UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-A

 

 

FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES

Pursuant to Section 12(b) or (g) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

HUBBELL INCORPORATED

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

CONNECTICUT   06-0397030
(State of Incorporation or Organization)   (IRS Employer Identification Number)
40 Waterview Drive, Shelton, Connecticut   06484
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

 

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:     x

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:     ¨

Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates: 333-206898

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class to be so Registered

 

Name of Each Exchange on Which

Each Class is to be Registered

Common Stock   New York Stock Exchange

Series A Junior Participating

Preferred Share Purchase Rights

  New York Stock Exchange

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Each Class)

 

 

 


Explanatory Note

On December 23, 2015, Hubbell Incorporated (the “Company”) completed the reclassification of the Company’s dual-class common stock into a single class of common stock (the “Reclassification”), effective as of 11:59 p.m. on such date (the “Effective Time”). Pursuant to the Reclassification, among other things, each share of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and each share of Class B common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class B Common Stock”), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be reclassified into one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share and having one vote per share upon all matters brought before any meeting of the Shareholders (the “Common Stock”). Trading in the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange will be suspended, and trading in the Company’s single class of Common Stock will commence on the New York Stock Exchange on December 24, 2015, under the ticker “HUBB.”

Also on December 23, 2015, prior to the Effective Time, the Company and Computershare Inc. (successor to Mellon Investor Services LLC and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.) (the “Rights Agent”) entered into a Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2015 (the “Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement”), which amended and restated the Company’s existing Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 17, 2008, between the Company and the Rights Agent.

 

Item 1. Description of Securities To Be Registered.

Common Stock

The description of the Company’s Common Stock is set out under the captions “Description of Capital Stock after the Reclassification—Common Stock” and “Description of Capital Stock after the Reclassification—Anti-Takeover Provisions” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement/prospectus, dated November 24, 2015, filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3), related to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (file no. 333-206898) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on November 19, 2015 and declared effective November 23, 2015, and is incorporated in this Form 8-A by reference. Any subsequent form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose of updating such description is deemed to be incorporated in this Form 8-A by reference.

A copy of the Amended and Restated Certificate of lncorporation of the Company is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Form 8-A and is incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company is filed as Exhibit 3.2 to this Form 8-A and is incorporated herein by reference.

Series A Junior Participating Preferred Share Purchase Rights

A summary of the terms of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement follows. This description is only a summary, does not purport to be complete, and should be read together with, and is qualified by reference to, the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, a copy of which has been filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Form 8-A and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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The Rights. The Company’s Board of Directors authorized the issuance of a preferred share purchase right with respect to each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock and each outstanding share of Class B Common Stock on December 9, 1998. Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, each former Class A right and Class B right has been amended to be a preferred share purchase right for each outstanding share of Common Stock (each, a “Right”). Prior to the Distribution Date, described below, the Rights trade with and are inseparable from the Common Stock. The Rights are evidenced only by certificates or book entries that represent shares of Common Stock. New Rights will accompany any new shares of Common Stock we issue after the effectiveness of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement until the Distribution Date.

Exercise Price . Each Right allows its holder to purchase from our Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”) for $300, once the Right becomes exercisable. This portion of a share of Preferred Stock will give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of Common Stock. Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting, or liquidation rights.

Exercisability . The Rights will not be exercisable until the tenth day after the public announcement that a person or group has become an “Acquiring Person” by obtaining beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock.

Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions, whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying Common Stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of the Company’s Common Stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the rights agreement are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.

We refer to the date when the Rights become exercisable as the “Distribution Date.” Until that date, the Common Stock certificates (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, notations in the book-entry account system) will also evidence the Rights, and any transfer of shares of Common Stock will constitute a transfer of Rights. After that date, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and be evidenced by book-entry credits or by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of Common Stock. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are void and may not be exercised.

Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person.

 

    Flip In . If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $300, purchase shares of our Common Stock with a market value of $600, based on the market price of the Common Stock prior to such acquisition.

 

    Flip Over . If our Company is later acquired in a merger or similar transaction after the Distribution Date, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $300, purchase shares of the acquiring corporation with a market value of $600 based on the market price of the acquiring corporation’s stock, prior to such merger.

 

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    Notional Shares . Shares held by Affiliates and Associates of an Acquiring Person, and Notional Shares held by counterparties to a Derivatives Contract with an Acquiring Person, will be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person.

Preferred Stock Provisions .

The value of a one one-thousandth interest in a share of Preferred Stock should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.

Each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, if issued:

 

    will not be redeemable;

 

    will entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.01 per one one-thousandth share, or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater;

 

    will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $0.10 per one one-thousandth share, or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock, whichever is greater;

 

    will have the same voting power as one share of Common Stock;

 

    in the event that shares of the Common Stock are exchanged via share exchange, merger or a similar transaction, will entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock.

Expiration . The Rights will expire at the close of business on December 17, 2016.

Redemption . Our Board may redeem the Rights for $0.01 per Right at any time before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person. If our Board redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights. Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $0.01 per Right. The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of our Common Stock.

Exchange . After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of our outstanding Common Stock, our Board may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of Common Stock or an equivalent security for each Right, other than Rights held by the Acquiring Person.

Anti-Dilution Provisions . Our Board may adjust the purchase price of shares of Preferred Stock, the number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reclassification of the shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock. No adjustments to the Exercise Price of less than 1% will be made.

 

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Item 2. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

3.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Hubbell Incorporated
3.2    Amended and Restated By-Laws of Hubbell Incorporated, as amended on May 7, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Hubbell Incorporated’s current report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2013).
4.1    Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2015, by and between Hubbell Incorporated and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent, which includes the form of Right Certificate, as Exhibit A, and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, as Exhibit B.

 

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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.

 

HUBBELL INCORPORATED
By:   /s/ An-Ping Hsieh
 

Name: An-Ping Hsieh

Title: Vice President and General Counsel

Date: December 23, 2015

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

3.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Hubbell Incorporated
3.2    Amended and Restated By-Laws of Hubbell Incorporated, as amended on May 7, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Hubbell Incorporated’s current report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2013).
4.1    Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2015, by and between Hubbell Incorporated and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent, which includes the form of Right Certificate, as Exhibit A, and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, as Exhibit B.

Exhibit 3.1

 

HUBBELL INCORPORATED

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

The certificate of incorporation of Hubbell Incorporated, as amended to date, is further amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

FIRST: That the name of the corporation is Hubbell Incorporated.

SECOND: That the principal office of said corporation shall be located in the Town of Shelton, County of Fairfield, in the State of Connecticut, or any other place the Board of Directors shall determine.

THIRD: That the nature of the business to be transacted, and the purposes to be promoted or carried out, by said corporation are as follows:

To manufacture, buy, sell, own and deal in machinery, tools, machine screws, electrical goods, supplies, apparatus, devices and fixtures of every character, material and description, and to buy, sell, own, and deal in letters patent and rights and licenses under letters patent, necessary or convenient for the prosecution of its business, and to grant rights and licenses to others under letters patent which may be owned by said corporation, and to buy, sell, mortgage, own and deal in such real estate as may be necessary or convenient for the prosecution of its business, and to engage in any other lawful business permitted under the laws of the State of Connecticut, and generally to do all things necessary or convenient for the prosecution of its business, and the proper conduct and management thereof.

FOURTH: A. The total number of shares of the capital stock of this corporation hereby authorized is 205,891,097 divided into 5,891,097 shares of Preferred Stock without par value, and 200,000,000 shares of Common Stock of the par value of $0.01 each.

B. Subject to any voting rights provided to holders of Preferred Stock at any time outstanding, the holder of record of each issued and outstanding share of Common Stock shall be entitled to have one (1) vote per share on each matter voted on at a shareholders’ meeting.

C. No holder of stock of the corporation of any class shall have any preemptive or other rights to subscribe to or purchase any new or additional or increased shares of stock of this corporation of any class or any scrip, rights, warrants, bonds or other obligations, security or evidences of indebtedness, whether or not convertible into or exchangeable for, or shall claim rights to purchase or otherwise acquire, shares of stock of the corporation of any class.

D The corporation may, to the extent of its unreserved and unrestricted capital surplus, (a) make distributions of cash or property to its shareholders with respect to its outstanding shares or any thereof, and (b) make purchases and permit conversions of its own shares for cash, securities or other property.

E.1 As provided for in the Reclassification Agreement, dated as of August 23, 2015, by and between the corporation and Bessemer Trust Company, N.A., in its capacity as trustee


(the “Reclassification Agreement”), upon the acceptance of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation by the office of the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut (the “Effective Time”), pursuant to the Connecticut Business Corporation Act, Chapter 601 of the Connecticut General Statutes:

(a) the holder of record of each share of the corporation’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be entitled to receive cash in the amount of Twenty-Eight Dollars ($28.00) for each share of Class A Common Stock held; and

(b) each share of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and each share of the corporation’s Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class B Common Stock”), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be reclassified into one (1) share of Common Stock authorized by paragraph A of this Article FOURTH and shall continue in existence as an issued and outstanding share of Common Stock.

E.2 Until surrendered as contemplated by the Reclassification Agreement (or, with respect to any shares held in uncertificated book-entry form, receipt of an appropriate agent’s message or other electronic confirmation), (a) each certificate or book-entry formerly representing Class A Common Stock shall be deemed, from and after the Effective Time, to represent the Common Stock into which such share of Class A Common Stock has been reclassified as contemplated by paragraph E.1.(b) of this Article FOURTH and the right to receive the amount of cash to which the holder thereof is entitled pursuant to paragraph E.1.(a) of this Article FOURTH and (b) each certificate or book-entry formerly representing Class B Common Stock shall be deemed, from and after the Effective Time, to represent the Common Stock into which such share of Class B Common Stock has been reclassified as contemplated by paragraph E.1.(b) of this Article FOURTH.

F. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in series and each series shall be so designated as to distinguish the shares thereof from the shares of all other series. All shares of Preferred Stock shall be of equal rank and shall be identical except as expressly determined by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Article FOURTH. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly vested with authority to fix and determine the variations as among such series. Except as otherwise provided by law, the foregoing authority shall include without limitation with respect to each such series authority to fix and determine the number of shares thereof, the dividend rate, whether dividends shall be cumulative and, if so, from which date or dates, voting rights, liquidation rights, the redemption price or prices, if any, and the terms and conditions of the redemption, any sinking fund provisions for the redemption or purchase of shares of the series, and the terms and conditions on which the shares are convertible into Common Stock, if they are convertible. Before the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock any provision of which is fixed by the Board of Directors as hereinbefore set forth, the Board of Directors shall by its Resolution amend the Certificate of Incorporation as required by Section 33-666 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

 

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Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock

1. Designation and Amount . There shall be a series of Preferred Stock that shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 336,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors and filing of a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than the number of shares then issued and outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the corporation.

2. Dividends and Distribution .

(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any class or series of stock of the corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of any class or series of stock of the corporation ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the 15th day of January, April, July and October, in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10.00 and (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined below) times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and the Adjustment Number times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock declared on the Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. The “Adjustment Number” shall initially be 1000. In the event the corporation shall at any time after the date on which the Effective Time occurs (i) declare and pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

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

 

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(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

3. Voting Rights . The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

(A) Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the corporation.

(B) Except as required by law and by Section 10 hereof, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

(C) If, at the time of any annual meeting of shareholders for the election of directors, the equivalent of six quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive) payable on any share or shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are in default, the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of the corporation shall be increased by two. In addition to voting together with the holders of Common Stock for the election of other directors of the corporation, the holders of record of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class to the exclusion of the holders of Common Stock, shall be entitled at said meeting of shareholders (and at each subsequent annual meeting of shareholders), unless all dividends in arrears on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock have been paid or declared and set apart for payment prior thereto, to vote for the election of two directors of the corporation, the holders of any Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock being entitled to cast a number of votes per share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as is specified in paragraph (A) of this Section 3. Each such additional director shall serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders for the election of directors, or until his successor shall be elected and shall qualify, or until his right to hold such office terminates pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph (C). Until the default in payments of all dividends which permitted the election of said directors shall cease to exist, any director who shall have been so elected pursuant to the

 

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next preceding sentence may be removed at any time, without cause, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at the time entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast for the election of any such director at a special meeting of such holders called for that purpose, and any vacancy thereby created may be filled by the vote of such holders. If and when such default shall cease to exist, the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be divested of the foregoing special voting rights, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent like default in payments of dividends. Upon the termination of the foregoing special voting rights, the terms of office of all persons who may have been elected directors pursuant to said special voting rights shall forthwith terminate, and the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be reduced by two. The voting rights granted by this paragraph (C) shall be in addition to any other voting rights granted to the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in this Section 3.

4. Certain Restrictions .

(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the corporation shall not:

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

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

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

(B) The corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the corporation unless the corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

 

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5. Reacquired Shares . Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the corporation in any manner whatsoever shall thereupon become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up .

(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the corporation, voluntary or otherwise, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”) equal to the greater of (i) $100 plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment and (ii) the Adjustment Number times the per share amount of all cash and other property to be distributed in respect of the Common Stock upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the corporation.

(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of stock of the corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the assets available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.

(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation into or with the corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.

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

8. No Redemption . Shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be subject to redemption by the corporation.

 

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9. Ranking . The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank (a) junior to all other series of the Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise and (b) senior to the Common Stock as to such matters.

10. Amendment . At any time that any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

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

FIFTH: That the duration of the corporation is unlimited.

SIXTH: The personal liability of any Director to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of duty as a Director is hereby limited to the amount of the compensation received by the Director for serving the corporation during the year of the violation if such breach did not (i) involve a knowing and culpable violation of law by the Director, (ii) enable the Director or an associate, as defined in Section 33-840 of the Connecticut General Statutes, to receive an improper personal economic gain, (iii) show a lack of good faith and a conscious disregard for the duty of the Director to the corporation under circumstances in which the Director was aware that his conduct or omission created an unjustifiable risk of serious injury to the corporation, (iv) constitute a sustained and unexcused pattern of inattention that amounted to an abdication of the Director’s duty to the corporation, or (v) create liability under Section 33-757 of the Connecticut General Statutes. This provision shall not limit or preclude the liability of a Director for any act or omission occurring prior to the date this provision becomes effective. Any lawful repeal or modification of this provision by the shareholders and the Board of Directors of the corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Director existing at or prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

SEVENTH: A. The corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify its Directors from and against any and all of the liabilities, expenses and other matters referenced in or covered by the Connecticut Business Corporation Act. In furtherance and not in limitation thereof, the corporation shall indemnify each Director for liability, as defined in subsection (3) of Section 33-770 of the Connecticut General Statutes, to any person for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, as a Director, except liability that (i) involved a knowing and culpable violation of law by the Director, (ii) enabled the Director or an associate, as defined in Section 33-840 of the Connecticut General Statutes, to receive an improper personal economic gain, (iii) showed a lack of good faith and conscious disregard for the duty of the Director to the corporation under circumstances in which the Director was aware that his conduct or omission created an unjustifiable risk of serious injury to the corporation, (iv) constituted a sustained and unexcused pattern of inattention that amounted to an abdication of the Director’s duty to the

 

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corporation, or (v) created liability under Section 33-757 of the Connecticut General Statutes; provided that nothing in this sentence shall affect the indemnification of or advance of expenses to a Director for any liability stemming from acts or omissions occurring prior to the effective date of this Article SEVENTH.

The corporation shall indemnify each officer of the corporation who is not a Director, or who is a Director but is made a party to a proceeding in his capacity solely as an officer, to the same extent as the corporation is permitted to provide the same to a Director, and may indemnify such persons to the extent permitted by Section 33-776 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

The indemnification provided for herein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

B. Expenses incurred by a Director or officer of the corporation in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding shall be paid for or reimbursed by the corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Director or officer to repay such amount if it shall be ultimately determined that such Director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.

C. The corporation may indemnify and pay for or reimburse the expenses of employees and agents not otherwise entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article SEVENTH on such terms and conditions as may be established by the Board of Directors.

D. No amendment to or repeal of this Article SEVENTH shall apply to or have any effect on the indemnification of any Director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such Director, officer, employee or agent occurring prior to such amendment or repeal, nor shall any such amendment or repeal apply to or have any effect on the obligations of the corporation to pay for or reimburse in advance expenses incurred by a Director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation in defending any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or with respect to any acts or omissions occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

EIGHTH: References in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to sections of the Connecticut General Statutes shall be deemed to include amendments adopted from time to time to such sections and shall further be deemed to include any successor sections thereto.

 

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Exhibit 4.1

EXECUTION VERSION

HUBBELL INCORPORATED

and

COMPUTERSHARE INC.

as Rights Agent

Second Amended and Restated

Rights Agreement

Dated as of December 23, 2015


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page  
Section 1.    Certain Definitions      2   
Section 2.    Appointment of Rights Agent      7   
Section 3.    Issue of Right Certificates      7   
Section 4.    Form of Right Certificates      9   
Section 5.    Countersignature and Registration      9   
Section 6.    Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates      10   
Section 7.    Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights      11   
Section 8.    Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates      12   
Section 9.    Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock      13   
Section 10.    Preferred Stock Record Date      13   
Section 11.    Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights      13   
Section 12.    Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares      20   
Section 13.    Share Exchange, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power      20   
Section 14.    Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares      21   
Section 15.    Rights of Action      22   
Section 16.    Agreement of Right Holders      23   
Section 17.    Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder      23   
Section 18.    Concerning the Rights Agent      23   
Section 19.    Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent      24   
Section 20.    Duties of Rights Agent      25   
Section 21.    Change of Rights Agent      27   

 

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Section 22.    Issuance of New Right Certificates    28
Section 23.    Redemption    28
Section 24.    Exchange    29
Section 25.    Notice of Certain Events    30
Section 26.    Notices    31
Section 27.    Supplements and Amendments    32
Section 28.    Successors    32
Section 29.    Benefits of this Agreement    32
Section 30.    Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors    32
Section 31.    Severability    33
Section 32.    Governing Law    33
Section 33.    Counterparts    33
Section 34.    Descriptive Headings    33
Section 35.    Customer Identification Program    33
Section 36.    Effective Time    34
Section 37.    Force Majeure    34

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A    -    Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit B    -    Summary of Rights

 

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This SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of December 23, 2015 (this “ Agreement ”), amending and restating the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 17, 2008 (the “ First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement ”), which amended and restated the Rights Agreement, dated as of December 9, 1998, as amended (the “ Original Agreement ”), between Hubbell Incorporated, a Connecticut corporation (the “ Company ”), and Computershare Inc. (successor to Mellon Investor Services LLC and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.), a Delaware corporation, as rights agent (the “ Rights Agent ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) on December 9, 1998 adopted the Original Agreement and (i)(A) authorized the issuance and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “ Class A Right ”) for each share of the Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“ Class A Common Stock ”), of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as defined therein) on December 21, 1998 (the “ Record Date ”), each Class A Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth (subject to adjustment) of a share of Series A Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Original Agreement, and (B) further authorized and directed the issuance of one Class A Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of Class A Common Stock becoming outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are defined therein); and (ii)(A) authorized the issuance and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “ Class B Right ”) for each share of the Class B common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“ Class B Common Stock ”), of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, each Class B Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth (subject to adjustment) of a share of Series B Preferred Stock (as defined therein), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Original Agreement, and (B) further authorized and directed the issuance of one Class B Right (subject to adjustment as provided therein) with respect to each share of Class B Common Stock becoming outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are defined therein);

WHEREAS, on December 17, 2008, the Company and the Rights Agent entered into the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, amending and restating the terms and conditions of the Original Agreement, to extend the Final Expiration Date of the Original Agreement to December 31, 2008;

WHEREAS, in connection with the reclassification of the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock into shares of Common Stock (as defined herein), as approved by the Board on August 23, 2015 (the “ Reclassification ”), the Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to amend and restate the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, effective as of the Reclassification Effective Time (as defined herein), to, among other things, (a) reflect that (i) the Common Stock will be the only class of common stock issued and outstanding immediately following the Reclassification Effective Time and (ii) the Preferred Stock (as defined herein) will be the only class of preferred stock authorized immediately following the Reclassification Effective Time, (b) to provide that the


Final Expiration Date will be December 17, 2016 and (c) to amend and restate the definition of “Acquiring Person” as set forth in this Agreement, to change the Beneficial Ownership threshold for a Person to become an “Acquiring Person” from 20% or more of the shares of Class A Common Stock to 15% or more of the Common Stock, subject to the provisions thereof;

WHEREAS, (i) effective at the Reclassification Effective Time, each Class A Right and each Class B Right shall be amended, pursuant to this Agreement, to be a preferred share purchase right (a “ Right ”) for each share of the Common Stock into which the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock will have been reclassified, each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth (subject to adjustment) of a share of Preferred Stock, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Rights Certificate (as defined herein) and (ii) the Board has authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Reclassification Effective Time and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, the Company and Rights Agent may from time to time supplement or amend the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 27 thereof;

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the amendment and restatement of the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement as set forth herein is desirable and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 36 of this Agreement, the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until, and this Agreement shall not be effective until, the Reclassification Effective Time.

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

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

(a) “ Acquiring Person ” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include an Exempt Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) no Person who Beneficially Owns, as of the Reclassification Effective Time, 15% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding shall become an Acquiring Person unless such Person shall, after the Reclassification Effective Time, increase its Beneficial Ownership of the then-outstanding Common Stock (other than as a result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company) to an amount equal to or greater than the greater of (x) 15% or (y) the sum of (i) the lowest Beneficial Ownership of such Person as a percentage of the outstanding Common Stock as of any time from and after the Reclassification Effective Time plus (ii) 0.00001%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing

 

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provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a bona fide swaps dealer who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person” has become so as a result of its actions in the ordinary course of its business that the Board determines, in its sole discretion, were taken without the intent or effect of evading or assisting any other Person to evade the purposes and intent of this Agreement, or otherwise seeking to control or influence the management or policies of the Company, then, and unless and until the Board shall otherwise determine, such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Agreement. No Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company that, by reducing the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding; provided , however , that, if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after the public announcement of such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock, then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person.”

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

(c) A Person shall be deemed the “ Beneficial Owner ” of and shall be deemed to “ Beneficially Own ” or have “ Beneficial Ownership ” of any securities:

(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement;

(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right or the obligation to acquire (whether such right is exercisable, or such obligation is required to be performed, immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided , however , that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided , however , that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security by reason of such agreement, arrangement or understanding if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (x) arises solely from a revocable

 

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proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (y) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);

(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person and with respect to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of such securities of the Company; or

(iv) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Counterparty (or any of such Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract (without regard to any short or similar position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract) to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is a Receiving Party (as such terms are defined in the immediately following paragraph); provided , however , that the number of shares of Common Stock that a Person is deemed to Beneficially Own pursuant to this clause (iv) in connection with a particular Derivatives Contract shall not exceed the number of Notional shares of Common Stock with respect to such Derivatives Contract; provided , further , that the number of securities beneficially owned by each Counterparty (including its Affiliates and Associates) under a Derivatives Contract shall for purposes of this clause (iv) be deemed to include all securities that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Counterparty (or any of such other Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract to which such first Counterparty (or any of such first Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) is a Receiving Party, with this proviso being applied to successive Counterparties as appropriate.

A “ Derivatives Contract ” is a contract between two parties (the “ Receiving Party ” and the “ Counterparty ”) that is designed to produce economic benefits and risks to the Receiving Party that correspond substantially to the ownership by the Receiving Party of a number of shares of Common Stock specified or referenced in such contract (the number corresponding to such economic benefits and risks, the “ Notional Common Stock ”), regardless of whether obligations under such contract are required or permitted to be settled through the delivery of or other property, without regard to any short position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract. For the avoidance of doubt, interests in broad-based index options, broad-based index futures and broad-based publicly traded market baskets of stocks approved for trading by the appropriate federal governmental authority shall not be deemed to be Derivatives Contracts.

Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary, the phrase “then outstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, means the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which are issuable by the Company and which such Person would be deemed to Beneficially Own hereunder.

 

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(d) “ Book Entry ” shall mean a book entry for uncertificated shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

(e) “ Business Day ” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the States of Connecticut or New York or the city in which the office of the Rights Agent is located are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

(f) “ Class A Common Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.

(g) “ Class B Common Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.

(h) “ Class A Right ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.

(i) “ Class B Right ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.

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

(k) “ Common Stock ” shall mean, from and after the Reclassification Effective Time, the shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company.

(l) “ Customer Identification Program ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 35.

(m) “ Distribution Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) .

(n) “ equivalent preferred shares ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) .

(o) “ Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(p) “ Exempt Person ” shall mean (i) the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, in each case including, without limitation, the officers and board of directors thereof acting in their fiduciary capacity or (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.

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

(r) “ Final Expiration Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 .

 

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(s) “ Ownership Statements ” means, with respect to any Book Entry share of Common Stock, current ownership statements issued to the record holders thereof in lieu of a certificate representing such shares of Common Stock.

(t) “ New York Stock Exchange ” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

(u) “ Person ” shall mean any individual, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, firm, corporation, unincorporated association, trust or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) to such entity, as well as any group under Rule 13d-5(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

(v) “ Preferred Stock ” shall mean, from and after the Reclassification Effective Time, shares of the Series A Preferred Stock.

(w) “ Purchase Price ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4 .

(x) “ Reclassification Effective Time ” shall mean the time at which the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, approved by the Board on August 23, 2015 in connection with the Reclassification, becomes effective in accordance with the Connecticut Business Corporation Act.

(y) “ Record Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereto.

(z) “ Redemption Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) .

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

(bb) “ Right ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals hereof.

(cc) “ Right Certificate ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) .

(dd) “ Securities Act ” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(ee) “ Series A Preferred Stock ” shall mean the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, without par value, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

(ff) “ Stock Acquisition Date ” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, the filing of a report pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act or pursuant to a comparable successor statute) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

(gg) “ Subsidiary ” of any Person shall mean any partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, firm, corporation, unincorporated association, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interests is owned, of record or beneficially, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

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(hh) “ Summary of Rights ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) .

(ii) “ Trading Day ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) .

Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent . The Company hereby reconfirms the appointment of the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such reconfirmed appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and the co-Rights Agent shall be as the Company shall determine. Ten (10) days in advance of such appointment, if any, the Company shall notify the Rights Agent thereof.

Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates . (a) Until the Close of Business on the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date (the “ Distribution Date ”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) ) by the certificates for Common Stock (or by Book Entry shares of Common Stock) registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates or Book Entries shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates or Book Entries, and (y) the right to receive a Right will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (a “ Right Certificate ”), evidencing one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein). As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until such written notice is given in accordance with Section 26 , the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred.

(b) On the date of the Reclassification Effective Time, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send or cause to be sent a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “ Summary of Rights ”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the date of the Reclassification Effective Time (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Stock or Book Entry shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Close of Business on the date of the Reclassification Effective Time, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be

 

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evidenced by such certificates (or such Book Entry) registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights, and the registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if either is earlier, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender or transfer of any certificate for Common Stock or the transfer of any Book Entry shares of Common Stock outstanding at the Close of Business on the date of the Reclassification Effective Time, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby.

(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock (whether certificated or Book Entry) issued or disposed of (including, without limitation, upon issuance of Common Stock out of authorized but unissued shares) after the Reclassification Effective Time but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 , after the Distribution Date. Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock or issuance of Common Stock out of authorized but unissued shares and reacquired shares of Common Stock referred to in this paragraph (c)) after the date of the Reclassification Effective Time but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 , after the Distribution Date shall have impressed, printed, stamped, written or otherwise affixed onto them substantially the following legend:

This [certificate][book entry] also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement between Hubbell Incorporated (the “ Company ”) and Computershare Inc. or any successor rights agent (the “ Rights Agent ”), dated as of December 23, 2015, as amended from time to time (the “ Rights Agreement ”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Rights Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this [certificate][book entry]. The Rights Agent will mail to the holder of the shares evidenced by this [certificate][book entry] a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights owned by or transferred to any Person who is or becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain transferees thereof will become null and void and will no longer be transferable.

With respect to any Book Entry shares of Common Stock, such legend shall be included in the Ownership Statement in respect of such shares of Common Stock or in a notice to the record holder of such shares of Common Stock in accordance with applicable law. With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, or any Ownership Statement or notice containing the foregoing legend delivered to holders of Book Entry shares of Common Stock, until the

 

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earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates or such Book Entry shall be evidenced by such certificates or such Book Entry (including any Ownership Statement) alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate or the transfer of any Book Entry shares of Common Stock shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Reclassification Effective Time but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the shares of the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights. For the avoidance of doubt, effective at the Reclassification Effective Time, the Class A Rights and the Class B Rights will, by virtue of the effectiveness of this Agreement, become Rights governed by and amended pursuant to this Agreement, which Rights shall remain outstanding, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Section 4. Form of Right Certificates . The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares of Preferred Stock and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate which do not materially and adversely affect the rights, duties, obligations, responsibilities or liabilities of the Rights Agent and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any applicable rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange, any trading system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Right Certificates, whenever issued, shall be dated as of the date of the Reclassification Effective Time or the date of issuance of the applicable share of Common Stock, if later, and shall show the date of countersignature by the Rights Agent, and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock set forth therein (the “ Purchase Price ”), but the number of such one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

Section 5. Countersignature and Registration . The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, the President of the Company, any Executive Vice President, any Senior Vice President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof and shall be attested by the Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned, either manually or by facsimile signature, by an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent, but it shall not be necessary for the same signatory to countersign all of the Right Certificates hereunder. No Right Certificate shall be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the

 

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

(a) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

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

(a) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 ) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender, together with any required form of assignment and certificate properly completed and duly executed, the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate or Right Certificates until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate or Right Certificates and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request and paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split-up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates as required hereunder. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the holders of Right Certificates of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of such Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under this Agreement unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

 

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(b) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them along with such other and further documentation as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request, and, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

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

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) and except as otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in part upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price in cash, or by certified check or cashier’s check payable to the order of the Company with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised, at any time (the “ Final Expiration Date ”) which is both after the Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on December 17, 2016, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 (the “ Redemption Date ”), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 .

(b) The Purchase Price shall be initially $300.00 for each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. The Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or property to be acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 , 13 and 27 and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 7 .

(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 , in cash or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased and, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares, the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes the Rights Agent, in its capacity as transfer agent, to comply with all such requests or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights

 

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hereunder with a depository agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing interests in such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 , (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) , the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall properly exercise less than all of the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the exercisable Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 .

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 or this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment or form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise, (ii) tendered the Purchase Price (and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9) to the Company in the manner set forth in Section 7(c) and (iii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates . All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

 

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Section 9. Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock . (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock, the number of shares of Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

(b) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities as the case may be) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

(c) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all Federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Stock in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date . Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/ or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes or charges) was made; provided , however , that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Stock for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights . The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11 .

 

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(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare and pay a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a share exchange or merger in which the Company is the acquiring or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) , Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided , however , that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.

(ii) Subject to Section 24 , in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Stock of the Company (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) ) on the date of the occurrence of such event. In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that are or were acquired or Beneficially Owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be null and void without any further action, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. Neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate or with respect to any Common Shares otherwise deemed to be Beneficially Owned by any of the

 

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foregoing; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person or other Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled. The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such written notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, unless and until it shall have received such written notice.

(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with subparagraph (ii) above, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one shares of Preferred Stock multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such share of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof.

(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“ equivalent preferred shares ”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred shares at a price per share of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred shares (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into shares of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) ) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided , however , that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be

 

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described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred shares owned by or held for the account of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a share exchange or merger in which the Company is the acquiring or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) ), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) ) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) ) of the Preferred Stock; provided , however , that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d) (i) Except as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “ Security ” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i) ) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to but not including such date; provided , however , that in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after but not including the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported by the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with

 

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respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by one of the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink marketplaces, as applicable, or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Security, the fair value of the Security on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term “ Trading Day ” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Security is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board or, if at the time of such determination there is an Acquiring Person, by a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board, which shall have the duty to make such determination in a reasonable and objective manner, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Preferred Stock is not publicly traded but the Common Stock is publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) multiplied by the then applicable Adjustment Number (as defined in and determined in accordance with the Certificate of Amendment for the Preferred Stock). If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided , however , that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock or one-hundredth of a share of Common Stock or other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e) , any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Final Expiration Date.

(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) , the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than the Preferred Stock, thereafter the Purchase Price and the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a) , 11(b) , 11(c) , 11(e) , 11(h) , 11(i) and 11(m) , as applicable, and the provisions of Sections 7 , 9 , 10 , 13 and 14 with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

 

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

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

(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 11(b) or 11(c) to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. Such record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i) , the Company may, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 , the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

 

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(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the fraction of Preferred Stock or other shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of a Right, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Preferred Stock or other such shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date that number of shares of Preferred Stock and shares of other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Stock and shares of other capital stock or other securities, assets or cash of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided , however , that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11 , as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock, dividends on Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b) , hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such shareholders.

(n) In the event that, at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding

 

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immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.

Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares . Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13 , the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts and computations accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) if such adjustment occurs at any time after the Distribution Date, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 (if so required under Section 25 ). The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustments or statements therein contained and shall have no duty with respect for and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.

Section 13. Share Exchange, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power . In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall effect a share exchange or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the acquiring or surviving corporation of such share exchange or merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the common stock of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) ) on the date of consummation of such share exchange, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such common stock shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its common stock in accordance with Section 9) in

 

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connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Stock of the Company thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such share exchange, merger, sale or transfer unless, prior thereto, the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers, share exchanges, or sales or other transfers.

Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares . (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights (except prior to the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(n)) . In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a) , the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by one of the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink marketplaces, as applicable, or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the current market value of the Rights on such date shall be the fair value of the Rights as determined in good faith by the Board.

(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. Interests in fractions of Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided , that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as Beneficial Owners of the Preferred Stock represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousand

 

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of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised or exchanged as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Preferred Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 14(a) ) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.

(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 14(a) ) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.

(d) The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise or exchange of a Right (except as provided above).

(e) Whenever a payment for a fractional Right or fractional share is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payment and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any section of this Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

Section 15. Rights of Action . All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under this Agreement, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, may enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, such Common Stock) in the manner provided therein and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach by the Company of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations by the Company of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.

 

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Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders . Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

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

(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;

(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate (or Book Entry)) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate (or Ownership Statements or other notices provided to holders of Book Entry shares of Common Stock) made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent shall not have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.

Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder . No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in this Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged in accordance with the provisions hereof.

Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent . (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration, preparation, delivery, amendment and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also

 

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agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of one legal counsel), incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that it is determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction that the Rights Agent is not entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the Rights Agent shall promptly reimburse the Company for all amounts theretofore paid to the Rights Agent for which the Rights Agent was not entitled. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Agreement and in the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate representing Preferred Stock or Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, instruction, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, when necessary, verified, guaranteed or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 , in the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have any knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take action in connection therewith, unless and until the Company has given such notice in accordance with Section 26 .

Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent . Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may effect a share exchange, be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, share exchange, or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or document or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as

 

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a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 . In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

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

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

(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in accordance with such advice or opinion.

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of current per share market price) or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the President, any Executive Vice President, any Senior Vice President, any Vice President or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction).

 

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(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except as to its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only. The Rights Agent makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Agreement or of the Right Certificates, except with respect to its due authorization, execution and delivery hereof.

(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except as to its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights provided for in Sections 3 , 11 , 13 , 23 or 24 , or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 , describing such change or adjustment upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Preferred Stock or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or other securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the President, any Executive Vice President, any Senior Vice President, any Vice President or the Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received from any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties or obligations under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such application unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.

 

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

(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (or through its directors, officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.

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

(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof, as the case may be, has not been completed to certify the holder is not an Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof), the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

Section 21. Change of Rights Agent . The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company pursuant to Section 26 hereof and, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as applicable, by traceable mail. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as applicable, by registered or certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the

 

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resigning, removed, or incapacitated Rights Agent shall remit to the Company, or to any successor Rights Agent designated by the Company, all books, records, funds, certificates or other documents or instruments of any kind then in its possession which were acquired by such resigning, removed or incapacitated Rights Agent in connection with its services as Rights Agent hereunder. Following notice of such removal, resignation or incapacity, the Company shall appoint a successor to such Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, in good standing, which is authorized to do business under such laws and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has, along with its Affiliates, at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as applicable, and, following the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing by first-class mail to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21 , however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Final Expiration Date and the Redemption Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii) under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing prior to the Distribution Date, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.

Section 23. Redemption . (a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, order the Company to redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification or similar transaction with

 

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respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “ Redemption Price ”). The redemption of the Rights by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The Redemption Price shall be payable, at the option of the Company, in cash, shares of Common Stock, or such other form of consideration as the Board shall determine.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at such later time as the Board may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided , however , that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to the Rights Agent and to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 , and other than in connection with the purchase of shares of Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date.

Section 24. Exchange . (a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)) for Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, reclassification, stock dividend or similar transaction with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date hereof (such amount per Right being hereinafter referred to as the “ Exchange Ratio ”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after an Acquiring Person (together with any Affiliates and Associates of such Acquiring Person) shall have become the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding. From and after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) , any Rights that theretofore have not been exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) . The exchange of the Rights by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public

 

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notice of any such exchange with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights will be effected, and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) ) held by each holder of Rights.

(b) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24 , the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one share of Preferred Stock multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such share of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof.

(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional share of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional share of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph (c), the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) ) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24 .

Section 25. Notice of Certain Events . (a) In case the Company shall, at any time after the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding Preferred Stock), (iv) to effect any share exchange or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common

 

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Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate and the Rights Agent, in accordance with Section 26 , a written notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such share exchange, reclassification, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.

(b) In case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 shall occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 , a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 13 .

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

Hubbell Incorporated

40 Waterview Drive

Shelton, CT 06484

Attention: Corporate Secretary

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 , any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

Computershare Inc.

250 Royall Street

Canton, Massachusetts 02021

Attention: Client Services

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of any certificate representing Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such

 

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holder as shown on the registry books of the Company; provided , however , that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, prior to the Distribution Date a filing by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall constitute sufficient notice to the holders of securities of the Company, including the Rights, for purposes of this Agreement and no other notice need be given.

Section 27. Supplements and Amendments . For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights or Common Stock. From and after the time that the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the penultimate sentence of this Section 27 , the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights (i) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein or (ii) to make any other changes or provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, including but not limited to extending the Final Expiration Date; provided , however , that, from and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall be entitled to adopt and implement such procedures and arrangements (including with third parties) as it may deem necessary or desirable to facilitate the exercise, exchange, trading, issuance or distribution of the Rights (and shares of Preferred Stock) as contemplated hereby and to ensure that an Acquiring Person does not obtain the benefits thereof, and amendments in respect of the foregoing shall not be deemed to adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights. Any such supplement or amendment shall be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27 , the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement shall require the written consent of the Rights Agent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

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

Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement . Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock).

Section 30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors . The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise the rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or

 

32


advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend or not amend this Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) that are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights, as such, and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights. The Rights Agent is entitled always to assume the Company’s Board of Directors acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.

Section 31. Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that if such excluded provision shall affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign upon ten Business Days’ notice to the Company.

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

Section 33. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. A signature to this Agreement executed and/or transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature.

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

Section 35. Customer Identification Program . The Company acknowledges that the Rights Agent is subject to the customer identification program (“ Customer Identification Program ”) requirements under the USA PATRIOT Act and its implementing regulations, and that the Rights Agent must obtain, verify and record information that allows the Rights Agent to identify the Company. Accordingly, prior to accepting an appointment hereunder, the Rights Agent may request information from the Company that will help the Rights Agent to identify the Company, including without limitation the Company’s physical address, tax identification number, organizational documents, certificate of valid existence, license to do business, or any other information that the Rights Agent deems necessary. The Company agrees that the Rights Agent cannot accept an appointment hereunder unless and until the Rights Agent verifies the Company’s identity in accordance with the Customer Identification Program requirements.

 

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Section 36. Effective Time . This Agreement shall be effective as of the Reclassification Effective Time. Until the Reclassification Effective Time, the First Amended and Restated Rights Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, as if this Agreement had never been executed and delivered. If the Reclassification Effective Time has not occurred on or prior to August 23, 2016, then this Agreement shall automatically terminate and shall be of no further force or effect, as if this Agreement had never been executed and delivered. This Agreement may be terminated by the Company at any time prior to the Reclassification Effective Time by written notice to the Rights Agent. The Company will notify the Rights Agent in writing in the event of the occurrence or non-occurrence of the Reclassification Effective Time and in the event this Agreement becomes effective or terminates pursuant to this Section 36 .

Section 37. Force Majeure . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest.

 

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

 

HUBBELL INCORPORATED
By:   /s/ An-Ping Hsieh
  Name: An-Ping Hsieh
  Title: Vice President and General Counsel

 

COMPUTERSHARE INC, as Rights Agent
By:   /s/ Jackie Wadsworth
  Name: Jackie Wadsworth
  Title: Vice President


Exhibit A

Form of Right Certificate

 

Certificate No. R-                     Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 17, 2016 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.

RIGHT CERTIFICATE

HUBBELL INCORPORATED

This certifies that                      , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2015, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), between Hubbell Incorporated, a Connecticut corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Inc. (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Hartford, CT time, on December 17, 2016 at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, without par value, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”), at a purchase price of $300.00 per one one-thousandth of a share of A Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of December 23, 2015, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property) which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights and the number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.


This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. The Company will mail the holder of this Right Certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.

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

Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), or for shares of Preferred Stock.

No fractional shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock will be issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

No holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged as provided in the Rights Agreement.

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


WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.

Dated as of                      ,          .

 

HUBBELL INCORPORATED
By:    
 

Name:

Title:

COMPUTERSHARE INC.
By:    
 

Name:

Title:


Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED                                               hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                                                                                                                                                                                             

(Please print name and address of transferee)

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

Dated:                                     

 

 
Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a member or participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program, the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program.

(To be completed)

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned from, and are not being assigned to, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and are not issued with respect to Notional Common Stock related to a Derivatives Contract described in clause (iv) of the definition of Beneficial Owner (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).

 

 
Signature


Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)

To HUBBELL INCORPORATED:

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise              Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Rights (or such other securities or property of the Company or any other Person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares of Preferred Stock (or such other securities) be issued in the name of:

Please insert social security or other identifying number

 

 

(Please print name and address)

 

 

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security or other identifying number

 

 

(Please print name and address)

Dated:                                     

 

 

Signature

(Signature must conform to holder

specified on Right Certificate)


Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a member or participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program, the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program.

(To be completed)

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned from, and are not being assigned to, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and are not issued with respect to Notional Common Stock related to a Derivatives Contract described in clause (iv) of the definition of Beneficial Owner (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).

 

 
Signature


NOTICE

The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.


Exhibit B

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

PREFERRED SHARES

Introduction

The Board of Directors of Hubbell Incorporated, a Connecticut corporation, has authorized the amendment and restatement of the Company’s Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (as amended and restated the “Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement”), which became effective on December 23, 2015, upon the effectiveness of the reclassification (the “Reclassification”) of the Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock into a single class of common stock, $0.01 par value, of the Company. Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, each former Class A Right and Class B Right has been amended into one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock into which the Class A common stock and the Class B common stock have been reclassified, and Rights will be attached to future shares of common stock issued prior to the expiration date or the Distribution Date described below.

Our Board adopted the original rights agreement to protect shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics. In general terms, the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement accomplishes that objective by imposing a significant penalty upon any person or group which acquires 15% or more of our outstanding common stock without the approval of our Board. If a shareholder’s beneficial ownership of our common stock at the effective time of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement is at or above the applicable threshold (including through entry into certain derivative positions), that shareholder’s then-existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after such announcement, the shareholder increases its ownership percentage by 0.00001% or more. The Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by our Board.

For those interested in the specific terms of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement as made between our Company and Computershare Inc., as the Rights Agent, on December 23, 2015, we provide the following summary description. Please note, however, that this description is only a summary, and is not complete, and should be read together with the entire Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated December 23, 2015. A copy of the agreement is available free of charge from our Company.

The Rights . Our Board authorized the issuance of a Right with respect to each outstanding share of common stock on December 9, 1998. In connection with the effectiveness of the Reclassification, each former Class A Right and Class B Right has been amended to be a Right for each outstanding share of common stock into which the Class A common stock and the Class B common stock have been reclassified. The Rights initially trade with, and will be inseparable from, the common stock. The Rights are evidenced only by certificates or book entries that represent shares of common stock. New Rights will accompany any new shares of common stock we issue after the effectiveness of the Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement until the Distribution Date described below.


Exercise Price. Each Right allows its holder to purchase from our Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”) for $300.00, once the Right becomes exercisable. This portion of a share of Preferred Stock will give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of common stock. Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting, or liquidation rights.

Exercisability. The Rights will not be exercisable until the tenth day after the public announcement that a person or group has become an “Acquiring Person” by obtaining beneficial ownership of 15% or more of our outstanding common stock.

Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions – whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying common stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act – are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of the company’s common stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of the company’s common stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the rights plan are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.

We refer to the date when the Rights become exercisable as the “Distribution Date.” Until that date, the common stock certificates (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, by notations in the book-entry account system) will also evidence the Rights, and any transfer of shares of common stock will constitute a transfer of Rights. After that date, the Rights will separate from the common stock and be evidenced by book-entry credits or by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of common stock. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are void and may not be exercised.

Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person.

 

    Flip In. If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $300, purchase shares of our common stock with a market value of $600, based on the market price of the common stock prior to such acquisition.

 

    Flip Over. If our Company is later acquired in a merger or similar transaction after the Distribution Date, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for $300, purchase shares of the acquiring corporation with a market value of $600 based on the market price of the acquiring corporation’s stock, prior to such merger.

 

    Notional Shares. Shares held by Affiliates and Associates of an Acquiring Person, and Notional Shares held by counterparties to a Derivatives Contract with an Acquiring Person, will be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person.


Preferred Stock Provisions.

Each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, if issued:

 

    will not be redeemable.

 

    will entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.01 per one one-thousandth share, or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of common stock, whichever is greater.

 

    will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $0.10 per one one-thousandth share, or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of common stock, whichever is greater.

 

    will have the same voting power as one share of common stock.

 

    if shares of our common stock are exchanged via share exchange, merger or a similar transaction, will entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share of common stock.

The value of a one one-thousandth interest in a share of Preferred Stock should approximate the value of one share of common stock.

Expiration. The Rights will expire at the close of business on December 17, 2016.

Redemption. Our Board may redeem the Rights for $0.01 per Right at any time before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person. If our Board redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights. Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $0.01 per Right. The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of our common stock.

Exchange. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of our outstanding common stock, our Board may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of common stock or an equivalent security for each Right, other than Rights held by the Acquiring Person.

Anti-Dilution Provisions. Our Board may adjust the purchase price of shares of Preferred Stock, the number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reclassification of the shares of Preferred Stock or common stock. No adjustments to the Exercise Price of less than 1% will be made.

Amendments. The terms of the Rights Agreement may be amended by our Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights. However, the Board may not cause a person or group to become an Acquiring Person by lowering this threshold below the percentage interest that such person or group already owns. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, our Board may not amend the agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights.