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SECURITY SAVINGS ASSOCIATION OF HAZLETON
THREE-YEAR CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
This AGREEMENT is made effective as of February 1, 1999, by and between
Security Savings Association of Hazleton (the "Association"), a
Pennsylvania-chartered savings institution, with its principal administrative
office at 00 X. Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000, Xxx Xxxxxx ("Executive"), and
Security of Pennsylvania Financial Corp. (the "Holding Company"), a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware which is the holding company
of the Association.
WHEREAS, the Association recognizes the substantial contribution Executive
has made to the Association and wishes to protect Executive's position therewith
for the period provided in this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, Executive has agreed to serve in the employ of the Association.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the contribution and responsibilities
of Executive, and upon the other terms and conditions hereinafter provided, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
1. TERM OF AGREEMENT.
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The term of this Security Savings Association of Hazleton Change in
Control Agreement (the "Agreement") shall be deemed to have commenced as of the
date first above written and shall continue for a period of thirty-six (36) full
calendar months thereafter. Commencing on the first anniversary date of this
Agreement and continuing at each anniversary date thereafter, the Board of
Directors of the Association ("Board") may extend the Agreement for an
additional year. The Board will review the Agreement and Executive's performance
annually for purposes of determining whether to extend the Agreement, and the
results thereof shall be included in the minutes of the Board's meeting.
2. CHANGE IN CONTROL.
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(a) If a Change in Control (as defined herein) has occurred or the Board
has determined that a Change in Control has occurred, Executive shall be
entitled to the benefits provided in Section 3 upon his subsequent termination
of employment at any time during the term of this Agreement due to (i)
Executive's dismissal, or (ii) Executive's voluntary resignation following any
demotion, loss of title, office or significant authority or responsibility,
reduction in the annual compensation or material reduction in benefits or
relocation of his principal place of employment by more than 25 miles from its
location immediately prior to the Change in Control, unless such termination is
because of his death or Termination for Cause (as defined herein).
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(b) For purposes of this Plan, a "Change in Control" of the Association or
Holding Company shall mean an event of a nature that: (i) would be required to
be reported in response to Item 1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, as in
effect on the date hereof, pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 0000 (xxx "Xxxxxxxx Xxx"); or (ii) results in a Change in
Control of the Association or the Holding Company within the meaning of the Home
Owners' Loan Act of 1933, as amended, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or the
Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Office of Thrift Supervision ("OTS")
(or its predecessor agency), as in effect on the date hereof (provided, that in
applying the definition of change in control as set forth under the Rules and
Regulations of the OTS, the Board shall substitute its judgment for that of the
OTS); or (iii) without limitation such a Change in Control shall be deemed to
have occurred at such time as (A) any "person" (as the term is used in Sections
13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Association or the Holding Company representing 25% or more of
the Association's or the Holding Company's outstanding voting securities or
right to acquire such securities except for any voting securities of the
Association purchased by the Holding Company in connection with the conversion
of the Association to the stock form and any voting securities purchased by any
employee benefit plan of the Association or the Holding Company, or (B)
individuals who constitute the Board on the date hereof (the "Incumbent Board")
cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, provided that
any person becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election was
approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the directors comprising the
Incumbent Board, or whose nomination for election by the Holding Company's
stockholders was approved by the same Nominating Committee serving under an
Incumbent Board, shall be, for purposes of this clause (B), considered as though
he were a member of the Incumbent Board, or (C) a plan of reorganization,
merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all the assets of the
Association or the Holding Company or similar transaction occurs in which the
Association or Holding Company is not the resulting entity; provided, however,
that such an event listed above will be deemed to have occurred or to have been
effectuated upon the receipt of all required regulatory approvals not including
the lapse of any statutory periods.
(c) Executive shall not have the right to receive termination benefits
pursuant to Section 3 hereof upon Termination for Cause. The term "Termination
for Cause" shall mean termination because of Executive's personal dishonesty,
incompetence, willful misconduct, any breach of fiduciary duty involving
personal profit, intentional failure to perform stated duties, willful violation
of any law, rule, or regulation (other than traffic violations or similar
offenses) or final cease-and-desist order, or material breach of any provision
of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall not be deemed
to have been Terminated for Cause unless and until there shall have been
delivered to him a Notice of Termination which shall include a copy of a
resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of
the Board of Directors of the Association at a meeting of the Board called and
held for that purpose (after reasonable notice to Executive and an opportunity
for him, together with counsel, to be heard before the Board), finding that in
the good faith opinion of the Board, Executive's conduct justified a finding of
Termination for Cause and specifying the particulars thereof in detail.
Executive shall not have the right to receive compensation or other benefits for
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any period after the Date of Termination for Cause. During the period beginning
on the date of the Notice of Termination for Cause pursuant to Section 4 hereof
through the Date of Termination for Cause, stock options and related limited
rights granted to Executive under any stock option plan shall not be exercisable
nor shall any unvested awards granted to Executive under any stock benefit plan
of the Association, the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof, vest. At
the Date of Termination for Cause, such stock options and related limited rights
and any such unvested awards shall become null and void and shall not be
exercisable by or delivered to Executive at any time subsequent to such
Termination for Cause.
3. TERMINATION BENEFITS.
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(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, followed at any time
during the term of this Agreement by termination of the Executive's employment
due to: (1) Executive's dismissal or (2) Executive's voluntary termination
pursuant to Section 2(a), unless such termination is due to Termination for
Cause, the Association and the Holding Company shall pay Executive, or in the
event of his subsequent death, his beneficiary or beneficiaries, or his estate,
as the case may be, a sum equal to three (3) times Executive's average annual
compensation for the five most recent taxable years that Executive has been
employed by the Association or such lesser number of years in the event that
Executive shall have been employed by the Association for less than five years.
Such average annual compensation shall include Base Salary, commissions,
bonuses, contributions on Executive's behalf to any pension and/or profit
sharing plan, severance payments, retirement payments, directors or committee
fees, fringe benefits paid or to be paid to the Executive in any such year and
payment of any expense items without accountability or business purpose or that
do not meet the Internal Revenue Service requirements for deductibility by the
Association; provided however, that any payment under this provision and
subsection 3(b) below shall not exceed three (3) times the Executive's average
annual compensation. At the election of Executive, which election is to be made
prior to a Change in Control, such payment shall be made in a lump sum. In the
event that no election is made, payment to Executive will be made on a monthly
basis in approximately equal installments during the remaining term of this
Agreement.
(b) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control of the Association or the
Holding Company followed at any time during the term of this Agreement by
Executive's voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, other than for
Termination for Cause, the Association shall cause to be continued life, medical
and disability coverage substantially identical to the coverage maintained by
the Association or Holding Company for Executive prior to his severance, except
to the extent such coverage may be changed in its application to all Association
or Holding Company employees on a nondiscriminatory basis. Such coverage and
payments shall cease upon the expiration of thirty-six (36) full calendar months
from the Date of Termination.
(c) Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this Section 3, in no
event shall the aggregate payments or benefits to be made or afforded to
Executive under said paragraphs (the "Termination Benefits") constitute an
"excess parachute payment" under Section 280G of the
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Code or any successor thereto, and in order to avoid such a result Termination
Benefits will be reduced, if necessary, to an amount (the "Non-Triggering
Amount"), the value of which is one dollar ($1.00) less than an amount equal to
three (3) times Executive's "base amount," as determined in accordance with said
Section 280G. The allocation of the reduction required hereby among the
Termination Benefits provided by the preceding paragraphs of this Section 3
shall be determined by Executive.
4. NOTICE OF TERMINATION.
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(a) Any purported termination by the Association or by Executive in
connection with a Change in Control shall be communicated by Notice of
Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a "Notice
of Termination" shall mean a written notice which shall indicate the specific
termination provision in this Agreement relied upon and shall set forth in
reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for
termination of Executive's employment under the provision so indicated.
(b) "Date of Termination" shall mean the date specified in the Notice of
Termination (which, in the instance of Termination for Cause, shall not be less
than thirty (30) days from the date such Notice of Termination is given).
(c) If, within thirty (30) days after any Notice of Termination is given,
the party receiving such Notice of Termination notifies the other party that a
dispute exists concerning the termination, the Date of Termination shall be the
date on which the dispute is finally determined, either by mutual written
agreement of the parties, by a binding arbitration award, or by a final
judgment, order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction (the time for
appeal therefrom having expired and no appeal having been perfected) and
provided further that the Date of Termination shall be extended by a notice of
dispute only if such notice is given in good faith and the party giving such
notice pursues the resolution of such dispute with reasonable diligence.
Notwithstanding the pendency of any such dispute in connection with a Change in
Control, in the event the Executive is terminated for reasons other than
Termination for Cause, the Association will continue to pay Executive his full
compensation in effect when the notice giving rise to the dispute was given
(including, but not limited to his annual salary) and continue him as a
participant in all compensation, benefit and insurance plans in which he was
participating when the notice of dispute was given, until the earlier of: (1)
the resolution of the dispute in accordance with this Agreement or (2) the
expiration of the remaining term of this Agreement as determined as of the Date
of Termination.
5. SOURCE OF PAYMENTS.
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It is intended by the parties hereto that all payments provided in this
Agreement shall be paid in cash or check from the general funds of the
Association. Further, the Holding Company guarantees such payment and provision
of all amounts and benefits due hereunder to Executive and, if such amounts and
benefits due from the Association are not timely paid or provided by the
Association, such amounts and benefits shall be paid or provided by the Holding
Company.
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6. EFFECT ON PRIOR AGREEMENTS AND EXISTING BENEFIT PLANS.
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This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties
hereto and supersedes any prior agreement between the Association and Executive,
except that this Agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or
compensation inuring to Executive of a kind elsewhere provided. No provision of
this Agreement shall be interpreted to mean that Executive is subject to
receiving fewer benefits than those available to him without reference to this
Agreement.
Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon Executive the right to
continue in the employ of Association or shall impose on the Association any
obligation to employ or retain Executive in its employ for any period.
7. NO ATTACHMENT.
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(a) Except as required by law, no right to receive payments under this
Agreement shall be subject to anticipation, commutation, alienation, sale,
assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge, or hypothecation, or to execution,
attachment, levy, or similar process or assignment by operation of law, and any
attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to affect any such action shall be null,
void, and of no effect.
(b) This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of,
Executive, the Association and their respective successors, heirs and assigns.
8. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER.
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(a) This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by an instrument
in writing signed by the parties hereto.
(b) No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been
waived, nor shall there be any estoppel against the enforcement of any provision
of this Agreement, except by written instrument of the party charged with such
waiver or estoppel. No such written waiver shall be deemed a continuing waiver
unless specifically stated therein, and each such waiver shall operate only as
to the specific term or condition waived and shall not constitute a waiver of
such term or condition for the future or as to any act other than that
specifically waived.
9. REQUIRED REGULATORY PROVISIONS.
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(a) The board of directors may terminate Executive's employment at any
time, but any termination by the board of directors, other than Termination for
Cause, shall not prejudice Executive's right to compensation or other benefits
under this Agreement. Executive shall not have the right to receive compensation
or other benefits for any period after Termination for Cause as defined in
Section 2(c) hereinabove.
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(b) If Executive is suspended from office and/or temporarily prohibited
from participating in the conduct of the Association's affairs by a notice
served under Section 8(e)(3) or 8(g)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12
U.S.C. ss.1818(e)(3) or (g)(1)), the Association's obligations under this
contract shall be suspended as of the date of service, unless stayed by
appropriate proceedings. If the charges in the notice are dismissed, the
Association may in its discretion (i) pay Executive all or part of the
compensation withheld while their contract obligations were suspended and (ii)
reinstate (in whole or in part) any of the obligations which were suspended.
(c) If Executive is removed and/or permanently prohibited from
participating in the conduct of the Association's affairs by an order issued
under Section 8(e)(4) or 8(g)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C.
ss.1818(c)(4) or (g)(1)), all obligations of the Association under this contract
shall terminate as of the effective date of the order, but vested rights of the
contracting parties shall not be affected.
(d) If the Association is in default as defined in Section 3(x)(1) of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Act, all obligations of the Association under this
contract shall terminate as of the date of default, but this paragraph shall not
affect any vested rights of the contracting parties.
(e) All obligations under this contract shall be terminated, except to the
extent determined that continuation of the contract is necessary for the
continued operation of the institution: (i) by the Director of the Office of
Thrift Supervision (or her designee) at the time the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation enters into an agreement to provide assistance to or on behalf of
the Association under the authority contained in Section 13(c) of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act; or (ii) by the Director of the Office of Thrift
Supervision (or her designee) at the time the Director (or her designee)
approves a supervisory merger to resolve problems related to operation of the
Association or when the Association is determined by the Director to be in an
unsafe or unsound condition. Any rights of the parties that have already vested,
however, shall not be affected by such action.
(f) Any payments made to Executive pursuant to this Agreement, or
otherwise, are subject to and conditioned upon compliance with 12 U.S.C.
ss.1828(k) and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
10. REINSTATEMENT OF BENEFITS UNDER SECTION 9(b).
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In the event Executive is suspended and/or temporarily prohibited from
participating in the conduct of the Association's affairs by a notice described
in Section 9(b) hereof (the "Notice") during the term of this Agreement and a
Change in Control, as defined herein, occurs, the Association will assume its
obligation to pay and Executive will be entitled to receive all of the
termination benefits provided for under Section 3 of this Agreement upon the
Association's receipt of a dismissal of charges in the Notice.
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11. SEVERABILITY.
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If, for any reason, any provision of this Agreement, or any part of any
provision, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provision
of this Agreement or any part of such provision not held so invalid, and each
such other provision and part thereof shall to the full extent consistent with
law continue in full force and effect.
12. HEADINGS FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
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The headings of sections and paragraphs herein are included solely for
convenience of reference and shall not control the meaning or interpretation of
any of the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, references to the
masculine shall apply equally to the feminine.
13. GOVERNING LAW.
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The validity, interpretation, performance, and enforcement of this
Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Pennsylvania but only to
the extent not preempted by Federal law.
14. ARBITRATION.
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Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this
Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted before a panel
of three arbitrators sitting in a location selected by Executive within fifty
(50) miles from the location of the Association's main office, in accordance
with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment
may be entered on the arbitrator's award in any court having jurisdiction;
provided, however, that Executive shall be entitled to seek specific performance
of his right to be paid until the Date of Termination during the pendency of any
dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other
than in the case of a Termination for Cause.
15. PAYMENT OF COSTS AND LEGAL FEES.
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All reasonable costs and legal fees paid or incurred by Executive pursuant
to any dispute or question of interpretation relating to this Agreement shall be
paid or reimbursed by the Association (which payments are guaranteed by the
Holding Company pursuant to Section 5 hereof) if Executive is successful on the
merits pursuant to a legal judgment, arbitration or settlement.
16. INDEMNIFICATION.
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(a) The Association shall provide Executive (including his heirs,
executors and administrators) with coverage under a standard directors' and
officers' liability insurance policy at its expense, and shall indemnify
Executive (and his heirs, executors and administrators) to the fullest extent
permitted under Pennsylvania law against all expenses and liabilities
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reasonably incurred by him in connection with or arising out of any action, suit
or proceeding in which he may be involved by reason of his having been a
director or officer of the Association (whether or not he continues to be a
director or officer at the time of incurring such expenses or liabilities), such
expenses and liabilities to include, but not be limited to, judgments, court
costs and attorneys' fees and the cost of reasonable settlements.
17. SUCCESSOR TO THE ASSOCIATION
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The Association shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or
indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all or
substantially all the business or assets of the Association, expressly and
unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Association's obligations
under this Agreement, in the same manner and to the same extent that the
Association would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had
taken place.
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SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Security Savings Association of Hazleton and Security
of Pennsylvania Financial Corp. have caused this Agreement to be executed by
their duly authorized officers, and Executive has signed this Agreement, on the
1st day of February, 1999.
ATTEST: SECURITY SAVINGS ASSOCIATION OF
HAZLETON
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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Secretary For the Entire Board of Directors
SEAL
ATTEST: SECURITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FINANCIAL
CORP.
(Guarantor)
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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Secretary For the Entire Board of Directors
SEAL
WITNESS:
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx /s/ Xxx Xxxxxx
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Secretary Xxx Xxxxxx
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