SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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Delaware
(State of Incorporation or Organization)
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94-3030279
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
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27422 Portola Parkway, Suite 350
Foothill Ranch, California
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
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92610-2831
(Zip Code)
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If this form relates to the registration of
a class of securities pursuant to Section
12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective
pursuant to General Instruction A.(c),
please check the following box.
¨
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If this form relates to the
registration of a class of securities
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Exchange Act and is effective
pursuant to General Instruction
A.(d), please check the following
box.
x
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Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates:
Not Applicable
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
(Title of Class)
Item 1. Description of Registrants Securities to be Registered.
Introduction
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (the Company), Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and
certain of their affiliates filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United
States Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the first quarter of 2002, and certain additional affiliates
of the Company filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the first
quarter of 2003.
On February 6, 2006, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the
Bankruptcy Court) entered an order confirming the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates, dated September 7, 2005, as modified (the Plan), and on May 11, 2006, the District
Court for the District of Delaware (the District Court) entered an order affirming such
confirmation order. The Plan in the form originally filed with the Bankruptcy Court is filed as
Exhibit 2.1 hereto; the first modification to the Plan, which was approved by the Bankruptcy Court
on November 14, 2005, is filed as Exhibit 2.2 hereto; the second modification to the Plan, dated
November 22, 2005, is filed as Exhibit 2.3 hereto; the third modification to the Plan, dated
December 16, 2005, is filed as Exhibit 2.4 hereto; the Bankruptcy Court order confirming the Plan
is filed as Exhibit 2.5 hereto; the District Court order affirming the confirmation order is filed
as Exhibit 2.6 hereto; and special procedures for distributions on account of the general unsecured
claim of the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB), which have been agreed to by the NLRB,
the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service
Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (formerly known as the United Steelworkers of America,
AFL-CIO, CLC) (the USW) and the Company in accordance with Section 7.8e of the Plan, are filed as
Exhibit 2.7 hereto.
On July 6, 2006 (the Effective Date), the Plan became effective and, in accordance with the
terms of the Plan, the Company filed an amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation) with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Company is
authorized to issue 50.0 million shares of capital stock, consisting of 45.0 million shares of
common stock, par value $0.01 per share (Common Stock), and 5.0 million shares of preferred
stock, par value $0.01 per share (Preferred Stock). As required by the Bankruptcy Code, the
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Company will not issue
nonvoting equity securities; however, under the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
such restriction will (a) have no further force and effect beyond that required under Section 1123
of the Bankruptcy Code, (b) only have such force and effect for so long as Section 1123 of the
Bankruptcy Code is in effect and applicable to the Company, and (c) in all events may be amended or
eliminated in accordance with applicable law as from time to time may be in effect.
In accordance with the terms of the Plan, on the Effective Date, 20.0 million shares of Common
Stock were issued to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, National Association, as the third-party disbursing
agent under the Plan (the Disbursing Agent), for subsequent distribution in accordance with the
terms of the Plan.
The following description of the Common Stock, including certain provisions of the Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Companys amended and restated bylaws (the Amended
and Restated Bylaws), is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, which are filed as Exhibits 3.1 and
3.2 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference. The following information
concerning the securities being registered hereunder became effective as of the Effective Date.
Common Stock
General
Holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held of record
on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights.
Holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably dividends as may be declared by the
Companys Board of Directors out of funds legally available for payment of dividends. While there
is no current intent that the Company pay regular dividends on the
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Common Stock, the Company may pay such dividends from time to time. The declaration and
payment of dividends on the Common Stock, if any, will be at the discretion of the Companys Board
of Directors and will be dependent upon the Companys results of operations, financial condition,
cash requirements, future prospects and other factors deemed relevant by the Companys Board of
Directors. In addition, the Companys financing arrangements are expected to place restrictions on
the ability of the Company to pay dividends. There can be no assurance that the Company will ever
pay any dividends on the Common Stock or, if it does so, as to the amount or form of such
dividends. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, holders of the
Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities
and the liquidation preference of any Preferred Stock. Holders of Common Stock do not have
preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. Each share of Common Stock issued
pursuant to the Plan is fully paid and nonassessable.
Restrictions on Transfer
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
In order to reduce the risk that any change in the ownership of the Company would jeopardize
the preservation of federal income tax attributes of the Company, including net operating loss
carryovers, for purposes of Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the IRC), the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation prohibits certain transfers of
equity securities of the Company, including Common Stock, until the earliest of (a) the 10th
anniversary of the Effective Date, (b) the repeal, amendment or modification of Section 382 of the
IRC in such a way as to render the Company and all of its direct or indirect subsidiaries no longer
subject to the restrictions imposed by such section, (c) the beginning of a taxable year of the
Company in which no income tax benefits of the Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary thereof
in existence as of the Effective Date are currently available or will be available, (d) the
determination by the Companys Board of Directors that the restrictions will no longer apply, (e) a
determination by the Companys Board of Directors or the Internal Revenue Service of the Department
of Treasury of the United States of America that the Company is ineligible to use Section 382(l)(5)
of the IRC permitting full use of the income tax benefits of the Company or any direct or indirect
subsidiary thereof existing as of the Effective Date, and (f) an election by the Company for
Section 382(l)(5) of the IRC not to apply (the Restriction Release Date). Generally, the
Companys Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation prohibits a transfer of equity
securities, including Common Stock, if either (a) the transferor holds 5% or more of the total fair
market value of all issued and outstanding equity securities (such person, a 5% Shareholder) or
(b) as a result of such transfer, either (i) any person or group of persons would become a 5%
Shareholder or (ii) the percentage stock ownership in the Company of any 5% Shareholder would be
increased (any such transfer, a 5% Transaction).
The restrictions on transfer will not apply if:
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(a)
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the transferor or transferee obtains the prior approval of the Companys Board
of Directors;
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(b)
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in the case of a 5% Transaction by any holder of equity securities (other than
the trust that provides benefits for certain eligible retirees of Kaiser Aluminum &
Chemical Corporation represented by the USW, the International Union, United
Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America and its Local 1186,
the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International
Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers and the Paper,
Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC and
their surviving spouses and eligible dependents (the Union VEBA Trust), prior to such
transaction, the Companys Board of Directors determines in good faith, upon request of
the transferor or transferee, that such transfer is a 5% Transaction (x) which,
together with any 5% Transactions consummated during the period ending on the date of
consummation of such 5% Transaction and beginning on the later of (i) the date three
years prior thereto and (ii) the first day after the Effective Date (the Testing
Period), represent aggregate 5% Transactions involving transfers of less than 45% of
the equity securities of the Company issued and outstanding at the time of transfer and
(y) which, together with any 5% Transactions consummated during the Testing Period and
all 5% Transactions that the Union VEBA Trust may consummate without breach of the
Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, dated as of the Effective Date (the Stock
Transfer Restriction Agreement), between the Company and the trustee of the
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Union VEBA Trust, during the three years following the time of transfer, represent,
during any period of three consecutive years during the period consisting of the
Testing Period and the three years thereafter, aggregate 5% Transactions involving
transfers of less than 45% of the equity securities issued and outstanding at the
time of transfer; or
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(c)
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in the case of a 5% Transaction by the Union VEBA Trust, such 5% Transaction
does not result in a breach of the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, so long as,
contemporaneously with such 5% Transaction, the Union VEBA Trust delivers to the
Companys Board of Directors a written notice addressed to the Company setting forth
the number and type of equity securities involved in, and the date of, such 5%
Transaction.
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Any such approval or determination by the Companys Board of Directors requires the affirmative
vote of a majority of the directors (assuming no vacancies). As a condition to granting any such
approval or in connection with making any such determination, the Companys Board of Directors may,
in its discretion, require (at the expense of the transferor and/or transferee) an opinion of
counsel selected by the transferor or the transferee, which counsel must be reasonably acceptable
to the Companys Board of Directors, that the consummation of the proposed transfer will not result
in the application of any limitation under Section 382 of the IRC on the use of the tax benefits
described above taking into account any and all other transfers that have been consummated prior to
receipt of the request relating to the proposed transfer, any and all other proposed transfers that
have been approved by the Companys Board of Directors prior to receipt of the request relating to
the proposed transfer and any and all other proposed transfers for which the requests relating
thereto have been received prior to receipt of the request relating to the proposed transfer.
Each certificate representing equity securities issued prior to the Restriction Release Date,
including Common Stock, will contain a legend referring to these restrictions on transfer and any
purported transfer of equity securities of the Company, including Common Stock, in violation of
such restrictions will be null and void. The purported transferor will remain the owner of such
transferred securities and the purported transferee will be required to turn over the transferred
securities, together with any distributions received by the purported transferee with respect to
the transferred securities after the purported transfer, to an agent authorized to sell such
securities, if it can do so, in arms-length transactions that do not violate such restrictions.
If the purported transferee resold such securities prior to receipt of the Companys demand that
they be so surrendered, the purported transferee will generally be required to transfer the
proceeds from such distribution, together with any distributions received by the purported
transferee with respect to the transferred securities after the purported transfer, to such agent.
Any amounts so held by the agent will be applied first to reimburse the agent for its expenses,
then to reimburse the transferee for any payments made by the purported transferee to the
transferor, and finally, if any amount remains, to pay the purported transferor. Any resale by the
purported transferee will itself be subject to these restrictions on transfer.
Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement
On the Effective Date, the Company and the trustee of the Union VEBA Trust entered into the
Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement. The following description of the Stock Transfer Restriction
Agreement is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the Stock Transfer Restriction
Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
Pursuant to the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, until the Restriction Release Date,
except as described below the trustee of the Union VEBA Trust will be prohibited from transferring
or otherwise disposing of more than 15% of the total number of shares of Common Stock issued
pursuant to the Plan to the Union VEBA Trust in any 12-month period without the prior written
approval of the Companys Board of Directors in accordance with the Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation. Pursuant to the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, the trustee of
the Union VEBA Trust also expressly acknowledged and agreed to comply with the restrictions on the
transfer of the securities of the Company contained in the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation.
Simultaneously with the execution and delivery of the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement,
the Company and the trustee of the Union VEBA Trust entered into a registration rights agreement
(the Registration Rights Agreement) with respect to shares of Common Stock received, or to be
received, by the Union VEBA Trust
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pursuant to the Plan. (See Registration Rights Agreement below for a description of the
Registration Rights Agreement.) The Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement provides that
notwithstanding the general restriction on transfer described above:
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(a)
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(i) the transfer of shares of Common Stock by the Union VEBA Trust in an
underwritten offering contemplated by Section 2.1 of the Registration Rights Agreement
may include up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 30% of the total number
of shares of Common Stock received by the Union VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan, so
long as (x) such number of shares of Common Stock is not more than (A) 45% of the total
number of shares of Common Stock received by the Union VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan
less (B) the number of shares included in all other transfers previously effected by
the Union VEBA Trust during the 36 months immediately preceding such transfer or the
period commencing on the Effective Date and ending immediately prior to such transfer,
whichever period is shorter, and (y) the shares of Common Stock requested to be
included in such underwritten offering by the Union VEBA Trust have a market value of
not less than $60.0 million on the date such request is made; and
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(ii) in the event no underwritten offering contemplated by Section 2.1 of the
Registration Rights Agreement has been effected, the transfer of shares of Common
Stock by the Union VEBA Trust in an underwritten offering contemplated by Section
3.5 of the Registration Rights Agreement may include up to a number of shares of
Common Stock equal to (A) 45% of the total of shares of Common Stock received by the
Union VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan less (B) the number of shares included in all
other transfers previously effected by the Union VEBA Trust during the 36 months
immediately preceding such transfer or the period commencing on the Effective Date
and ending immediately prior to such transfer, whichever period is shorter, so long
as (w) no underwritten offering contemplated by Section 3.5 of such Registration
Right Agreement has been previously effected, (x) the demand for such underwritten
offering is made by the Union VEBA Trust between March 31, 2007 and April 1, 2008,
and (y) the shares of Common Stock requested to be included in such underwritten
offering by the Union VEBA Trust have a market value of not less than $60.0 million
on the date such request is made; and
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(b)
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in the event that the transfer by the Union VEBA Trust of shares of Common
Stock in such an offering includes a number of such shares greater than the number of
such shares that the Union VEBA Trust could so include under the general restriction on
transfer described above absent this exception, then for purposes of determining
whether any future transfer of shares of Common Stock by the Union VEBA Trust is
permissible under the general restriction, the Union VEBA Trust will be deemed to have
effected the transfer of such excess shares at the earliest possible date or dates the
Union VEBA Trust would have been permitted to effect such transfer under the general
restriction absent this exception.
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The Plan states that on the Effective Date, 11,439,900 shares of Common Stock will be
contributed to the Union VEBA Trust on the Effective Date. By order dated April 29, 2006, the
Bankruptcy Court permitted sales by the Union VEBA Trust, the trust that provides benefits for
certain eligible retirees of KACC and their surviving spouses and eligible dependents and the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation prior to the Effective Date so long as such sales were
authorized by a Protocol for Pre-Effective Date Sales attached to the order, which Protocol for
Pre-Effective Date Sales was amended and restated by an order of the Bankruptcy Court on June 5,
2006 (the Pre-Effective Date Sales Protocol). Prior to the Effective Date, in accordance with
the Pre-Effective Date Sales Protocol the Union VEBA Trust sold interests entitling the purchasers
thereof to receive 2,630,000 shares of Common Stock that otherwise would have been issuable to the
Union VEBA Trust on the Effective Date. Accordingly, on the Effective Date, 8,809,900 shares of
Common Stock were issued to the Union VEBA Trust. Pursuant to the terms of the Pre-Effective Date
Sale Protocol, unless the Company otherwise agrees or it is determined in a ruling by the Internal
Revenue Service that any such sale does not constitute a sale of shares on or following the
Effective Date of the Plan for purposes of the applicable limitations of section 382 of the
Internal Revenue Code, the shares attributable to a sale of all or part of the interest of the
Union VEBA Trust will be deemed to have been sold on or after the Effective Date out of the
permitted sale allocation under the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement as if sold at the earliest
possible date or dates such sales would have been permitted thereunder for purposes of determining
the permissibility of future sales of shares under the Stock Transfer
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Restriction Agreement. The Company has been informed that the Union VEBA Trust intends to
seek such a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service.
Registration Rights Agreement
General
On the Effective Date, the Company, the trustee of the Union VEBA Trust and certain parties
that, in accordance with the Pre-Effective Date Protocol, purchased from the Union VEBA Trust
interests entitling them to receive shares that otherwise would have been issued to the Union VEBA
Trust on the Effective Date (the Other Parties) entered into the Registration Rights Agreement.
The following description of the Registration Rights Agreement is a summary and is qualified in its
entirety by the Registration Rights Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 4.2 hereto and is
incorporated herein by reference.
The Registration Rights Agreement provides the Union VEBA Trust and the Other Parties with
certain rights to register the resale of the shares of Common Stock issued to them pursuant to the
Plan unless such securities (a) are disposed of pursuant to an effective registration statement
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), (b) are distributed to the
public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, (c) may be freely sold publicly without
either registration under the Securities Act or compliance with any restrictions under Rule 144
under the Securities Act, (d) have been transferred to any person, or (e) have ceased to be
outstanding (prior to the occurrence of any such event, such securities (together with any shares
of Common Stock issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or
in replacement of, such securities) constituting Registrable Securities).
Demand Registration
Pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Registration Rights Agreement, during the period commencing on
the Effective Date and ending March 31, 2007, the Union VEBA Trust, as the holder of a majority of
the Registrable Securities, may (and, if so directed by its independent fiduciary, will) demand
that the Company prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) a
registration statement (the Underwritten Registration) covering the resale of its Registrable
Securities in an underwritten offering. Following receipt of such a request, the Company will
prepare and file the Underwritten Registration and will use commercially reasonable efforts to
cause the Underwritten Registration to be declared effective under the Securities Act as soon as
practicable after the filing.
Each of the Other Parties will be provided the opportunity to include Registrable Securities
in the underwritten offering covered by the Underwritten Registration. If any of the Other Parties
elects to participate in such underwritten offering and the managing underwriter or underwriters of
such underwritten offering advise the Company, the Union VEBA Trust and the Other Parties that have
elected to participate that, in its or their good faith judgment, the total amount of Registrable
Securities requested to be included in the Underwritten Registration exceeds the amount of
Registrable Securities that can be sold in the offering without being materially detrimental to the
success of the offering, then the Registrable Securities included in the Underwritten Registration
will be allocated among the Union VEBA Trust and the Other Parties that have elected to participate
on a pro rata basis based on the relationship of the number of Registrable Securities requested to
be included by each of them to the total number of Registrable Securities requested to be included
by all of them. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Underwritten
Registration continuously effective under the Securities Act during the period commencing on the
effectiveness thereof and ending on the day that is 60 calendar days thereafter or such earlier
date on which all Registrable Securities covered by the Underwritten Registration have been sold
pursuant thereto. The Company will not be required to take any such action in response to a
request for the Underwritten Registration if the Registrable Securities requested by the Union VEBA
Trust to be registered in the Underwritten Registration have a market value of less than $60.0
million on the date the request is made. The Company will be required to effect only one
registration pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Registration Rights Agreement. Except as described
below, a registration requested as described above will not be deemed to be effected if it has not
been declared effective and kept effective as described above. At any time prior to the effective
date of such a registration, the Union VEBA Trust may (and, if so directed by its independent
fiduciary, will) revoke its request for registration; in such event, either the Union VEBA Trust
will reimburse the Company for all its out-of-pocket
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expenses incurred in the preparation, filing or processing of such registration or the
requested registration that has been revoked will be deemed to have been effected. The managing
underwriter or underwriters of any underwritten offering contemplated by an Underwritten
Registration will be selected by the Union VEBA Trust, as the holder of a majority of the
Registrable Securities, subject to the approval of the Company, which approval will not be
unreasonably withheld. The Company will have customary rights to impose blackout periods with
respect to any demand for registration described above.
Shelf Registration
Commencing April 1, 2007, the Union VEBA Trust may (and, if so directed by its independent
fiduciary, will) demand that the Company prepare and file with the SEC a shelf registration
statement (the Initial Shelf Registration) covering the resale of all Registrable Securities held
by the Union VEBA Trust on a continuous basis under and in accordance with Rule 415 under the
Securities Act. Following receipt of such a request, the Company will prepare and file the Initial
Shelf Registration covering all Registrable Securities held by the Union VEBA Trust and will use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Initial Shelf Registration to be declared effective
under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after such filing. However, the Company will not
be required to take such action: (a) if the Company has effected a demand registration as
described above within the 180-day period next preceding a shelf registration request; (b) if, at
the time of a shelf registration request, a demand registration request was made as described
above and has not been revoked and such registration has not yet been effected; or (c) if, at the
time of a shelf registration request, the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement would prohibit the
Union VEBA Trust from immediately selling a number of shares of Common Stock greater than the
number of shares of Common Stock it would then be permitted to sell in compliance with the
restrictions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Initial Shelf Registration
continuously effective under the Securities Act during the period (the Shelf Effectiveness
Period) commencing on the effectiveness thereof and ending on the first date on which there ceases
to be any Registrable Securities held by the Union VEBA Trust. If the Initial Shelf Registration
or any substitute shelf registration statement (as described below) ceases to be effective for any
reason at any time during the Shelf Effectiveness Period, the Company will use commercially
reasonable efforts to obtain the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness
thereof. In the event that any such order is not withdrawn within 45 days following the date
thereof, the Company will (a) file an amendment to such registration and use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause such registration, as so amended, to again become effective under the
Securities Act as soon as practicable after such filing or (b) file a separate shelf registration
statement covering the resale of all Registrable Securities for an offering on a continuous basis
under and in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act (each, a Substitute Shelf
Registration) and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Substitute Shelf Registration
to be declared effective under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after such filing and to
keep such Substitute Shelf Registration continuously effective under the Securities Act for the
remainder of the Shelf Effectiveness Period.
The Initial Shelf Registration and any Substitute Shelf Registration will be effected on Form
S-3 (except that, if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable
Securities on Form S-3, such registration will be on another appropriate form). The Initial Shelf
Registration and any Substitute Shelf Registration will cover the disposition of all Registrable
Securities in one or more underwritten offerings (subject to the provisions regarding Underwritten
Offerings as described below), block transactions, broker transactions, at-market transactions and
in such other manner or manners as may be reasonably specified by the Union VEBA Trust. The
Company will have customary rights to impose blackout periods with respect to any demand for the
Initial Shelf Registration, the filing of any amendment or Substitute Shelf Registration or the
continued use of the Initial Shelf Registration or any Substitute Shelf Registration.
Pursuant to Section 3.5 of the Registration Rights Agreement, if the Union VEBA Trust so
requests, the Company will effect pursuant to the Initial Shelf Registration or such Substitute
Shelf Registration, as applicable, an underwritten offering if (a) the Company has not so effected
an underwritten offering with the 180-day period next preceding such request and (b) the
Registrable Securities requested to be included in the underwritten offering have a then-current
market value of at least $10.0 million. The managing underwriter or underwriters of any
underwritten offering will be selected by the Union VEBA Trust, subject to the approval of the
Company, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld.
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Piggyback Registration
If the Company registers equity securities for its own account or the account of any other
person (other than a registration statement in connection with a merger or reorganization or
relating to an employee benefit plan or in connection with an offering made solely to the
then-existing stockholders or employees of the Company), the Union VEBA Trust will be offered the
opportunity to include its Registrable Securities in such registration. Customary priority
provisions will apply in the context of an underwritten offering.
Expenses
Subject to provisions for reimbursement of the Company upon revocation of a request for
registration or an underwritten offering, the Company will bear all out-of-pocket registration
expenses in connection with the demand registration and the shelf registration, including in each
case up to $50,000 for one counsel to represent selling holder or holders of Registrable
Securities.
Rule 144
The Company will file all required SEC reports, and cooperate with the Union VEBA Trust, to
the extent required to permit the Union VEBA Trust to sell without registration under Rule 144.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock is Mellon Investor Services LLC.
Preferred Stock
The Preferred Stock may be issued in one or more series. The Board of Directors of the
Company is authorized to issue the shares of Preferred Stock in such series and to fix from time to
time before issuance the number of shares to be included in any such series and the designation,
relative powers, preferences, rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such
series. The authority of the Companys Board of Directors with respect to each such series
includes, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the determination of any or all of the
following:
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(a)
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the number of shares of such series and the designation to distinguish the shares of such series from the shares of all other series;
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(b)
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subject to the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation described under Introduction above, the voting powers, if any, of the
holders of such series and whether such voting powers are full or limited in such
series;
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(c)
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the redemption provisions, if any, applicable to such series, including without
limitation the redemption price or prices to be paid;
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(d)
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whether dividends on such series, if any, will be cumulative or noncumulative,
the dividend rate of such series and the dates and preferences of dividends on such
series;
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(e)
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the rights of the holders of such series upon the voluntary or involuntary
dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the Company;
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(f)
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the provisions, if any, pursuant to which the shares of such series are
convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes or of any
other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock, or any other security,
of the Company or any other corporation or other entity, and the rates or other
determinants of conversion or exchange applicable;
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(g)
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the right, if any, of holders of such series to subscribe for or to purchase
any securities of the Company or any other corporation or other entity;
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(h)
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the provisions, if any, of a sinking fund applicable to such series; and
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(i)
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any other relative, participating, optional or other special powers,
preferences or rights of such series and qualifications, limitations or restrictions.
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Purposes and Effects of Certain Provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, the Amended and Restated Bylaws, Contractual Arrangements and Delaware Law
Introduction
Certain provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Amended
and Restated Bylaws and contractual arrangements, together with certain of the Companys
contractual arrangements and applicable Delaware state law, may discourage or make more difficult
the acquisition of control of the Company by means of a tender offer, open market purchase, proxy
fight or otherwise. These provisions are intended to discourage, or may have the effect of
discouraging, certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and are
also intended to encourage a person seeking to acquire control of the Company to first negotiate
with the Company. Management believes that these measures, many of which are substantially similar
to the anti-takeover related measures in effect for numerous other publicly-held companies, enhance
the Companys potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unsolicited proposal to
acquire or restructure the Company, providing benefits that outweigh the disadvantages of
discouraging such proposals because, among other things, such negotiation could improve the terms
of such a proposal and protect the stockholders from takeover bids that the directors of the
Company have determined to be inadequate. A description of these provisions is set forth below.
Classified Board of Directors
The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation divides the Companys Board of Directors
into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. The existence of a classified
board will make it more difficult for a third party to gain control of the Companys Board of
Directors by preventing such third party from replacing a majority of the directors at any given
meeting of stockholders.
Removal of Directors and Filling Vacancies in Directorships
The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide
that directors may be removed by the stockholders, with or without cause, only at a meeting of
stockholders and by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the stock of the Company
generally entitled to vote in the election of directors. The Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that any vacancy on the Companys Board of
Directors or newly created directorship may be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority
of the directors then in office or by a sole remaining director, and that any director so elected
will hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy
occurred or the new directorship was created and until such directors successor has been elected
and qualified. The limitations on the removal of directors and the filling of vacancies may deter
a third party from seeking to remove incumbent directors and simultaneously gaining control of the
Companys Board of Directors by filling the vacancies created by such removal with its own
nominees.
Stockholder Action and Meetings of Stockholders
The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide
that special meetings of the stockholders may only be called by the Chairman of the Companys Board
of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, or by the Secretary of the Company
within ten calendar days after the receipt of the written request of a majority of the total number
of directors (assuming no vacancies), and further provide that, at any special meeting of
stockholders, the only business that may be considered or conducted is business that is specified
in the notice of such meeting or is otherwise properly brought before the meeting by the
9
presiding officer or by or at the direction of a majority of the directors (assuming no
vacancies), effectively precluding the right of the stockholders to raise any business at any
special meeting. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation also provides that the
stockholders may not act by written consent in lieu of a meeting.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals
The Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that a stockholder seeking to bring business before an
annual meeting of stockholders provide timely notice in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a
stockholders notice must be received by the Company not less than 60, nor more than 90, calendar
days prior to the first anniversary date of the date on which the Company first mailed proxy
materials for the prior years annual meeting of stockholders, except that, if there was no annual
meeting in the prior year or if the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30
calendar days before or after that anniversary, notice must be so delivered not later than the
close of business on the later of the 90th calendar day prior to such annual meeting and the 10th
calendar day following the date on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is
first made. The Amended and Restated Bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and substance
of notice. These provisions may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before an annual
meeting of stockholders.
Director Nomination Procedures
Nominations in Accordance with the Amended and Restated Bylaws
The Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that the nominations for election of directors by the
stockholders will be made either by or at the direction of the Companys Board of Directors or a
committee thereof, or by any stockholder entitled to vote for the election of directors at the
annual meeting at which such nomination is made. The Amended and Restated Bylaws require that
stockholders intending to nominate candidates for election as directors provide timely notice in
writing. To be timely, a stockholders notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the
Companys principal executive offices not less than 60, nor more than 90, calendar days prior to
the first anniversary of the date on which the Company first mailed its proxy materials for the
prior years annual meeting of stockholders, except that, if there was no annual meeting during the
prior year or if the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 calendar days before
or after that anniversary, notice by stockholders to be timely must be delivered not later than the
close of business on the later of the 90th calendar day prior to the annual meeting and the 10th
calendar day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first
made. The Amended and Restated Bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and substance of
notice. These provisions of the Amended and Restated Bylaws may preclude stockholders from making
nominations of directors.
Director Nomination Procedures for Certain Stockholders
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Companys Board of Directors (the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee) is responsible for recommending to the Board of
Directors director nominee candidates to be submitted to the stockholders for election at each
annual meeting of stockholders. In accordance with this responsibility, such committee has adopted
policies regarding the consideration of candidates for a position on the Companys Board of
Directors, including the procedures by which stockholders may propose candidates for a position on
the Companys Board of Directors directly to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for
consideration. Such policies provide an alternative to the rights granted to the stockholders by
law and pursuant to the Amended and Restated Bylaws. These policies provide that a single
stockholder or a group of stockholders that has beneficially owned more than 5% of the
then-outstanding Common Stock for at least one year as of the date of recommendation of a director
candidate will be eligible to propose a director candidate to the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee for consideration and evaluation by notice to such committee in accordance
with such policies, including timely notice. To be timely, a stockholders notice must be received
by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee not less than 120, nor more than 150, calendar
days prior to the first anniversary of the date on which the Company first mailed proxy materials
for the prior years annual meeting of stockholders, except that, if there was no annual meeting in
the prior year or if the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 calendar days
before or after that anniversary, notice must be received by the Nominating and Governance
Committee no later than the close of business on the 10th calendar day following the date on which
public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first made, unless such public disclosure
specifies a different date. The policies also provide that any such candidate must (a) be
independent in
10
accordance with applicable independence criteria, (b) may not, other than as a member of the
Companys Board of Directors or a committee thereof, accept any consulting, advisory or other
compensatory fee from the Company or its subsidiaries (other than the fixed amounts of compensation
under a retirement plan for prior service, provided such compensation is not contingent on
continued service), and (c) may not be an affiliated person of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries. Further, these policies establish criteria to be used by such committee to assess
whether a candidate for a position on the Companys Board of Directors has appropriate skills and
experience. In addition, the USW will be able to nominate director candidates in accordance with
the Director Designation Agreement described below.
Director Designation Agreement with the USW
In accordance with the Plan, on the Effective Date, the Company and the USW entered into an
agreement (the Director Designation Agreement) in order to effectuate certain previously agreed
rights of the USW to nominate individuals to serve on the Companys Board of Directors and
specified committees thereof. The Director Designation Agreement provides that the USW has the
rights described below until December 31, 2012. The following description of the Director
Designation Agreement is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the Director Designation
Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 4.3 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Director Designation Agreement provides that the USW has the right, in connection with
each annual meeting of the Companys stockholders, to nominate as candidates to be submitted to
stockholders of the Company for election at such annual meeting the minimum number of candidates
necessary to ensure that, assuming (a) such candidates are included in the slate of director
candidates recommended by the Companys Board of Directors in the proxy statement relating to such
annual meeting and (b) the stockholders of the Company elect each candidate so included, at least
40% of the members of the Companys Board of Directors immediately following such election are
directors who were either designated by the USW pursuant to the Plan or have been nominated by the
USW in accordance with the Director Designation Agreement. The Director Designation Agreement
contains requirements as to the timeliness, form and substance of the notice the USW must give to
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in order to nominate such candidates. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will determine in good faith whether each candidate
properly submitted by the USW satisfies the qualifications set forth in the Director Designation
Agreement, and, if the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee so determines that such
candidate satisfies such qualifications, will, unless otherwise required by its fiduciary duties,
recommend such candidate to the Companys Board of Directors for inclusion in the slate of
directors recommended by the Companys Board of Directors in the proxy statement relating to such
annual meeting, and the Companys Board of Directors will, unless otherwise required by its
fiduciary duties, accept such recommendation and direct that such director candidate be included in
such slate of directors.
The Director Designation Agreement also provides that the USW has the right to nominate an
individual to fill a vacancy on the Companys Board of Directors resulting from the death,
resignation, disqualification or removal of a director who was either designated by the USW to
serve on the Companys Board of Directors pursuant to the Plan or has been nominated by the USW in
accordance with the Director Designation Agreement. The Director Designation Agreement further
provides that, in the event of newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the number
of directors of the Company, the USW has the right to nominate the minimum number of individuals to
fill such newly created directorships necessary to ensure that at least 40% of the members of the
Companys Board of Directors immediately following the filling of such newly created directorships
are directors who were either designated by the USW pursuant to the Plan or have been nominated by
the USW in accordance with the Director Designation Agreement. In each such case, the USW will be
required to deliver proper notice to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in
accordance with the Director Designation Agreement, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee will determine in good faith whether each candidate properly submitted by the USW
satisfies the qualifications set forth in the Director Designation Agreement, and, if the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee so determines that such candidate satisfies such
qualifications, will, unless otherwise required by its fiduciary duties, recommend to the Companys
Board of Directors that it fill the vacancy or newly created directorship, as the case may be, with
such candidate, and the Companys Board of Directors will, unless otherwise required by its
fiduciary duties, accept such recommendation and fill the vacancy or newly created directorship, as
the case may be, with such candidate.
11
Each candidate nominated by the USW must satisfy (a) the applicable independence criteria of
the national securities exchange or association on which the Companys securities are then
principally traded or quoted, (b) the qualifications to serve as a director of the Company as set
forth in any applicable corporate governance guidelines adopted by the Companys Board of Directors
and policies adopted by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee establishing criteria to
be utilized by it in assessing whether a director candidate has appropriate skills and experience,
and (c) any other qualifications to serve as director imposed by applicable law. A candidate
nominated by the USW may not be an officer, employee, director or member of the USW or any of its
locals or affiliated organizations as of the date of his or her designation as a candidate or
election as a director.
Finally, the Director Designation Agreement provides that, so long as the Companys Board of
Directors maintains an Audit Committee, Executive Committee or Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee, each such committee will, unless otherwise required by the fiduciary duties of the
Companys Board of Directors, include at least one director who was either designated by the USW to
serve on the Companys Board of Directors pursuant to the Plan or has been nominated by the USW in
accordance with the Director Designation Agreement (provided at least one such director is
qualified to serve on such committee as determined in good faith by the Companys Board of
Directors).
Authorized But Unissued Shares
Authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock under the Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation will be available for future issuance without stockholder
approval, unless otherwise required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange or
association on which the Companys securities are traded from time to time. These additional
shares will give the Companys Board of Directors the flexibility to issue shares for a variety of
proper corporate purposes, including in connection with future public offerings to raise additional
capital or corporate acquisitions, without incurring the time and expense of soliciting a
stockholder vote. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock and Preferred
Stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by
means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise. In addition, any future issuance of
shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, whether or not in connection with an anti-takeover
measure, could have the effect of diluting the earnings per share, book value per share and voting
power of shares held by the stockholders of the Company.
Supermajority Vote Requirements
Delaware law provides generally that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the
shares entitled to vote on any matter will be required to amend a corporations certificate of
incorporation and that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in
person or represented by proxy identified to vote on any matter will be required to amend a
corporations bylaws, unless the corporations certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case
may be, require a vote by the holders of a greater number of shares. The Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws require the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least 67% of the stock of the Company generally entitled to vote in the election of
directors in order to amend, repeal or adopt any provision inconsistent with certain provisions of
the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws, as the case
may be, relating to (a) the time and place of meetings of the stockholders, (b) the calling of
special meetings of stockholders, (c) the conduct or consideration of business at meetings of
stockholders, (d) the filling of any vacancies on the Companys Board of Directors or newly created
directorships, (e) the removal of directors, (f) the nomination and election of directors, (g) the
ability of the stockholders to act by written consent in lieu of a meeting, or (h) the number and
terms of directors.
Delaware Section 203
The Company is subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from
engaging in a business combination with any interested stockholder unless the interested
stockholder attained that status with the approval of the corporations board of directors or the
business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A business combination includes certain
mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested
stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an interested stockholder is a person who, along
with
12
affiliates and associates owns, or within the prior three years did own, 15% or more of the
corporations voting stock.
Item 2. Exhibits.
2.1
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Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum &
Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 8, 2005 and filed by Kaiser
Aluminum Corporation (the Company) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC)
on September 13, 2005).
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2.2
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Modifications to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates
Pursuant to Stipulation and Agreed Order Between Insurers, Debtors, Committee, and Futures
Representatives (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K
dated February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7, 2005).
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2.3
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Modification to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 1,
2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7, 2006).
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2.4
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Third Modification to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates, as
Modified (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated
February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7, 2006).
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2.5
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Order Confirming the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates, as
modified (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated
February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7, 2006).
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2.6
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Order Affirming the Confirmation Order of the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their
Debtor Affiliates, as modified.
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2.7
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Special Procedures for Distributions on Account of NLRB Claim, as agreed by the National
Labor Relations Board, the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy,
Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (formerly known as the
United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC) (the USW) and the Company pursuant to Section
7.8e of the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser
Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates, as modified.
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3.1
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company.
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3.2
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Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company.
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4.1
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Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, between the Company and
National City Bank, in its capacity as the trustee for the trust that provides benefits for
certain eligible retirees of Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation represented by the USW,
the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of
America and its Local 1186, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers,
the International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers and
the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
and their surviving spouses and eligible dependents (the Union VEBA Trust).
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13
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4.2
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Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, between the Company, National City
Bank, in its capacity as the trustee for the Union VEBA Trust and the other parties thereto.
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4.3
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Director Designation Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, between the Company and the USW.
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14
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
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By:
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/s/ John M. Donnan
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John M. Donnan
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Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel
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Date: July 6, 2006
15
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
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Exhibit
Number
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Description
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2.1
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Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser
Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 8, 2005 and
filed by Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (the Company) with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) on September 13, 2005).
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2.2
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Modifications to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates Pursuant to Stipulation and Agreed Order Between Insurers, Debtors, Committee,
and Futures Representatives (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Current
Report on Form 8-K dated February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on
February 7, 2006).
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2.3
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Modification to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K
dated February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7, 2006).
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2.4
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Third Modification to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates, as Modified (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.4 to the Current Report
on Form 8-K dated February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7,
2006).
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2.5
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Order Confirming the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates, as modified (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.5 to the Current Report
on Form 8-K dated February 1, 2006 and filed by the Company with the SEC on February 7,
2006).
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2.6
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Order Affirming the Confirmation Order of the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization
of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of
Their Debtor Affiliates, as modified.
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2.7
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Special Procedures for Distributions on Account of NLRB Claim, as agreed by the National
Labor Relations Board, the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing,
Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (formerly
known as the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC) (the USW) and the Company
pursuant to Section 7.8e of the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Kaiser
Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor
Affiliates, as modified.
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3.1
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company.
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3.2
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Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company.
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16
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Exhibit
Number
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Description
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|
|
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4.1
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Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, between the Company and
National City Bank, in its capacity as the trustee for the trust that provides benefits
for certain eligible retirees of Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation represented by
the USW, the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement
Workers of America and its Local 1186, the International Association of Machinists and
Aerospace Workers, the International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food &
Commercial Workers and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers
International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC and their surviving spouses and eligible dependents
(the Union VEBA Trust).
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4.2
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Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, among the Company, National City
Bank, in its capacity as the trustee for the Union VEBA Trust and the other parties
thereto.
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4.3
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Director Designation Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2006, between the Company and the USW.
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17
Exhibit 3.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
The undersigned, John M. Donnan, certifies that he is the Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws
of the State of Delaware (the Company), and does hereby further certify as follows:
1. The name of the Company is Kaiser Aluminum Corporation. The Company was originally
incorporated under the name KaiserTech Limited. The Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
was originally filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the Delaware Secretary
of State) on February 20, 1987, was restated by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed
with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 9, 1988, was restated by the Restated Certificate
of Incorporation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on December 16, 1988, was restated by
the Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on September
28, 1989, was amended by the Amendment of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on November 20, 1990, was restated by the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 22, 1991, was amended by the
Certificate of Amendment of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Delaware
Secretary of State on January 11, 2000, and was restated by the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 22, 2000.
2. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company has been duly
adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242, 245 and 303 of the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL). Provision for the making of this Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation is contained in the order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for
the District of Delaware entered on February 6, 2006, confirming the Second Amended Joint Plan of
Reorganization of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain
of Their Debtor Affiliates, as modified, filed pursuant to section 1121(a) of chapter 11 of title
11 of the United States Code, which confirmation order was affirmed by order of the United States
District Court for the District of Delaware entered on May 11, 2006.
3. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly executed and
acknowledged by an officer of the Company designated in such order of the Bankruptcy Court in
accordance with the provisions of Sections 242, 245 and 303 of the DGCL.
4. The text of the certificate of incorporation of the Company is hereby amended and restated
to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation is Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (the Company).
ARTICLE II
The address of the Companys registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust
Center, 1209 Orange Street, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of
the Companys registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations
may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL).
ARTICLE IV
Section 1.
Authorized Capital Stock
. The total number of shares of capital stock
that the Company is authorized to issue is 50,000,000 shares, consisting of 45,000,000 shares of
common stock, par value $0.01 per share (Common Stock), and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock,
par value $0.01 per share (Preferred Stock). To the extent prohibited by Section 1123(a)(6) of
Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code), the Company will not
issue nonvoting equity securities; provided, however the foregoing restriction will (a) have no
further force and effect beyond that required under Section 1123 of the Bankruptcy Code, (b) only
have such force and effect for so long as Section 1123 of the Bankruptcy Code is in effect and
applicable to the Company, and (c) in all events may be amended or eliminated in accordance with
applicable law as from time to time may be in effect.
Section 2.
Preferred Stock
. The Preferred Stock may be issued in one or more series.
The Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) is hereby authorized to issue the shares of
Preferred Stock in such series and to fix from time to time before issuance the number of shares to
be included in any such series and the designation, relative powers, preferences, rights and
qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such series. The authority of the Board with
respect to each such series will include, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
determination of any or all of the following:
(a) the number of shares of such series and the designation to distinguish the shares
of such series from the shares of all other series;
(b) the voting powers, if any, of the holders of such series and whether such voting
powers are full or limited in such series;
(c) the redemption provisions, if any, applicable to such series, including without
limitation the redemption price or prices to be paid;
(d) whether dividends on such series, if any, will be cumulative or noncumulative, the
dividend rate of such series, and the dates and preferences of dividends on such series;
(e) the rights of the holders of such series upon the voluntary or involuntary
dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the Company;
2
(f) the provisions, if any, pursuant to which the shares of such series are convertible
into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of
the same or any other class or classes of stock, or any other security, of the Company or
any other corporation or other entity, and the rates or other determinants of conversion or
exchange applicable thereto;
(g) the right, if any, of holders of such series to subscribe for or to purchase any
securities of the Company or any other corporation or other entity;
(h) the provisions, if any, of a sinking fund applicable to such series; and
(i) any other relative, participating, optional or other special powers, preferences or
rights of such series and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof;
all as may be determined from time to time by the Board and stated or expressed in the resolution
or resolutions providing for the issuance of such Preferred Stock (collectively, a Preferred Stock
Designation).
Section 3.
Common Stock
. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of
Preferred Stock, each holder of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted
to a vote at a meeting of stockholders for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder
as of the record date for such meeting.
Section 4.
Transfer Restrictions
.
(a)
5% Ownership Limit
.
(1) Any attempted Transfer of Company Securities prior to the Restriction Release Date, or any
attempted Transfer of Company Securities pursuant to an agreement entered into prior to the
Restriction Release Date, will be prohibited and void
ab
initio
if either (A) the
transferor is a Five-Percent Shareholder or (B) as a result of such Transfer, either (1) any Person
or group of Persons would become a Five-Percent Shareholder or (2) the Percentage Stock Ownership
in the Company of any Five-Percent Shareholder would be increased;
provided
that this
paragraph (a)(1) will not apply to, nor will any other provision in this Certificate of
Incorporation prohibit, restrict or limit in any way, the issuance of Company Securities by the
Company in accordance with the Chapter 11 Plan.
(2) Paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 4 of Article IV will not apply to a 5% Transaction if:
(A) the transferor or the transferee obtains the prior written approval of the Board;
(B) in the case of a 5% Transaction by any holder of Company Securities other than the
VEBA Trust, prior to the 5% Transaction the Board, upon written request of the transferor or
transferee, determines, with such determination to be made in good faith and not to be
unreasonably withheld or delayed, that such Transfer is a 5% Transaction (x) which, together
with any 5% Transactions consummated by the holders
3
of Company Securities (including without limitation the VEBA Trust) during the Testing
Period, represent aggregate 5% Transactions involving Transfers of less than 45% of the
Company Securities issued and outstanding at the time of Transfer and (y) which, together
with any 5% Transactions consummated by the holders of Company Securities (including without
limitation the VEBA Trust) during the Testing Period and all 5% Transactions that the VEBA Trust may consummate without breach of the Stock Transfer Restriction
Agreement during the three years following the time of Transfer, represent, during any
period of three consecutive years during the period consisting of the Testing Period and the
three years thereafter, aggregate 5% Transactions involving Transfers of less than 45% of
the Company Securities issued and outstanding at the time of Transfer; or
(C) in the case of a 5% Transaction by the VEBA Trust, such 5% Transaction does not
result in a breach of the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement;
provided
that,
contemporaneously with the 5% Transaction, the VEBA Trust delivers to the Board a written
notice addressed to the Company setting forth the number and type of Company Securities
involved in, and the date of, such 5% Transaction.
As a condition to granting any approval under clause (A) of this paragraph (a)(2) or in connection
with making any determination under clause (B) of this paragraph (a)(2), the Board may, in its
discretion, require (at the expense of the transferor and/or transferee) an opinion of counsel
selected by the transferor or the transferee, which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable to the
Board, that the consummation of the proposed Transfer will not result in the application of any
Section 382 limitation on the use of the Tax Benefits taking into account any and all other
Transfers that have been consummated prior to receipt of the request relating to the proposed
Transfer, any and all other proposed Transfers that have been approved by the Board prior to
receipt of the request relating to the proposed Transfer and any and all other proposed Transfers
for which the requests relating thereto have been received prior to receipt of the request relating
to the proposed Transfer.
(3) Each certificate representing Company Securities issued prior to the Restriction Release
Date will contain the legend that refers to the restrictions set forth in this Section 4 of Article
IV as follows:
THE TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY IS SUBJECT TO
RESTRICTIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 4 OF ARTICLE IV OF THE AMENDED AND
RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF KAISER ALUMINUM
CORPORATION. KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION WILL FURNISH A COPY OF ITS
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO THE HOLDER OF
RECORD OF THIS CERTIFICATE WITHOUT CHARGE UPON WRITTEN REQUEST
ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY AT ITS PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.
4
(b)
Treatment of Excess Securities
.
(1) No employee or agent of the Company will record any Prohibited Transfer, and the Purported
Transferee in any Prohibited Transfer will not be recognized as a stockholder of the Company for
any purpose whatsoever in respect of the Excess Securities. The Purported Transferee of such
Excess Securities will not be entitled with respect to such Excess Securities to any rights of
stockholders of the Company, including without limitation the rights to vote such Excess Securities
and to receive dividends or distributions, whether liquidating or otherwise, in respect thereof, if
any. If Excess Securities are subsequently acquired in a Transfer that is not a Prohibited
Transfer, such Company Securities will cease to be Excess Securities. Any Transfer of Excess
Securities not in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph (b) will also be a Prohibited
Transfer.
(2) If the Board determines that a Transfer of Company Securities constitutes a Prohibited
Transfer, then, upon written demand by the Company, the Purported Transferee will transfer or cause
to be transferred any certificate or other evidence of ownership of such Excess Securities within
the Purported Transferees possession or control, together with any Prohibited Distributions, to an
Agent. The Agent will thereupon sell as promptly as practicable to a buyer or buyers, which may
include the Company, the Excess Securities transferred to it in one or more arms-length
transactions;
provided
,
however
, that (A) the Agent will effect such sales only if
and when it can do so in transactions that do not constitute Prohibited Transfers and (B) the Agent
will effect such sales in an orderly fashion and will not be required to effect any such sale
within any specific time frame if, in the Agents business judgment, such sale would disrupt the
market for the Company Securities or otherwise would adversely affect the value of the Company
Securities. If the Purported Transferee has resold the Excess Securities before receiving the
Companys demand to surrender the Excess Securities to the Agent, the Purported Transferee will be
deemed to have sold the Excess Securities for the Agent and will be required to transfer to the
Agent any Prohibited Distributions and proceeds of such sale, except to the extent that the Company
grants written permission to the Purported Transferee to retain a portion of such sales proceeds
not exceeding the amount that the Purported Transferee would have received from the Agent pursuant
to paragraph (b)(3) of this Section 4 of Article IV if the Agent rather than the Purported
Transferee had resold the Excess Securities.
(3) Pending any sale by the Agent of Excess Securities in a transaction that does not
constitute a Prohibited Transfer, the Agent will hold any Excess Securities as agent for, and for
the benefit of, the Purported Transferor, subject to the Purported Transferees claim for
reimbursement of its purchase price. Accordingly, with respect to any particular Excess
Securities, the Agent will apply any proceeds of a sale by it of such Excess Securities, any
dividends or distributions received by it from the Company with respect to such Excess Securities,
any amounts received by it from the Purported Transferee in respect of Prohibited Distributions on
such Excess Securities and, if the Purported Transferee had previously resold such Excess
Securities, any amounts received by it from the Purported Transferee in respect of such previous
sale, as follows:
(A)
first
, to pay costs and expenses incurred by the Agent in connection with
the Agents duties specified herein;
5
(B)
second
, to pay to the Purported Transferee up to the lesser of (x) the
amount paid by the Purported Transferee for the Excess Securities and (y) the Fair Market
Value of the Excess Securities on the date of the Prohibited Transfer thereof, as shall be
determined at the discretion of the Board; and
(C)
third
, to pay any remaining amounts to the Purported Transferor.
The recourse of any Purported Transferee in respect of any Prohibited Transfer will be limited to
the amount payable to the Purported Transferee pursuant to clause (B) of the preceding sentence.
In no event shall the proceeds of any sale of Excess Securities pursuant to this Section 4 of
Article IV inure to the benefit of the Company.
(4) If the Purported Transferee fails to surrender the Excess Securities, Prohibited
Distributions or the proceeds of a sale of Excess Securities to the Agent within 30 days from the
date on which the Company makes a demand pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this Section 4 of Article
IV, then the Company will use its best efforts to enforce the provisions hereof, including without
limitation the institution of legal proceedings to compel the surrender.
(5) The Company will make the demand described in paragraph (b)(2) of this Section 4 of
Article IV within 30 days of the date on which the Board determines that the attempted Transfer
would result in Excess Securities;
provided
,
however
, that if the Company makes
such demand at a later date, the provisions of this Section 4 of Article IV will apply nonetheless.
(c)
Board Determinations
. The Board will have the sole power to make determinations
regarding compliance with this Section 4 of Article IV and any matters related thereto. The good
faith determination of the Board on such matters will be conclusive and binding for all purposes of
this Section 4 of Article IV. All determinations, approvals or other actions by the Board pursuant
to this Section 4 of Article IV will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number
of directors that the Company would have if there were no vacancies.
(d)
Definitions
. As used in this Section 4 of Article IV, the following capitalized
terms have the following meanings when used herein in with initial capital letters:
(1) 5% Transaction means any Transfer or attempted Transfer of Company Securities
described in clause (A) or (B) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 4 of Article IV, subject
to the proviso of such paragraph (a)(1).
(2) Agent means an agent designated by the Board.
(3) Chapter 11 Plan means the Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates
filed pursuant to section 1121(a) of chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code and
confirmed by an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
entered on February 6, 2006, which confirmation order was affirmed by order of the United
States District Court for the District of Delaware entered on May 11, 2006.
6
(4) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(5) Company Securities means (a) shares of Common Stock, (b) shares of Preferred
Stock (other than preferred stock described in Section 1504(a)(4) of the Code or any
successor provision), (c) warrants, rights or options (including without limitation options
within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.382-4(d)(9) or any successor provision) to
purchase stock of the Company, and (d) any other interest that would be treated as stock
of the Company pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(f)(18) or any successor provision.
(6) Effective Date has the meaning set forth in Section 1 of Article VII of this
Certificate of Incorporation.
(7) Excess Securities means, with respect to any Prohibited Transfer, the Company
Securities that are the subject of such Prohibited Transfer.
(8) Fair Market Value means, with respect to any Excess Securities, the closing
price per share of such Excess Securities on the last trading day immediately preceding the
Prohibited Transfer of such Excess Securities. The closing price for such purposes will
be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on the relevant
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 a national securities exchange or, if the Excess
Securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the
last quoted sale price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. or such other system then in use, or, if
on any such date the Excess Securities are not quoted by any such organization, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in the Excess Securities selected by the Board. If the Excess Securities are not
publicly held or not so listed or traded, or are not the subject of available bid and asked
quotes, Fair Market Value will mean the fair value per Excess Share as determined in good
faith by the Board.
(9) Five-Percent Shareholder means a Person or group of Persons that is identified as
a 5-percent shareholder of the Company pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(g);
provided
,
however
, that the Agent will not constitute a Five-Percent
Shareholder.
(10) Percentage Stock Ownership means percentage stock ownership interest as
determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation §1.382-2T(g), (h), (j) and (k) or any
successor provisions.
(11) Person means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability
company, association, joint venture, trust or other entity or association, including without
limitation any governmental authority.
7
(12) Prohibited Distributions means, with respect to any Prohibited Transfer, any
dividends or distributions that were received by the Purported Transferee from the Company
with respect to the Excess Securities.
(13) Prohibited Transfer means any purported Transfer of Company Securities to the
extent that such Transfer is prohibited and/or void under this Section 4 of Article IV.
(14) Purported Transferee means, with respect to any Prohibited Transfer, the
intended transferee in such Prohibited Transfer.
(15) Purported Transferor means, with respect to any Prohibited Transfer, the Person
who attempted to Transfer Company Securities in such Prohibited Transfer.
(16) Restriction Release Date means the earliest of (a) the tenth anniversary of the
Effective Date, (b) the repeal, amendment or modification of Section 382 in such a way as to
render the Company and all of its direct or indirect subsidiaries no longer subject to the
restrictions imposed by Section 382, (c) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company in
which no Tax Benefits are currently available or will be available, (d) the determination by
the Board that the provisions of this Section 4 of Article IV shall not apply, (e) a
determination by the Board or the Internal Revenue Service that the Company is ineligible to
use Section 382(l)(5) of the Code permitting full use of the Tax Benefits existing as of the
Effective Date, and (f) an election by the Company for Section 382(l)(5) of the Code not to
apply.
(17) Section 382 means Section 382 of the Code or any successor provision.
(18) Section 501(c)(3) means Section 501(c)(3) of the Code or any successor
provision.
(19) Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement means the Stock Transfer Restriction
Agreement, dated as of the Effective Date, between the Company and the VEBA Trust.
(20) Tax Benefits means the net operating loss carryovers, capital loss carryovers,
general business credit carryovers, alternative minimum tax credit carryovers and foreign
tax credit carryovers in existence as of the Effective Date, as well as any loss or
deduction attributable to a net unrealized built-in loss within the meaning of Section 382
in existence as of the Effective Date, of the Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary
thereof.
(21) Testing Period means, with respect to any 5% Transaction, the period ending on
the date of consummation of such 5% Transaction and beginning on the later of (a) the date
three years prior thereto and (b) the first day after the Effective Date.
8
(22) Transfer means any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance,
pledge or other disposition, other than a sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance, pledge or
other disposition to a wholly owned subsidiary of the transferor or, if the transferor is
wholly owned by a Person, to a wholly owned subsidiary of such Person. Except for purposes
of paragraph (d)(1) of this Section 4 of Article IV, a Transfer shall not include the
issuance or transfer of an option (including without limitation an option within the meaning
of Treasury Regulation § 1.382-4(d)(9) or any successor provision), unless at the time of
such issuance or transfer, the option is treated as exercised under Section 382(l)(3)(A) of
the Code (applying the rules in Treasury Regulation § 1.382-4(d)).
(23) VEBA Trust means the trust that provides benefits for certain eligible retirees
of Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation represented by the United Steel, Paper and
Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International
Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (formerly known as the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC),
the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of
America and its Local 1186, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers, the International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial
Workers and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union,
AFL-CIO, CLC and their surviving spouses and eligible dependents.
ARTICLE V
The Board may make, amend and repeal the Bylaws of the Company. Any Bylaw made by the Board
under the powers conferred hereby may be amended or repealed by the Board (except as specified in
any such Bylaw so made or amended) or by the stockholders in the manner provided in the Bylaws of
the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything contained in this Certificate of
Incorporation or the Bylaws to the contrary, Bylaws 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 38 may not be
amended or repealed by the stockholders, and no provision inconsistent therewith may be adopted by
the stockholders, without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the outstanding
Voting Stock (as defined below), voting together as a single class. The Company may in its Bylaws
confer powers upon the Board in addition to the foregoing and in addition to the powers and
authorities expressly conferred upon the Board by applicable law. For the purposes of this
Certificate of Incorporation, Voting Stock means stock of the Company of any class or series
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Notwithstanding anything contained in
this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least
67% of the outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or
repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article V.
ARTICLE VI
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock:
(a) any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Company
must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of
9
the Company and may not be effected by any consent in writing of such stockholders; and
(b) special meetings of stockholders of the Company may be called only by (i) the
Chairman of the Board (the Chairman), (ii) the Chief Executive Officer of the Company,
(iii) the President of the Company, or (iv) the Secretary of the Company within 10 calendar
days after receipt of the written request of a majority of the total number of directors
that the Company would have if there were no vacancies.
At any annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders of the Company, only such business will be
conducted or considered as has been brought before such meeting in the manner provided in the
Bylaws of the Company. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to
the contrary, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the outstanding Voting Stock,
voting together as a single class, will be required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision
inconsistent with, this Article VI.
ARTICLE VII
Section 1.
Number, Election and Terms of Directors
. Subject to the rights, if any,
of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances
specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, the number of the directors of the Company will not be
less than three nor more than 16, will initially be fixed at 10, and may be changed from time to
time in the manner described in the Bylaws of the Company. The directors, other than those who may
be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, will be classified with respect to the
time for which they severally hold office into three classes, as nearly equal in number as
possible, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. At any meeting of stockholders at which
directors are to be elected, the number of directors elected may not exceed the greatest number of
directors then in office in any class of directors. The directors first appointed to Class I will
hold office for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following July 6, 2006
(the Effective Date), the date on which the transactions contemplated by the Joint Plan of
Reorganization of the Company, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and certain of their debtor
affiliates filed pursuant to Section 1121(a) of the Bankruptcy Code and confirmed by an order of
the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware entered on February 6, 2006, which
confirmation order was affirmed by order of the United States District Court for the District of
Delaware entered on May 11, 2006; the directors first appointed to Class II will hold office for a
term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Date; and the
directors first appointed to Class III will hold office for a term expiring at the third annual
meeting of stockholders following the Effective Date; the members of each class shall hold office
until their successors are elected and qualified. At each succeeding annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Company, the successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that
meeting will be elected by plurality vote of all votes cast at such meeting to hold office for a
term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of
their election. In the event of any change in the number of directors, the Board shall apportion
any newly-created directorships among, or reduce the number of directorships in, such class or
classes as shall equalize, as nearly as possible, the number of directors in each class; provided,
however, that no such reduction may shorten the term of any incumbent director. Subject to the
rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional
10
directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, directors may be
elected by the stockholders only at an annual meeting of stockholders. Election of directors of
the Company need not be by written ballot unless requested by the Chairman or the presiding officer
of the meeting. If authorized by the Board, any requirement of a written ballot shall be satisfied
by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission, provided that any such electronic transmission
must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the
electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder or proxy holder.
Section 2.
Nomination of Director Candidates
. Advance notice of stockholder
nominations for the election of directors must be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the
Company.
Section 3.
Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies
. Subject to the rights, if any,
of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances
specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, newly created directorships resulting from any increase
in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation,
disqualification, removal or other cause shall be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board, or
by a sole remaining director. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence will
hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the new
directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such directors successor has been
elected and qualified. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board may shorten
the term of any incumbent director.
Section 4.
Removal
. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of
Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock
Designation, any director may be removed from office by the stockholders with or without cause only
in the manner provided in this Section 4 of Article VII. At any annual meeting or special meeting
of the stockholders, the notice of which states that the removal of a director or directors is
among the purposes of the meeting, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the
outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, may remove such director or directors
with or without cause.
Section 5.
Amendment, Repeal, Etc
. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67%
of the outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or repeal,
or adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article VII.
ARTICLE VIII
To the full extent permitted by the DGCL or any other applicable law currently or hereafter in
effect, no director of the Company will be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for
or with respect to any acts or omissions in the performance of his or her duties as a director of
the Company. Any repeal or modification of this Article VIII will not adversely affect any right
or protection of a director of the Company existing prior to such repeal or modification.
11
The Board of Directors of the Company may renounce any interest or expectancy of the Company
in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities or
specified classes or categories of business opportunitiesby line or type of business, by identity
of the originator of any such business opportunity, by identity of the recipient of any such
business opportunity, by periods of time, by geographical location or by other criteriathat are
presented to the Company or one or more of its officers, directors or stockholders.
ARTICLE IX
Section 1.
Right to Indemnification
. Each person who was or is made a party or is
threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a
Proceeding), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or an officer of the
Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another company or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including
without limitation service with respect to an employee benefit plan (an Indemnitee), whether the
basis of such Proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee
or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall be
indemnified and held harmless by the Company to the fullest extent permitted or required by the
DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only
to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights
than such law permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense,
liability and loss (including without limitation attorneys fees, judgments, fines, excise taxes
assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan or penalties and amounts paid in settlement)
actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such Indemnitee in connection therewith; provided,
however, that, except as provided in Section 3 of this Article IX with respect to Proceedings to
enforce rights to indemnification, the Company shall indemnify any such Indemnitee in connection
with a Proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee only if such Proceeding (or part
thereof) was authorized by the Board.
Section 2.
Right to Advancement of Expenses
. The right to indemnification conferred
in Section 1 of this Article IX shall include the right to be paid by the Company the expenses
(including without limitation attorneys fees and expenses) incurred in defending any such
Proceeding in advance of its final disposition (an Advancement of Expenses); provided, however,
that, if the DGCL so requires, an Advancement of Expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in his or her
capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is
rendered by such Indemnitee, including without limitation service with respect to an employee
benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking (an Undertaking),
by or on behalf of such Indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be
determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (a Final
Adjudication) that such Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this
Section 2 of Article IX or otherwise. The rights to indemnification and to the Advancement of
Expenses conferred in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article IX shall be contract rights and such rights
shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and
shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitees heirs, executors and administrators.
12
Section 3.
Right of Indemnitee to Bring Suit
. If a claim under Section 1 or 2 of
this Article IX is not paid in full by the Company within 60 calendar days after a written claim
has been received by the Company, except in the case of a claim for an Advancement of Expenses, in
which case the applicable period shall be 20 calendar days, the Indemnitee may at any time
thereafter bring suit against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful
in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Company to recover an Advancement
of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid
also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (a) any suit brought by the Indemnitee
to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the Indemnitee to
enforce a right to an Advancement of Expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (b) any suit brought
by the Company to recover an Advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the
Company shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a Final Adjudication that, the Indemnitee
has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL. Neither the failure
of the Company (including without limitation the Board or the Companys independent legal counsel
or stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that
indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Company
(including without limitation the Board or the Companys independent legal counsel or stockholders)
that the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption
that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit
brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the Indemnitee to
enforce a right to indemnification or to an Advancement of Expenses hereunder, or brought by the
Company to recover an Advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the burden
of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such Advancement of
Expenses, under this Article IX or otherwise shall be on the Company.
Section 4.
Non-Exclusivity of Rights
. The rights to indemnification and to the
Advancement of Expenses conferred in this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other right
which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, this Certificate of
Incorporation, the Bylaws of the Company, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested
directors or otherwise.
Section 5.
Insurance
. The Company may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect
itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss,
whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability or loss under the DGCL.
Section 6.
Indemnification of Employees and Agents of the Company
. The Company may,
to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, grant rights to indemnification and to the
Advancement of Expenses to any employee or agent of the Company to the fullest extent of the
provisions of this Article IX as if such employee or agent were a director or officer of the
Company.
13
Signed this 6
th
day of July, 2006.
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/s/ John M. Donnan
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John M. Donnan, Vice President, Secretary
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& General Counsel
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14
Exhibit 3.2
KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
BYLAWS
as adopted and in
effect on July 6, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS
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1
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1. Time and Place of Meetings
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1
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2. Annual Meeting
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1
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3. Special Meetings
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1
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4. Notice of Meetings
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1
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5. Inspectors
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2
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6. Quorum
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2
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7. Voting; Proxies
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2
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8. Order of Business
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2
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DIRECTORS
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4
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9. Function
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4
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10. Number, Election and Terms
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4
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11. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships
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4
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12. Removal
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5
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13. Nominations of Directors; Election
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5
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14. Resignation
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6
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15. Regular Meetings
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6
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16. Special Meetings
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6
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17. Quorum
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6
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18. Written Action
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7
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19. Participation in Meetings by Remote Communications
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7
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20. Committees
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7
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21. Compensation
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7
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22. Rules
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7
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NOTICES
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8
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23. Generally
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8
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24. Waivers
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8
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OFFICERS
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8
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25. Generally
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8
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26. Compensation
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8
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27. Succession
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8
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28. Authority and Duties
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9
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29. Execution of Documents and Action with Respect to Ownership Interests
In Other Entities
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9
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STOCK
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9
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30. Certificates
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9
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31. Classes of Stock
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9
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32. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates
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9
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33. Record Dates
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10
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Page
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GENERAL
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10
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34. Fiscal Year
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10
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35. Seal
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10
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36. Reliance Upon Books, Reports and Records
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10
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37. Time Periods
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11
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38. Amendments
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11
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ii
STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS
1.
Time and Place of Meetings
. All meetings of the stockholders for the election of
the members (the Directors) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) or for any
other purpose will be held at such time and place, within or without the State of Delaware, as may
be designated by the Board or, in the absence of a designation by the Board, the Chairman of the
Board (the Chairman), the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary, and stated in
the notice of meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion,
determine that meetings of the stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held
by means of remote communications, subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt
from time to time. The Board may postpone and reschedule any previously scheduled annual or
special meeting of the stockholders.
2.
Annual Meeting
. An annual meeting of the stockholders will be held at such date
and time as may be designated from time to time by the Board, at which meeting the stockholders
will elect by a plurality vote the Directors to succeed those Directors whose terms expire at such
meeting and will transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting in
accordance with Bylaw 8.
3.
Special Meetings
. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by (i)
the Chairman, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer, (iii) the President, or (iv) the Secretary within
10 calendar days after receipt of the written request of a majority of the total number of
Directors that the Company would have if there were no vacancies (the Whole Board). Any such
request by a majority of the Whole Board must be sent to the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer,
the President and the Secretary and must state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting.
Special meetings of holders of the outstanding preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the
Company (the Preferred Stock), if any, may be called in the manner and for the purposes provided
in the applicable Preferred Stock Designation (as defined in the Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation of the Company (the Certificate of Incorporation)).
4.
Notice of Meetings
. Written notice of every meeting of the stockholders, stating
the place, if any, date and time thereof, the means of remote communications, if any, by which
stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting and,
in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, will be
given not less than 10, nor more than 60, calendar days before the date of the meeting to each
stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting, except as otherwise provided herein or by
law. When a meeting is adjourned to another place, date or time, written notice need not be given
of the adjourned meeting if the place, if any, date and time thereof, and the means of remote
communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in
person and vote at such adjourned meeting, are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is
taken; provided, however, that if the adjournment is for more than 30 calendar days, or if after
the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, written notice of the place,
if any, date and time thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which
stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned
meeting, must be given in conformity herewith. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be
transacted which properly could have been transacted at the original meeting.
5.
Inspectors
. The Board, the Chairman or the Chief Executive Officer may appoint one
or more inspectors of election to act as judges of the voting and to determine those persons
entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders, or any adjournment thereof, in advance of such
meeting. The Board, the Chairman or the Chief Executive Officer may designate one or more persons
as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is
able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the presiding officer of the meeting may appoint one or
more substitute inspectors.
6.
Quorum
. Except as otherwise provided by law or in a Preferred Stock Designation,
the holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present
in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for
the transaction of business thereat. If, however, such quorum is not present or represented at any
meeting of the stockholders, the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or
represented by proxy, will have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice
other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present or represented.
7.
Voting; Proxies
. Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of
Incorporation, or in a Preferred Stock Designation, each stockholder will be entitled at every
meeting of the stockholders to one vote for each share of stock having voting power standing in the
name of such stockholder on the books of the Company on the record date for the meeting and such
votes may be cast either in person or by proxy. Every proxy must be authorized in a manner
permitted by Section 212 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any successor
provision. Without affecting any vote previously taken, a stockholder may revoke any proxy that is
not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person, by revoking the proxy by giving
notice to the Secretary of the Company, or by a later appointment of a proxy. The vote upon any
question brought before a meeting of the stockholders may be by voice vote, unless otherwise
required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws or unless the Board, the Chairman, the
Chief Executive Officer or the presiding officer of the meeting or the holders of a majority of the
outstanding shares of all classes of stock entitled to vote thereon present in person or by proxy
at such meeting otherwise determine. Every vote taken by written ballot will be counted by the
inspectors of election. When a quorum is present at any meeting, the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and
entitled to vote on the subject matter and which has actually been voted will be the act of the
stockholders, except in the election of Directors or as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the
Certificate of Incorporation or a Preferred Stock Designation or by law.
8.
Order of Business
. (a) The Chairman, or such other officer of the Company
designated by a majority of the Whole Board, will call meetings of the stockholders to order and
will act as presiding officer thereof. Unless otherwise determined by the Board prior to the
meeting, the presiding officer of the meeting of the stockholders will also determine the order of
business and have the authority in his or her sole discretion to regulate the conduct of any such
meeting, including without limitation by imposing restrictions on the persons (other than
stockholders of the Company or their duly appointed proxies) that may attend any such stockholders
meeting, by ascertaining whether any stockholder or his or her proxy may be excluded from any
meeting of the stockholders based upon any determination by the presiding officer, in his or her
sole discretion, that any such person has disrupted or is likely to disrupt the
2
proceedings thereat, and by determining the circumstances in which any person may make a
statement or ask questions at any meeting of the stockholders.
(b) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business will be conducted or
considered as is properly brought before the annual meeting. To be properly brought before an
annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in the notice of the annual meeting (or any
supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board in accordance with Bylaw 4, (ii)
otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by the presiding officer or by or at the
direction of a majority of the Whole Board, or (iii) otherwise properly requested to be brought
before the annual meeting by a stockholder of the Company in accordance with Bylaw 8(c).
(c) For business to be properly requested by a stockholder to be brought before an annual
meeting, (i) the stockholder must be a stockholder of the Company of record at the time of the
giving of the notice for such annual meeting provided for in these Bylaws, (ii) the stockholder
must be entitled to vote at such meeting, (iii) the stockholder must have given timely notice
thereof in writing to the Secretary, and (iv) if the stockholder, or the beneficial owner on whose
behalf any business is brought before the meeting, has provided the Company with a Proposal
Solicitation Notice, as that term is defined in this Bylaw 8(c), such stockholder or beneficial
owner must have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to the holders of at the least the
percentage of shares of the Company entitled to vote required to approve such business that the
stockholder proposes to bring before such annual meeting and included in such materials the
Proposal Solicitation Notice. Except as otherwise provided by law, to be timely a stockholders
notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the
Company not less than 60, nor more than 90, calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the
date on which the Company first mailed its proxy materials for the preceding years annual meeting
of stockholders; provided, however, that if there was no annual meeting in the preceding year or
the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than 30 calendar days prior to, or delayed by more
than 30 calendar days after, the anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting, notice by the
stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not later than the close of business on the later of
the 90th calendar day prior to such annual meeting and the 10th calendar day following the day on
which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event shall the public
disclosure of an adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a
stockholders notice as described above. A stockholders notice to the Secretary must set forth as
to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (A) a description in
reasonable detail of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons
for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (B) the name and address, as they appear on the
Companys books, of the stockholder proposing such business and the beneficial owner, if any, on
whose behalf the proposal is made, (C) the class and series and number of shares of capital stock
of the Company that are owned beneficially and/or of record by the stockholder proposing such
business and by the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (D) a
description of all arrangements or understandings among such stockholder and any other person or
persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such
stockholder and any material interest of such stockholder in such business, (E) whether either such
stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders
of at least the percentage of shares of the Company entitled to vote required to approve the
proposal (an affirmative statement
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of such intent, a Proposal Solicitation Notice), and (F) a representation that such
stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business
before the annual meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Bylaw 8(c), a
stockholder must also comply with all applicable requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the rules and regulations thereunder (the Exchange Act) with respect to the matters set
forth in this Bylaw 8(c), including without limitation any such rules or regulations relating to
the delivery of a proxy statement and form of proxy. For purposes of this Bylaw 8(c) and Bylaw 13,
public disclosure means disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service,
Associated Press, or comparable national news service or in a document filed by the Company with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) pursuant to the Exchange Act or furnished by the
Company to stockholders. Nothing in this Bylaw 8(c) will be deemed to affect any rights of
stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Companys proxy statement pursuant to Rule
14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
(d) At a special meeting of stockholders, only such business may be conducted or considered as
is properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before a special meeting, business
must be (i) specified in the notice of the meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the
direction of the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or a majority of the Whole
Board in accordance with Bylaw 4 or (ii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by the
presiding officer or by or at the direction of a majority of the Whole Board.
(e) The determination of whether any business sought to be brought before any annual or
special meeting of the stockholders is properly brought before such meeting in accordance with this
Bylaw 8 will be made by the presiding officer of such meeting. If the presiding officer determines
that any business is not properly brought before such meeting, he or she will so declare to the
meeting and any such business will not be conducted or considered.
DIRECTORS
9.
Function
. The business and affairs of the Company will be managed under the
direction of its Board.
10.
Number, Election and Terms
. Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of
Preferred Stock specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, and to the minimum and maximum number
of authorized Directors provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the authorized number of
Directors may be determined from time to time only (i) by a vote of a majority of the Whole Board
or (ii) by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the outstanding Voting Stock,
voting together as a single class. The Directors, other than those who may be elected by the
holders of any series of the Preferred Stock, will be classified with respect to the time for which
they severally hold office in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation.
11.
Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships
. Subject to the rights, if any, of the
holders of any series of Preferred Stock specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in the number of Directors and any vacancies on the Board
resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal, or other cause will be
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filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office,
even though less than a quorum of the Board, or by a sole remaining Director. Any Director elected
in accordance with the preceding sentence will hold office for the remainder of the full term of
the class of Directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until
such Directors successor is elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation,
disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of Directors constituting the Board will
shorten the term of an incumbent Director.
12.
Removal
. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred
Stock specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, any Director may be removed from office by the
stockholders only in the manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.
13.
Nominations of Directors; Election
. (a) Subject to the rights, if any, of the
holders of any series of Preferred Stock specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, stockholders
may elect Directors at, and only at, an annual meeting of stockholders, and only persons who are
nominated in accordance with this Bylaw 13 will be eligible for election as Directors at a meeting
of stockholders.
(b) Nominations of persons for election as Directors may be made only at an annual meeting of
stockholders (i) by or at the direction of the Board or a committee thereof or (ii) by any
stockholder that is a stockholder of record at the time it gives the notice provided for in this
Bylaw 13, who is entitled to vote for the election of Directors at such annual meeting, and who
complies with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw 13. If a stockholder, or a beneficial owner
on whose behalf any such nomination is made, has provided the Company with a Nomination
Solicitation Notice, as that term is defined below in this Bylaw 13, such stockholder or beneficial
owner must have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to the holders of at least the
percentage of shares of the Company entitled to vote required to approve such nomination and
included in such materials the Nomination Solicitation Notice (as defined below). All nominations
by stockholders must be made pursuant to timely notice in proper written form to the Secretary.
(c) Except as otherwise provided by law, to be timely a stockholders notice must be delivered
to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Company not less than 60, nor
more than 90, calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the date on which the Company first
mailed its proxy materials for the preceding years annual meeting of stockholders; provided,
however, that if there was no annual meeting in the preceding year or if the date of the annual
meeting is advanced more than 30 calendar days prior to or delayed by more than 30 calendar days
after the anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be
timely must be so delivered not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th calendar
day prior to such annual meeting and the 10th calendar day following the day on which public
disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event shall the public disclosure of
an adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders
notice as described above. To be in proper written form, such stockholders notice must set forth
or include: (i) the name and address, as they appear on the Companys books, of the stockholder
giving the notice and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; (ii)
a representation that the stockholder giving the notice
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is a holder of record of stock of the Company entitled to vote at such annual meeting and
intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to nominate the person or persons
specified in the notice; (iii) the class and number of shares of stock of the Company owned
beneficially and/or of record by the stockholder giving the notice and by the beneficial owner, if
any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; (iv) a description of all arrangements or
understandings between or among any of (A) the stockholder giving the notice, (B) the beneficial
owner on whose behalf the notice is given, (C) each nominee, and (D) any other person or persons
(naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nomination or nominations are to be made by
the stockholder giving the notice; (v) such other information regarding each nominee proposed by
the stockholder giving the notice as would be required to be included in a proxy statement filed
pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC had the nominee been nominated, or intended to be nominated,
by the Board; (vi) the signed consent of each nominee to serve as a Director of the Company if so
elected; and (vii) whether either such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy
statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of shares of the Company entitled
to vote required to elect such nominee or nominees (an affirmative statement of such intent, a
Nomination Solicitation Notice). The presiding officer of any annual meeting will, if the facts
warrant, determine that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by
this Bylaw 13, and if he or she should so determine, he or she will so declare to the meeting and
the defective nomination will be disregarded. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Bylaw 13, a stockholder must also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with
respect to the matters set forth in this Bylaw 13, including without limitation any such rules or
regulations relating to the delivery of a proxy statement and form of proxy.
14.
Resignation
. Any Director may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or
by electronic transmission of his or her resignation to the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer,
the President or the Secretary. Any resignation will be effective upon actual receipt by any such
person or, if later, as of the date and time specified in such written notice.
15.
Regular Meetings
. Regular meetings of the Board may be held immediately after the
annual meeting of the stockholders and at such other time and place either within or without the
State of Delaware as may from time to time be determined by the Board. Notice of regular meetings
of the Board need not be given.
16.
Special Meetings
. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chairman or
the Chief Executive Officer on one days notice to each Director by whom such notice is not waived
and will be called by the Chairman or the Chief Executive Officer, on like notice, on the written
request of a majority of the Whole Board. Special meetings of the Board may be held at such time
and place either within or without the State of Delaware as is determined by the Board or specified
in the notice of any such meeting.
17.
Quorum
. At all meetings of the Board, a majority of the Whole Board will
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except for the designation of committees as
hereinafter provided and except for actions required by these Bylaws or the Certificate of
Incorporation to be taken by a majority of the Whole Board, the act of a majority of the Directors
present at any meeting at which there is a quorum will be the act of the Board. If a quorum is not
6
present at any meeting of the Board, the Directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting
from time to time to another place, time or date, without notice other than announcement at the
meeting, until a quorum is present.
18.
Written Action
. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of
the Board or any committee designated by the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of
the Board or any such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic
transmission, and such consent is to be filed with the minutes or proceedings of the Board or such
committee.
19.
Participation in Meetings by Remote Communications
. Members of the Board or any
committee designated by the Board may participate in a meeting of the Board or any such committee,
as the case may be, by means of telephone conference or other means by which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting will
constitute presence in person at the meeting.
20.
Committees
. (a) The Board, by resolution passed by a majority of the Whole Board,
may designate one or more committees. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws or by law, any
committee of the Board, to the extent provided by resolution adopted by the Board, will have and
may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the direction or the management of the
business and affairs of the Company.
(b) Each committee of the Board will consist of one or more Directors and will have such
lawfully delegable powers and duties as the Board may confer. Any such committee designated by the
Board will have such name as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the
Board. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Board, a majority of the members of any committee of the
Board will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of the
members present at a meeting at which there is a quorum will be the act of such committee. Each
committee of the Board may prescribe its own rules for calling and holding meetings and its method
of procedure, subject to any rules prescribed by the Board, and will keep a written record of all
actions taken by it.
(c) The members of each committee of the Board will serve in such capacity at the pleasure of
the Board or as may be specified in any resolution from time to time adopted by the Board. The
Board may designate one or more Directors as alternate members of any such committee, who may
replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of such committee.
21.
Compensation
. The Board may establish the compensation for, and reimbursement of
the expenses of, Directors for membership on the Board and on committees of the Board, attendance
at meetings of the Board or committees of the Board, and for other services by Directors to the
Company or any of its majority-owned subsidiaries.
22.
Rules
. The Board may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings and
the oversight of the management of the affairs of the Company.
7
NOTICES
23.
Generally
. Except as otherwise provided by law, these Bylaws or the Certificate
of Incorporation, whenever by law or under the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or
these Bylaws notice is required to be given to any Director or stockholder, such notice may be
given (i) in person, (ii) by mail or courier service, addressed to such Director or stockholder, at
the address of such Director or stockholder as it appears on the records of the Company, with
postage thereon prepaid, or (iii) by telephone, facsimile, electronic transmission or similar means
of communication. Any notice will be deemed to be given at the time when the same is deposited in
the United States mail, to the extent mailed, or when transmitted, to the extent given by
telephone, facsimile, electronic transmission or similar means of communication.
24.
Waivers
. Whenever any notice is required to be given by law or under the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing, signed
by the person or persons entitled to such notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the
person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which
notice is to be given, will be deemed equivalent to such notice. Attendance of a person at a
meeting will constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a
meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction
of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
OFFICERS
25.
Generally
. The officers of the Company will be elected by the Board and will
consist of a Chairman, a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The
Board may also choose any or all of the following: one or more Vice Chairmen, one or more Vice
Presidents (who may be given particular designations with respect to authority, function or
seniority), one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other
officers as the Board may from time to time determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by specific
action the Board may authorize the Chairman to appoint any person to any office other than
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Secretary or Treasurer. Any number of offices may be
held by the same person. Any of the offices may be left vacant from time to time as the Board may
determine. In the case of the absence or disability of any officer of the Company or for any other
reason deemed sufficient by the Board, the Board may delegate the absent or disabled officers
powers or duties to any other officer or to any Director.
26.
Compensation
. The compensation of all executive officers of the Company, as well
as all officers and agents of the Company who are also Directors, will be fixed by the Board or by
a committee of the Board. The Board may fix or delegate the power to fix, the compensation of
other officers and agents of the Company to an officer of the Company.
27.
Succession
. Each officer of the Company will hold office until their successors
are elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or
removal. Any officer may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole
Board. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Company may be filled by the Board or by the
Chairman as provided in Bylaw 25.
8
28.
Authority and Duties
. Each of the officers of the Company will have such
authority and will perform such duties as are customarily incident to their respective offices or
as may be specified from time to time by the Board.
29.
Execution of Documents and Action with Respect to Ownership Interests In Other
Entities
. The Chief Executive Officer shall have, and is hereby given, full power and
authority, except as otherwise required by law or directed by the Board or the stockholders of the
Company, (i) to execute, on behalf of the Company, all duly authorized contracts, agreements,
deeds, conveyances or other obligations of the Company, applications, consents, proxies and other
powers of attorney, and other documents and instruments and (ii) to vote and otherwise act on
behalf of the Company, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of holders of the securities of or
other ownership interests in any other corporation or entity in which the Company may hold
securities or other ownership interests (or with respect to any action of such holders) and
otherwise to exercise any and all rights and powers which the Company may possess by reason of its
ownership of securities of or other ownership interests in such other corporation or entity. The
Chief Executive Officer may delegate to other officers, employees and agents of the Company the
power and authority to take any action which the Chief Executive Officer is authorized to take
under this Bylaw 29, with such limitations as the Chief Executive Officer may specify; such
authority so delegated by the Chief Executive Officer shall not be re-delegated by the person to
whom such execution authority has been delegated.
STOCK
30.
Certificates
. Certificates representing shares of stock of the Company will be in
such form as is determined by the Board, subject to applicable legal requirements. Each such
certificate will be numbered and its issuance recorded in the books of the Company, and such
certificate will exhibit the holders name and the number of shares and will be signed by, or in
the name of, the Company by the Chairman or the President and the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary, or the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, and will also be signed by, or bear the
facsimile signature of, a duly authorized officer or agent of any properly designated transfer
agent of the Company. Any or all of the signatures and the seal of the Company, if any, upon such
certificates may be facsimiles, engraved or printed. Such certificates may be issued and delivered
notwithstanding that the person whose facsimile signature appears thereon may have ceased to be
such officer at the time the certificates are issued and delivered.
31.
Classes of Stock
. The designations, powers, preferences and relative
participating, optional or other special rights of the various classes of stock or series thereof,
and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, will be set forth in full or
summarized on the face or back of the certificates which the Company issues to represent its stock
or, in lieu thereof, such certificates will set forth the office of the Company from which the
holders of certificates may obtain a copy of such information at no charge.
32.
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates
. The Secretary may direct a new
certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore
issued by the Company alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an
affidavit of that fact, satisfactory to the Secretary, by the person claiming the certificate of
stock to be lost, stolen
9
or destroyed. As a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates,
the Secretary may require the owners of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates
to give the Company a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as the Secretary may direct
as indemnity against any claims that may be made against the Company with respect to the
certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed or the issuance of the new certificate.
33.
Record Dates
. (a) In order that the Company may determine the stockholders
entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the
Board may fix a record date, which will not be more than 60 nor less than 10 calendar days before
the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining
stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders will be at the close of
business on the calendar day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is
waived, at the close of business on the calendar day next preceding the day on which the meeting is
held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of
the stockholders will apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board
may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
(b) In order that the Company may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of
any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to
exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose
of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date will not be more
than 60 calendar days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for
determining stockholders for any such purpose will be at the close of business on the calendar day
on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.
(c) The Company will be entitled to treat the person in whose name any share of its stock is
registered as the owner thereof for all purposes, and will not be bound to recognize any equitable
or other claim to, or interest in, such share on the part of any other person, whether or not the
Company has notice thereof, except as expressly provided by applicable law.
GENERAL
34.
Fiscal Year
. The fiscal year of the Company will end on December 31
st
of each year or such other date as may be fixed from time to time by the Board.
35.
Seal
. The Board may adopt a corporate seal and use the same by causing it or a
facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or otherwise reproduced.
36.
Reliance Upon Books, Reports and Records
. Each Director, each member of a
committee designated by the Board and each officer of the Company will, in the performance of his
or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Company and upon
such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by any of the Companys
officers or employees, or committees of the Board, or by any other person as to matters the
Director, committee member or officer believes are within such other persons professional or
expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company.
10
37.
Time Periods
. In applying any provision of these Bylaws that requires that an act
be performed or not be performed a specified number of days prior to an event or that an act be
performed during a period of a specified number of days prior to an event, calendar days will be
used unless otherwise specified, the day of the doing of the act will be excluded, and the day of
the event will be included.
38.
Amendments
. Except as otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate of
Incorporation or these Bylaws, these Bylaws or any of them may be amended in any respect or
repealed at any time, either (i) at any meeting of stockholders, provided that any amendment or
supplement proposed to be acted upon at any such meeting has been described or referred to in the
notice of such meeting, or (ii) at any meeting of the Board, provided that no amendment adopted by
the Board may vary or conflict with any amendment adopted by the stockholders in accordance with
the Certificate of Incorporation and these Bylaws. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything
contained in these Bylaws to the contrary, Bylaws 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 38 may not be amended
or repealed by the stockholders, and no provision inconsistent therewith may be adopted by the
stockholders, without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the outstanding Voting
Stock, voting together as a single class.
11
Exhibit 4.1
STOCK TRANSFER RESTRICTION AGREEMENT
This STOCK TRANSFER RESTRICTION AGREEMENT (this
Agreement
), dated as of July 6,
2006, is made by and between (a) Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
Company
), and (b) National City Bank, solely in its capacity as trustee (the
VEBA
Trustee
) under the VEBA Trust (as defined below), and is agreed to by Independent Fiduciary
Services, Inc., in its capacity as independent fiduciary (the
Independent Fiduciary
) of
the Retiree Plan (as defined below) with respect to Discretionary Management (as defined below) of
the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
New Common Stock
), held by the
VEBA Trust.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, pursuant to (a) the Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Company, Kaiser Aluminum &
Chemical Corporation (
KACC
) and certain of their debtor affiliates (the
Plan
)
filed pursuant to Section 1121(a) of Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the
Bankruptcy Code
) and confirmed by an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
District of Delaware entered on February 6, 2006, which confirmation order was affirmed by an order
of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware entered on May 11, 2006, and (b)
those certain agreements entered into between KACC and each of the United Steelworkers of America,
AFL-CIO, CLC, the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement
Workers of America and its Local 1186, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers, the International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers,
and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
(collectively, the
Unions
) pursuant to Sections 1113 and 1114 of the Bankruptcy Code, the
Company was obligated to contribute to the VEBA Trust 11,439,900 shares of New Common Stock on the
effective date of the Plan (the
Effective Date
);
WHEREAS, prior to the Effective Date, pursuant to the terms of the Protocol for Pre-Effective
Date Sales approved by an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
(the
Bankruptcy Court
) entered on April 24, 2006, which Protocol for Pre-Effective Date
Sales was amended and restated by an order of the Bankruptcy Court entered on June 5, 2006 (as
amended and restated, the Protocol), the VEBA Trust sold to certain Persons (as defined below)
portions of its interest in the shares of New Common Stock to be contributed to the VEBA Trust on
the Effective Date;
WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the Protocol, on the Effective Date, the
Company issued shares of New Common Stock as follows: (a) to the VEBA Trust, 8,809,900 shares and
(b) to other Persons in accordance with the instructions of the VEBA Trust, an aggregate of
2,630,000 shares.
WHEREAS, after giving effect to the Plan, the Company had substantial U.S. net operating loss
carryovers (the
NOLs
), the Companys retention and use of which will enable the Company
to preserve cash, which should ultimately give it greater flexibility going forward, enabling it to
undertake actions that may enhance value;
WHEREAS, it is in the mutual best interests of the Company and the VEBA Trust, as a
significant stockholder of the Company, that the Company retain and utilize such NOLs to the extent
possible;
WHEREAS, the Companys ability to retain or make full use of the NOLs is dependent, in part,
on whether the Company experiences an ownership change within the meaning of the relevant
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, following the Effective Date;
WHEREAS, the VEBA Trust received a sufficient number of shares of New Common Stock pursuant to
the Plan such that agreement with them to restrictions on transfer of such shares following the
Effective Date would help to ensure that an ownership change will not occur until the NOLs are
fully utilized;
WHEREAS, the certificate of incorporation of the Company, as amended and restated in
accordance with the Plan (the
Certificate of Incorporation
), contains provisions designed
to ensure that an ownership change will not occur until the NOLs are fully utilized, and such
provisions contemplate an agreement between the Company and the VEBA Trust regarding restrictions
on the transfer of shares of New Common Stock by the VEBA Trust;
WHEREAS, rapid or otherwise disorderly sales of substantial portions of the outstanding New
Common Stock could adversely affect the market price for the New Common Stock, as could the ability
of the VEBA Trust, as a significant stockholder of the Company, to sell shares of New Common Stock
freely in large blocks; and
WHEREAS, in order to maximize the value that the reorganized companys stockholders (including
the VEBA Trust) may ultimately receive for their shares in the public market, it is appropriate for
the VEBA Trust to agree to certain restrictions on transfer.
AGREEMENTS
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereby
agree as follows:
Article I.
Definitions and Certain Interpretative Matters
1.1
Definitions
. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a)
Agreement
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(b)
Bankruptcy Code
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(c)
Bankruptcy Court
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(d)
Certificate of Incorporation
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(e)
Company
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
2
(f)
Discretionary Management
: The extent to which the Independent Fiduciary is
permitted to exercise authority and control over New Common Stock held by the VEBA Trust under the
documents governing the VEBA Trust.
(g)
Effective Date
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(h)
Independent Fiduciary
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(i)
KACC
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(j)
New Common Stock
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(k)
NOLs
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(l)
Person
: Any individual, corporation, general or limited partnership, limited
liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity or association, including without
limitation any governmental authority.
(m)
Protocol
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(n)
Restriction Release Date
: As defined in the Certificate of Incorporation.
(o)
Restriction Period
: The period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on
the Restriction Release Date.
(p)
Retiree Plan
: The retiree health plan known as the VEBA for Retirees of Kaiser
Aluminum.
(q)
Transfer
: Any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance, pledge
or other disposition.
(r)
Unions
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(s)
VEBA Trust
: The trust that provides benefits for certain eligible retirees of
KACC represented by the Unions (or their successors) and their surviving spouses and eligible
dependents.
(t)
VEBA Trustee
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
1.2
Certain Interpretative Matters
. Unless the context otherwise requires, (a) all
references to Articles or Sections are to Articles or Sections of this Agreement, (b) each term
defined in this Agreement has the meaning assigned to it, (c) all uses of herein, hereto,
hereof and words similar thereto in this Agreement refer to this Agreement in its entirety, and
not solely to the Article, Section or provision in which it appears, (d) or is disjunctive but
not necessarily exclusive, and (e) words in the singular include the plural and vice versa.
3
Article II.
Restrictions on Transfers
2.1
Preliminary Acknowledgment
: The VEBA Trustee acknowledges and agrees to comply
with Section 4 of Article IV of the Certificate of Incorporation.
2.2
Restrictions on Transfer During Restriction Period
. During the Restriction
Period, unless otherwise approved in accordance with clause (A) of paragraph (a)(2) of Section 4 of
Article IV of the Certificate of Incorporation, the VEBA Trustee will not effect or cause to be
effected any Transfer of any shares of New Common Stock received by the VEBA Trust pursuant to the
Plan unless the number of such shares to be included in such Transfer, together with the number of
such shares included in all other Transfers by the VEBA Trust that have occurred (or, pursuant to
Section 2.3, are deemed to have occurred) during the 12 months immediately preceding such Transfer,
is not more than 15% of the total number of shares of New Common Stock received by the VEBA Trust
pursuant to the Plan.
2.3
Pre-Effective Date Transactions
. Unless (a) the Company otherwise agrees or (b)
it is determined in a ruling by the Internal Revenue Service that any such Transfer does not
constitute a Transfer of shares of New Common Stock on or following the Effective Date for purposes
of the applicable limitations of section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, for purposes of
determining whether any Transfer by the VEBA Trust is permissible under Section 2.2 or Section 2.6
the shares of New Common Stock attributable to a Transfer prior to the Effective Date of portions
of its interest in the 11,439,900 shares of Common Stock that the Company was obligated to
contribute to the VEBA Trust on the Effective Date will be deemed to have been received by the VEBA
Trust pursuant to the Plan on the Effective Date and thereafter Transferred by the VEBA Trust at
the earliest possible date or dates such Transfer would have been permitted under Section 2.2, beginning with the day immediately succeeding the Effective Date (the
Initial Deemed Sale Date
), and, in the case of a Transfer under Section 2.6, prior to
such Transfer under Section 2.6. For purposes of applying the preceding sentence to Section 2.2,
(x) in the event that the amounts otherwise deemed sold by the VEBA Trust on the Initial Deemed
Sale Date exceed the maximum amount permitted to be sold pursuant to Section 2.2 during the first
12 months after the Effective Date, such maximum amount will be deemed to be sold on the Initial
Deemed Sale Date and such excess will be deemed sold on the first anniversary of the Initial Deemed
Sale Date, and (y) in the event that the amounts otherwise deemed sold on any anniversary of the
Initial Deemed Sale Date exceed the maximum amount permitted to be sold pursuant to Section 2.2 on
such anniversary of the Initial Deemed Sale Date, such maximum amount will be deemed to be sold on
such anniversary of the Initial Deemed Sale Date and such excess will be deemed sold on the next
succeeding anniversary of the Initial Deemed Sale Date.
2.4
Legend
. Each stock certificate representing any of the shares of New Common Stock
received by the VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan will bear a legend indicating the existence of this
Agreement and of the restrictions on transfer imposed hereby.
2.5
Certain Reports
. Prior to the Restriction Release Date, within 10 days following
each anniversary of the Effective Date, the VEBA Trustee will deliver to the Company a written
notice setting forth (a) the number of shares of New Common Stock received by it pursuant to the
Plan on or prior to such anniversary date; (b) for each Transfer that has occurred during the
4
12-month period ending on such anniversary date, (i) the number of shares of New Common Stock
included in such Transfer and (ii) the date of such Transfer; and (c) the maximum number of shares
of New Common Stock that the VEBA Trustee believes may be included in Transfers during the 12-month
period following such anniversary date without violating this Agreement.
2.6
Registration Rights Agreement
. Simultaneously with the execution and delivery of
this Agreement, the parties hereto are entering into a Registration Rights Agreement with respect
to shares of New Common Stock received by (i) the VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan and (ii) certain parties that, in accordance with the
Protocol, purchased from the VEBA Trust interests entitling them to receive shares that otherwise
would have been issuable to the VEBA Trust.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.2:
(a)
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(i)
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the Transfer of shares of New Common Stock by the VEBA Trust in an
underwritten offering contemplated by Section 2.1 of such Registration Rights Agreement
may include up to a number of shares of New Common Stock equal to 30% of the total
number of shares of New Common Stock received (or, pursuant to Section 2.3, deemed
received) by the VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan;
provided
that (x) such number
of shares of New Common Stock is not more than (A) 45% of the total number of shares of
New Common Stock received (or, pursuant to Section 2.3, deemed received) by the VEBA
Trust pursuant to the Plan less (B) the number of shares included in all other
Transfers previously effected (or, pursuant to Section 2.3, deemed effected) by the
VEBA Trust during the 36 months immediately preceding such Transfer or the period
commencing on the Effective Date and ending immediately prior to such Transfer,
whichever period is shorter and (y) the shares of New Common Stock requested to be
included in such underwritten offering by the VEBA Trust have a market value of not
less than $60.0 million on the date such request is made; and
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(ii)
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in the event no underwritten offering contemplated by Section
2.1 of such Registration Rights Agreement has been effected, the Transfer of shares of New
Common Stock by the VEBA Trust in an underwritten offering
contemplated by Section 3.5 of such Registration Rights Agreement may include
up to a number of shares of New Common Stock equal to (A) 45% of the total of shares of
New Common Stock received (or, pursuant to Section 2.3, deemed
received) by the VEBA Trust pursuant to the Plan less (B) the number of shares
included in all other Transfers previously effected (or, pursuant to Section
2.3, deemed effected) by the VEBA Trust during the 36 months immediately
preceding such Transfer or the period commencing on the Effective Date and
ending immediately prior to such Transfer, whichever period is shorter;
provided
that (w) no underwritten offering contemplated by Section 3.5
of such Registration Right Agreement has been previously effected, (x) the
demand for such underwritten offering is made by the Union VEBA between March
31, 2007 and April 1, 2008, and (y) the shares of New Common Stock requested to
be included in such underwritten offering by the VEBA Trust
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5
have a market value
of not less than $60.0 million on the date such request is made; and
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(b) in the event that the Transfer by the VEBA Trust of shares of New Common Stock in such an
offering includes a number of such shares greater than the number of such shares that the VEBA
Trust could so include under Section 2.2 absent this Section 2.6, then for purposes of determining
whether any future Transfer of shares of New Common Stock by the VEBA Trust is permissible under
Section 2.2, the VEBA Trust will be deemed to have effected the Transfer of such excess shares at
the earliest possible date or dates the VEBA Trust would have been permitted to effect such
Transfer under Section 2.2 absent this Section 2.6.
Article III.
Miscellaneous
3.1
Notices
. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications
hereunder will be in writing and will be given or made by delivery in person, by overnight courier,
by facsimile transmission, by electronic transmission or by registered or certified mail (postage
prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such
other address for a party specified in a notice given in accordance with this
Section 3.1
):
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(a)
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If to the Company:
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Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
27422 Portola Parkway, Suite 350
Foothill Ranch, California 92610
Facsimile: 949-614-1930
Attention: Corporate Secretary
E-mail: john.donnan@kaiseraluminum.com
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with a copy to:
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Jones Day
2727 N. Harwood Street
Dallas, Texas 75223
Facsimile: 214-969-5100
Attention: Troy B. Lewis, Esq.
E-mail: tblewis@jonesday.com
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(b)
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If to the VEBA Trustee:
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National City Bank
Taft-Hartley Services
20 Stanwix Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Facsimile: 412-644-6153
Attention: Gary R. Chontos
E-mail: gary.chontos@allegiantgroup.com
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with a copy to:
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National City Bank
1900 East Ninth Street, Loc.01-2174
Cleveland, OH 44114
Attn: John W. Boyd
E-mail: john.boyd@nationalcity.com
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with a copy to:
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Allegiant Asset Management Company
200 Public Square, 5
th
Floor
Cleveland, OH 44114
Attn: Robert V. Kline
E-mail: robert.kline@allegiantgroup.com
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with a copy to:
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Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C.
805 Fifteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-842-1888
Attention: Douglas L. Greenfield
E-mail: dgreenfield@bredhoff.com
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(c)
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If to the Independent Fiduciary:
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Independent Fiduciary Services, Inc.
805 15
th
Street, N.W., Suite 1120
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-898-1819
Attention: Samuel W. Halpern
E-mail: shalpern@independentfiduciary.com
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with a copy to:
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Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
607 14
th
Street, N.W., Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-585-0024
Attention: Steven J. Sacher
E-mail: ssacher@kilpatrickstockton.com
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All such notices and communications will be deemed to have been delivered or given upon receipt, if
delivered personally, by electronic transmission or by overnight courier; when receipt is
acknowledged, if sent by facsimile transmission and three business days after being deposited in
the mail, if mailed.
7
3.2
Assignment
. Neither of the parties to this Agreement will assign or delegate any
of their respective rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of
each of the other parties hereto. The parties intend that the terms of this Agreement apply to any
successor to the VEBA Trustee or the Independent Fiduciary, as applicable, and will use their
reasonable best efforts to cause any such successor to agree in writing to become bound by this
Agreement.
3.3
No Third-Party Beneficiaries
. Except as expressly set forth herein, this
Agreement will be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to
or will confer upon any other Person any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature
whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
3.4
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and
undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
3.5
Amendment and Waiver
. This Agreement may not be amended or modified except by an
instrument in writing signed by both of the parties to this Agreement and assented to and
acknowledged by the Independent Fiduciary, and no provision hereof may be waived unless the waiver
is signed by the party against which enforcement of the waiver is sought.
3.6
Counterparts
. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signature and in any
number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original and all such counterparts,
taken together, to constitute one instrument.
3.7
Severability
. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid,
illegal or unenforceable under any law or public policy, all other terms and provisions of this
Agreement will nevertheless remain in full force and effect. Upon a determination that any term or
other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto will endeavor in good
faith to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision with a valid, legal and
enforceable provision the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid,
illegal or unenforceable provision.
3.8
Governing Law
. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of
laws thereof.
3.9
Specific Performance
. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would
occur in the event any provision of this Agreement was not performed in accordance with the terms
hereof and that the parties will be entitled to specify performance of the terms hereof, in
addition to any other remedy at law or equity.
3.10
Further Assurances
. The parties hereto will do such further acts and things
necessary to ensure that the terms of this Agreement are carried out and observed.
[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement as of the date first
written above.
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KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
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By:
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/s/ John M. Donnan
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John M. Donnan, Vice President, Secretary
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& General Counsel
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NATIONAL CITY BANK,
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solely in its capacity as VEBA Trustee under the VEBA
Trust and not individually
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By:
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/s/ Mark O. Minar
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Name: Mark O. Minar
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Title: Vice President
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ASSENT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The undersigned, by assenting to and acknowledging this Agreement, agrees not to direct or
otherwise cause the VEBA Trustee to take any action in violation of the terms of this Agreement:
INDEPENDENT FIDUCIARY SERVICES, INC.,
in its capacity as Independent Fiduciary of the Retiree Plan in respect of Discretionary Management
of the New Common Stock held by the VEBA Trust.
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By:
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/s/ Samuel W. Halpern
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Samuel W. Halpern, Executive Vice President
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Exhibit 4.2
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
dated as of
July 6, 2006
by and among
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
and
The Persons Listed on the
Signature Pages Attached Hereto
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE I.
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DEFINITIONS AND CERTAIN INTERPRETATIVE MATTERS
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2
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1.1
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Definitions
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2
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1.2
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Certain Interpretative Matters
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5
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ARTICLE II.
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DEMAND REGISTRATION
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5
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2.1
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Filing of a Demand Registration Statement
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5
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2.2
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Manner of Distribution pursuant to the Demand Registration Statement
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6
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2.3
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Blackout Period with respect to Demand Registration
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6
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2.4
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Selection of Underwriters
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7
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ARTICLE III.
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SHELF REGISTRATION
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7
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3.1
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Filing of a Shelf Registration Statement
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7
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3.2
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Certain Limitations
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8
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3.3
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Manner of Distribution pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement
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9
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3.4
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Blackout Period with respect to Shelf Registration
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9
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3.5
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Underwritten Offerings under a Shelf Registration Statement
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10
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ARTICLE IV.
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PIGGYBACK REGISTRATION
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11
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4.1
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Right to Piggyback
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11
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4.2
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Priority on Underwritten Piggyback Registrations
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11
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4.3
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Withdrawal of Piggyback Registration
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12
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ARTICLE V.
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ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO UNDERWRITTEN OFFERINGS
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13
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5.1
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Restrictions on Sale
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13
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5.2
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Participation in Underwritten Offerings
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13
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ARTICLE VI.
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PROCEDURES AND EXPENSES
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13
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6.1
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Registration Procedures
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13
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6.2
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Information from the Holders, the VEBA Trust and the Independent Fiduciary
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16
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6.3
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Suspension of Disposition
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16
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6.4
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Registration Expenses
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17
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ARTICLE VII.
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INDEMNIFICATION
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18
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7.1
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Indemnification by the Company
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18
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7.2
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Indemnification by Holders
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19
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7.3
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Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings
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19
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-i-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Page
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7.4
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Contribution, etc.
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20
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7.5
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Survival of Indemnification
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21
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ARTICLE VIII.
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RULE 144
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21
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ARTICLE IX.
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CERTAIN OTHER AGREEMENTS
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21
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ARTICLE X.
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MISCELLANEOUS
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22
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10.1
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Notices
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22
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10.2
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Confidentiality
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23
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10.3
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Assignment
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24
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10.4
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No Third-Party Beneficiaries
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24
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10.5
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Entire Agreement
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24
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10.6
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Amendment and Waiver
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24
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10.7
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Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures
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24
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10.8
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Headings
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24
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10.9
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Severability
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24
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10.10
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Governing Law
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25
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10.11
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Specific Performance
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25
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10.12
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Further Assurances
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25
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10.13
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Stock Transfer Restrictions
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25
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-ii-
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this
Agreement
), dated as of July 6, 2006, is
made by and among (a) Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
Company
),
(b) National City Bank, solely in its capacity as trustee (the
VEBA Trustee
) under the
VEBA Trust (as defined below), and is agreed to by Independent Fiduciary Services, Inc., in its
capacity as independent fiduciary (the
Independent Fiduciary
) of the Retiree Plan (as
defined below) with respect to Discretionary Management (as defined below) of the Companys common
stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
New Common Stock
), held by the VEBA Trust, and (c)
the Persons (as defined below) identified on
Schedule I
hereto (collectively, the
VEBA
Trust Transferees
).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, pursuant to (a) the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Company,
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation (
KACC
) and Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates, as
modified, dated September 7, 2005, filed pursuant to Section 1121(a) of chapter 11 of title 11 of
the United States Code (the
Bankruptcy Code
) and confirmed by an order of the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware entered on February 6, 2006, which
confirmation order was affirmed by an order of the United States District Court for the District of
Delaware entered on May 11, 2006 (the
Plan
), and (b) those certain agreements entered
into between KACC and each of the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC, the International
Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America and its Local
1186, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Chemical
Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers, and the Paper, Allied-Industrial,
Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (collectively, the
Unions
)
pursuant to Sections 1113 and 1114 of the Bankruptcy Code, the Company was obligated to contribute
to the VEBA Trust 11,439,900 shares of New Common Stock on the effective date of the Plan (the
Effective Date
);
WHEREAS, prior to the Effective Date, pursuant to the terms of the Protocol for Pre-Effective
Date Sales approved by an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
(the
Bankruptcy Court
) entered on April 24, 2006, which Protocol for Pre-Effective Date
Sales was amended and restated by an order of the Bankruptcy Court entered on June 5, 2006 (as
amended and restated, the
Protocol
), the VEBA Trust sold to each of the VEBA Trust
Transferees and three other Persons a portion of its interest in the shares of New Common Stock to
be contributed to the VEBA Trust on the Effective Date;
WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the Protocol and the instructions of the
VEBA Trust, on the Effective Date, the Company issued shares of New Common Stock as follows: (a)
to the VEBA Trust, 8,809,900 shares (the
VEBA Trust Shares
), (b) to the VEBA Trust
Transferees, an aggregate of 2,330,000 shares as set forth on
Schedule I
hereto (the
VEBA Trust Transferee Shares
), and (c) to three other Persons an aggregate of 300,000
shares; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the Protocol, the Company desires to
provide for the registration of the sale of the Registrable Securities (as defined below) by the
Holders (as defined below) on the terms and subject to conditions set forth below.
AGREEMENTS
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the covenants and agreements herein
contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Article I.
Definitions and Certain Interpretative Matters
1.1
Definitions
. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a)
Agreement
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(b)
Bankruptcy Code
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(c)
Bankruptcy Court
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(d)
Business Day
: Any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which
national banking institutions in New York, New York, are open.
(e)
Certificate of Incorporation
: The Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company, as amended from time to time.
(f)
Company
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(g)
Demand Blackout Period
: Either a Primary Demand Blackout Period or a Secondary
Demand Blackout Period.
(h)
Demand Period
: As defined in
Section 2.1(a)
.
(i)
Demand Registration Statement
: As defined in Section 2.1(a).
(j)
Discretionary Management
: The extent to which the Independent Fiduciary
is permitted to exercise authority and control over New Common Stock held by the VEBA Trust
under the documents governing the VEBA Trust.
(k)
Effective Date
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(l)
Exchange Act
: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(m)
Holders
: Collectively the VEBA Trust, acting through the VEBA Trustee or
any successor to the VEBA Trustee at the direction of the Independent
Fiduciary or any successor to the Independent Fiduciary, and the VEBA Trust
Transferees, in each case for so long as such Person holds Registrable Securities.
2
(n)
Indemnified Party
: As defined in
Section 7.3
.
(o)
Indemnifying Party
: As defined in
Section 7.3
.
(p)
Independent Fiduciary
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(q)
Initial Shelf Registration Statement
: As defined in
Section
3.1(a)
.
(r)
KACC
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(s)
Losses
: As defined in
Section 7.1
.
(t)
New Common Stock
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(u)
Other Holders
: As defined in
Section 4.2
.
(v)
Person
: Any individual, corporation, general or limited partnership,
limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity or association, including
without limitation any governmental authority.
(w)
Piggyback Notice
: As defined in
Section 4.1
.
(x)
Piggyback Registration
: As defined in
Section 4.1
.
(y)
Plan
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(z)
Primary Demand Blackout Period
: As defined in
Section 2.3(a)
.
(aa)
Primary Shelf Blackout Period
: As defined in
Section 3.4(a)
.
(bb)
Prospectus
: The prospectus included in the applicable Registration
Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and
all amendments (including without limitation post-effective amendments) and including
without limitation all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by
reference in such prospectus.
(cc)
Protocol
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
(dd)
Registrable Securities
: Collectively (i) the VEBA Trust Shares, (ii)
the VEBA Trust Transferee Shares, and (iii) any securities paid, issued or distributed on
account of any such shares by way of stock dividend, stock split or distribution, or in
exchange for or in replacement of any such shares in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or otherwise;
provided, however
, that as to any Registrable Securities, such securities will irrevocably
cease to constitute Registrable Securities upon the earliest to occur of: (A) the date on
which the securities are disposed of pursuant to an effective registration statement under
the Securities Act; (B) the date on which the securities are distributed to the public under
and in accordance with Rule 144 (or any successor provision) under the Securities Act;
3
(C) the date on which the securities may be freely sold publicly without either registration
under the Securities Act or compliance with any restrictions, including without limitation
restrictions as to volume or manner of sales, under Rule 144 (or any successor provision);
(D) the date on which the securities have been transferred to any Person; or (E) the date of
which the securities cease to be outstanding.
(ee)
Registration Statement
: Any registration statement of the Company under
the Securities Act that covers any of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions
of this Agreement, including without limitation the related Prospectus, all amendments and
supplements to such registration statement (including without limitation post-effective
amendments), and all schedules, all exhibits and all materials incorporated by reference or
deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
(ff)
Retiree Plan
: The retiree health plan known as VEBA for Retirees of
Kaiser Aluminum.
(gg)
Rule 144
: Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rule may be
amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC.
(hh)
SEC
: The Securities and Exchange Commission.
(ii)
Secondary Demand Blackout Period
: As defined in
Section 2.3(b
).
(jj)
Secondary Shelf Blackout Period
: As defined in
Section 3.4(b)
.
(kk)
Securities Act
: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(ll)
Shelf Blackout Period
: Either a Primary Shelf Blackout Period or a
Secondary Demand Blackout Period.
(mm)
Shelf Registration Statement
: The Initial Shelf Registration Statement
or a Substitute Shelf Registration Statement, as the case may be.
(nn)
Substitute Shelf Registration Statement
: As defined in
Section 3.1(b)
.
(oo)
Substitution Date
: As defined in
Section 3.1(b)
.
(pp)
Termination Date
: As defined in
Section 3.1(a
).
(qq)
Underwritten Demand Offering Notice
: As defined in
Section 2.1(b)
.
(rr)
Underwritten Offering
: An offering in which securities of the Company
are sold to one or more underwriters for reoffering to the public.
(ss)
Unions
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
4
(tt)
VEBA Trust
: The trust that provides benefits for certain eligible
retirees of KACC represented by the Unions and their surviving spouses and eligible
dependents.
(uu)
VEBA Trustee
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(vv)
VEBA Trust Shares
: As defined in the Recitals.
(ww)
VEBA Trust Transferee
: As defined in the introductory paragraph hereof.
(xx)
VEBA Trust Transferee Shares
: As defined in the
Recitals
.
1.2
Certain Interpretative Matters
. Unless the context otherwise requires, (a) all
references to Articles or Sections are to Articles or Sections of this Agreement, (b) each term
defined in this Agreement has the meaning assigned to it, (c) all uses of herein, hereto,
hereof and words similar thereto in this Agreement refer to this Agreement in its entirety, and
not solely to the Article, Section or provision in which it appears, (d) or is disjunctive but
not necessarily exclusive, and (e) words in the singular include the plural and vice versa. Unless
otherwise specified, the use of the term day will be deemed to be a calendar day and not a
Business Day.
Article II.
Demand Registration
2.1
Filing of a Demand Registration Statement
.
(a) At any time during the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending March 31, 2007
(the
Demand Period
),
the VEBA Trust may (and, if so directed by the
Independent Fiduciary, will) request in writing that the Company file a Registration Statement
covering the resale of its Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering (a
Demand
Registration Statement
), which request shall specify the number of Registrable Securities held
by the VEBA Trust to be included on such Registration Statement. The Company will (i) prepare and
file the Demand Registration Statement as promptly as practicable (and, in any event within 90
days) following receipt of such request, (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the
Demand Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as
practicable after such filing, and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Demand
Registration Statement to remain continuously effective during the period commencing on the
effectiveness thereof and ending on the date that is 60 days thereafter or such earlier date on
which all Registrable Securities covered by the Demand Registration Statement
have been sold pursuant thereto (subject to extension pursuant to
Section 6.3
), all
subject to and in accordance with this
Article II
,
Article V
and
Article
VI
.
(b) Upon receipt of a request for the filing of a Demand Registration Statement for an
Underwritten Offering pursuant to
Section 2.1(a)
, the Company will promptly deliver written
notice of the proposed Underwritten Offering (an
Underwritten Demand Offering Notice
) to
each of the VEBA Trust Transferees. Subject to the remaining provisions of this
Section
2.1(b)
, the Company will include on the Demand Registration Statement all Registrable
Securities held by a VEBA Trust Transferee with respect to which the Company has
5
received a written
request for such inclusion from such VEBA Trust Transferee within 10 days after delivery of the
Underwritten Demand Offering Notice, and the Company and the VEBA Trust will cause the managing
underwriter or underwriters of the proposed Underwritten Offering pursuant to the Demand
Registration Statement to permit such VEBA Trust Transferee to include all such Registrable
Securities in such Underwritten Offering on the same terms and conditions as any Registrable
Securities included therein by the VEBA Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the managing
underwriter or underwriters of such Underwritten Offering advise the Company, the VEBA Trust and
the VEBA Trust Transferees that have requested inclusion of Registrable Securities in such
Underwritten Offering that, in its or their good faith judgment, the total number of Registrable
Securities that the VEBA Trust and such VEBA Trust Transferees propose to include in such
Underwritten Offering exceeds the number of Registrable Securities that can be sold in such
Underwritten Offering without being materially detrimental to the success of such Underwritten
Offering, then the Company will include on the Demand Registration Statement the full number of
Registrable Securities that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be
sold without being materially detrimental to the success of such Underwritten Offering allocated on
a
pro rata
basis among the VEBA Trust and such VEBA Trust Transferees based on the relationship of
the number of Registrable Securities requested to be included on such Demand Registration Statement
by each of them to the total number of Registrable Securities requested to be included on the
Demand Registration Statement by all of them (subject to any other agreement between them).
(c)
Use of Available Form
. The Demand Registration Statement will be filed on Form
S-1 or other appropriate form as the Company is then eligible to use.
(d)
Certain Limitations
. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary,
(i) the Company will not be required to take any action pursuant to this
Section 2.1
if the
Registrable Securities requested to be included on a Demand Registration Statement by the VEBA
Trust have a market value of less than $60.0 million in the aggregate on the date such request is
made under
Section 2.1(a)
, and (ii) the Company will be required to effect only one
registration pursuant to this
Section 2.1
. Except as provided in the remaining provisions
of this
Section 2.1(d)
, a registration requested pursuant to
Section 2.1(a)
will
not be deemed to be effected if it has not been declared effective and kept effective as
contemplated by
Section 2.1(a)
. At any time prior to the effective date of a Demand
Registration Statement, the VEBA Trust may (and, if so directed by the Independent Fiduciary, will)
revoke its request for registration pursuant to
Section 2.1(a)
; in such event, either (A)
the VEBA Trust will reimburse
the Company for all its out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the preparation, filing and
processing of such registration, in which case the requested registration that has been revoked
will not be deemed to have been effected for purposes of this
Section 2.1(d)
, or (B) the
requested registration that has been revoked will be deemed to have been effected for purposes of
this
Section 2.1(d)
;
provided
,
however
, that, if such revocation was based on the Companys
failure to comply in any material respect with its obligations hereunder, such reimbursement will
not be required and such registration will not be deemed to have been effected for purposes of this
Section 2.1(d)
.
2.2
Manner of Distribution pursuant to the Demand Registration Statement
. The Demand
Registration Statement will permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities covered thereby in
one Underwritten Offering.
6
2.3
Blackout Period with respect to Demand Registration
.
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 2.1
to the contrary, if (i) at any
time during the Demand Period, the Company files or proposes to file a registration statement under
the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities of the Company for its own
account and (ii) (A) in the case of an offering that is not an Underwritten Offering, the Company
gives the VEBA Trust and the VEBA Trust Transferees reasonable notice in writing that the Board of
Directors of the Company has determined, in the good faith exercise of its reasonable business
judgment, that a sale or distribution of Registrable Securities would adversely affect such
offering or (B) in the case of an Underwritten Offering, the managing underwriter or underwriters
advise the Company in writing that a sale or distribution of Registrable Securities would adversely
affect such offering (in which case the Company will give the VEBA Trust and the VEBA Trust
Transferees reasonable notice in writing of such advice), then the Company will not be obligated to
effect the filing of the Demand Registration Statement pursuant to
Section 2.1(a)
during
the period (a
Primary Demand Blackout Period
) that is 30 days prior to the date the
Company estimates in good faith will be the date of the filing of, and ending on the date which is
60 days following the effective date of, the registration statement the Company so proposes to
file.
(b) Notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 2.1
to the contrary, if the Board of
Directors of the Company determines, in the good faith exercise of its reasonable business
judgment, that the registration and distribution of Registrable Securities (i) would materially
impede, delay or interfere with any financing, acquisition, corporate reorganization or other
significant transaction, or any negotiations, discussions or pending proposals with respect
thereto, involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) would require disclosure of
non-public material information, the disclosure of which would be materially detrimental to the
Company, the Company will promptly give the VEBA Trust and the VEBA Trust Transferees written
notice of such determination and will be entitled to postpone the preparation, filing or
effectiveness of the Demand Registration Statement contemplated by
Section 2.1(a)
for a
reasonable period of time (a
Secondary Demand Blackout Period
) not to exceed 90 days.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Section 2.3
to the contrary, during the
Demand Period, there will be no more than one Demand Blackout Period.
2.4
Selection of Underwriters
. The managing underwriter or underwriters of the
Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Demand Registration Statement will be selected by the VEBA
Trust, subject to the approval of the Company, which approval will not be unreasonable withheld.
Article III.
Shelf Registration
3.1
Filing of a Shelf Registration Statement
.
(a) At any time following March 31, 2007, the VEBA Trust may (and, if so directed by the
Independent Fiduciary, will) request in writing that the Company file a Registration Statement
covering the resale of all Registrable Securities held by the VEBA Trust on a continuous basis
under and in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act (the
7
Initial Shelf Registration Statement
). The Company will (i) prepare and file the
Initial Shelf Registration Statement as promptly as practicable (and in any event within, if the
Initial Shelf Registration Statement is on Form S-3 (or any applicable successor form), 60 days or,
if the Initial Shelf Registration Statement is on any other form, 90 days) following receipt of
such request, (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Initial Shelf Registration
Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after such
filing, and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Initial Shelf Registration
Statement, once effective, to remain continuously effective until the first day on which there
ceases to be any Registrable Securities held by the VEBA Trust (the
Termination Date
),
all subject to and in accordance with this
Article III
,
Article V
and
Article
VI
.
(b) If the Initial Shelf Registration or any Substitute Shelf Registration Statement ceases to
be effective for any reason at any time prior to the Termination Date, in accordance with
Section 5.1(d)
the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the prompt
withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness thereof. In the event that any such order is
not withdrawn on or prior to the date that is 45 days after the date of such order (the
Substitution Date
), the Company will either:
(i) (A) prepare and file a post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration
Statement as promptly as practicable following the Substitution Date, (B) use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement, as so amended, to again be
declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after such amendment
is filed with the SEC, and (C) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf
Registration Statement as so amended, once effective, to remain continuously effective until
the Termination Date; or
(ii) (A) file a separate Registration Statement covering the resale of the Registrable
Securities on a continuous basis under and in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities
Act (any such registration statement, a
Substitute Shelf Registration Statement
)
as promptly as practicable (and in any event within, if the Substitute Shelf Registration
Statement is on Form S-3 (or any applicable successor form), 60 days or, if the Substitute
Shelf Registration Statement is on any other form, 90 days) following the Substitution Date,
(B) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Substitute Shelf Registration
Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after
such Substitute Shelf Registration Statement is filed with the SEC, and (C) use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause such Substitute Shelf Registration Statement, once effective, to
remain continuously effective until the Termination Date;
all subject to and in accordance with this
Article III
,
Article V
and
Article
VI
.
(c) Each Shelf Registration Statement will be filed on Form S-3 (or any applicable successor
form);
provided
,
however
, that if the Company is not then eligible to register the Registrable
Securities for resale on Form S-3 (or any applicable successor form), such Shelf Registration
Statement will be filed on any such other form as the Company is then eligible to so use. If, at
any time while there is a Shelf Registration Statement on a form other than Form S-3 (or any
applicable successor form), the Company becomes eligible to use Form S-3 (or any applicable
successor form), the Company will take any action as may be reasonably
8
necessary to convert such Shelf Registration Statement to a Registration Statement on Form S-3
(or any applicable successor form) as promptly as practicable. Similarly, if, at any time while
there is a Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (or any applicable successor form), the Company
becomes ineligible to use Form S-3 (or any applicable successor form), the Company will take any
action as may be necessary to convert such Shelf Registration Statement to a Registration Statement
on such other form that the Company is then eligible to use as promptly as practicable.
3.2
Certain Limitations
. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained,
the Company will not be required to take any action pursuant to
Section 3.1(a)
: (i) if the
Company has effected a registration contemplated by
Section 2.1(a)
within the 180-day
period next preceding such request; (ii) if, at the time if such request, a demand for registration
contemplated by
Section 2.1(a)
has been made and not revoked and such registration has not
yet been effected; or (iii) if, at the time of such request, the Stock Transfer Restriction
Agreement would prohibit the VEBA Trust from immediately selling a number of Registrable Securities
it would then be permitted to sell in compliance with the restrictions of Rule 144.
3.3
Manner of Distribution pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement
. Any Shelf
Registration Statement will permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities: (a) in one or
more Underwritten Offerings, subject to
Section 3.5
; (b) through block trades; (c) through
broker transactions; (d) though at-market transactions; and (e) in any other manner as may be
reasonably requested by either of the Holders.
3.4
Blackout Period with respect to Shelf Registration
.
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 3.1
to the contrary, if (i) at any
time during which (A) the VEBA Trust may request a registration pursuant to
Section 2.1(a)
or (B) the Company is obligated to file a post-effective amendment to a Shelf Registration
Statement or a Substitute Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to
Section 3.1(b)
, the
Company files or proposes to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to
an offering of equity securities of the Company for its own account and (ii) (A) in the case of an
offering that is not an Underwritten Offering, the Company gives the VEBA Trust reasonable notice
in writing that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined, in the good faith exercise of
its reasonable business judgment, that a sale or distribution of Registrable Securities would
adversely affect such offering or (B) in the case of an Underwritten Offering, the managing
underwriter or underwriters advise the Company in writing that a sale or distribution of
Registrable Securities would adversely affect such offering (in which case the Company will give
the VEBA Trust reasonable notice in writing of such advice), then the Company will not be obligated
to effect the filing of the Initial Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to
Section 3.1(a)
or the filing of a post-effective amendment to a Shelf Registration Statement or a Substitute Shelf
Registration Statement pursuant to
Section 3.1(b)
during the period (a
Primary Shelf
Blackout Period
) that is 30 days prior to the date the Company estimates in good faith will be
the date of the filing of, and ending on the date which is 60 days following the effective date of,
the registration statement the Company so proposes to file.
(b) Notwithstanding anything contained in
Section 3.1
to the contrary, if the Board of
Directors of the Company determines, in the good faith exercise of its reasonable
9
business judgment, that the registration and distribution of Registrable Securities (i) would
materially impede, delay or interfere with any financing, acquisition, corporate reorganization or
other significant transaction, or any negotiations, discussions or pending proposals with respect
thereto, involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) would require disclosure of
non-public material information, the disclosure of which would be materially detrimental to the
Company, the Company will promptly give the VEBA Trust written notice of such determination and
will be entitled to postpone the preparation, filing or effectiveness of the Initial Shelf
Registration Statement contemplated by
Section 3.1(a)
or any post-effective amendment to a
Shelf Registration Statement or a Substitute Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to
Section
3.1(b)
for a reasonable period of time (a
Secondary Shelf Blackout Period
) not to
exceed 90 days.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Section 3.4
to the contrary, during any
consecutive 12-month period, there will be no more than one Blackout Period.
3.5
Underwritten Offerings under a Shelf Registration Statement
.
(a) If the VEBA Trust so requests in writing, the Company will effect pursuant to the
then-effective Shelf Registration Statement an Underwritten Offering;
provided
,
however
, that the
Company will not be required to take any action in response to any such request (i) if the Company
has effected an Underwritten Offering pursuant to this
Section 3.5(a)
within the 180-day
period next preceding such request or (ii) if the Registrable Securities requested to be included
in the Underwritten Offering have a market value of less than $10.0 million on the date such
request is made under this
Section 3.5
.
(b) The VEBA Trust may, at any time prior to execution of the underwriting agreement (or other
similar agreement) relating to such Underwritten Offering, withdraw any Registrable Securities from
such Underwritten Offering by providing a written notice to the Company. In the event all
Registrable Securities are so withdrawn, either (i) the VEBA Trust will reimburse the Company for
all its out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the proposed Underwritten Offering in
excess of the amount of expenses relating solely to the maintenance of such Shelf Registration
Statement, in which case the Underwritten Offering that has been withdrawn will not be deemed to
have been effected for purposes of
Section 3.5(a)
, or (ii) the Underwritten Offering that
has been withdrawn will be deemed to have been effected for purposes of
Section 3.5(a)
;
provided, however
, that, if such withdrawal was based on the Companys failure to comply in any
material respect with its obligations hereunder, such reimbursement will not be required and the
proposed Underwritten Offering will not be deemed to have been effected for purposes of
Section
3.5(a)
. A withdrawal will be irrevocable and, after making such withdrawal, a Holder will no
longer have any right to include the Registrable Securities so withdrawn in that Underwritten
Offering.
(c) The managing underwriter or underwriters of the Underwritten Offering relating thereto
will be selected by the VEBA Trust, subject to the approval of the Company, which approval will not
be unreasonably withheld.
10
Article IV.
Piggyback Registration.
4.1
Right to Piggyback
. If at any time the Company proposes to file a registration
statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of any class of equity securities
(other than (a) a registration statement on Form S-4, Form S-8 or any applicable successor forms
thereto or filed solely in connection with an offering made solely to then-existing stockholders or
employees of the Company or (b) a Shelf Registration Statement), whether or not for its own
account, then the Company will give written notice (the
Piggyback Notice
) of such
proposed filing to the VEBA Trust at least 45 days before the anticipated filing date of such
registration statement. Such notice will offer the VEBA Trust the opportunity to register such
amount of Registrable Securities as the VEBA Trust may request (a
Piggyback
Registration
). Subject to
Section 4.2
, the Company will include in the Piggyback
Registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written
requests for such inclusion within 15 days after delivery of the Piggyback Notice.
4.2
Priority on Underwritten Piggyback Registrations
. If the Piggyback Registration
is an Underwritten Offering, the Company will cause the managing underwriter or underwriters of
that proposed offering to permit the VEBA Trust, if it has requested Registrable Securities to be
included in the Piggyback Registration, to include all such Registrable Securities on the same
terms and conditions as any similar securities, if any, of the Company. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the managing underwriter or underwriters of such Underwritten Offering advise the
Company and the VEBA Trust that, in its or their good faith judgment, the total amount of
securities that the Company, the VEBA Trust and all other Persons having rights to participate in
such Piggyback Registration (collectively, the
Other Holders
) propose to include in such
offering exceeds the amount of securities that can be sold in that offering without being
materially detrimental to the success of such Underwritten Offering, then:
(a) if such Piggyback Registration is a primary registration by the Company for its own
account, the Company will include in such Piggyback Registration: (i) first, all securities
to be offered by the Company; and (ii) second, up to the full amount of securities requested
to be included in such Piggyback Registration by the VEBA Trust and Other Holders (allocated
on a
pro rata
basis among the VEBA Trust and Other Holders, based on the relationship of the
amount of securities requested to be included in such registration by the VEBA Trust or
Other Holder to the total amount of securities requested to be included in such registration
by the VEBA Trust and Other Holders, subject to any other agreement among them) so that the
total amount of securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering is the full amount
that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without being
materially detrimental to the success of such Underwritten Offering; and
(b) if such Piggyback Registration is an underwritten secondary registration for the
account of holders of securities of the Company, the Company will include in such
registration: (i) first, all securities of the Persons exercising demand registration
rights requested to be included therein (including without limitation the Person who demands
registration and any Persons who are entitled to participate in such Piggyback Registration
pursuant to the same agreement as the Person demanding such registration); and (ii) second,
up to the full amount of securities requested to be included in such
11
Piggyback Registration by the VEBA Trust and Other Holders (allocated on a
pro rata
basis among the VEBA Trust and Other Holders, based on the relationship of the amount of
securities requested to be included in such registration by the VEBA Trust or Other Holder
to the total amount of securities requested to be included in such registration by the VEBA
Trust and Other Holders, subject to any other agreement among them) so that the total amount
of securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering is the full amount that, in the
written opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without being
materially detrimental to the success of such Underwritten Offering.
4.3
Withdrawal of Piggyback Registration
.
(a) If at any time after giving the Piggyback Notice and prior to the effective date of the
Registration Statement filed in connection with the Piggyback Registration, the Company determines
for any reason not to register or to delay the Piggyback Registration, the Company may, at its
election, give written notice of its determination to the VEBA Trust and (i) in the case of a
determination not to register, will be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable
Securities in connection with the abandoned Piggyback Registration, without prejudice, and (ii) in
the case of a determination to delay the Piggyback Registration, will be permitted to delay the
registration for a period not exceeding 180 days.
(b) The VEBA Trust may withdraw any of its Registrable Securities to be included in a
Piggyback Registration from such Piggyback Registration by providing a written notice to the
Company;
provided
,
however
, that (i) the VEBA Trusts request must be made prior to execution of
the underwriting agreement with respect to an Underwritten Offering or, if the Piggyback
Registration does not involve an Underwritten Offering, at least three Business Days prior to the
filing of the Registration Statement covering the Piggyback Registration and (ii) the withdrawal
will be irrevocable and, after making such withdrawal, the VEBA Trust will no longer have any right
to include the Registrable Securities so withdrawn in that Piggyback Registration.
Article V.
Additional Provisions Relating to Underwritten Offerings
5.1
Restrictions on Sale
. In connection with any Underwritten Offering, the
Registrable Securities which are excluded from such Underwritten Offering by reason of the
underwriters marketing limitation or are withdrawn from such Underwritten Offering and the other
Registrable Securities not originally requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering will
not be included in that Underwritten Offering, and, if so requested pursuant to a timely written
notice by the managing underwriter or underwriters, the Holder or Holders thereof will agree not to
effect any public sale or distribution (or any other type of sale as the managing underwriter or
underwriters reasonably determine is necessary in order to effect the Underwritten Offering) of any
such Registrable Securities, including without limitation a sale under and in accordance with Rule
144, during the 10 days prior to, and during the 90 days following, the closing date of such
Underwritten Offering, with such extensions as are customarily requested by the managing
underwriter or underwriters in similar offerings, but not to exceed 180 days following such closing
date. In the event of such a request, the Company may impose, during such period, appropriate
stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Registrable Securities subject to such restrictions.
12
5.2
Participation in Underwritten Offerings
. With respect to any Underwritten
Offering, the inclusion of a Holders Registrable Securities therein will be conditioned upon such
Holders participation in such Underwritten Offering, including without limitation the execution
and delivery by such Holder of an underwriting agreement in form, scope and substance as is
customary in Underwritten Offerings and the completion, execution and delivery by such Holder of
all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents
reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting agreement.
Article VI.
Procedures and Expenses
6.1
Registration Procedures
. In connection with the Companys registration
obligations pursuant to
Articles II
,
III
and
IV
, the Company will:
(a) before filing any Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any amendment or
supplements thereto, furnish to each participating Holder and its counsel copies thereof as
proposed to be filed, sufficiently in advance of filing to provide them with a reasonable
opportunity to review such documents and comment thereon;
(b) prepare and file with the SEC any amendments (including without limitation any
post-effective amendments) to the Registration Statement and any supplements to the
Prospectus as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective until all
Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the
intended plan of distribution set forth in the Registration Statement as so amended or in
such Prospectus as so supplemented;
(c) promptly following its actual knowledge thereof, notify each participating Holder
and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any:
(i) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or amendment has been filed
and, with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when
such Registration Statement or post-effective amendment has become effective;
(ii) of any request by the SEC or any other governmental authority for
amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related Prospectus or for
additional information or any comments by the SEC or any other governmental
authority relating to any document referred to in
Section 6.1(c)(i)
;
(iii) of the issuance by the SEC or any other governmental authority of any
stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or the
initiation of any proceedings for that purpose;
(iv) of the receipt by the Company of any written notification with respect to
the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the
Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening
of any proceeding for such purpose;
13
(v) that a statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus is or has
become untrue in any material respect or that a change in a Registration Statement
or Prospectus or other document must be made so that (A) in the case of a
Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading and (B) in the case of a Prospectus, it
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made; and
(vi) of the Companys reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment
to a Registration Statement is necessary;
(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order
suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or the lifting of any suspension of
the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for
sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable date;
(e) furnish to each participating Holder and the managing underwriter or underwriters,
if any, at least one conformed copy of any Registration Statement and any post-effective
amendment thereto, including without limitation financial statements (but excluding all
schedules, all exhibits and all materials incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by
reference), and copies of any Prospectus, including without limitation all supplements
thereto, in such quantities as such Holders may reasonably request;
(f) prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, register or qualify or
cooperate with each participating Holder, the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any,
and their respective counsel in connection with the registration or qualification (or
exemption from such registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for offer
and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United
States as the participating Holder or any managing underwriter or underwriters reasonably
request in writing and maintain each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom)
effective during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept effective;
provided
,
however
, the Company will not be required to qualify generally to do business in
any jurisdiction in which it is not then so qualified or take any action which would subject
it to general service of process or taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is not then so
subject;
(g) as promptly as practicable upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by
Section 6.1(c)(v)
or
6.1(c)(vi)
, prepare and file a post-effective amendment
to the applicable Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus, or file
any other required document, so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the
Registrable Securities being sold thereunder, such Prospectus will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
14
(h) enter into customary and reasonable agreements (including without limitation an
underwriting agreement) and take all other actions reasonably necessary or desirable to
expedite or facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities and, in connection
therewith, whether or not an underwriting agreement is entered into and whether or not the
registration is an Underwritten Offering:
(i) use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain opinions of counsel to
the Company and updates thereof (which counsel and opinions (in form, scope and
substance) are reasonably satisfactory to each participating Holder and the managing
underwriter or underwriters, if any), addressed to each participating Holder and the
managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, covering the matters customarily
covered in opinions requested in Underwritten Offerings and such other matters as
may be reasonably requested by any participating Holder or any underwriter, and
(ii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain comfort letters and
updates thereof from the independent certified public accountants of the Company
addressed to each participating Holder and the managing underwriter or underwriters,
if any, covering the matters customarily covered in comfort letters in connection
with Underwritten Offerings;
(i) upon reasonable notice and at reasonable times during normal business hours, make
available for inspection by a representative of each participating Holder and any
underwriter participating in any disposition of Registrable Securities and their respective
counsel or accountants, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and
properties of the Company, and cause the officers, directors and employees of the Company to
supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, underwriter, counsel
or accountant in connection with the applicable Registration Statement;
(j) cause all Registrable Securities to be listed or accepted for quotation on each
national securities exchange, national securities association or automated quotation system
on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or quoted; and
(k) use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC relating to such registration and make generally available to its
security holders earning statements satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Securities Act,
provided
that the Company will be deemed to have complied with this
Section 6.1(j)
if it has satisfied the provisions of Rule 158 under the Securities
Act (or any similar rule promulgated under the Securities Act).
6.2
Information from the Holders, the VEBA Trust and the Independent Fiduciary
.
(a) Each Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the Independent
Fiduciary) whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement pursuant to this
Agreement shall furnish to the Company such information regarding such Holder, the VEBA Trustee or
the Independent Fiduciary, as the case may be, and their plan
15
and method of distribution of such Registrable Securities as the Company may reasonably
request in writing and as shall be required in connection with such registration or the
registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities under any applicable state securities
or blue sky law. The Company may refuse to proceed with the registration of such Holders
Registrable Securities if such Holder (or, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee or
the Independent Fiduciary) unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time
after receiving such request.
(b) Each participating Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the
Independent Fiduciary) will as expeditiously as possible (i) notify the Company that a statement
made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus regarding such participating Holder, the VEBA
Trustee or the Independent Fiduciary, as the case may be, based on information furnished to the
Company pursuant to
Section 6.2(a)
is or has become untrue in any material respect or that
a change to a statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus based on information
furnished to the Company pursuant to
Section 6.2(a)
must be made so that (A) in the case of
a Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements not misleading and
(B) in the case of a Prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements not
misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made and (ii) provide the Company
with such information as may be required to enable the Company to prepare a post-effective
amendment to any such Registration Statement or a supplement to such Prospectus.
6.3
Suspension of Disposition
.
(a) Each participating Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the
Independent Fiduciary) will be deemed to have agreed that, upon receipt of any notice from the
Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in
Section 6.1(c)(ii)
,
6.1(c)(iii)
,
6.1(c)(iv)
,
6.1(c)(v)
or
6.1(c)(vi)
, such Holder will
discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement or Prospectus
until receipt by such Holder of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated
by
Section 6.1(g)
or until such Holder has been advised in writing by the Company that the
use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed and has received copies of any additional or
supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such
Prospectus. In the event that the Company shall give any such notice, the period of time for which
a Demand Registration Statement must remain effective as set forth in
Section 2.1(a)
will
be extended by the number of days during the time period from and including the date of the giving
of such notice to and including the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such
Demand Registration Statement shall have received (i) the copies of the supplemented or amended
Prospectus contemplated by
Section 6.1(h)
or (ii) the written advice referred to above.
(b) Each participating Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the
Independent Fiduciary) will be deemed to have agreed that, upon receipt of any notice from the
Company that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is involved in any financing, acquisition,
corporate reorganization or other significant transaction, or any negotiations, discussions or
pending proposals with respect thereto, disclosure of which would be
16
required in the Registration Statement and the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined in the good faith exercise of its reasonable business judgment that disclosure would
adversely affect the financing, acquisition, corporate reorganization or other significant
transaction, each participating Holder will discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities
covered by a Registration Statement or Prospectus until the earlier to occur of (i) the receipt by
such Holder of copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus describing the financing,
acquisition, corporate reorganization or other significant transaction or (ii) the termination of
the transaction;
provided
,
however
, that the period during which the offer and sale of Registrable
Securities is discontinued will not exceed 90 days during any 12-month period.
6.4
Registration Expenses
.
(a) Subject to
Sections 2.1(d)
and
3.5(c)
, all fees and expenses incurred by
the Company in complying with
Articles II
,
III
and
IV
and
Section
6.1
(collectively,
Registration Expenses
) will be borne by the Company. These fees
and expenses will include without limitation (i) all registration and filing fees (including
without limitation fees and expenses incurred (A) with respect to filings required to be made with
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and (B) in complying with securities or blue
sky laws (including without limitation reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for any
underwriters and each participating Holder in connection with blue sky qualifications of the
Registrable Securities and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for
investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as the managing underwriter or underwriters, if
any, or the participating Holder or Holders may designate)), (ii) printing expenses (including
without limitation the expenses of printing certificates for securities in a form eligible for
deposit with The Depository Trust Company and of printing Prospectuses if the printing of
Prospectuses is requested by the participating Holder or Holders), (iii) fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Company, (iv) reasonable fees and disbursements (not to exceed $50,000) of one
counsel for participating Holders collectively (which counsel will be selected by the VEBA Trust)
for each of a registration pursuant to
Article II
and a registration pursuant to
Article III
, (v) fees and disbursements of all independent certified public accountants
referred to in
Section 6.1(h)(ii)
(including without limitation the expenses of any special
audit and comfort letters required by or incident to such performance), (vi) reasonable fees and
expenses of any qualified independent underwriter or other independent appraiser participating in
an offering pursuant to Section 2720(c) of the Conduct Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc., and (vii) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company.
In addition, the Company will pay its internal expenses (including without limitation all salaries
and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of
any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the
securities to be registered on each national securities exchange, if any, on which similar
securities issued by the Company are then listed or the quotation of such securities on each
association or quotation system, if any, on which similar securities issued by the Company are then
quoted.
(b) Except as specifically set forth in
Section 6.4(a)
, notwithstanding anything
contained herein to the contrary (i) all costs and fees of counsel and experts retained by a
participating Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the Independent
Fiduciary) and (ii) all underwriting fees, discounts, selling commissions and stock
17
transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities will be borne by the
applicable Holder.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, each participating Holder may
have its own separate counsel in connection with the registration of any of its Registrable
Securities, which counsel may participate therein to the full extent provided herein;
provided
,
however
, that all fees and expenses of such separate counsel will be paid for by such participating
Holder.
Article VII.
Indemnification
7.1
Indemnification by the Company
. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless, to
the fullest extent permitted by law, each Holder holding Registrable Securities registered pursuant
to this Agreement (and, if the VEBA Trust is a participating Holder, the VEBA Trustee and the
Independent Fiduciary) and their respective officers, directors, trustees, agents and employees,
each Person who controls (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of
the Exchange Act) such Holder (and, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee and the
Independent Fiduciary) and the officers, directors, trustees, agents and employees of any such
controlling Person, from and against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof), costs and expenses (including without limitation any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim,
damage, liability or action) (collectively,
Losses
) arising out of or based upon (i) any
violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any
applicable state securities or blue sky law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any applicable state securities or blue sky law in connection
with the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities, (ii) any untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement,
Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or any document filed under any state securities or blue sky law
in connection with the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities, or (iii) any omission or
alleged omission to state in any such Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or
filed document a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, except insofar as such Losses are based solely upon information furnished
in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder, the VEBA Trustee or the Independent
Fiduciary expressly for use therein;
provided
,
however
, that the Company will not be liable to any
Holder (or, if such Holder is the VEBA Trust, the VEBA Trustee or the Independent Fiduciary) to the
extent that any Losses arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission made in any preliminary prospectus if either (i) (A) such
Holder failed to send or deliver a copy of the Prospectus with or prior to the delivery of written
confirmation of the sale by such Holder of a Registrable Security to the Person asserting the claim
from which such Losses arise and (B) the Prospectus would have completely corrected such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or such omission or alleged omission or (ii) (A) the untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission is completely corrected in an
amendment or supplement to the Prospectus previously furnished by or on behalf of the Company, (B)
such Holder was furnished with copies of the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, and (C) such
Holder thereafter failed to deliver such Prospectus as so amended or
18
supplemented prior to or concurrently with the sale of a Registrable Security to the Person
asserting the claim from which such Losses arise.
7.2
Indemnification by Holders
. Each participating Holder (severally and not jointly)
will indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company, its
officers, directors, agents and employees, each Person who controls (within the meaning of Section
15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) the Company and the directors,
officers, agents and employees of any such controlling Person, from and against all Losses, as
incurred, arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary
prospectus, or any document filed under any state securities or blue sky law in connection with the
offer or sale of the Registrable Securities or (ii) any omission or alleged omission of a material
fact required to be stated in any such Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus
or filed document or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, to the extent, but
only to the extent, that such Losses arise from or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information so furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Holder (or, if such Holder is the VEBA
Trust, by the VEBA Trustee and the Independent Fiduciary) to the Company expressly for use in such
Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or filed document. In no event will the
liability of a Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds
received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such
indemnification obligation.
7.3
Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings
. If any Person becomes entitled to
indemnity hereunder (an
Indemnified Party
), such Indemnified Party will give prompt
notice to the party from which indemnity is sought (the
Indemnifying Party
) of any claim
or of the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which the Indemnified Party
seeks indemnification or contribution pursuant hereto;
provided
,
however
, that the failure to so
notify the Indemnifying Party will not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any obligation or
liability except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party has been prejudiced materially by such
failure. If such an action or proceeding is brought against the Indemnified Party, the
Indemnifying Party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent it may elect by
written notice delivered to the Indemnified Party promptly after receiving the notice referred to
in the immediately preceding sentence, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the Indemnified Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Indemnified Party will
have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of that
counsel will be at the expense of the Indemnified Party unless (i) the employment of the counsel
has been authorized in writing by the Indemnifying Party, (ii) the Indemnifying Party has not
employed counsel (reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party) to take charge of such action
or proceeding within a reasonable time after notice of commencement thereof, or (iii) the
Indemnified Party reasonably concludes, based upon the opinion of counsel, that there may be
defenses or actions available to it which are different from or in addition to those available to
the Indemnifying Party which, if the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party were to be
represented by the same counsel, could result in a conflict of interest for such counsel or
materially prejudice the prosecution of defenses or actions available to the Indemnified Party. If
any of the events specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence are
applicable, then the reasonable fees and expenses of separate counsel for the Indemnified Party
will be borne by the
19
Indemnifying Party;
provided
,
however
, that in no event will the Indemnifying Party be liable
for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (together with appropriate local counsel)
for all Indemnified Parties. If, in any case, the Indemnified Party employs separate counsel, the
Indemnifying Party will not have the right to direct the defense of the action or proceeding on
behalf of the Indemnified Party. All fees and expenses required to be paid to the Indemnified
Party pursuant to this
Article VII
will be paid periodically during the course of the
investigation or defense, promptly upon delivery to the Indemnified Party of a reasonably itemized
bill therefor in respect of any particular Loss that is incurred. Notwithstanding anything
contained in this
Section 7.3
to the contrary, an Indemnifying Party will not be liable for
the settlement of any action or proceeding effected without its prior written consent. An
Indemnifying Party will not, without the consent of the Indemnified Party (which consent will not
be unreasonably withheld), consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or
otherwise seek to terminate any action or proceeding in which any Indemnified Party is or could be
a party and as to which indemnification or contribution could be sought by such Indemnified Party
under this
Article VII
, unless such judgment, settlement or other termination provides
solely for the payment of money and includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the
claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnified Party of a release, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Indemnified Party, from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation
for which such Indemnified Party would be entitled to indemnification hereunder.
7.4
Contribution, etc
.
(a) If the indemnification provided for in this
Article VII
is held by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an Indemnified Party under
Section 7.1
or
7.2
in respect of any Losses or is insufficient to hold the Indemnified Party harmless,
then each applicable Indemnifying Party (severally and not jointly), in lieu of indemnifying the
Indemnified Party, will contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Indemnified Party as a
result of such Losses, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the
Indemnifying Party or Indemnifying Parties, on the one hand, and the Indemnified Party, on the
other hand, in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as
well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the Indemnifying Party
or Indemnifying Parties, on the one hand, and the Indemnified Party, on the other hand, will be
determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including without
limitation any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged
omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or related to information supplied by, the
Indemnifying Party or Indemnifying Parties or the Indemnified Party, and the parties relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action,
statement or omission.
(b) The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant
to this
Section 7.4
were determined by
pro rata
allocation or by any other method of
allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the
immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Section 7.4
to
the contrary, an Indemnifying Party that is a participating Holder will not be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Registrable
Securities were sold by such participating Holder to the public exceeds the amount of any damages
which such participating Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
20
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No Person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be
entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
7.5
Survival of Indemnification
. The obligations of the Company and the Holders under
this
Article VII
will survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities
pursuant to any Registration Statement or Substitute Registration Statement under this Agreement.
Article VIII.
Rule 144
The Company will file in a timely manner (taking into account any extension available under
Rule 12b-25 of the Exchange Act) all reports required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act and,
to the extent required from time to time to enable the VEBA Trust to sell its Registrable
Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitations of the exemptions
provided by Rule 144, will cooperate with the VEBA Trust. Upon the request of the VEBA Trust, the
Company will promptly deliver to the VEBA Trust a written statement as to whether it has complied
with such filing requirements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this
Article VIII
will require the Company to register any securities, or file any reports, under the Exchange Act if
such registration or filing is not required under the Exchange Act.
Article IX.
Certain Other Agreements
Except as set forth herein, no agreement granting any registration rights to any Person with
respect to any of the Companys securities is in force and effect as of the date hereof. The
Company will not hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that is
inconsistent with, or attempts to derogate from, the rights granted to the Holders in this
Agreement, unless such inconsistency or derogation is first waived in writing by the Holders.
Article X.
Miscellaneous
10.1
Notices
. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications
hereunder will be in writing and will be given or made by delivery in person, by overnight courier,
by facsimile transmission, by electronic transmission or by registered or certified mail (postage
prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such
other address for a party specified in a notice given in accordance with this
Section
10.1
):
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(a)
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If to the Company:
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Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
27422 Portola Parkway, Suite 350
Foothill Ranch, California 92610
Facsimile: 949-614-1930
Attention: Corporate Secretary
E-mail: john.donnan@kaiseraluminum.com
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21
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with a copy to:
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Jones Day
2727 N. Harwood Street
Dallas, Texas 75223
Facsimile: 214-969-5100
Attention: Troy B. Lewis, Esq.
E-mail: tblewis@jonesday.com
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(b)
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If to the VEBA Trust:
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National City Bank
Taft-Hartley Services
20 Stanwix Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Facsimile: 412-644-6153
Attention: Gary R. Chontos
E-mail: gary.chontos@allegiantgroup.com
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with a copy to:
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National City Bank
1900 East Ninth Street, Loc.01-2174
Cleveland, OH 44114
Attn: John W. Boyd
E-mail: john.boyd@nationalcity.com
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with a copy to:
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Allegiant Asset Management Company
200 Public Square, 5
th
Floor
Cleveland, OH 44114
Attn: Robert V. Kline
E-mail: robert.kline@allegiantgroup.com
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with a copy to:
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Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C.
805 Fifteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-842-1888
Attention: Douglas L. Greenfield
E-mail: dgreenfield@bredhoff.com
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-and-
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22
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the Independent Fiduciary
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(c)
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If to the Independent Fiduciary:
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Independent Fiduciary Services, Inc.
805 15
th
Street, N.W., Suite 1120
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-898-1819
Attention: Samuel W. Halpern
E-mail: shalpern@independentfiduciary.com
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with a copy to:
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Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
607 14
th
Street, N.W., Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20005
Facsimile: 202-585-0024
Attention: Steven J. Sacher
E-mail: ssacher@kilpatrickstockton.com
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(d)
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If to a VEBA Trust Transferee, the address specified for such
VEBA Trust Transferee on
Schedule I
hereto.
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All such notices and communications sent to any party to this Agreement at the address(es) or
facsimile number(s) provided pursuant to this
Section 10.1
will be deemed to have been
delivered or given upon receipt, if delivered personally, by electronic transmission or by
overnight courier; when receipt is acknowledged, if sent by facsimile transmission; and three
Business Days after being mailed, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, with
postage prepaid, if mailed.
10.2
Confidentiality
. Each Holder, the VEBA Trustee and the Independent Fiduciary
will, and will cause their respective officers, directors, employees, legal counsel, accountants,
financial advisors and other representatives to, hold in confidence any material nonpublic
information received by them pursuant to this Agreement, including without limitation any material
nonpublic information included in any Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed
with the SEC provided pursuant to
Section 6.1(a)
and any material nonpublic information
provided or made available pursuant to
Section 6.1(i)
. This
Section 10.2
will not
apply to any information which (a) is or becomes generally available to the public (other than by
reason of a breach of this Agreement), (b) was already in the possession of such Holder, the VEBA
Trustee or the Independent Fiduciary from a non-confidential source prior to its disclosure by the
Company, and (c) is or becomes available to the Holder, the VEBA Trustee or the Independent
Fiduciary on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Company;
provided, however
, that
such source is not known by the Holder, the VEBA Trustee or the Independent Fiduciary, as the case
may be, to be bound by confidentiality obligations.
23
10.3
Assignment
. None of the parties to this Agreement will assign or delegate any of
their respective rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of
each of the other parties hereto. The parties intend that the terms of this Agreement apply to and
will be binding upon any successor to the Company, the VEBA Trustee, the Independent Fiduciary or a
VEBA Trust Transferee, as applicable, and will use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause
any such successor to agree in writing to become a party to this Agreement.
10.4
No Third-Party Beneficiaries
. Except as expressly set forth herein, this
Agreement will be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to
or will confer upon any other Person any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature
whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
10.5
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and
undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
10.6
Amendment and Waiver
. This Agreement may not be amended or modified or any
provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by all of the parties to this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an amendment, modification or waiver that does not
adversely affect all of the parties to this Agreement may be executed by only the adversely
affected party or parties.
10.7
Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures
. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile
signature and in any number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original and all
such counterparts, taken together, to constitute one instrument.
10.8
Headings
. The descriptive headings contained in this Agreement are for
convenience of reference only and will not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
10.9
Severability
. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not
affect the other terms and provisions of this Agreement, all of which will nevertheless remain in
full force and effect. Upon a determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal
or unenforceable, the parties hereto will endeavor in good faith to replace the invalid, illegal or
unenforceable provisions with valid, legal and enforceable provisions the effect of which comes as
close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.
10.10
Governing Law
. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of
laws thereof.
10.11
Specific Performance
. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would
occur in the event any provision of this Agreement was not performed in accordance with the terms
hereof and that the parties will be entitled to specify performance of the terms hereof, in
addition to any other remedy at law or equity.
24
10.12
Further Assurances
. The parties hereto agree to act in accordance herewith, not
take any action that is designed to avoid the intention hereof and take such further actions as are
necessary to ensure that the terms of this Agreement are carried out and observed.
10.13
Stock Transfer Restrictions
. The VEBA Trust acknowledges that all resales by it
of Registrable Securities, whether pursuant to a Registration Statement hereunder or otherwise, are
subject to the terms of the Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement and the Certificate of
Incorporation.
[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
25
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement as of the date first
written above.
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KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
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By:
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/s/ John M. Donnan
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John M. Donnan, Vice President, Secretary
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& General Counsel
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NATIONAL CITY BANK,
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solely in its capacity as VEBA Trustee under the VEBA
Trust and not individually
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By:
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/s/ Mark O. Minar
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Name: Mark O. Minar
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Title: Vice President
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CARGILL FINANCIAL SERVICES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Jerrey D. Leu
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Name: Jerrey D. Leu
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Title: Vice President
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CITIGROUP FINANCIAL PRODUCTS, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Jeffrey S. Jacob
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Name: Jeffrey S. Jacob
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Title: Managing Director
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KING STREET ACQUISITION COMPANY, L.L.C.
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By:
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KING STREET CAPITAL MANAGEMENT,
L.L.C.
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By: /s/ Bruce S. Darringer
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Name: Bruce S. Darringer
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Title: Chief
Operating Officer
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MASON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
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By:
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/s/ Michael Martino
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Name: Michael Martino
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Title: Managing Member
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MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
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By:
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/s/ Dan M. Allen
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Name: Dan M. Allen
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Title: Authorized Signatory
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ORE HILL HUB FUND LTD.
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By:
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ORE HILL PARTNERS LLC
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By: /s/ Claude A. Baum
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Name: Claude A. Baum, Esq.
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Title: General
Counsel
Ore Hill Partners LLC
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ASSENT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The undersigned, by assenting to and acknowledging this Agreement, agrees not to direct or
otherwise cause the VEBA Trustee to take any action in violation of the terms of this Agreement:
INDEPENDENT FIDUCIARY SERVICES, INC.,
in its capacity as Independent Fiduciary of the Retiree Plan in respect of Discretionary Management
of New Common Stock held by the VEBA Trust
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By:
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/s/ Samuel W. Halpern
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Samuel W. Halpern, President
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SCHEDULE I
VEBA TRUST TRANSFEREES
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Number of VEBA Trust
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Transferee Shares Received
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NAME
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ADDRESS
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on Effective Date
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Cargill Financial Services
International, Inc.
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12700 Whitewater Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Attention: Eric Olson
Facsimile No.: 952-984-3728
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300,000
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Citigroup Financial Products
Inc.
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390 Greenwich Ave.
7
th
Floor
New York, NY 10013
Attention: Brian Lanktree
Facsimile No.: 212-723-8036
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200,000
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King Street Acquisition
Company, L.L.C.
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65 East 55
th
Street
30
th
Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Josh Feldman/
Mark Weinberger
Facsimile No.: 212-812-3138
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200,000
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Mason Capital Management,
LLC
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110 East 59
th
Street
30
th
Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Stewart Tabin
Facsimile No.: 212-355-5294
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980,000
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Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.
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1585 Broadway
New York, NY
Attention: Ian Sandler
Facsimile No.: 212-507-3603
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250,000
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Ore Hill Hub Fund Ltd.
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650 Fifth Avenue
9
th
Floor
New York, NY 10019
Attention: Claude Baum
Facsimile No.: 212-389-2353
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400,000
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Exhibit 4.3
DIRECTOR DESIGNATION AGREEMENT
This DIRECTOR DESIGNATION AGREEMENT (this
Agreement
), dated as of July 6, 2006, is
made by and between Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
Company
),
and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and
Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (formerly known as the United Steelworkers of
America, AFL-CIO, CLC) (the
Union
).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, in February 2002, the Company, along with Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, a
wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (
KACC
), and certain of KACCs wholly owned
subsidiaries, filed for protection under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the
Bankruptcy Code
);
WHEREAS, in connection with their reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code, the Company and
KACC had negotiations with their key constituencies regarding the terms of their reorganization
and, as part of such negotiations, KACC and the Union reached an agreement in principle with
respect to certain modifications to certain labor agreements between KACC and the Union, the terms
and conditions of which are reflected in the Final Company Proposal to the USWA under 11 U.S.C.
§1113 and §1114, dated January 27, 2004 and approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
District of Delaware (the
Bankruptcy Court
) in a final order dated March 22, 2004 (the
Union Settlement Agreement
);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Union Settlement Agreement, all plans, funds and programs providing
retiree benefits (as defined by Section 1114(a) of the Bankruptcy Code) and maintained or
established by KACC prior to February 12, 2002 were to be terminated, and KACC and the Union agreed
to establish a voluntary employee benefit association trust (
VEBA
), with two trustees
appointed by each of KACC and the Union, to provide, among other things, benefits for certain
eligible retirees of KACC represented by the Union and other unions and their surviving spouses and
eligible dependents, to which KACC agreed to contribute a portion of its equity upon KACCs
emergence from the protection of chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Union Settlement Agreement, the Union was granted certain rights with
respect to the composition of the board of directors of reorganized KACC and certain committees
thereof;
WHEREAS, under the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Company, KACC and
Certain of Their Debtor Affiliates, as modified, filed pursuant to Section 1121(a) of title 11 of
the United States Code and confirmed by an order of the Bankruptcy Court entered on February 6,
2006 which confirmation was affirmed by an order of the United States District Court for the
District of Delaware entered on May 11, 2006 (the
Plan
), the Company (rather than KACC,
as was contemplated by the Union Settlement Agreement) is the ultimate parent company in the
reorganization of the Company, KACC and certain of their debtor affiliates;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Plan, the Company contributed, among other things, 11,439,900 shares
of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (
Common
Stock
) to the VEBA, representing 57.2% of the issued and outstanding shares of the
Common Stock as of the effective date of the Plan (the
Effective Date
);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Union Settlement Agreement and the Plan, (a) the number of directors
comprising the board of directors of the Company (the
Board
) as of the Effective Date was
fixed at 10 and (b) the Union designated four individuals to serve on the Board commencing as of
the Effective Date (the
Initial Union Directors
);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Plan, the Company adopted an amended and restated certificate of
incorporation (as adopted and as amended from time to time, the
Charter
) and amended and
restated bylaws (as adopted and as amended from time to time, the
Bylaws
) which provide,
among other things, that (a) stockholders may elect directors at, and only at, an annual meeting of
stockholders and nominations of persons for election as directors may be made only at an annual
meeting of stockholders and may be made by or at the direction of the Board or a committee thereof
or by any stockholder that is a stockholder of record at the time it gives notice of such
nomination, who is entitled to vote for the election of directors at such annual meeting, and who
complies with the procedures with respect to the nomination of directors set forth in the Bylaws,
(b) vacancies on the Board will be filled solely by the remaining directors, (c) any newly created
directorship will be filled solely by the directors then in office, and (d) the Board is entitled
to designate committees and select the members thereof;
WHEREAS, on or promptly after the Effective Date, the Board is expected to adopt corporate
governance guidelines addressing, among other things, the selection of directors, the composition
of the Board and the creation and operation of Board committees (as so adopted, and as amended from
time to time by the Board in good faith and to the extent either required by applicable law or
Applicable Listing Requirements (as defined below) or consistent with recognized corporate
governance best practices among U.S. corporations having publicly-held equity securities that are
traded or quoted on a national securities exchange or association or quotation system, the
Corporate Governance Guidelines
);
WHEREAS, on or promptly after the Effective Date, the Board is expected to establish a
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the
Nominating Committee
) for the purposes
of (a) establishing criteria to be utilized by it in assessing whether a candidate for a position
on the Board has appropriate skills and experience, (b) identifying individuals qualified to become
members of the Board, including without limitation evaluating candidates submitted to the Company
by its stockholders, (c) recommending candidates to fill vacancies and newly-created positions on
the Board, (d) recommending director nominees for the election by stockholders at the annual
meetings of stockholders, and (e) developing and recommending to the Board corporate governance
principles applicable to the Company;
WHEREAS, promptly after its formation, the Nominating Committee is expected to adopt certain
policies establishing criteria to be utilized by it in assessing whether a director candidate has
appropriate skills and experience, which policies are applicable to all director candidates
including any candidate designated by the Union in accordance with this Agreement (as so adopted,
and as amended from time to time by the Nominating Committee in good faith
2
and to the extent either
required by applicable law or Applicable Listing Requirements or consistent with recognized
corporate governance best practices among U.S. corporations having
publicly-held equity securities that are traded or quoted on a national securities exchange or
association or quotation system, the
Director Candidate Policies
);
WHEREAS, in addition to establishing the Nominating Committee, the Board is expected to
establish an Executive Committee (the
Executive Committee
) and an Audit Committee (the
Audit Committee
), in each case on or promptly after the Effective Date; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Union desire to definitively document their understanding with
respect to the right of the Union to nominate individuals to serve on the Board subsequent to the
Effective Date, which understanding is predicated in part on the foregoing description of the
Charter and Bylaws and the various actions to be taken by the Board and the Nominating Committee
described above.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
Article I.
Preliminary Acknowledgement
Each of the Company and the Union acknowledge that each director of the Company owes his or
her fiduciary duties to the Company and all of its stockholders.
Article II.
Right of Union to Designate Directors
2.1
General
. The Union shall at all times prior to the termination of this Agreement
pursuant to
Article VI
hereof have the right, subject in all cases to the procedures set
forth in this
Article II
and the exercise by the directors of the Company of their
fiduciary duties, to designate individuals to serve on the Board, and this Agreement sets forth the
exclusive rights of the Union with respect thereto. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Union Director
means any of the Initial Union Directors or any other individuals serving
on the Board that have been designated by the Union in accordance with the procedures set forth in
this Agreement.
2.2
Election at Annual Meetings of Stockholders
. In connection with each annual
meeting of the Companys stockholders, the Union shall have the right to designate as candidates to
be submitted to stockholders of the Company for election at such annual meeting that minimum number
of candidates necessary to ensure that, assuming (x) such candidates are included in the slate of
director candidates recommended by the Board in the Companys proxy statement relating to such
annual meeting and (y) the stockholders of the Company elect each candidate so included, at least
40% of the members of the Board immediately following such election are Union Directors, all in
accordance with the following procedures (subject to Section 2.4):
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(a)
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The Union shall timely deliver to the Nominating Committee a written notice (an
Annual Meeting Candidate Notice
) specifying, with respect to each candidate
designated by the Union, the following information (the
Required
Information
):
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(i)his or her name, age, business and residential address and
principal occupation or employment; (ii) the number of shares of the Common Stock
beneficially
owned by him or her; (iii) a resume or similar document detailing his or her
personal and professional experiences and accomplishments; and (iv) all other
information relating to the candidate that would be required to be disclosed in a
proxy statement or other filing made in connection with the solicitation of proxies
for the election of directors pursuant to (A) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the
Exchange Act
), (B) the rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the
SEC
), or (C) the Marketplace Rules or other
applicable criteria of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or, if
securities of the Company are then principally traded or quoted on a national
securities exchange or association or quotation system other than The Nasdaq Stock
Market, Inc., such national securities exchange or association or quotation system
(the
Applicable Listing Requirements
);
provided
,
however
,
that, if a Union Directors term on the Board expires at the related annual meeting
of stockholders and the Union desires to designate such Union Director as a
candidate for re-election at such annual meeting, the Annual Meeting Candidate
Notice need only so indicate and include the name of such Union Director. In
addition, such Annual Meeting Candidate Notice must be accompanied by the written
consent of each director candidate named therein to serve as a member of the Board
and any committee of the Board to which he or she may be assigned to serve if
elected.
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(b)
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Where the date of the Companys annual meeting of stockholders does not change
by more than 30 calendar days from the date of the previous years annual meeting, the
Annual Meeting Candidate Notice shall be timely if, and only if, it is received by the
Nominating Committee not less than 120, nor more than 150, calendar days before the
anniversary of the date that the Companys proxy statement was first mailed to
stockholders in connection with its previous years annual meeting. Where there was no
annual meeting of stockholders in the previous year or where the date of the Companys
annual meeting of stockholders changes by more than 30 calendar days from the date of
the previous years annual meeting, the Annual Meeting Candidate Notice shall be timely
if, and only if, it is received by the Nominating Committee no later than the close of
business on the 10th calendar day following the first day on which the date of the
upcoming annual meeting is publicly disclosed in a press release reported by the Dow
Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a
document filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act or furnished by
the Company to stockholders. The Company shall, as promptly as practicable after any
formal action by the Board to fix the date of the annual meeting of stockholders next
following such action, deliver to the Union a written notice setting forth the date
fixed for such annual meeting and identifying any Union Directors whose terms are
expiring at such annual meeting.
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(c)
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The Nominating Committee shall evaluate each director candidate identified in
the Annual Meeting Candidate Notice and determine whether such candidate satisfies the
qualifications contemplated by
Article IV
hereof (with such determination to be
made in good faith and not to be unreasonably made, withheld
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or delayed). If the
Nominating Committee so determines that such candidate satisfies such qualifications,
then, unless otherwise required by its fiduciary duties
(as determined in good faith by the Nominating Committee after consultation with
legal counsel), the Nominating Committee shall recommend such director candidate to
the Board for inclusion in the slate of directors recommended by the Board in the
Companys proxy statement relating to the annual meeting.
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(d)
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The Board shall, unless otherwise required by its fiduciary duties (as
determined in good faith by the Board after consultation with legal counsel), accept
the recommendation of the Nominating Committee with respect to each director candidate
identified in the Annual Meeting Candidate Notice and direct that such director
candidate be included in the slate of directors recommended by the Board in the
Companys proxy statement relating to the annual meeting.
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2.3
Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships
. In the event of (x) a vacancy on the
Board resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of a Union Director (a
Vacancy
) or (y) newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the number of
directors of the Company (
Newly Created Directorships
), the Union shall have the right to
designate (i) in the case of a Vacancy, the individual to fill such Vacancy and (ii) in the case of
Newly Created Directorships, the minimum number of individuals to fill such Newly Created
Directorships necessary to ensure that at least 40% of the members of the Board immediately
following the filling of such Newly Created Directorships are Union Directors, all in accordance
with the following procedures (subject to Section 2.4):
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(a)
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The Union shall deliver to the Nominating Committee a written notice (the
Candidate Notice
) specifying, with respect to each candidate designated to
fill the Vacancy or Newly Created Directorships, as applicable, the Required
Information. Such Candidate Notice must be accompanied by the written consent of each
director candidate named therein to serve as a member of the Board and any committee of
the Board to which he or she may be assigned to serve if elected.
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(b)
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The Nominating Committee shall evaluate each director candidate identified in
the Candidate Notice and determine whether such candidate satisfies the qualifications
contemplated by
Article IV
hereof (with such determination to be made in good
faith and not to be unreasonably made, withheld or delayed). If the Nominating
Committee so determines that such candidate satisfies such qualifications, then, unless
otherwise required by its fiduciary duties (as determined in good faith by the
Nominating Committee after consultation with legal counsel), the Nominating Committee
shall recommend to the Board that it fill the Vacancy or Newly Created Directorship, as
applicable, with such candidate.
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(c)
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The Board shall, unless otherwise required by its fiduciary duties (as
determined in good faith by the Board after consultation with legal counsel), accept
the recommendation of the Nominating Committee with respect to the director
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candidate
identified in the Candidate Notice and fill the Vacancy or Newly Created Directorship,
as applicable, with such candidate.
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2.4
Modifications to Procedures
. In the event that the procedures set forth in
Section 2.2 or Section 2.3 are no longer consistent with (a) applicable law, including without
limitation the rules of the SEC, or Applicable Listing Requirements, (b) the Charter as a result of
any amendment thereto, or (c) the Bylaws as a result of (i) any amendment thereto adopted by the
stockholders of the Company or (ii) any amendment thereto adopted by the Board but not stockholders
in order to reflect changes in (A) applicable law, including without limitation the rules of the
SEC, or (B) Applicable Listing Requirements, then the Company and the Union will negotiate in good
faith to modify the procedures set forth in Section 2.2 or Section 2.3, as applicable, so as to
effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner to permit
the Union to exercise its rights under Section 2.1.
Article III.
Union Directors to Serve on Board Committees
So long as the Board maintains any of the following committees, each such committee shall,
unless otherwise required by the Boards fiduciary duties (as determined in good faith by the Board
after consultation with legal counsel), include at least one Union Director (provided at least one
Union Director is qualified to serve thereon as determined by the Board, with such determination to
be made in good faith and not to be unreasonably made, withheld or delayed): (a) Audit Committee;
(b) Executive Committee; and (c) Nominating Committee.
Article IV.
Qualifications of Union Directors
Each individual designated by the Union pursuant to
Article II
hereof to serve as a
director of the Company must satisfy (a) the applicable independence criteria contained in the
Applicable Listing Requirements, (b) the qualifications to serve as a director of the Company as
set forth in the Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Director Candidates Policies, and (c) any
other qualifications to serve as a director of the Company imposed by applicable law, including
without limitation the rules of the SEC (in each case as such criteria and qualifications shall be
interpreted by the Nominating Committee reasonably and in good faith). In addition, no such
individual may be at the time of his or her designation by the Union to serve as a director of the
Company or his or her election as a Union Director, and no such individual may become while serving
as a Union Director, an officer, employee, director or member of the Union or any of its locals or
affiliated organizations (any such officer, employee, director or member, a
Union
Associate
). The Company and the Union agree and acknowledge that an individual shall not fail
to satisfy the criteria and qualifications set forth in the first sentence of this
Article
IV
solely because such individual was a Union Associate prior to the time of his or her
designation by the Union to serve as a director of the Company; it being understood that unusual
facts and circumstances concerning a particular Union Associate could dictate otherwise.
Article V.
Independence of Board
A majority of the members of the Board shall satisfy the independence criteria contained in
the Applicable Listing Requirements, as such requirements shall be interpreted by the Board
reasonably and in good faith.
6
Article VI.
Termination
This Agreement shall terminate in its entirety, and the Union shall have no further rights
hereunder, on December 31, 2012, unless the Company and the Union shall otherwise agree in writing.
Upon the termination of this Agreement, the Union shall cause each Union Director to submit his or
her resignation to the Board, which submission the Board may accept or reject in its discretion.
Article VII.
Miscellaneous
7.1
Notices
. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given or made by delivery in person, by overnight
courier, by facsimile transmission, by electronic transmission or by registered or certified mail
(postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses
(or at such other address for a party specified in a notice given in accordance with this
Section 7.1
):
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
27422 Portola Parkway, Suite 350
Foothill Ranch, California 92610
Facsimile: 949-614-1930
Attention: Corporate Secretary
E-mail: john.donnan@kaiseraluminum.com
with a copy to:
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
27422 Portola Parkway, Suite 350
Foothill Ranch, California 92610
Facsimile: 949-614-1930
Attention: Vice President, Human Resources
E-mail: jim.mcauliffe@kaiseraluminum.com
with a copy to:
Jones Day
2727 N. Harwood Street
Dallas, Texas 75223
Facsimile: 214-969-5100
Attention: Troy B. Lewis, Esq.
E-mail: tblewis@jonesday.com
7
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied
Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
5 Gateway Center, Suite 807
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Facsimile: 412-562-2429
Attention: General Counsel
E-mail: pwhitehead@uswa.org
with a copy to:
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied
Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
District Director, District 11
2829 University Avenue, SE, Suite 100
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Facsimile: 612-623-8854
Attention: Robert Bratlich
E-mail: rbratlich@usw.org
All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been delivered or given upon
receipt, if delivered personally, by electronic transmission or by overnight courier; when receipt
is acknowledged, if sent by facsimile transmission and three Business Days after being deposited in
the mail, if mailed.
7.2
Assignment
. Neither of the parties to this Agreement shall assign or delegate any
of their respective rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of
the other party hereto.
7.3
No Third-Party Beneficiaries
. Except as expressly set forth herein, this
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to
or shall confer upon any other person any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature
whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
7.4
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and
undertakings, both written and oral, between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
7.5
Amendment and Waiver
. This Agreement may not be amended or modified or any
provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both of the parties to this
Agreement.
7.6
Counterparts
. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signature and in any
number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original and all such counterparts,
taken together, to constitute one instrument.
8
7.7
Severability
. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid,
illegal or unenforceable under any law or public policy, all other terms and provisions of this
Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect. Upon a determination that any term
or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good
faith to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid, legal and enforceable
provisions the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or
unenforceable provisions.
7.8
Governing Law
. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of
laws thereof.
[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the duly authorized
officers of each of the Company and the Union as of the date first above written.
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KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION
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By:
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/s/ John M. Donnan
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John M. Donnan, Vice President, Secretary
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& General Counsel
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UNITED STEEL, PAPER AND FORESTRY, RUBBER, MANUFACTURING,
ENERGY, ALLIED INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICE WORKERS
INTERNATIONAL UNION, AFL-CIO, CLC
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By:
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/s/ Robert Bratlich
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Robert Bratlich, District Director
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