Retention Bonuses Provided Executive becomes and remains an active employee of Mercantile, Mercantile will pay Executive retention bonuses in accordance with the following schedule:
(i) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following the Effective Time,
(ii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following six (6) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile,
(iii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile. After twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile, Executive will not be entitled to any further Severance or Retention benefits. The above-listed payments and benefits are in lieu of any and all payments and benefits to which Executive may otherwise have been entitled under the CIC Agreement or any other agreement or practice.
Retention Bonus (a) Subject to Sections 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d) below and your continued employment through the Determination Date (as defined below), you will be eligible to receive a Retention Bonus equal to the annual bonus you would have been eligible to receive under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan based on the Company’s actual performance for 2023, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) following the completion of 2023, had you been a participant in the Annual Incentive Plan with a target bonus opportunity of up to 40% of your base salary (such amount as determined by the Committee, the “Retention Bonus”), which determination shall occur between January 1, 2024 and March 15, 2024 (the date of such determination, the “Determination Date”). The Retention Bonus, if any, will be paid in cash in a lump sum between January 1, 2025 and March 15, 2025. You will continue to be considered an employee of the Company for purposes of this letter agreement if you are on a Company- approved leave of absence.
(b) In the event of a Change in Control during 2024, subject to your continued employment through the earlier of: (1) the Determination Date; or (2) the date of the Change in Control, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the date of the Change in Control.
(c) In the event of your Involuntary Termination (as defined in the Employment Agreement) on or after the Determination Date but on or prior to the date you have received the Retention Bonus, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the effective date of your Release (as defined below). As a condition to your receipt of the Retention Bonus pursuant to this Section 2(c), you shall execute and not revoke a general release of all claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates (the “Release”) in the form attached to the Employment Agreement as Exhibit A. In the event the Release does not become effective within the 55-day period following the date of your Involuntary Termination, you shall not be entitled to the Retention Bonus.
(d) If your employment terminates prior to the Determination Date for any reason, then this letter agreement will terminate, and you will forfeit any right you may have to receive the Retention Bonus.
Other Compensation and Benefits Except as may be provided under this Agreement, any benefits to which Executive may be entitled through the date of Executive’s termination pursuant to the plans, policies and arrangements referred to in Section 4(d) shall be determined and paid in accordance with the terms of such plans, policies and arrangements, and except as otherwise provided by this Agreement, Executive shall have no right to receive any other compensation, or to participate in any other plan, arrangement or benefit, with respect to future periods after such termination or resignation.
Compensation Benefits and Reimbursement (a) The compensation specified under this Agreement shall constitute the salary and benefits paid for the duties described in Section 2. The Bank shall pay Executive as compensation a salary of not less than [$ ] per year (“Base Salary”). Such Base Salary shall be payable biweekly, or with such other frequency as officers and employees are generally paid. During the period of this Agreement, Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed at least annually. Such review shall be conducted by a committee designated by the Board, and the Bank may increase, but not decrease (except a decrease that is generally applicable to all employees) Executive’s Base Salary (with any increase in Base Salary to become “Base Salary” for purposes of this Agreement). Base Salary shall not include any director’s fees that the Executive is entitled to receive as a director of the Bank or any affiliate of the Bank. Such director’s fees shall be separately paid to the Executive.
(b) Executive will be entitled to participate in and receive benefits under any employee benefit plans including, but not limited to, retirement plans, supplemental retirement plans, pension plans, profit-sharing plans, health-and-accident insurance plans, medical coverage or any other employee benefit plan or arrangement made available by the Bank currently or in the future to its senior executives and key management employees. Executive will be entitled to participate in any incentive compensation and bonus plans offered by the Bank in which Executive is eligible to participate. Nothing paid to Executive under any such plan or arrangement will be deemed to be in lieu of other compensation to which Executive is entitled under this Agreement.
(c) In addition to the Base Salary provided for by paragraph (a) of this Section 3, the Bank shall pay or reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other reasonable expenses incurred by Executive performing his obligations under this Agreement and may provide such additional compensation in such form and such amounts as the Board may from time to time determine. The Bank shall reimburse Executive for his ordinary and necessary business expenses including, without limitation, fees for memberships in such clubs and organizations as Executive and the Board shall mutually agree are necessary and appropriate for business purposes, and travel and entertainment expenses, incurred in connection with the performance of his duties under this Agreement.
A-E Compensation and Extra Work 1.5.1. For the PROJECTS/SERVICES authorized under this CONTRACT, A-E shall be compensated in accordance with the following:
1.5.2. For completion and approval of all PROJECTS/SERVICES where “Extra Work” (defined as changes in approved portions of the PROJECT/SERVICES required by and ordered in writing by DIRECTOR which changes constitute a change in or departure from said approved portions of PROJECTS/SERVICES) is not authorized, compensation including reimbursables shall be described and payable as stipulated in Fee Schedule, herein after referred to as “Attachment B”, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
1.5.3. Where extra work is authorized for PROJECTS/SERVICES:
a. The amount for Extra Work shall be determined using Attachment B. Extra Work shall be required by and ordered in writing by DIRECTOR. If this CONTRACT is not approved by the Board of Supervisors, any change that increases the cumulative CONTRACT price beyond $100,000 must be approved by the Board. Increases in the CONTRACT amount for services within the existing scope of work may be granted by the DIRECTOR where the amount does not exceed 25 percent of the existing CONTRACT price or $100,000, whichever is less.
b. A-E's billing for the Extra Work shall include but not be limited to names of A- E's staff employed in the Extra Work, classification of employees and number of hours worked.
1.5.4. For partial completion of work of PROJECTS/SERVICES followed by default on part of A-E:
a. For failure to complete and secure approval of the first required submittal, there shall be no compensation.
b. For failure to complete and secure approval of other authorized phases, A-E shall, upon completion of PROJECTS/SERVICES by others, be entitled to receive compensation based on approved work of PROJECTS/SERVICES not to exceed the amounts specified in Attachment A for that particular submittal, plus the reasonable value as determined by COUNTY of the non-approved work; provided, however, that if the cost to COUNTY to complete the contract exceeds the amount specified herein, A-E shall be liable to COUNTY for such excess costs attributable to A-E's breach of the CONTRACT.
Other Compensation and Fringe Benefits In addition to any executive bonus, pension, deferred compensation and long-term incentive plans which the Company or an affiliate of the Company may from time to time make available to the Employee, the Employee shall be entitled to the following during the Employment Term:
(a) the standard Company benefits enjoyed by the Company’s other top executives as a group;
(b) medical and other insurance coverage (for the Employee and any covered dependents) provided by the Company to its other top executives as a group;
(c) supplemental disability insurance sufficient to provide two-thirds of the Employee’s pre-disability Annual Base Salary;
(d) an annual incentive bonus opportunity under the Company’s annual incentive plan (“Annual Bonus Plan”) for each calendar year included in the Employment Term, with such opportunity to be earned based upon attainment of performance objectives established by the Committee (“Annual Bonus”). The Employee’s target Annual Bonus under the Annual Bonus Plan shall be no less than 150% of the Employee’s Annual Base Salary (collectively, the target and maximum are referred to as the “Annual Bonus Opportunity”). The Employee’s Annual Bonus Opportunity may be periodically reviewed and increased (but not decreased without the Employee’s express written consent) at the discretion of the Committee. The Annual Bonus shall be paid no later than the March 15th first following the calendar year to which the Annual Bonus relates. Unless provided otherwise herein or the Board determines otherwise, no Annual Bonus shall be paid to the Employee unless the Employee is employed by the Company, or an affiliate thereof, on the Annual Bonus payment date; and
(e) participation in the Company’s equity incentive plans.
Compensation and Benefits (a) For all services rendered by Employee the Company shall pay Employee during the term of this Agreement an annual salary (“Base Salary”) as set forth herein, payable semi-monthly in arrears. Employee’s initial Base Salary shall be $350,000.00. During the term of this Agreement, the amount of Employee’s Base Salary shall be subject to periodic reviews and adjustments as determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
(b) The Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual performance-based cash bonus in respect of each calendar year, beginning with the 2015 calendar year, to the extent earned based on the achievement of personal and financial performance objectives established by the Company’s Board of Directors no later than 45 days after the commencement of the relevant bonus period. The target annual bonus that the Employee may earn is equal to 30 percent (30%) of the Employee’s Base Salary at the rate in effect at the end of the relevant calendar year, pro-rated to properly reflect any partial year of employment. If applicable performance goals are not attained at least at the minimum level, no annual performance bonus is payable. The amount of such annual bonus awarded for a calendar year shall be determined by the Board or a committee thereof after the end of the calendar year to which such bonus relates, and shall be paid to the Employee when annual bonuses are paid to other senior executives of the Company generally, but in no event later than April 30 of the calendar year following the year for which the bonus is earned. To be eligible for any such annual bonus under this Section 3(b), the Employee must be actively employed by the Company at the time the Company pays bonuses for the relevant year.
(c) The Company shall pay to the Employee a lump sum sign-on bonus in the amount of $70,000, less all applicable withholdings, no later than 15 days after the Employee’s employment commencement date.
(d) The Company shall provide Employee, during the term of this Agreement, with the benefits of such insurance plans, hospitalization plans and other employee fringe benefit plans as shall be generally provided to employees of the Company and for which Employee may be eligible under the terms and conditions thereof. Nothing herein contained shall require the Company to adopt or maintain any such employee benefit plans.
(e) During the term of this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in Section 5(b), Employee shall be entitled to sick leave and annual vacation consistent with the Company’s customary paid time off policies.
(f) During the term of this Agreement, the Company shall reimburse Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the business of the Company and in the performance of his duties under this Agreement to the extent consistent with applicable Company policy in effect from time to time and upon presentation to the Company of an itemized accounting of such expenses with reasonable supporting data.
(g) In consideration of the Employee’s entering into this Agreement and as an inducement to join the Company, the Employee shall be granted under the Company’s option incentive plan as in effect from time to time (the “Option Plan”), a stock option to purchase 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Option”), subject to approval of the Board of Directors. The exercise price per share of the Option shall be the fair market value of the Company’s common stock (as determined by the Board of Directors) on the Option grant date. Subject to terms of the Option Plan and the Option award agreement, twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares subject to the Option shall vest on the first anniversary of Employee’s employment start date which is anticipated to be February 4, 2015, and 1/48th of the shares subject to the Option shall vest monthly thereafter so that one hundred percent (100%) of the shares subject to the Option are vested on the fourth anniversary of the employment start date, so long as the Employee remains employed at each such vesting date. Notwithstanding the foregoing vesting schedule, upon the effective date of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 5(g)), fifty percent (50%) of the shares subject to the Option which are not then vested will automatically become vested so long as the Employee remains employed on the effective date of such Change in Control. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between this Agreement and the Option Plan or the Option award agreement, the Option Plan and the Option award agreement shall govern.
Compensation and Fringe Benefits (a) The Company shall, during the Term of Employment, pay to the Executive as compensation for the performance of his duties and obligations a salary of $240,000 per annum. This compensation is subject to annual review and adjustment, as appropriate in the judgment of the Company. The compensation payable pursuant to this Section 5(a) shall be payable in equal semi-monthly installments on the last day of each such pay period.
(b) The Executive shall be enrolled and participate in any retirement, group insurance and other fringe benefit plans and arrangements which are applicable to the similarly situated personnel of the Company and in effect from time to time, if the Executive is eligible therefor, in each case in accordance with and subject to the provisions thereof.
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The Executive shall receive the following additional compensation and welfare and fringe benefits:
Compensation Benefits and Expenses During the Term, the Bank shall compensate the Executive for his services as provided in this Section 3. Unless otherwise determined by the Company Board, all payments and benefits provided in this Agreement shall be paid or provided solely by the Bank. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no provision of this Agreement shall be construed so as to result in the duplication of any payment or benefit. Unless otherwise determined by the Company Board, the Company’s sole obligation under this Agreement shall be to unconditionally guarantee the payment and provision of all amounts and benefits due hereunder to Executive, and the affirmative obligations of the Company as set forth at Section 3(h), herein, with respect to Indemnification, and, if such amounts and benefits due from the Bank are not timely paid or provided by the Bank, such amounts and benefits shall be paid or provided by the Company.
