MB Financial Bank, N.A. Change in Control Severance Agreement
MB
Financial Bank, N.A.
This
Severance Agreement, (the “Agreement”) is entered into
this 14th day of December, 2007 (the “Effective Date”), by and between MB
Financial Bank, N.A., a national banking association (the “Company”) and Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx (the “Executive”);
Witnesseth
That:
Whereas,
the Executive is employed by the Company, and the Company desires to provide
protection to Executive in connection with any change in control of the Company;
and
Whereas,
the Executive has an existing
change in control severance agreement with the Company dated as of September
2,
2003 (the “Prior Severance Agreement”), which the Executive is willing to
terminate in consideration of this Agreement becoming effective.
Now,
Therefore, it is hereby agreed by and between the parties, for good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged,
as
follows:
Article
I. Establishment
and Purpose
1.1 Term
of the Agreement; Termination of Prior Severance
Agreement. Unless expired earlier as provided in Section 1.3
or terminated by the Company pursuant to Section 2.4, this Agreement will
commence on the Effective Date and remain in effect for an initial term of
three
years which will be automatically extended for one year on each anniversary
of
the Effective Date. In addition, if a Change in Control occurs while
this Agreement is effective, this Agreement will remain irrevocably in effect
for the greater of twenty-four months from the date of the Change in Control
or
until all benefits have been paid to the Executive hereunder, and will then
expire. The Prior Severance Agreement shall be deemed
terminated immediately prior to the Effective Date.
1.2 Purpose
of the Agreement. The purpose of this Agreement is to
advance the interests of the Company by providing the Executive with an
assurance of equitable treatment, in terms of compensation and economic
security, in the event of an acquisition or other Change in Control of the
Company. An assurance of equitable treatment will enable the
Executive to maintain productivity and focus during a period of significant
uncertainty that is inherent in an acquisition or other Change in
Control. Further, the Company believes that agreements of this kind
will aid it in attracting and retaining the highly qualified, high-performing
professionals who are essential to its success.
1.3 Contractual
Right to Benefits. This Agreement establishes and vests in
the Executive a contractual right to the benefits to which he or she is entitled
hereunder, enforceable by the Executive against the Company. However,
nothing in this Agreement will require or be deemed to require the Company
to
segregate, earmark, or otherwise set aside any funds or other assets to provide
for any payments to be made under it.
Subject
to Section 3.2, the Company will retain the right to terminate the Executive’s
employment at any time prior to a Change in Control of the
Company. If the Executive’s employment is terminated prior to a
Change in Control of the Company, this Agreement will no longer be applicable
to
the Executive, and any and all rights and obligations of the Company and the
Executive under this Agreement will cease. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the effective date of a Change in Control occurs within six months
following the effective date of an involuntary termination without Just Cause,
the Executive's termination may be deemed to be a Qualifying Termination
pursuant to Section 3.2 of this Agreement as of the date of the Change in
Control.
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Article
II. Definitions
and Construction
2.1 Definitions. Whenever
used in the Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth below
and, when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word is
capitalized.
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(a)
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“Average
Annual Bonus” means the Executive’s actual average annual bonus earned
over the two complete fiscal years prior to the Effective Date of
Termination, or, if shorter, over the Executive’s entire period of
employment. However, if the Executive’s period of employment is
less than one year, the average bonus will be considered
zero.
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(b)
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“Base
Salary” means the base rate of compensation paid to the Executive as
annual salary, excluding amounts received under incentive or other
bonus
plans, as in effect as of the Effective Date of
Termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Executive’s
Base Salary was reduced within twenty-four months of the Effective
Date of
Termination, then “Base Salary” will mean the Executive’s annual Base
Salary as in effect immediately prior to the
reduction.
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(c)
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“Beneficial
Owner” has the meaning ascribed to that term in Rule 13d-3 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, namely, any person,
who
directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding
or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which includes the power
to vote
or direct the voting of securities, and/or investment power, which
includes the power to dispose of, or direct the disposition of, a
security.
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(d)
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“Beneficiary”
means the persons or entities designated or deemed designated by
the Executive pursuant to Section 8.2
herein.
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(e)
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“Board”
means the Board of Directors of the
Company.
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(f) The
term “Change in Control” means (1) any Person is or becomes the Beneficial Owner
directly or indirectly of securities of the Parent or the Company representing
35% or more of the combined voting power of the Parent’s or the Company’s
outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;
(2) individuals who were members of the Parent Board on the Effective Date
(the
“Incumbent Parent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority
thereof, provided that any person becoming a member of the Parent Board
subsequent to the Effective Date (a) whose appointment as a director by the
Parent Board was approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the directors
comprising the Incumbent Parent Board, or (b) whose nomination for election
as a
member of the Parent Board by the Corporation’s stockholders was approved by the
Incumbent Parent Board or recommended by the nominating committee serving under
the Incumbent Parent Board, shall be considered a member of the Incumbent Parent
Board; (3) consummation of a plan of reorganization, merger or consolidation
involving the Parent or the Company or the securities of either, other than
(a)
in the case of the Parent, a transaction at the completion of which the
stockholders of the Parent immediately preceding completion of the transaction
hold more than 60% of the outstanding securities of the resulting entity
entitled to vote generally in the election of its directors or (b) in the case
of the Company, a transaction at the completion of which the Parent holds more
than 50% of the outstanding securities of the resulting institution entitled
to
vote generally in the election of its directors; or (4) consummation of a sale
or other disposition to an unaffiliated third party or parties of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Parent or the Company or approval by
the
stockholders of the Parent or the Company of a plan of complete liquidation
or
dissolution of the Parent or the Company; provided that for purposes of
clause (1), the term “Person” shall not include the Parent, any employee benefit
plan of the Parent or the Company, or any corporation or other entity owned
directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Parent in substantially the
same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Parent.
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(g)
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“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
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(h)
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“Company”
means MB Financial Bank, N.A., a national banking association, or
any
successor thereto that adopts the Agreement, as provided in Section
8.1
herein.
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(i)
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“Compensation
Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of
the Parent Company.
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(j)
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“Director”
means a member of the Board or of the Parent Board, as the case may
be.
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(k)
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“Disability”
means a physical or mental condition that would entitle the Executive
to
benefits under the Company’s long-term disability plan, or if the Company
maintains no such plan, then under the federal Social Security
laws.
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(l)
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“Effective
Date of Termination” means the date on which a Qualifying Termination
occurs which triggers Severance Benefits
hereunder.
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(m)
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“Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to
time, or any successor to it.
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(n)
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“Expiration
Date” means the date the Agreement expires, as provided in Section 1.1
herein.
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(o)
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“Good
Reason” means (i) the occurrence of a ten percent or greater reduction in
the aggregate value of the Executive’s annual Base Salary, bonus
opportunity, and benefits excluding profit sharing; (ii) the assignment
to
the Executive of any duties inconsistent with, and commonly (in the
banking industry) considered beneath, the Executive’s position, or a
change in the Executive’s status, offices, titles and reporting
relationships, authority, duties or responsibilities, or any other
action
by the Company, in each case if the assignment, change or action
results
in a significant diminution in the Executive’s position, authority, duties
or responsibility; or (iii) a required relocation of the Executive
to a
location more than fifty miles from the Executive’s then existing job
location to which the Executive does not consent to in
writing. In determining whether an assignment, change or action
described in clause (ii) above constitutes Good Reason, due consideration
will be given to the size of the organization and other facts and
circumstances surrounding the Executive’s situation before and after the
assignment, change or action. For example, if the Executive is
moved to a position that carries a title generally considered to
be of a
lower degree, but he or she is working in a larger division or company
than before the change, has more employees reporting to him or her,
or has
authority for projects controlling more dollars, or if other circumstances
exist that suggest the Executive’s new position is not a demotion, then
Good Reason will not exist for the Executive to terminate his or
her
employment.
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(p)
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“Just
Cause” means a termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company,
for which no Severance Benefits are payable, as provided in Article
IV.
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(q)
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“Parent”
means MB Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation, or any direct parent
of
a successor of the Company that adopts the Agreement as provided
in
Section 8.1.
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(r)
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“Parent
Board” means the Board of Directors of the
Parent.
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(s)
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“Person”
means a natural person, company, or government, or a political
subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a government, including
a
“group” as defined in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. When
two or more persons act as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate
or other group for the purpose of acquiring the securities of the
Company,
they will be deemed a Person for purposes of the
Agreement. “Person” will be construed in the same manner as
under Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, and “group” will be construed
in the same manner as under Section 13(d) of the Exchange
Act.
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(t)
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“Qualifying
Termination” means any of the events described in Section 3.2, the
occurrence of which triggers the payment of Severance
Benefits.
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(u)
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“Severance
Benefit” means the payment of severance compensation as provided in
Article III.
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2.2 Gender
and Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context,
any masculine term used herein also includes the feminine, the plural includes
the singular, and the singular includes the plural.
2.3 Severability. If
any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason,
the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of this
Agreement, and this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if the illegal
or invalid provision had not been included.
2.4 Amendment
or Termination. The provisions of this Agreement may be
amended by written agreement between the Company and the Executive, with any
material amendment approved by the Compensation Committee or the
Board. Subject to the second to last sentence of Section 1.1, the
Company may terminate this Agreement by written resolution of the Compensation
Committee or the Board, effective as of a date at least twelve months following
the date the Company gives written notice to the Executive of its intent to
terminate the Agreement.
2.5 Applicable
Law. To the extent not preempted by the laws of the United
States, the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of
laws provisions, will be the controlling law in all matters relating to this
Agreement.
Article
III. Severance
Benefits
3.1 Right
to Severance Benefits. Subject to the provisions hereof, the
Executive will be entitled to receive from the Company Severance Benefits as
described in Section 3.3 if there has been a Change in Control of the Company
and if any of the events designated within Section 3.2 occur. The
Executive will not be entitled to receive Severance Benefits if his or her
employment with the Company ends due to death, disability, voluntary retirement,
a voluntary termination by the Executive without Good Reason, or due to an
involuntary termination by the Company for Just Cause.
3
3.2 Qualifying
Terminations. The occurrence of any one of the following
events within twenty-four calendar months after a Change in Control of the
Company will trigger the payment of Severance Benefits under this
Agreement:
(a) an
involuntary termination of the Executive’s employment without Just
Cause;
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(b)
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a
voluntary termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company, for
Good Reason;
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(c)
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the
failure or refusal of a successor company (including, but not limited
to,
an individual, corporation, association, or partnership) to assume
the
Company’s obligations under this Agreement, as required by Section 8.1;
and
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(d)
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a
breach by the Company or any successor company of any of the provisions
of
this Agreement.
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In
addition, an involuntary termination without Just Cause will trigger the payment
of Severance Benefits under this Agreement if the Executive’s employment is
terminated by the Company without Just Cause within six months prior to a Change
in Control that actually occurs during the term of this Agreement and either
(i)
the termination was at the request or direction of a Person who has entered
into
an agreement with the Company the consummation of which would constitute a
Change in Control, or (ii) the Executive reasonably demonstrates that the
termination is otherwise in connection with or in anticipation of the Change
in
Control.
3.3 Description
of Severance Benefits. If the Executive becomes entitled to
receive Severance Benefits, as provided in Sections 3.1 and 3.2, the Company
will pay to the Executive and provide him or her with the
following:
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(a)
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an
amount equal to the Executive’s annual Base Salary multiplied by
two;
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(b)
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an
amount equal to the Executive’s Average Annual Bonus multiplied by
two;
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(c)
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immediate
vesting of the Executive's benefits, if any, under any and all
non-qualified retirement plans of the Company (or its affiliates)
in which
the Executive participates; and
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(d)
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continuation
of the welfare benefits of medical, dental or other health coverage,
long-term disability, and group term life insurance at the same premium
cost to the Executive and at the same coverage level as in effect
as of
the Executive’s Effective Date of Termination until the second
anniversary of the Effective Date of Termination, without
regard
to the federal income tax consequences of that
continuation.
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The
treatment of any options held by the Executive will be subject to the terms
of
the plan or plans under which they were granted. Benefits under
subsection 3.3(d) will be discontinued prior to the end of the second
anniversary of the Effective Date of Termination if the Executive
receives substantially similar benefits in the aggregate from a subsequent
employer, as determined by the Compensation Committee. Continued
medical, dental or other health benefits under subsection 3.3(d) will count
toward any COBRA continuation coverage period that may apply to the
Executive.
Article
IV. Just
Cause or Retirement
4.1 Just
Cause. Nothing in this Agreement will be construed to
prevent the Company from terminating the Executive’s employment for Just
Cause. If the Company does so, no Severance Benefits will be payable
to the Executive under this Agreement.
Just
Cause will be defined to include, but will not be limited to, willful, malicious
conduct by the Executive that is prejudicial to the best interests of the
Company, including theft, embezzlement, the conviction of a criminal act,
disclosure of trade secrets, a gross dereliction of duty, or other grave
misconduct on the part of the Executive that is injurious to the
Company.
4.2 Retirement. If
the Executive’s employment with the Company ends due to voluntary retirement,
the Executive: (i) will not be entitled to receive Severance Benefits under
this
Agreement; and (ii) will not be eligible to participate in a Company-sponsored
severance plan or arrangement at any time following his or her
retirement.
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Article
V. Form
and Timing of Severance Benefits
5.1 Form
and Timing of Severance Benefits. The Severance Benefits
described in Sections 3.3(a) and (b) will be paid in cash to the Executive
in a
single lump sum as soon as practicable following the Effective Date of
Termination, but in no event more than thirty days after the Effective Date
of
Termination. The vesting of benefits under Section 3.3(c) shall occur
on the Effective Date of Termination.
The
Severance Benefits described in subsection 3.3(d) will be provided by the
Company to the Executive immediately upon the Effective Date of Termination
and
will continue to be provided until the second anniversary of
the Effective Date of Termination. However, the Severance Benefits
described in subsection 3.3(d) will be discontinued prior to the end of the
two-year period immediately upon the Executive's receiving
similar benefits from a subsequent employer, as determined by the Compensation
Committee.
5.2 Withholding
of Taxes. The Company will withhold from any amounts payable
under this Agreement all Federal, state, city, or other taxes that are legally
required.
Article
VI.
Tax Gross Up Agreement
6.1
Tax Gross Up Agreement. Contemporaneously with entering into this
Agreement, the Executive and Parent have entered into a Tax Gross-Up Agreement
to make the Executive whole in certain circumstances described therein from
the
excise tax, if any, imposed under Section 4999 of the Code.
Article
VII. Other
Rights and Benefits Not Affected
7.1 Other
Benefits. Except as provided in this Section below, neither
the provisions of this Agreement nor the Severance Benefits provided for
hereunder will reduce any amounts otherwise payable, or in any way diminish
the
Executive’s rights as an employee of the Company, whether existing now or
hereafter, under any benefit, incentive, retirement, stock option, stock bonus,
stock purchase plan, or any employment agreement, or other Agreement or
arrangement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Executive is also
a covered employee under a severance plan of the Company or one of its
affiliates, the Executive will be entitled to receive the Severance Benefits
provided under this Agreement in lieu of any severance pay or other benefits
provided under that severance plan. Benefits provided under this
Agreement will not increase any amounts otherwise payable under any other
arrangement, if that other arrangement does not provide that severance benefits
will be taken into account in determining benefits.
7.2 Employment
Status. This Agreement does not constitute a contract of
employment or impose on the Executive or the Company any obligation to retain
the Executive as an employee, to change the status of the Executive’s
employment, or to change the Company’s policies regarding termination of
employment.
Article
VIII. Successors
8.1 Successors. The
Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase,
merger, consolidation, or otherwise) of all or substantially all of the business
and/or assets of the Company or of any division or subsidiary thereof to
expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and
to
the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such
succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such an
assumption and agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession
will
be a breach of this Agreement and will entitle the Executive to compensation
from the Company in the same amount and on the same terms as he or she would
be
entitled hereunder if terminated voluntarily for Good Reason, except that,
for
the purposes of implementing the foregoing, the date on which any succession
becomes effective will be deemed the Effective Date of Termination.
This
Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executive’s
personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs,
distributees, devisees, and legatees. If the Executive dies while any
amount would still be payable to him or her hereunder had he or she continued
to
live, any such amount, unless otherwise provided herein, will be paid in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, to the Executive’s devisee,
legatee, or other designee, or if there is no such designee, to the Executive’s
estate.
8.2 Beneficiaries. The
Executive’s beneficiary under the qualified defined contribution plan of the
Company or an affiliate in which the Executive participates will be his or
her
Beneficiary under this Agreement, unless the Executive otherwise designates
a
Beneficiary in the form of a signed writing acceptable to the Compensation
Committee. The Executive may make or change such a designation at any
time.
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Article
IX. Administration
9.1 Administration. This
Agreement will be administered by the Compensation Committee. In that
capacity, the Compensation Committee, to the extent not contrary to the express
provisions of the Agreement, is authorized in its discretion to interpret this
Agreement, to prescribe and rescind rules and regulations, to provide conditions
and assurances deemed necessary and advisable, to protect the interests of
the
Company, and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement and similar Agreements.
In
fulfilling its administrative duties hereunder, the Compensation Committee
may
rely on outside counsel, independent accountants, or other consultants to render
advice or assistance.
9.2 Indemnification
and Exculpation. The members of the Board and the Parent
Board, its agents and officers, directors, and employees of the Company and
its
affiliates will be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and
from
any and all loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or
reasonably incurred by them in connection with or resulting from any claim,
action, suit, or proceeding to which they may be a party or in which they may
be
involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under this Agreement
and against and from any and all amounts paid by them in settlement (with the
Company’s written approval) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any
such action, suit, or proceeding. The foregoing provision will not
apply to any person if the loss, cost, liability, or expense is due to that
person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Article
X. Legal
Fees and Arbitration
10.1 Legal
Fees and Expenses. The Company (or, in the event of the
acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the Company, the acquirer
of
those assets) will pay all legal fees, costs of litigation, and expenses
directly related to legal fees and costs of litigation incurred in good faith
by
the Executive as a result of the Company’s refusal to provide the Severance
Benefits to which the Executive becomes entitled under this Agreement, or as
a
result of the Company’s contesting the validity, enforceability, or
interpretation of this Agreement, but in each case only if the Executive
ultimately prevails in litigation conducted as a result of the refusal or
contest.
10.2 Arbitration. The
Executive and the Company will have the right and option to elect (in lieu
of
litigation) to have any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection
with this Agreement settled by arbitration, conducted before a panel of three
arbitrators sitting in a location selected by the Executive within fifty miles
from the location of his or her job, in accordance with rules of the American
Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on
the award of the arbitrator in any court having jurisdiction. All
expenses of arbitration, including the fees and expenses of the counsel for
the
Executive, will be split between the Company and the Executive, unless the
Executive prevails, in which case the Company will bear the expenses of the
arbitration. Notwithstanding the right of the Executive or the
Company to elect to enter into arbitration, the Company and the Executive may
mutually agree to resolve any dispute or controversy arising under or in
connection with the Agreement in a court of law, in lieu of
arbitration.
Article
XI. Exclusivity
of Severance Benefits
11.1 Exclusivity
of Severance Benefits. Subject to Section 7.1, if the
Company is contractually obligated to pay to the Executive any severance
benefits pursuant to another agreement, plan, program, policy, or any other
change of control agreement, the terms and provisions of the program
under which the aggregate level of severance benefits is the highest (as
determined by the Executive) will operate to completely replace and supersede
the terms and provisions of this Agreement and/or all other programs that
provide for the payment of severance benefits.
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In
Witness Whereof, the Executive has executed this Agreement and the
Company has caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first
above written.
MB
Financial Bank,
N.A.
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EXECUTIVE
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By:
/s/
Xxxx
X. York
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/s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
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Its:
Executive
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
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Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
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