EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2005.   File No. 333-                    

 
 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
     
Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  23-0552730
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

Crossroads Corporate Center
3150 Brunswick Pike, Suite 230
Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648

(Address, Including Zip Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)


EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES AND GORDON A. ULSH
(Full Title of the Plans)
     
Brad S. Kalter
Senior Counsel & Assistant Secretary
Exide Technologies

13000 Deerfield Parkway, Building 200
Alpharetta, Georgia 30004
(678) 566-9048

(Name, Address, and Telephone Number,
Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
  Copies to:
David M. Eaton
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
1100 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2800
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 815-6500
     


Calculation of Registration Fee
                                 
 
            Proposed Maximum   Proposed Maximum    
Title of Securities   Amount to   Offering Price   Aggregate   Amount of
to be Registered   be Registered(1)   Per Share(2)   Offering Price(2)   Registration Fee
 
Common Stock, $.01 par value
    80,000     $ 13.22 (2)   $ 1,057,600     $ 124.48  
 
Common Stock, $.01 par value
    100,000     $ 12.79 (3)   $ 1,279,000     $ 150.54  
 
Total Registration Fee
                          $ 275.02  
 

(1)   In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), this Registration Statement also relates to such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock of the Registrant as may be issuable in the event of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or other similar changes in the capital structure, merger, consolidation, spin-off, split-off, spin-out, split-up, reorganization, partial or complete liquidation, or other distribution of assets, issuance of rights or warrants to purchase securities, or any other corporate transaction or event having an effect similar to any of the foregoing.
 
(2)   With respect to 80,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options issued under the Employment Agreement, calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act on the basis of the exercise price of such stock options under the Agreement (i.e., the average closing price per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock for the ten consecutive trading days preceding the date of grant, as reported by the Nasdaq National Market).
 
(3)   With respect to 100,000 shares of restricted Common Stock issuable under the Employment Agreement, calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act on the basis of the average of the high and low selling prices per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock on April 1, 2005 as reported by the Nasdaq National Market.
 
 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL
ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED
ITEM 8. EXHIBITS
ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EX-5 OPINION OF BRAD KALTER AS TO THE LEGALITY OF THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED
EX-23.2 CONSENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP


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PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the note to Part I of Form S-8.

PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     The following documents have been filed by Exide Technologies (the “Company”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and are incorporated herein by reference (Commission File No. 1-11263):

     (a) The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, as amended by the Company’s Form 10-K/A filed on March 1, 2005;

     (b) The Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the quarters ended June 30, 2004, September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2004;

     (c) All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) since the end of the Company’s fiscal year ended March 31, 2004; and

     (d) The description of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, as set forth in its Form 8-A Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act on May 5, 2004, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

     All documents filed subsequent to the date hereof by the Company with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment hereto which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof from their respective dates of filing (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as “Incorporated Documents”); provided, however, that the documents enumerated above or subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act in each year during which the offering made hereby is in effect prior to the filing with the SEC of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K covering such year shall not be Incorporated Documents or be incorporated by reference herein or be a part hereof from and after the filing of such Annual Report on Form 10-K.

     Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes hereof to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part hereof.

 


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ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     Not Applicable.

ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

     Not applicable.

ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation includes a provision eliminating the personal liability of a director or officer to the Registrant or its stockholders for the breach of any duty owed to the Registrant or its stockholders except to the extent that an exemption from personal liability is not permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as such may be amended from time to time. Among other things, Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law allows Delaware corporations to include a provision in their certificates of incorporation eliminating the personal liability of a director or officer to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of any duty as a director, provided, however, that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which relates to unlawful payment of dividends and unlawful stock purchases and redemptions or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

     As permitted by Section 145(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws contain a provision requiring the Registrant to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director or officer of the Registrant, or, while a director or officer, is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.

     As permitted by Section 145(b) of the Delaware General Registrant Law, the Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws contain a provision requiring the Registrant to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Registrant to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director or officer of the Registrant, or, while a director or officer of the Registrant, is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any

 


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claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

     As permitted by Section 145(c) of the Delaware General Registrant Law, the Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws contain a provision requiring the Registrant, to the extent that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, to indemnify such person against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

     Also consistent with Section 145, the Registrant shall pay expenses incurred by a current or former officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding if such person undertakes to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to indemnification. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions of the bylaws are not exclusive of any other rights to which the covered persons may be entitled under any law, agreement or otherwise.

     As permitted by Section 145 and the Registrant’s bylaws, the Registrant maintains a directors’ and officers’ insurance and company reimbursement policy. The policy insures directors and officers against unindemnified losses arising from certain wrongful acts in their capacities as directors and officers and reimburses the Registrant for those losses for which the Registrant has lawfully indemnified the directors and officers. The policy contains various exclusions, none of which apply to this offering.

ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

     Not Applicable.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

     The following exhibits are filed with this Registration Statement:

     
Exhibit Number   Description
5
  Opinion of Brad S. Kalter as to the legality of the securities to be issued.
 
   
23.1
  Consent of Brad S. Kalter (included in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 hereto).
 
   
23.2
  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
 
   
24
  Power of Attorney is included on signature page.

ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS

 


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     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

  (i)   to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
 
  (ii)   that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
 
  (iii)   to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 


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SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Lawrenceville, State of New Jersey, on April 4, 2005.

         
  EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
 
 
  By:   /s/J. Timothy Gargaro    
    J. Timothy Gargaro   
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer   
 

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 4th day of April 2005.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that each individual whose signature appears below and on the following page constitutes and appoints J. Timothy Gargaro, Stuart H. Kupinsky and Brad S. Kalter and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         
Signature   Title    
/s/ Gordon A. Ulsh
  President, Chief Executive Officer    
Gordon A. Ulsh
  and Director    
  (principal executive officer)    
 
       
/s/ J. Timothy Gargaro
  Executive Vice President    
J. Timothy Gargaro
  and Chief Financial Officer    
  (principal financial officer)    
 
       
/s/ Ian J. Harvie
  Vice President and Corporate    
Ian J. Harvie
  Controller    
  (principal accounting officer)    
 
       
/s/ Michael R. D’Appolonia
  Director    
Michael R. D’Appolonia
       

 


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Signature   Title    
/s/ Eugene I. Davis
  Director    
Eugene I. Davis
       
 
       
/s/ Mark C. Demetree
  Director    
Mark C. Demetree
       
 
       
/s/ Phillip M. Martineau
  Director    
Phillip M. Martineau
       
 
       
/s/ Scott McCarty
  Director    
Scott McCarty
       
 
       
/s/ John P. Reilly
  Director    
John P. Reilly
       
 
       
/s/ Michael P. Ressner
  Director    
Michael P. Ressner
       

 


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EXHIBIT INDEX

     
Exhibit Number   Description
5
  Opinion of Brad S. Kalter as to the legality of the securities to be issued.
 
   
23.1
  Consent of Brad S. Kalter (included in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 hereto).
 
   
23.2
  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
 
   
24
  Power of Attorney is included on signature page.