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Stockholder Rights Plan
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Stockholder Rights Plan [Abstract]  
Stockholder Rights Plan

19. Stockholder Rights Plan

On March 17, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted a stockholder rights plan, as set forth in the Stockholder Rights Agreement, dated March 17, 2023, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated May 4, 2023 (“Amendment No. 1”), Amendment No. 2 thereto, dated May 10, 2023 (“Amendment No. 2”), Amendment No. 3 thereto, dated March 18, 2024 (“Amendment No. 3”), and Amendment No. 4 thereto, dated March 25, 2024 (“Amendment No. 4”) (as amended, the “Stockholder Rights Agreement”). At the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on June 16, 2023, the Company’s stockholders ratified the adoption by the Board of Directors of the original Stockholder Rights Agreement, as amended by Amendment No. 1 and Amendment No. 2.

On March 18, 2024, the Company entered into Amendment No. 3, which extends the Stockholder Rights Agreement, such that the Rights will now expire on the close of business on March 17, 2025; provided that if the Company’s stockholders have not ratified the extension of the Stockholder Rights Agreement by the close of business on the first day after the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (including any adjournments or postponements thereof), the Rights will expire at such time, in each case, unless previously redeemed or exchanged by the Company. Amendment No. 3 also changes the definition of “Exercise Price” in the Stockholder Rights Agreement from $32.00 to $45.00 per Unit (as defined below) to account for the difference in share price between when the Stockholder Rights Agreement was originally adopted and when it was extended.

Pursuant to the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement, the Board of Directors declared a dividend distribution of (i) one Right (as defined below) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company’s common stock and (ii) 1,000 Rights for each outstanding share of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 28, 2023 (the “Record Date”). In addition, one Right will automatically attach to each share of common stock and 1,000 Rights will automatically attach to each share of Series A Preferred Stock, in each case, issued between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date (as defined below) and the expiration date of the Rights. Each “Right” entitles the registered holder thereof to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one ten-thousandth of a share (a “Unit”) of Series B Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) at a cash exercise price of $45.00 per Unit (the “Exercise Price”), subject to adjustment, under certain conditions specified in the Stockholder Rights Agreement and summarized below.

Initially, the Rights are not exercisable and are attached to and trade with all shares of common stock and Series A Preferred Stock outstanding as of, and issued subsequent to, the Record Date. The Rights will separate from the common stock and Series A Preferred Stock and will become exercisable upon the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth calendar day following the first public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of 10% (or 20% in the case of passive stockholders or “13G Investors,” as defined in the Stockholder Rights Agreement) or more of the outstanding shares of common stock, other than as a result of repurchases of stock by the Company or certain inadvertent actions by a stockholder (the date of such announcement being referred to as the “Stock Acquisition Date”), or (ii) the close of business on the tenth business day (or such later day as the Board of Directors may determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that could result upon its consummation in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”). A person or group who beneficially owned 10% or more (or 20% or more in the case of 13G Investors) of the Company’s outstanding common stock prior to the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Stockholder Rights Agreement will not trigger the Stockholder Rights Agreement so long as they do not acquire beneficial ownership of any additional shares of common stock at a time when they still beneficially own 10% or more (or 20% or more in the case of 13G Investors) of such common stock, subject to certain exceptions as set forth in the Stockholder Rights Agreement.

For purposes of the Stockholder Rights Agreement, beneficial ownership is defined to include ownership of securities that are subject to a derivative transaction and acquired derivative securities. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the Stockholder Rights Agreement are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership. Pursuant to Amendment No. 1, beneficial ownership did not include the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to voting on the proposal to approve and ratify the Stockholder Rights Agreement presented to the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Amendment No. 2, the parties to the SPA Agreement are not deemed to be “Acquiring Persons” solely by virtue of, or as a result of, the parties’ entry into the SPA Agreement, the issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock to GBH, and the performance or consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by the SPA Agreement, among other conditions, under the terms and conditions set forth in Amendment No. 2. Pursuant to Amendment No. 4, beneficial ownership excludes the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to voting (i) arising solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation, or exempt solicitation, made pursuant to a written proxy or consent solicitation statement filed with the SEC and that is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act, or (ii) on a proposal to approve and ratify the Stockholder Rights Agreement (as amended from time to time), including any amendment thereto or extension thereof, presented to the Company’s stockholders at any annual or special meeting of the Company’s stockholders (including any adjournments or postponements thereof).

In the event that a Stock Acquisition Date occurs, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than an Acquiring Person or its associates or affiliates, whose Rights shall become null and void) will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise, in lieu of a number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, that number of shares of common stock of the Company (or, in certain circumstances, including if there are insufficient shares of common stock to permit the exercise in full of the Rights, Units of Series B Preferred Stock, other securities, cash or property, or any combination of the foregoing) having a market value of two times the Exercise Price of the Right (such right being referred to as the “Subscription Right”). In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i) the Company consolidates with, or merges with and into, any other person, and the Company is not the continuing or surviving corporation, (ii) any person consolidates with the Company, or merges with and into the Company and the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the shares of common stock are changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other person or cash or any other property, or (iii) 50% or more of the Company’s assets or earning power is sold, mortgaged or otherwise transferred, each holder of a Right (other than an Acquiring Person or its associates or affiliates, whose Rights shall become null and void) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a market value equal to two times the Exercise Price of the Right (such right being referred to as the “Merger Right”). The holder of a Right will continue to have the Merger Right whether or not such holder has exercised the Subscription Right. Rights that are or were beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person may (under certain circumstances specified in the Stockholder Rights Agreement) become null and void.

The Rights may be redeemed in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (payable in cash, common stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors) by the Board of Directors only until the earlier of (i) the time at which any person becomes an Acquiring Person or (ii) the expiration date of the Stockholder Rights Agreement. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and thereafter the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.

The Stockholder Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion at any time prior to the time at which any person becomes an Acquiring Person. After such time the Board of Directors may, subject to certain limitations set forth in the Stockholder Rights Agreement, amend the Stockholder Rights Agreement only to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to shorten or lengthen any time period, or to make changes that do not adversely affect the interests of Rights holders (excluding the interests of an Acquiring Person or its associates or affiliates).

Until a Right is exercised, the holder will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company (beyond those as an existing stockholder), including the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for shares of common stock, other securities of the Company, other consideration or for common stock of an acquiring company.

The Stockholder Rights Agreement provides the holders of the common stock with the ability to exempt an offer to acquire, or engage in another business combination transaction involving, the Company that is deemed a “Qualifying Offer” (as defined in the Stockholder Rights Agreement) from the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement. A Qualifying Offer is, in summary, an offer determined by a majority of the independent members of the Board to have specific characteristics that are generally intended to preclude offers that are coercive, abusive or highly contingent. Among those characteristics are that it be: (i) a fully financed all-cash tender offer or an exchange offer offering shares of common stock of the offeror, or a combination thereof, for any and all of the common stock; and (ii) an offer that is otherwise in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders. The Stockholder Rights Agreement provides additional characteristics necessary for an acquisition offer to be deemed a “Qualifying Offer,” including if the consideration offered in a proposed transaction is stock of the acquiror.

Pursuant to the Stockholder Rights Agreement, if the Company receives a Qualifying Offer and the Board of Directors has not redeemed the outstanding Rights or exempted such Qualifying Offer from the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement or called a special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) for the purpose of voting on whether to exempt such Qualifying Offer from the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement, in each case by the end of the 90 business day period following the commencement of such Qualifying Offer, provided such offer remains a Qualifying Offer during such period, the holders of 10% of the common stock may request that the Board call a Special Meeting to vote on a resolution authorizing the exemption of the Qualifying Offer from the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement. If such a Special Meeting is not held by the 90th business day following the receipt of such a request from stockholders to call a Special Meeting, the Qualifying Offer will be deemed exempt from the terms of the Stockholder Rights Agreement on the 10th business day thereafter.