Common Shares”), of Crown Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), on behalf of himself and several affiliated entities (collectively, “Icahn”), indicating that Icahn had accumulated a stake in the Company representing approximately 8.5% of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares. Also on November 3, 2022, Icahn delivered to the Company a notification pursuant to Sections 801.30 and 803.5(a)(1) of the Rules of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, indicating that Icahn intended to acquire up to 20% of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares.
The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) convened a meeting with Company management and its financial and legal advisors to discuss these developments and determined to implement a shareholder rights plan in order to protect the interests of the Company and all of its shareholders and enable them to realize the full potential value of their investment in the Company by reducing the likelihood that Icahn (or any other person or group) gains control of the Company, through open market accumulation or other tactics, without appropriately compensating the rest of the Company’s shareholders. Accordingly, the Company entered into a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”), dated November 7, 2022, between the Company and Equiniti Trust Company, as Rights Agent. The Board unanimously approved the Company’s execution of the Rights Agreement in accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, which provide that the Board may adopt a shareholder rights plan without submitting that plan to a shareholder vote in the event that the Board, including a majority of the Company’s independent directors, determined that adoption was in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders under the circumstances.
In connection with the Rights Agreement, the Board declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a “Right”), payable on November 17, 2022 (the “Record Date”), for each Common Share outstanding on the Record Date to the shareholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one share of Common Stock, at a price of $300.00 per share of Common Shares represented by a Right (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment.
The Rights are in all respects subject to and governed by the provisions of the Rights Agreement. The following description of the Rights Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Rights Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 4.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Distribution Date; Exercisability; Expiration
Initially, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing Common Shares then outstanding, no separate certificates representing the Rights will be distributed and the Rights will not be tradeable separate from the Common Shares. New Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date will contain in accordance with the Rights Agreement a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference.
The Rights will become exercisable and will separate from the Common Shares upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) business days after a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired Beneficial Ownership of ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Common Shares, or (ii) ten (10) business days (or a later date as determined by the Board) after the commencement of, or first public announcement of an intention to commence, a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group Beneficially Owning ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”). As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Equiniti Trust Company, as the Rights Agent, will mail certificates representing the Rights to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and thereafter, the separate certificates representing the Rights alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise provided by the Rights Agreement or determined by the Board, only Common Shares issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an “Acquiring Person” will not include (i) the Company, (ii) any subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any subsidiary of the Company, (iv) any entity holding Common Shares for the benefit of present or future participants pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan, (v) with respect to clauses (i) and (ii), the officers and members of the Board or the board of directors of any subsidiary of the Company, as applicable, acting in their fiduciary capacities, (vi) any person or entity who becomes the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the repurchase of Common Shares by the Company (or any subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any subsidiary of the
Company, or any person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan), unless such person or entity, after becoming aware that such person or entity has become the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, acquires Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares representing one half of one percent (0.5%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, (vii) any person or entity who has reported or is required to report ownership on Schedule 13G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act, which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Shares), if such person or entity either certifies to the Company that they acquired Common Shares in excess of 9.99% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights or thereafter reduces their Beneficial Ownership to less than ten percent (10)% of the Common Shares then outstanding, (viii) any person or entity who would otherwise be deemed an “Acquiring Person” upon the execution of the Rights Agreement but who does not, subsequent to the issuance of the press release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, acquire additional Common Shares representing at least 0.5% of the Common Shares then outstanding, or (ix) any person or entity whose acquisition of Common Shares was expressly approved in advance by the Board prior to the Distribution Date and who does not subsequently acquire additional Common Shares representing at least 0.5% of the Common Shares then outstanding.
For purposes of the Rights and the Rights Agreement, a person or entity shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of any securities that, except under limited circumstances (including relating to such person’ or entity’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting), (i) that such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates), directly or indirectly has (A) the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise (subject to certain exceptions), or (B) the right to vote or dispose of or otherwise has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (subject to certain exceptions), (ii) that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other person or entity (or affiliate or associate thereof) with which such first person or entity (or affiliate or associate thereof) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (subject to certain exceptions) or disposing of any securities of the Company, or (iii) that are the subject of a derivative transaction entered into by such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates), including, for these purposes, any derivative security that gives such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates) the economic equivalent of ownership of an amount of such securities due to the fact that the value of the derivative is explicitly determined by reference to the price or value of such securities, or which provides such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates) an opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit, or to share in any profit, derived from any change in the value of such securities, in any case without regard to whether (a) such derivative conveys any voting rights in such securities to such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates), (b) the derivative is required to be, or capable of being, settled through delivery of such securities, or (c) such person or entity (or any of their affiliates or associates) may have entered into other transactions that hedge the economic effect of such derivative.
In determining the number of Common Shares “beneficially owned” by virtue of the operation of the definition of “Beneficial Owner” in the preceding paragraph, the subject person or entity shall be deemed to “beneficially own” (without duplication) (1) the number of Common Shares that are synthetically owned pursuant to such derivative transactions or such derivative securities and (2) the notional or other number of Common Shares specified in the documentation evidencing the derivative position as being subject to be acquired upon the exercise or settlement of the applicable right or as the basis upon which the value or settlement amount of such right, or the opportunity of the holder of such right to profit or share in any profit, is to be calculated in whole or in part, and in any case (or if no such number of Common Shares is specified in such documentation or otherwise), as determined by the Board in good faith to be the number of Common Shares to which the derivative position relates.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on November 6, 2023 (the “Final Expiration Date”), unless (i) the Final Expiration Date is extended or (ii) the Rights are earlier redeemed by the Company.
Flip-in Event
In the event that a person or entity becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of the Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of such person becoming an Acquiring Person or any other triggering event with respect to the Rights as described below in the section of this report titled “Flip-over Event,” all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void.
Flip-over Event
Subject to Section 13 of the Rights Agreement, if, at any time after a person or entity becomes an Acquiring Person, (i) the Company consolidates, or merges with, any other person, and the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) any person engages in a share exchange, consolidation or merger with the Company where the outstanding Common Shares of the Company are exchanged for securities, cash or property of the other person and the Company is the surviving corporation, or (iii) more than 50% of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of the Right.
Exchange
At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by any person of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board may exchange the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void), in whole or in part, for Common Shares, each Right being exchangeable for one Common Share, subject to adjustment.
Redemption
The Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (subject to adjustment), at any time before the close of business on (i) the date that is ten (10) business days after the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date. Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.
Amendment
Prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the occurrence of a triggering event with respect to the Rights as described above in the section of this report titled “Flip-over Event,” any provision of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights. After the first to occur of such events, no such amendment may adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than the Acquiring Person and its affiliates and associates).
Adjustment
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Common Shares or other securities, cash or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to customary adjustments from time to time to prevent dilution in the event of certain changes in the shares of the Company (including, but not limited to, (i) declaration of a dividend payable in Common Shares; (ii) subdivision or combination of the Common Shares; or (iii) the issuance of any shares of capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares). With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price. The Company may determine not to issue fractional Rights or shares, and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market value of the Rights or shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
Certain Anti-Takeover Effects
The Rights will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company without conditioning the offer on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. Accordingly, the existence of the Rights may deter certain acquirors from making takeover proposals or tender offers. However, the rights plan helps ensure that the Company’s shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover of the Company.
Rights of Holders
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
| Item 3.03. | Material Modifications to Rights of Security Holders. |
The information set forth in Items 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 8.01. | Other Events. |
On November 7, 2022, the Company issued a press release, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
| (c) | The following are filed as exhibits to this report: | |
| 4.1 | Rights Agreement, dated as of November 7, 2022, between Crown Holdings, Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, as Rights Agent. | |
| 99.1 | Press Release of Crown Holdings, Inc. dated November 7, 2022. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: November 7, 2022
| CROWN HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Christy L. Kalaus | |
| Name: | Christy L. Kalaus | |
| Title: | Vice President and Corporate Controller | |
Exhibit 4.1
CROWN HOLDINGS, INC.
and
EQUINITI TRUST COMPANY
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of November 7, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||
| SECTION 1. | CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
1 | ||||
| SECTION 2. | APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT |
6 | ||||
| SECTION 3. | ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES |
6 | ||||
| SECTION 4. | FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES |
8 | ||||
| SECTION 5. | COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION |
9 | ||||
| SECTION 6. | TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES | 10 | ||||
| SECTION 7. | EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS |
11 | ||||
| SECTION 8. | CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES |
13 | ||||
| SECTION 9. | RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF COMMON SHARES |
14 | ||||
| SECTION 10. | COMMON SHARES RECORD DATE |
15 | ||||
| SECTION 11. | ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS |
16 | ||||
| SECTION 12. | CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES |
23 | ||||
| SECTION 13. | CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS, CASH FLOW OR EARNING POWER |
23 | ||||
| SECTION 14. | FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES |
26 | ||||
| SECTION 15. | RIGHTS OF ACTION |
26 | ||||
| SECTION 16. | AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS |
27 | ||||
| SECTION 17. | RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER |
28 | ||||
| SECTION 18. | CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT |
28 | ||||
| SECTION 19. | MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT |
28 | ||||
| SECTION 20. | DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT |
29 | ||||
| SECTION 21. | CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT |
31 | ||||
| SECTION 22. | ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES |
31 | ||||
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| SECTION 23. | REDEMPTION AND TERMINATION |
32 | ||||
| SECTION 24. | EXCHANGE |
33 | ||||
| SECTION 25. | NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS |
34 | ||||
| SECTION 26. | NOTICES |
35 | ||||
| SECTION 27. | SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS |
35 | ||||
| SECTION 28. | SUCCESSORS |
36 | ||||
| SECTION 29. | DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
36 | ||||
| SECTION 30. | BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT |
37 | ||||
| SECTION 31. | SEVERABILITY |
37 | ||||
| SECTION 32. | GOVERNING LAW; FORUM SELECTION |
37 | ||||
| SECTION 33. | COUNTERPARTS |
38 | ||||
| SECTION 34. | DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS; INTERPRETATION |
38 | ||||
| SECTION 35. | PATRIOT ACT |
38 | ||||
| Exhibit A | Form of Right Certificate | |
| Exhibit B | Form of Summary of Rights |
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of November 7, 2022, between Crown Holdings, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), and Equiniti Trust Company, a limited trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
The Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one common share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business on November 17, 2022 (the “Record Date”), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one Common Share, upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and further authorized (i) 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 (as such term is defined in Section 3), the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in Section 7) and (ii) in certain circumstances provided in Section 22, the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Distribution Date and the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date.
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, on or after the date of this Agreement shall be the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include an Exempt Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing:
(i) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the repurchase of Common Shares by the Company (or any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person” unless and until such Person, after becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, acquires beneficial ownership of additional Common Shares representing one half of one percent (0.5%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding;
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(ii) any Person who has reported or is required to report ownership on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Shares) shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person” if, within ten (10) Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, such Person certifies to the Company that such Person acquired Common Shares in excess of 9.99% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter reduces such Person’s, together with its Affiliates’ and Associates’, Beneficial Ownership to less than ten percent (10)% of the Common Shares then outstanding; provided, however, that if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within ten (10) Business Days or breaches or violates such certification, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such ten (10) Business Day period or such breach or violation;
(iii) if a Person would otherwise be deemed an “Acquiring Person” upon the execution of this Agreement, such Person (herein referred to as a “Grandfathered Shareholder”) shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person” for purposes of this Agreement unless and until, subject to the other provisions in this Section 1(a), (1) such Grandfathered Shareholder acquires Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares representing at least one half of one percent (0.5%) of the Common Shares then outstanding (other than as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all registered holders of Common Shares are treated substantially equally (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company)) after public announcement of execution of this Agreement (or, if earlier, such Person or its Affiliates or Associates became aware of entry into this Agreement) while (2) such Person is the Beneficial Owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, in which case such Person shall no longer be deemed a Grandfathered Shareholder and shall be deemed an “Acquiring Person;” and
(iv) if a Person would otherwise be an Acquiring Person as a result of an acquisition of Common Shares, such Person shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person” for purposes of this Agreement if such acquisition of Common Shares is expressly approved in advance by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided such approval is granted prior to the Distribution Date; and provided, further, that such Person shall be an Acquiring Person after the first date upon which (A) such Person, after the date of the approved acquisition, shall have acquired Beneficial Ownership of, in the aggregate, additional Common Shares equal to one half of one percent (0.5%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding and (B) such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall Beneficially Own ten percent (10%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
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(b) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as such rule is in effect on the Record Date.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own,” and shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of, any securities:
(i) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly has:
(A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the satisfaction of one or more conditions (whether or not within the control of such Person), compliance with regulatory requirements or otherwise) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing, but in each case, 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 (1) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (2) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (3) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, if such Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 or pursuant to Section 11(a)(i) in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any of the Rights heretofore specified in this clause (3); or
(B) the right to vote or dispose of or otherwise has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing, but in each case, other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, pursuant to this subparagraph (B), any security as a result of any agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act and (2) is not reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); provided, further, that for purposes of determining beneficial ownership of
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securities under this Agreement, officers and directors of the Company solely by reason of their status as such shall not constitute a group (notwithstanding that they may be Associates of one another or may be deemed to constitute a group for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) and shall not be deemed to own shares owned by another officer or director of the Company
(ii) that are beneficially owned, including pursuant to subparagraphs (i)(A) and (B) of this subsection (c), directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso in subparagraph (i)(B) of this subsection (c)) or disposing of any securities of the Company; or
(iii) that are the subject of a derivative transaction entered into by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, including, for these purposes, any derivative security acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, that gives such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates the economic equivalent of ownership of an amount of such securities due to the fact that the value of the derivative is explicitly determined by reference to the price or value of such securities, or which provides such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates an opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit, or to share in any profit, derived from any change in the value of such securities, in any case without regard to whether (a) such derivative conveys any voting rights in such securities to such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, (b) the derivative is required to be, or capable of being, settled through delivery of such securities, or (c) such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates may have entered into other transactions that hedge the economic effect of such derivative. In determining the number of Common Shares “beneficially owned” by virtue of the operation of this paragraph (iii), the subject Person shall be deemed to “beneficially own” (without duplication) (1) the number of Common Shares that are synthetically owned pursuant to such derivative transactions or such derivative securities and (2) the notional or other number of Common Shares specified in the documentation evidencing the derivative position as being subject to be acquired upon the exercise or settlement of the applicable right or as the basis upon which the value or settlement amount of such right, or the opportunity of the holder of such right to profit or share in any profit, is to be calculated in whole or in part, and in any case (or if no such number of Common Shares is specified in such documentation or otherwise), as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith to be the number of Common Shares to which the derivative position relates;
provided, however, that nothing in this subsection (c) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition, and then
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only if such securities continue to be owned by such person at such expiration of forty (40) days; provided, further, that notwithstanding anything in this Beneficial Owner to the contrary, the phrase “then outstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person would be deemed to be the Beneficially Owner of hereunder.
(d) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) “Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of Common Stock, par value $5.00 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 Person or, if such Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons that ultimately control or have the power to direct the management of such first-mentioned Person.
(g) “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.
(h) “Equity Plans” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(g).
(i) “Exempt Person” shall mean (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, (iv) any entity holding Common Shares for the benefit of present or future participants (e.g., a trustee or plan fiduciary) pursuant to the terms of any such plan or (v) with respect to clauses (i) and (ii), the officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Company or Subsidiary of the Company, as applicable, acting in their fiduciary capacities.
(j) “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.
(k) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, association, syndicate or other entity and includes an unincorporated group of persons who, by formal or informal agreement or arrangement, have embarked on a common purpose or act, and shall include any successor by merger (or otherwise) of such individual or entity.
(l) “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.
(m) “Right Certificate” shall mean a certificate evidencing a Right as described in Section 4.
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(n) “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall mean the event described in Section 11(a)(ii).
(o) “Section 13 Event” shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(p) “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(q) “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which an amount of securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors or other Persons having similar functions of such corporation or other entity are at the time, directly or indirectly, beneficially owned, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(r) “Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event.
SECTION 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (and such holders shall, in accordance with Section 3, prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable upon ten (10) calendar days prior written notice to the Rights Agent. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine. 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 (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day (or such later date as the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than an Exempt Person) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, the consummation of which would result in a Person (other than an Exempt Person) becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for Common Shares 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
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receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send, by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, or, with respect to Common Shares so issued on or after the Distribution Date (unless otherwise provided with respect thereto as aforesaid), to the record holder of such Common Shares on the date of issuance, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit A, evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustments as provided herein. To the extent that a Triggering Event under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof has also occurred, the Company may implement such procedures, as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion, to minimize the possibility that Rights are received by Persons whose Rights would be null and void under Section 7(e) hereof. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Right Certificates, the Company may make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Right Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or Final Expiration Date, the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares 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 represented thereby.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares which are issued (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or Final Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22, after the Distribution Date. Certificates for Common Shares issued after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Final Expiration Date (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend or statement in substantially the following form:
This statement also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Crown Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) and Equiniti Trust Company as Rights Agent, dated as of November 7, 2022 (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 the Company.
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Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this statement. The Company will mail to the holder of this statement a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge promptly following receipt of a written request therefor.
Under certain circumstances, Rights beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons or Associates or Affiliates of Acquiring Persons (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) and any subsequent holder of such Rights may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates bearing the foregoing legend, until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Final Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates. 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 Common Shares participating in the direct registration system, the Company shall cause the transfer agent for the Common Shares to include on each direct registration account statement with respect thereto issued prior to the Distribution Date a notation to the effect that the Company will mail to the shareholder a copy of the Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor and that the recipient of the statement, as a holder of Common Shares, may have certain rights thereunder. In the event that Common Shares 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 Common Shares. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
SECTION 4. Form of Right Certificates. (a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A 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 rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or any securities association on whose interdealer quotation system the Rights may from time to time be authorized for quotation, or to conform to customary usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22, the Right Certificates that are issued in respect of Common Shares that were issued and outstanding as of the Record Date, shall be dated as of the Record Date, and all Right Certificates that are issued in respect of other Common Shares shall be dated as of the respective dates of issuance of such Common Shares, and in either case on their faces shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of Common Shares as shall be set forth therein at the price per Common Share set forth therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such Common Shares and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
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(b) Any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 22 that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) which becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring 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 Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or of such Associate or Affiliate) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights, or (B) a transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company 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 7(e) or Section 11 hereof, 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 (if the Company and the Rights Agent have knowledge that such Person is an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate thereof or transferee of such Persons or a nominee of any of the foregoing and 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 an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person. This Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the 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, without limitation, the provisions of Section 7(e). The Company shall instruct the Rights Agent in writing of the Rights which should be so legended and shall supply the Rights Agent with such legended Right Certificates.
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 chief financial officer, its president or a vice president, either manually or by facsimile signature (which may but need not be under its corporate seal, in the form of a facsimile of the seal of the Company or otherwise), and shall be attested by the secretary, or an assistant secretary or treasurer, of the Company, or by such other officers as the Board of Directors of the Company may designate, either manually or by facsimile signature (which may but need not be under its corporate seal, in the form of a facsimile of the seal of the Company or otherwise). The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of
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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 person who signed or attested such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company, and any Right Certificate may be signed or attested on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign or attest such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights as evidenced on the face of each of the Right Certificates and the date and certificate number 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 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 11 and 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 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 Common Shares (or other securities or other assets, as the case may be) 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 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, with the form of assignment and certificate appropriately executed, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 11 and 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 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. If and to the extent the Company does require payment of any such taxes or charges, the Company shall give the Rights Agent prompt written notice thereof and the Rights Agent shall not deliver any Right Certificate unless and until it is satisfied that all such payments have been made, and the Rights Agent shall forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under any section of this Agreement related to the issuance or delivery of Right Certificates unless and until the Rights Agent is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
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(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 indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
SECTION 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e), 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 Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)) 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 Common Share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on November 6, 2023 (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 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each Common Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $300.00, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America, subject to paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed and properly completed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9(e) (as determined by the Rights Agent) the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(j), thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Common Shares certificates for the number of Common Shares to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of Common Shares usable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of Common Shares to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Common Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent)
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and the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional interests in 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 Certificates registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)) may be made in cash or by certified or bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company. In the event the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of the Company or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities or property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Agreement. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Common Shares would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns or designees, subject to the provisions of Section 14.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of any Triggering Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) which becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring 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 Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or of such Associate or Affiliate) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights, or (B) a transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall be null and void without any further action, and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise or any Right Certificate which formerly evidenced such Rights. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determination under this Section 7(e) or such Section 4(b) with respect to any Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or their transferees.
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(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate following the form of assignment or election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such assignment or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, on the Distribution Date or at any time thereafter, the Board of Directors of the Company may, but is not obligated to, take such steps as it deems necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of the holders of options and other rights to acquire Common Shares that have been granted under any equity incentive plan of the Company in which the directors, officers, other employees, consultants or other persons who provide substantial services to the Company or any subsidiary or other affiliate of the Company are eligible to participate (collectively, “Equity Plans”) from the dilution associated with the distribution and exercise of Rights. These steps may include the issuance of Rights in respect of options and other rights to acquire Common Shares that have been granted under any Equity Plan, whether such options or rights are vested, unvested, exercisable or not exercisable. The number of Rights issued with respect to an option or other right to acquire Common Shares shall be equal to the number of Rights that would be associated with the Common Shares that the holder of such option or other right would acquire upon exercise, conversion, or exchange of such option or right, subject to adjustments that the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its discretion to be necessary or appropriate. Any Rights so issued shall be evidenced by Right Certificates, as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement. The holder of Rights so issued shall have the same rights and shall be subject to the same obligations and restrictions as any other holder of Rights, except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in its discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no action pursuant to this paragraph shall be taken that results in any additional or accelerated tax or other penalty to holders of options or other rights to acquire Common Shares pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. For the avoidance of doubt, if Rights are issued with respect to an option or other right to acquire Common Shares pursuant to this Section 7(g), the holder thereof shall not be entitled to additional Rights upon the issuance of Common Shares underlying such options or other rights to acquire Common Shares.
SECTION 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination, redemption 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. Subject to applicable law and regulation, the Rights Agent shall maintain in a
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retrievable database electronic records of all cancelled or destroyed Right Certificates which have been canceled or destroyed by the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall maintain such electronic records for the time period required by applicable law and regulation. Upon written request of the Company (and at the expense of the Company), the Rights Agent shall provide to the Company or its designee copies of such electronic records relating to Right Certificates cancelled or destroyed by the Rights Agent.
SECTION 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Shares.
(a) Subject to the Company’s rights under Section 11(a)(iii) hereof to otherwise fulfill its obligations hereunder, the Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares or any Common Shares held in its treasury, the number of Common Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; provided, however, that such action need not be taken with respect to Common Shares (or other securities) issuable upon exercise of the Rights until after such time as the Rights become exercisable, and with respect to Common Shares (or other securities) issuable upon occurrence of a Triggering Event until the occurrence of such event.
(b) So long as the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed on any United States national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange or quoted on such system upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Sections 11(a)(ii) (or Section 11(a)(iii) and 13 hereof), or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to the Common Shares or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities or (B) the Final Expiration Date. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) calendar days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this paragraph, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
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well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Common Shares or other securities delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that, subject to Sections 6 and 7(c), it will pay when due and payable any and all foreign, federal and state transfer taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Common Shares (or other securities or property) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Common Shares (or other securities or property) in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Common Shares (or other securities or property) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s satisfaction that no such tax is due.
SECTION 10. Common Shares Record Date. Each person in whose name any certificate for Common Shares (or other securities) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Common Shares (or other securities) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered 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 Common Shares (or other securities) transfer books of the Company are closed or a date on which the exercisability of the Rights is suspended pursuant to Section 9(c), such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, as applicable, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Common Shares (or other securities) transfer books of the Company are open or the next succeeding Business Day on which such suspension is no longer in effect. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Common Shares (or other securities) 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.
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SECTION 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of securities covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock that, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Common Shares (or other capital stock, as the case may be) 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. If an event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) In the event any Person (other than an Exempt Person), at any time after the date of this Agreement, is or becomes an Acquiring Person (a “Section 11(a)(ii) Event”), then, promptly following the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of the number of Common Shares for which a Right was theretofore exercisable, such number of Common Shares as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Common Shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of the Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current per share market price of the Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of the occurrence of the Section 11(a)(ii) Event (such number of shares is herein called the “Adjustment Shares”); provided, however, that the Purchase Price and number of Adjustment Shares shall be further adjusted as provided in this Agreement to reflect any event occurring after the date of such first occurrence.
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(iii) In the event that after the Distribution Date or, in the case of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event after the date of the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the number of Common Shares which is authorized by the Company’s articles of incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights, the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Common Shares, or Adjustment Shares in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii), as the case may be, issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess is herein called the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Common Shares, or Adjustment Shares, as the case may be, upon exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares of the same or different class or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have substantially the same economic value as Common Shares (such shares or units of shares of preferred stock are referred to herein as “common share equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the Distribution Date, or in the case of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x), and (y) being referred to herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the Distribution Date or the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, as the case may be, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action should be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional securities and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer
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in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Shares shall be the current per share market price per Common Share (as defined in Section 11(d)) on the Distribution Date or the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, as the case may be, and the value of any “common share equivalent” shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares, or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as Common Shares (“equivalent common shares”), or securities convertible into Common Shares or equivalent common shares at a price per Common Share or per equivalent common share, or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Shares or equivalent common shares, less than the current per share market price of the Common Shares (as determined pursuant to 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 Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Common Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares and/or equivalent common 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 Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Common Shares and/or equivalent common shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights. Common Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that 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 Common Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company or a dividend payable in Common Shares but including a dividend payable in stock other than Common 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 current per share market price of the Common Shares (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on such record
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date less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Common Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Common Shares. 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 that 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) hereof), the “current per share market price” of the Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Shares for the twenty (20) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “current per share market price” of Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Shares for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Common Shares is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (1) a dividend or distribution on such Common Shares payable in such Common Shares or securities convertible into such Common Shares (other than the Rights), or (2) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Shares, and prior to the expiration of twenty (20) Trading Days, or ten (10) Trading Days, as set forth above, 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 take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal United States national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any United States national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the United States over-the-counter market or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted on such over-the-counter market, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a United States professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of the Common Shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal United States national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the
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Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any United States national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Shares are not publicly held or not so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(e) 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 one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share, 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 mandates such adjustment or (ii) the Final Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Common 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 shares contained in Section 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m) and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the Common Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), 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 Common Shares obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Common Shares 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 (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of Common Shares purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Common Shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held
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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 Rights 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 may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of Common Shares 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 Common Shares that were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Common 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.
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(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Common Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Common Shares or other securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, (iv) dividends on Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Common Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into or engage in a share exchange with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, share exchange or sale there are any rights, warrants, or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger, share exchange or sale, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the “Principal Party” for purposes of Section 13(a) shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it 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 will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date consolidate with, or merge with or into, any other Person for the primary purpose of a change of domicile of the Company, and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all of the outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for Common Shares of the surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger (the “Surviving Corporation”), then proper provision shall be made so that Rights shall be associated with each Common Share of the Surviving Corporation, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, such that the number of Rights associated with each Common Share of the Surviving Corporation following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each Common Share immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event
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and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares of the Surviving Corporation which the Common Shares were changed into or exchanged for pursuant to the consolidation or merger. Following such a consolidation or merger, this Agreement shall remain in effect and all references to the Company shall be deemed to be references to the Surviving Corporation.
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 (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of record of a Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of record of a certificate representing Common Shares) in accordance with Section 25. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on such certificate and on any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
SECTION 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Shares Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall engage in a share exchange with or shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such share exchange, consolidation or merger and, in connection with such share exchange, consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case proper provision shall be made so that
(i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of call, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be
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equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Common Shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the number of Common Shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event) and (2) dividing that product (such product following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current per share market price of the Common Shares of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event;
(ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
(iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and
(v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
If, in the case of a transaction of the kind described in clause (z) of the first sentence of this Section 13(a), the Person or Persons to whom assets or earning power are sold or otherwise transferred are individuals, then the preceding sentences of this Section 13(a) shall be inapplicable, and the Company shall require as a condition to such sale of transfer that such Person or Persons pay to each holder of a Right Certificate, upon its surrender to the Rights Agent and in exchange therefor (without requiring payment by such holder), cash in the amount determined by multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is then exercisable.
(b) “Principal Party” shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities for or into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such share exchange, merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and
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(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of common stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any such Section 13 Event, the Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Final Expiration Date;
(ii) take all such other action as may be necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including the registration or qualification of such securities under all requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive share exchanges, mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
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SECTION 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Right Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal United States 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 United States securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the United States over-the-counter market or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted on such over-the-counter market, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a United States professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to issue certificates that evidence fractions of Common Shares. In lieu of fractional interests in Common Shares, 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 Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares (except as provided by this Section 14) upon exercise of a Right.
SECTION 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the
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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 his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his 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 duly executed;
(c) subject to Section 6 and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate (or book entry shares in respect of Common Shares)) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate (or notices provided to holders of book entry Common Shares) made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to Section 7(e), 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, judgment, decree or ruling (whether introductory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory, or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company shall use its best efforts to have any such injunction order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
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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 Common Shares or any other securities of the Company that 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.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
SECTION 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the stock transfer or corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21. The purchase of all or substantially all of the Rights Agent’s assets employed in the performance of transfer agent activities shall be deemed a merger or consolidation for purposes of this Section 19. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right
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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 the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement 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), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity or existence of any Acquiring Person and the determination of “current per share market price”) 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 chief financial officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary, an assistant secretary or the treasurer of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the 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.
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(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 adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this 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 chief financial officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary or the 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 to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.
(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 resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
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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) calendar days’ prior notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) calendar 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 by registered or certified mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) calendar 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 (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the holder of record 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 a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution, is in good standing, is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority, and has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose of effecting such delivery and transfer. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the holders of record 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 its Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold (i) pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement or (ii) upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Right Certificates representing the
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appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or to the Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustments shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
SECTION 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth (10th) Business Day following the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth (10th) Business Day following the Shares Acquisition Date occurred prior to the Record Date, the Close of Business on such Record Date) or (ii) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, redeem all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event payment of the Redemption Price to a holder of Rights would result in the payment of an amount not equal to $.01 or an integral multiple of $.01, the amount to be paid shall be rounded upward to the next $.01. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company’s right of redemption set forth in the first sentence of this Section 23(a) has expired. The Company, may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash (whether in United States dollars or in such other currency or currencies as the Board of Directors of the Company may determine), Common Shares (based on the current market price per share at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, 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. Within ten (10) days after action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice and the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such redemption. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 and Section 24 hereof and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
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SECTION 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common Shares, each Right being exchangeable for one Common Share, appropriately adjusted to reflect any transaction specified in Section 11(a)(i) occurring after the date hereof (such number of Common Shares issuable in exchange for one Right being referred to herein as the “Exchange Shares”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than any Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive the Exchange Shares. 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 that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding, or authorized but unissued, to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or shall take such other action specified in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this subsection (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 and third sentences of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
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(e) Following the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to this Section 24, the Company may implement such procedures in its sole discretion as it deems appropriate for the purpose of ensuring that the Common Shares (or such other consideration) issuable upon an exchange pursuant to this Section 24 not be received by holders of Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof. In furtherance thereof, if so directed by the Company, all or a portion of the Common Shares (or other consideration) potentially issuable to holders of Rights upon an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, who have not verified to the satisfaction of the Company, in its sole discretion, that they are not Acquiring Persons, may be deposited in a trust established by the Company pending receipt of appropriate verification.
SECTION 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Common Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Common Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend) or (ii) to offer to the holders of its Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Common Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Common Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Common Shares), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), 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 more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions, each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action that shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common 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 twenty (20) calendar days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Common Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) 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, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case a Triggering Event shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) 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 shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Common Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Shares and/or other securities, if appropriate.
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The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote on any such action.
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 sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Crown Holdings, Inc.
770 Township Line Road
Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067
Attention: Adam J. Dickstein
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
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 recognized national overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Equiniti Trust Company
1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101
Mendota Heights, MN 55120-4100
Attention: Account Management Team
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing Common Shares) shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by recognized national overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
SECTION 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company may, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, from time to time and in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement (including supplements or amendments that may be deemed to affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates adversely) without the approval of any holders of certificates representing Common Shares and associated Rights. From and after the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company may and the Rights
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Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates (x) in any manner that will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person), or (y) in order to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which, in the good faith determination of a majority of the Directors then in office, may be defective or inconsistent with the other provisions contained herein, or (z) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder; provided, however, that, from and after the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the occurrence of a Triggering Event, this Agreement shall not be supplemented or amended to lengthen (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or, the benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an officer of the Company or, so long as any Person is an Acquiring Person hereunder, the Directors that states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, but subject to the next succeeding paragraph, no supplement or amendment shall be made that changes the Redemption Price, accelerates the Final Expiration Date, changes the Purchase Price, or changes the number of Common Shares for which a Right is exercisable without the approval of a majority of the Directors then in office. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement the Company authorizes one or more series of preferred stock, then this Agreement may be amended or supplemented as the Board of Directors of the Company shall deem necessary or advisable, without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates, to provide for the issuance of shares (or fractional shares) of preferred stock of the Company in place of Common Shares which may be received upon exercise of Rights hereunder prior to the occurrence of any Triggering Event, and to modify or amend this Agreement in any respect to take into account the use of such preferred stock (or fractional shares of preferred stock) in place of such Common Shares.
SECTION 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
SECTION 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
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granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties and (y) not subject the Board of Directors of the Company to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
SECTION 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person or entity other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares).
SECTION 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language of this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors of the Company. Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring a specific group of directors to act is held to by any court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, such determination shall then be made by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with applicable law and the Company’s articles of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated by-laws.
SECTION 32. Governing Law; Forum Selection. This Agreement, each Right and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such Commonwealth applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such Commonwealth. To the fullest extent permitted by law, unless the Board of Directors of the Company determines otherwise, the state courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in and for Bucks County or the federal courts of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any claim relating to or brought pursuant to this Agreement by any person (including any record or Beneficial Owner of Common Shares or Preferred Stock, any registered or beneficial holder of a Right, any Acquiring Person or the Rights Agent).
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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 transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect and enforceability as an original signature.
SECTION 34. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. 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. Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary herein by the context or use thereof, (i) whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation,” (ii) the words, “herein,” “hereto,” “hereof” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or paragraph of this Agreement, (iii) masculine gender shall also include the feminine and neutral genders, and vice versa, (iv) words importing the singular shall also include the plural, and vice versa, (v) all references to currency, monetary values, “$” and dollars set forth herein shall mean United States dollars, (vi) references to agreements and other documents shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications thereto, (vii) references to statutes shall include all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (viii) references to statutes or regulations shall be construed as including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending or replacing such statutes or regulations.
SECTION 35. Patriot Act. 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 has received 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 Company deems necessary and that pending verification of received information the Rights Agent may request further such information. The Company agrees to provide all reasonably requested information necessary for the Rights Agent to verify the Company’s identity in accordance with the Customer Identification Program requirements.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
-38-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| Attest: | CROWN HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||
| By: | /s/ Rosemary M. Haselroth | By: | /s/ Kevin C. Clothier | |||||
| Name: Rosemary M. Haselroth | Name: Kevin C. Clothier | |||||||
| Title: Assistant Corporate Secretary | Title: Sr. Vice President and CFO | |||||||
| Attest: | EQUINITI TRUST COMPANY | |||||||
| By: | /s/ Tracie L. Balach | By: | /s/ Matthew D. Paseka | |||||
| Name: Tracie L. Balach | Name: Matthew D. Paseka | |||||||
| Title: VP / Relationship Manager | Title: SVP, Relationship Director | |||||||
-39-
[Form of Right Certificate]
| Certificate No. R– | Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER NOVEMBER 6, 2023 OR EARLIER IF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION IS GIVEN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR AN ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON. THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]1
Right Certificate
Crown Holdings, 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 November 7, 2022 (the “Rights Agreement”), between Crown Holdings, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), and Equiniti 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. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania time) on ___________________ at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successors as Rights Agent, one share of common stock, par value $5.00 per share (the “Common Shares”), of the Company, fully paid and nonassessable (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company), at a purchase price of $300.00 per Common Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed.
The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of Common Shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of ___________________ based on the Common Shares as constituted at such date.
| 1 | The portion of the legend shall be modified to apply to an Acquiring Person as applicable, and shall replace the preceding sentence. |
A-1
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of Common Shares or other securities that 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, including Triggering Events (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
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 Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, 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 Common 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 Certificate may, but are not required to, be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, payable in cash, Common Shares or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Common Shares or of any other securities of the Company that 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.
A-2
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. Dated as of _______________________________.
| Crown Holdings, Inc. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Attest: | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Countersigned: | ||
| Equiniti Trust Company | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
A-3
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificates)
| FOR VALUE RECEIVED hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto |
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
| Dated: , |
| Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” (with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program at a level acceptable to the Rights Agent) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All guarantees must be by a financial institution (such as a bank or broker) that is a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Nasdaq Medallion Signature Program (MSP) or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and must not be dated. Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.
A-4
CERTIFICATE
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 an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person.
Dated: ,
| Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” (with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program at a level acceptable to the Rights Agent) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All guarantees must be by a financial institution (such as a bank or broker) that is a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Nasdaq Medallion Signature Program (MSP) or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and must not be dated. Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
A-5
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate)
To: Crown Holdings, Inc.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Common 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 exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such securities be issued in the name of and delivered to:
| (Please print name and address) |
| (Please insert social security or other identifying number) |
| 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 print name and address) |
| (Please insert social security or other identifying number) |
Dated: ,
| Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered United States national securities exchange, a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States.
A-6
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person.
Dated: ,
| Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered United States national securities exchange, a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States.
NOTICE
The signatures in the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
WARNING
In the event the Certificate set forth above in the Assignment and Election to Purchase is not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement), and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
A-7
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
COMMON STOCK
The Board of Directors of Crown Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one common stock purchase right (the “Rights”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $5.00 per share (the “Common Shares”), of the Company, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 17, 2022 (the “Record Date”). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one Common Share (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) at a purchase price of $300.00, subject to adjustment (the “Purchase Price”). The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and Equiniti Trust Company, the Rights Agent. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning given such terms in the Rights Agreement.
Initially, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing Common Shares then outstanding, no separate Right Certificates will be distributed and the Rights will not be tradeable separate from the Common Shares. The Rights will become exercisable and will separate from the Common Shares upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) business days after a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of ten percent (10%) (the “Ownership Threshold”) or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the “Shares Acquisition Date”) or (ii) ten (10) business days (or a later date as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) after the commencement of, or first public announcement of an intention to commence, a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”). Note that, for purposes of this paragraph, the application of the Ownership Threshold may differ in circumstances where an Acquiring Person has filed a statement on Schedule 13G or Schedule 13D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Share certificates and will be transferred with and only with such Common Share certificates, (ii) new Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date will contain in accordance with the Rights Agreement a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of business on November 6, 2023, unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Right Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and thereafter, the separate Right Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise provided by the Rights Agreement or determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, only Common Shares issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
B-1
In the event that a person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of the Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of such an event or any other Triggering Event (as defined below), all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void.
After the Shares Acquisition Date, in the event that (i) the Company consolidates, or merges with, any other person, and the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) any person engages in a share exchange, consolidation or merger with the Company where the outstanding Common Shares of the Company are exchanged for securities, cash or property of the other person and the Company is the surviving corporation, or (iii) more than 50% of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and the preceding paragraph are referred to as the “Triggering Events.”
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Common Shares or other securities, cash or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to customary adjustments from time to time to prevent dilution in the event of certain changes in the shares of the Company. With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price. The Company may determine not to issue fractional Rights or shares, and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market value of the Rights or shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
In general, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (subject to adjustment), at any time before the close of business on the Shares Acquisition Date. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.
At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by any person of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void), in whole or in part, for Common Shares, each Right being exchangeable for one Common Share, subject to adjustment.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
B-2
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) a Triggering Event. After the first to occur of such events, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended with the approval of a majority of the Directors in order (x) to make changes that do not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights (other than the interests of any Acquiring Person), (y) to cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any provision which may be defective or inconsistent with other provisions contained in the Rights Agreement, or (z) to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement, but after (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) a Triggering Event, no time period relating to redemption of the Rights may be lengthened so as to make the Rights redeemable at a time at which the Rights had not then been redeemable and no other time period may be lengthened unless for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights or benefits of holders of the Rights.
The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company without conditioning the offer on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. Accordingly, the existence of the Rights may deter certain acquirors from making takeover proposals or tender offers. However, the rights plan helps ensure that the Company’s shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover of the Company. The adoption of the plan is not in response to any specific takeover threat or proposal, but is a precaution taken to protect the rights of the Company’s shareholders.
A copy of the Rights Agreement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available to registered holders of the Rights upon written request free of charge from the Rights Agent. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
B-3
Exhibit 99.1
Crown Holdings Adopts Limited Duration Shareholder Rights Plan
YARDLEY, PA – November 7, 2022 – Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (“Crown” or the “Company”) today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a limited duration shareholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”) following the Board’s evaluation and consultation with the Company’s advisors.
Crown remains committed to engaging in constructive dialogue with its shareholders. The Rights Plan is similar to plans adopted by other publicly traded companies and is intended to protect the long-term interests of Crown shareholders and to enable them to realize the full potential value of their investment. The Rights Plan will reduce the likelihood that any entity, person or group gains control of Crown through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or without providing the Board sufficient time to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of the Company and all of its shareholders.
Under the Rights Plan, the rights will be exercisable if an entity, person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 10% or more of Crown’s outstanding common stock (directly or indirectly through derivative instruments). If a shareholder’s beneficial ownership of Crown’s common shares as of the effective date of the Rights Plan and associated dividend declaration is at or above 10%, that shareholder’s existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after this announcement the shareholder increases its ownership percentage by 0.5% or more.
In the event that the rights become exercisable due to the ownership threshold being crossed, each right will entitle its holder (other than the person, entity or group triggering the Rights Plan, whose rights will become void and will not be exercisable) to purchase at the exercise price, common stock having a market value equal to twice the exercise price.
Pursuant to the Rights Plan, Crown will issue one right for each outstanding share of Crown common stock to shareholders of record on the close of business on November 17, 2022.
The Rights Plan is effective immediately and will expire on November 6, 2023.
Additional information regarding the Rights Plan will be contained in a Form 8-K filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Evercore is serving as Crown’s financial advisor and Dechert LLP is serving as legal counsel.
About Crown
Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.crowncork.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all other information in this press release consists of forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Important factors that could cause the statements made in this press release to differ are discussed under the caption “Forward Looking Statements” in the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in subsequent filings made prior to or after the date hereof. The Company does not intend to review or revise any particular forward-looking statement in light of future events.
For more information, contact:
Kevin C. Clothier, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (215) 698-5281, or
Thomas T. Fischer, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, (215) 552-3720
Nick Lamplough / Scott Bisang
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449