8-A12B
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
Alpharma Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
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22-2095212 |
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(State of incorporation or organization)
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(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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One Executive Drive, Fort Lee, New Jersey
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07024 |
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip Code) |
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Each Class
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Name of Each Exchange on Which |
to be so Registered
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Each Class is to be Registered |
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Preferred Share Purchase Rights
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Not Applicable |
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If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the
Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c), please check the following
box. þ
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. o
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Securities Act registration statement file number to which form relates:
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Not Applicable |
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(If applicable) |
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 1 Description of Registrants Securities to be Registered.
On November 22, 2006 the Board of Directors of Alpharma Inc. (the Company or Alpharma)
declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a Right) for each share of Class A
Common Stock, $.20 par value (the Class A Common Shares), of the Company and for each share of
Class B Common Stock, $.20 par value (the Class B
Common Shares and together with the Class A
Common Shares, the Common Shares), of the Company, in each case, as outstanding at the close of business on December
5, 2006 (the Record Date). As long as the Rights are attached to the Common Shares, the Company
will issue one Right (subject to adjustment) with each new Common Share so that all such shares
will have attached Rights. When exercisable, each Right will entitle the registered holder to
purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock (the Preferred Shares) at a price of $120.00 per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share,
subject to adjustment (the Purchase Price). The description and terms of the Rights are set
forth in a Public Shareholder Protection Plan, dated as of November 22, 2006, as the same may be
amended from time to time (the Agreement), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company,
N.A. as Agent (the Agent). Terms used below but not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to
them in the Agreement.
Until the Distribution
Date, the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to
any of the Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share
certificate together with a copy of the Summary of Rights.
A Distribution Date shall mean the earliest date on which a Trigger Event occurs, but shall
be suspended if the Acquiring Person enters into an agreement with the Company not to consummate
the underlying transaction without both (i) the affirmative vote of a majority of the
members of the Board Committee (as defined below), and (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of
the votes cast thereon by the holders of Common Shares (other than
the Acquiring Person or any associate or affiliate of an Acquiring
Person) at a duly held meeting of such shareholders; provided, however, if such transaction is not so approved, but the
Class B Holder nevertheless continues to pursue such transaction, the Distribution Date shall be deemed to
have occurred on the date of the original announcement of such transaction.
A Trigger Event shall be deemed to have occurred upon the earliest of (i) a Class B Holder
acquiring Beneficial Ownership of more than 1% of the outstanding Class A Common Shares (other than through
ownership or conversion of the Class B Common Shares) on or after the date the Class B Holder first
becomes a Class B Holder; (ii) a Class B Holder
publicly announcing (by press release, filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission or otherwise) its intent to acquire Beneficial Ownership of
more than 1% of the outstanding Class A Common Shares (other than through ownership or conversion of the Class
B Common Shares), including, without limitation, in a tender or exchange offer, on or after the
date the Class B Holder first becomes a Class B Holder; and (iii) a Class B Holder announcing its
intent to cause the Company to effect an Affiliate Transaction.
Class B
Holder shall mean any Person which, together with such
Persons Affiliates and Associates, is the Beneficial Owner of
50% or more of the Class B Common Shares then outstanding, but
shall not include an Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter
defined). For all purposes of this Plan, any calculation of the
number of Class B Common Shares outstanding at any particular
time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage
of such outstanding Class B Common Shares of which any Person
is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last
sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the Exchange Act), as in effect on the date of
this Plan.
Acquiring
Person shall mean any Class B Holder (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who takes an action that results in a Trigger
Event occurring.
Affiliate
Transaction shall mean a merger or combination of the
Company with, or sale of a material portion of the Companys and
its Subsidiaries assets to, or any other similar transaction
with, a Class B Holder or any Affiliate or Associate of a
Class B Holder.
The
Agreement provides that until the Distribution Date (or earlier
redemption, exchange,
termination, or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only with the
Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption,
exchange, termination or expiration of the Rights),
new Common Share certificates issued after the close of business on the Record Date
upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange, termination
or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares,
with or without such notation or a copy of the Summary of Rights, will also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As soon
as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (Right
Certificates) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business
on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on
November 22, 2016, subject to the Companys right to extend such date (the Final Expiration
Date), unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company or terminated.
Each Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will be entitled, when, as and if
declared, to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 per share but will be
entitled to an aggregate dividend of 1,000 times the dividend, if any, declared per Common Share.
In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of the Preferred
Shares will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $1,000 per share (plus any
accrued but unpaid dividends) but will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 1,000 times the
payment made per Common Share. Each Preferred Share will have 1,000 votes and will vote together
with the Common Shares. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in
which Common Shares are exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 1,000 times the
amount received per Common Share. Preferred Shares will not be redeemable. These rights are
protected by customary antidilution provisions. Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares
dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one Common Share.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property
issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent
dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification
of, the Preferred Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the
Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness, cash, securities or assets (excluding regular
periodic cash dividends at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last regular periodic
cash dividend theretofore paid or, in case regular periodic cash dividends have not theretofore
been paid, at a rate not in excess of 50% of the average net income per share of the Company for
the four quarters ended immediately prior to the payment of such dividend, or dividends payable in
Preferred Shares (which dividends will be subject to the adjustment described in clause (i) above))
or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
From and after the
Distribution Date in the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person or if the Company were the surviving
corporation in a merger with an Acquiring Person or any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring
Person and the Common Shares were not changed or exchanged, each holder of a
Right, other than Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by the Acquiring
Person or any of its affiliates or associates (which Rights will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon
exercise that number of Class A Common Shares having a market value of two times the then current Purchase
Price of the Right. In the event that, after a person has become an Acquiring Person, the Company
were acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or more than 50% of its assets
or earning power were sold, proper provision shall be made so that
each holder of a Right (other than as described above) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price
of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring Company which at the time of
such transaction would have a market value of two times the then current Purchase Price of the
Right.
In certain circumstances described in the Agreement, upon approval of both (a) the Board of
Directors and (b) a committee of the Board of Directors comprised solely of members independent
from the Class B Holder (the Board Committee) the Company may exchange the Rights (other than
Rights owned by an Acquiring Person or any of its affiliates or
associates which will have become void), in whole or in part, for Class A
Common Shares at an exchange rate of one Class A Common Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
No adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an
adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares or Class A Common
Shares will be issued (other than fractions of Preferred Shares which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depository receipts), and in lieu thereof, a payment in cash will be made based on the market price
of the Preferred Shares or Class A Common Shares on the last trading date prior to the date of
exercise.
The Rights may be redeemed in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the
Redemption Price) upon approval of both (i) the affirmative vote of a majority of the
Board of Directors and (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board Committee. The
redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions
as the Company in its sole discretion may establish; provided that any redemption shall be
taken by and at the direction of the Board of Directors and the Board Committee. Immediately upon
any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of
the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder
of the Company beyond those as an existing stockholder, including, without limitation, the right to
vote or to receive dividends.
Any of the provisions of the Agreement may be amended by approval of both the Board of
Directors and the Board Committee for so long as the Rights are then redeemable, and after the
Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may amend or supplement the Agreement in any manner
that does not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring
Person or an affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person).
As
of November 21, 2006, there were 43,047,535 Class A Common Shares issued and
outstanding, of which 328,658 were reserved as treasury stock, 11,872,897
Class B
Common Shares issued and outstanding and 4,650,000 Class
A Common Shares reserved for issuance under Alpharmas stock option and incentive plans. The
Company has reserved 100,000 Preferred Shares initially for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.
The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to
a Class B Holder that attempts to acquire more than 1% of the Class A Common Shares on terms
not approved by both the Board Committee and the affirmative vote of
a majority of the votes cast thereon by the holders of Common Shares
(other than the Acquiring Person or any associate or affiliate of an
Acquiring Person) at a duly held meeting of such shareholders. The Rights should not
interfere with any merger or other business combination with an independent party approved by the Board of Directors since the Rights may be amended, redeemed or
exchanged as described above.
While the dividend of the Rights will not be taxable to shareholders or to the Company,
shareholders of the Company may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the
event that the Rights become exercisable as set forth above.
A copy of the Agreement has been filed as Exhibit 1 to this Registration Statement on Form
8-A. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to such exhibit.
Item 2. Exhibits
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Exhibit No. |
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Exhibit |
1.
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Public Shareholder Protection Plan, dated as of November 22, 2006, between
Alpharma Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Agent, which includes the form of Certificate of Designations
of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of
Alpharma Inc. as Exhibit A, the form of Right Certificate as
Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred
Shares as Exhibit C. |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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Dated: November 24, 2006 |
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ALPHARMA INC. |
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By:
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/s/ Jeffrey S. Campbell |
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Name: Jeffrey S. Campbell |
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Title: Vice President, Finance and Interim |
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Chief Financial Officer |
EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit No. |
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Exhibit |
1.
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Rights Agreement, dated as of November 22, 2006, between
Alpharma Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights
Agent, which includes the form of Certificate of Designations
of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of
Alpharma Inc. as Exhibit A, the form of Right Certificate as
Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred
Shares as Exhibit C. |