Exhibit Number (10)(iv)
To 6/30/98 Form 10-Q
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS
TRUST AGREEMENT
This Trust Agreement made this 11th day of May, 1998, by and between
Northern Trust Corporation ("Company") and Xxxxxx Trust & Savings Bank
("Trustee").
WHEREAS, Company has adopted the nonqualified deferred compensation Plans
as listed in Appendix A (hereinafter called "Plan");
WHEREAS, Company wishes to establish a trust (hereinafter called "Trust")
and to contribute Trust assets that shall be held therein, subject to the claims
of Company's creditors in the event of Company's insolvency, as herein defined,
until paid to Plan participants and their beneficiaries in such manner and at
such times as specified in the Plan;
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the parties that this Trust shall
constitute an unfunded arrangement and shall not affect the status of the Plan
as an unfunded plan maintained for the purpose of providing deferred
compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees
for purposes of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974;
WHEREAS, it is the intention of Company to make contributions to the Trust
to provide itself with a source of funds to assist it in the meeting of its
liabilities under the Plan;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties do hereby establish the Trust and agree that
the Trust shall be comprised, held and disposed of as follows:
Section 1. Establishment of Trust.
(a) Company shall deposit with Trustee in trust $100, which shall become
the principal of the Trust to be held, administered and disposed of by Trustee
as provided in this Trust Agreement.
(b) The Trust hereby established shall be irrevocable.
(c) The Trust is intended to be a grantor trust, of which Company is the
grantor, within the meaning of subpart E, part I, subchapter J, Chapter 1,
subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and shall be
construed accordingly.
(d) The principal of the Trust, and any earnings thereon, shall be held
separate and apart from other funds of Company and shall be used exclusively for
the uses and purposes of Plan participants and general creditors as herein set
forth. Plan participants and their
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beneficiaries shall have no preferred claim on, or any beneficial ownership
interest in, any assets of the Trust. Any rights created under the Plan and
this Trust Agreement shall be mere unsecured contractual rights of Plan
participants and their beneficiaries against Company. Any assets held by the
Trust will be subject to the claims of Company's general creditors under federal
and state law in the event of Insolvency, as defined in Section 3(a) herein.
(e) Company, in its sole discretion, may at any time, or from time to
time, make additional deposits of cash or other property in trust with Trustee
to augment the principal to be held, administered and disposed of by Trustee as
provided in this Trust Agreement. Neither Trustee nor any Plan participant or
beneficiary shall have any right to compel such additional deposits.
Section 2. Payments to Plan Participants and Their Beneficiaries.
(a) Company shall deliver to Trustee a schedule (the "Payment Schedule")
that indicates the amounts payable in respect of each Plan participant (and his
or her beneficiaries), that provides a formula or other instructions acceptable
to Trustee for determining the amount so payable, the form in which such amount
is to be paid as provided for or available under the Plan), and the time of
commencement for payment of such amounts. Except as otherwise provided herein,
Trustee shall make payments to Plan participants and their beneficiaries in
accordance with such Payment Schedule. Trustee shall make provision for the
reporting and withholding of any federal, state or local taxes that may be
required to be withheld with respect to the payment of benefits pursuant to the
terms of the Plan and shall pay amounts withheld to the appropriate taxing
authorities or determine that such amounts have been reported, withheld and paid
by Company.
(b) The entitlement of a Plan participant or his or her beneficiaries to
benefits under the Plan shall be determined by Company or such party as it shall
designate under the Plan, and any claim for such benefits shall be considered
and reviewed under the procedures set out in the Plan.
(c) Company may make payment of benefits directly to Plan participants or
their beneficiaries as they become due under the terms of the Plan. Company
shall notify Trustee of its decision to make payment of benefits directly prior
to the time amounts are payable to participants or their beneficiaries. In
addition, if the principal of the Trust, and any earnings thereon, are not
sufficient to make payments of benefits in accordance with the terms of the
Plan, Company shall make the balance of each such payment as it falls due.
Company may direct Trustee to reimburse it from the Trust for any direct
payments it has made pursuant to this paragraph. Company shall be responsible
for tax reporting and withholding applicable to such direct payments. Trustee
shall notify Company where principal and earnings are not sufficient.
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Section 3. Trustee Responsibility Regarding Payments to Trust
Beneficiary When Company Is Insolvent.
(a) Trustee shall cease payment of benefits to Plan participants and
their beneficiaries if the Company is Insolvent. Company shall be considered
"Insolvent" for purposes of this Trust Agreement if (i) Company is unable to pay
its debts as they become due, or (ii) Company is subject to a pending proceeding
as a debtor under the United States Bankruptcy Code.
(b) At all times during the continuance of this Trust, as provided in
Section 1(d) hereof, the principal and income of the Trust shall be subject to
claims of general creditors of Company under federal and state law as set forth
below.
(1) The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of
Company shall have the duty to inform Trustee in writing of Company's
insolvency. If a person claiming to be a creditor of Company alleges in
writing to Trustee that Company has become insolvent, Trustee shall
determine whether Company is insolvent and, pending such determination,
Trustee shall discontinue payment of benefits to Plan participants or their
beneficiaries.
(2) Unless Trustee has actual knowledge of Company's insolvency
or has received notice from Company or a person claiming to be a creditor
alleging that Company is Insolvent, Trustee shall have no duty to inquire
whether Company is insolvent. Trustee may in all events rely on such
evidence concerning Company's solvency as may be furnished to Trustee and
that provides Trustee with a reasonable basis for making a determination
concerning Company's solvency.
(3) If at any time Trustee has determined that Company is
Insolvent, Trustee shall discontinue payments to Plan participants or their
beneficiaries and shall hold the assets of the Trust for the benefit of
Company's general creditors. Nothing in this Trust Agreement shall in any
way diminish any rights of Plan participants or their beneficiaries to
pursue their right as general creditors of Company with respect to benefits
due under the Plan or otherwise.
(4) Trustee shall resume the payment of benefits to Plan
participants or their beneficiaries in accordance with Section 2 of this
Trust Agreement only after Trustee has determined that Company is not
Insolvent (or is no longer Insolvent).
(c) Provided that there are sufficient assets, if Trustee discontinues
the payment of benefits from the Trust pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof and
subsequently resumes such payments, the first payment following such
discontinuance shall include the aggregate amount of all payments due to Plan
participants or their beneficiaries under the terms of the Plan for the period
of such discontinuance, less the aggregate amount of any payments made to Plan
participants or their beneficiaries by Company in lieu of the payments provided
hereunder during any such period of discontinuance.
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Section 4. Payments to Company.
Except as provided in Sections 2 and 3 hereof, Company shall have no right
or power to direct Trustee to return to Company or to divert to others any of
the Trust assets before all payment of benefits have been made to Plan
participants and their beneficiaries pursuant to the terms of the Plan.
Section 5. Investment Authority.
(a) Subject to paragraph (b) below of this Section 5, subject further to
such investment guidelines as may be issued to Trustee from time to time by
Company, Trustee may invest and reinvest Trust assets in property of any kind.
(b) Company may, by written notice to Trustee, assume investment
responsibility for any portion of the Trust assets; Trustee shall act with
respect to such assets only as directed by Company and shall have no
responsibility to make any investment review of such assets.
Section 6. Disposition of Income.
During the term of this Trust, all income received by the Trust, net of
expenses and taxes, shall be accumulated and periodically reinvested.
Section 7. Accounting by Trustee.
Trustee shall keep accurate and detailed records of all investments,
receipts, disbursements and all other transactions required to be made,
including such specific records as shall be agreed upon in writing between
Company and Trustee. Within 30 days following the close of each calendar year
and within 30 days after the removal or resignation of Trustee, Trustee shall
deliver to Company a written account of its administration of the Trust during
such year or during the period from the close of the last preceding year to the
date of such removal or resignation, setting forth all investments, receipts,
disbursements and other transactions effected by it, including a description of
all securities and investments purchased and sold with the cost or net proceeds
of such purchases or sales (accrued interest paid or receivable being shown
separately), and showing all cash, securities and other property held in the
Trust at the end of such year or as of the date of such removal or resignation,
as the case may be.
Section 8. Responsibility of Trustee.
(a) Trustee shall act with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under
the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in like capacity
and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of
alike character and with like aims, provided, however, that Trustee shall incur
no liability to any person for any action taken pursuant to a direction, request
or approval given by Company which is contemplated by, and
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in conformity with, the terms of the Plan for this Trust and is given in writing
by Company. In the event of a dispute between Company and a party, Trustee may
apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to resolve the dispute.
(b) If Trustee undertakes or defends any litigation arising in connection
with this Trust, Company agrees to indemnify Trustee against Trustee's costs,
expenses and liabilities (including, without limitation, attorneys' fees and
expenses) relating thereto and to be primarily liable for such payments. If
Company does not pay such costs, expenses and liabilities in a reasonably timely
manner, Trustee may obtain payment from the Trust.
(c) Trustee may consult with legal counsel (who may also be counsel for
Company generally) with respect to any of its duties or obligations hereunder.
(d) Trustee may hire agents, accountants, actuaries, investment advisors,
financial consultants or other professionals to assist it in performing any of
its duties or obligations hereunder.
(e) Trustee shall have, without exclusion, all powers conferred on
Trustees by applicable law, unless expressly provided otherwise herein,
provided, however, that if an insurance policy is held as an asset of the Trust,
Trustee shall have no power to name a beneficiary of the policy other than the
Trust, to assign the policy (as distinct from conversion of the policy to a
different form) other than to a successor Trustee, or to loan to any person the
proceeds of any borrowing against such policy.
(f) Notwithstanding any powers granted to Trustee pursuant to this Trust
Agreement or to applicable law, Trustee shall not have any power that could give
this Trust the objective of carrying on a business and dividing the gains
therefrom, within the meaning of Section 301.7701-2 of the Procedure and
Administrative Regulations promulgated pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 9. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.
Company shall pay all administrative and Trustee's fees and expenses. If
not so paid, the fees and expenses shall be paid from the Trust.
Section 10. Resignation and Removal of Trustee.
(a) Trustee may resign at any time by written notice to Company, which
shall be effective 30 days after receipt of such notice unless Company and
Trustee agree otherwise.
(b) Trustee may be removed by Company on 30 days' notice or upon shorter
notice accepted by Trustee.
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(c) Upon resignation or removal of Trustee and appointment of a successor
Trustee, all assets shall subsequently be transferred to the successor Trustee.
The transfer shall be completed within 30 days after receipt of notice of
resignation, removal or transfer, unless Company extends the time limit.
(d) If Trustee resigns or is removed, a successor shall be appointed, in
accordance with Section 11 hereof, by the effective date of resignation or
removal under paragraph(s) (a) or (b) of this Section. If no such appointment
has been made, Trustee may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for
appointment of a successor or for instructions. All expenses of Trustee in
connection with the proceeding shall be allowed as administrative expenses of
the Trust.
Section 11. Appointment of Successor.
If Trustee resigns or is removed in accordance with Section 10(a) or (b)
hereof, Company may appoint any third party, such as a bank trust department or
other party that may be granted corporate trustee powers under state law, as a
successor to replace Trustee upon resignation or removal. The appointment shall
be effective when accepted in writing by the new Trustee, who shall have all of
the rights and powers of the former Trustee, including ownership rights in the
Trust assets. The former Trustee shall execute any instrument necessary or
reasonably requested by Company or the successor Trustee to evidence the
transfer.
Section 12. Amendment or Termination.
(a) This Trust Agreement may be amended by a written instrument executed
by Trustee and Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such amendment shall
conflict with the terms of the Plan, make the Trust revocable after it has
become irrevocable in accordance with Section 1(b) hereof or reduce or otherwise
affect any amounts held in the Trust as of the effective date of such amendment.
(b) The Trust shall not terminate until the date on which Plan
participants and their beneficiaries are no longer entitled to benefits pursuant
to the terms of the Plan. Upon termination of the Trust any assets remaining in
the Trust shall be returned to Company.
Section 13. Miscellaneous.
(a) Any provision of this Trust Agreement prohibited by law shall be
ineffective to the extent of any such prohibition, without invalidating the
remaining provisions hereof.
(b) Benefits payable to Plan participants and their beneficiaries under
this Trust Agreement may not be anticipated, assigned (either at law or in
equity), alienated, pledged, encumbered or subjected to attachment, garnishment,
levy, execution or other legal or equitable process.
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(c) This Trust Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of Illinois.
Section 14. Effective Date.
The effective date of this Trust Agreement shall be May 11, 1998.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Company and Trustee have caused these presents to be
signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized on this 11th day
of May, 1998.
NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION
By
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Its:
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XXXXXX TRUST & SAVINGS BANK
By:
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Its:
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APPENDIX A TO DEFERRED COMPENSATION
PLANS TRUST AGREEMENT
1. The Northern Trust Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan.
