CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT
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THIS CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made
and entered into as of this ____ day of _______ 200_ (the "Commencement Date"),
by and between HOME FEDERAL BANK (which, together with any successor thereto
which executes and delivers the assumption agreement provided for in Section
5(a) hereof or which otherwise becomes bound by all of the terms and provisions
of this Agreement by operation of law, is hereinafter referred to as the
"Savings Bank"), and __________________ (the "Employee").
WHEREAS, the Employee is currently serving as _____________________;
and
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Savings Bank (the "Board")
recognizes that the possibility of a change in control of the Savings Bank or of
its holding company, ___________ ________________ (the "Company"), may exist and
that such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions which it may raise
among management, may result in the departure or distraction of key management
to the detriment of the Savings Bank, the Company and its stockholders; and
WHEREAS, the Board believes it is in the best interests of the Savings
Bank to enter into this Agreement with the Employee in order to assure
continuity of management of the Savings Bank and to reinforce and encourage the
continued attention and dedication of the Employee to the Employee's assigned
duties without distraction in the face of potentially disruptive circumstances
arising from the possibility of a change in control of the Company and/or the
Savings Bank, although no such change is now contemplated; and
WHEREAS, the Board has approved and authorized the execution of this
Agreement with the Employee;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective
covenants and agreements of the parties herein, it is AGREED as follows:
1. Certain Definitions.
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(a) The term "Change in Control" means (i) any "person,"
as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (other than the Company, any
Consolidated Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined), any person (as hereinabove
defined) acting on behalf of the Company as underwriter pursuant to an offering
who is temporarily holding securities in connection with such offering, any
trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of
the Company, or any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the
stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their
ownership of stock of the Company), is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the combined voting power
of the Company's then outstanding securities; (ii) individuals who are members
of the Board on the Commencement Date (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any
reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, provided that any person
becoming a director subsequent to the Commencement Date 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 Company's stockholders
was approved by the nominating committee serving under an Incumbent Board or who
was appointed as a result of a change at the direction of the OTS or the FDIC,
shall
be considered a member of the Incumbent Board; (iii) the stockholders of the
Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other
corporation, other than (1) a merger or consolidation which would result in the
voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto
continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted
into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined
voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity
outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation or (2) a merger or
consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or
similar transaction) in which no person (as hereinabove defined) acquires more
than 25% of the combined voting power of the Company's then outstanding
securities; or (iv) the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete
liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the
Company of all or substantially all of the Company's assets (or any transaction
having a similar effect); provided that the term "Change in Control" shall not
include an acquisition of securities by an employee benefit plan of the Savings
Bank or the Company or a change in the composition of the Board at the direction
of the OTS or the FDIC.
(b) The term "Commencement Date" means the date of this
Agreement.
(c) The term "Consolidated Subsidiaries" means any
subsidiary or subsidiaries of the Company (or its successors) that are part of
the affiliated group (as defined in Section 1504 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"), without regard to subsection (b) thereof) that
includes the Savings Bank, including but not limited to the Company.
(d) The term "Date of Termination" means the date upon
which the Employee ceases to serve as an employee of the Savings Bank.
(e) The term "Involuntary Termination" means the
termination of the employment of Employee (i) by the Savings Bank, without his
express written consent; or (ii) by the Employee by reason of a material
diminution of or interference with his duties, responsibilities or benefits,
including (without limitation) any of the following actions unless consented to
in writing by the Employee: (1) a requirement that the Employee be based at any
place other than Nampa, Idaho, or within a radius of 35 miles from the location
of the Savings Bank's administrative offices as of the Commencement Date, except
for reasonable travel on Company or Savings Bank business; (2) a material
demotion of the Employee; (3) a material reduction in the number or seniority of
personnel reporting to the Employee or a material reduction in the frequency
with which, or in the nature of the matters with respect to which such personnel
are to report to the Employee, other than as part of a Savings Bank- or
Company-wide reduction in staff; (4) a reduction in the Employee's salary or a
material adverse change in the Employee's perquisites, benefits, contingent
benefits or vacation, other than as part of an overall program applied uniformly
and with equitable effect to all members of the senior management of the Savings
Bank; (5) a material permanent increase in the required hours of work or the
workload of the Employee; or (6) any purported termination of the Employee's
employment, except for Termination for Cause (and, if applicable, the
requirements of Section 1(f) hereof), which purported termination shall not be
effective for purposes of this Agreement. The term "Involuntary Termination"
does not include Termination for Cause, retirement or suspension or temporary or
permanent prohibition from participation in the conduct of the Savings Bank's
affairs under Section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
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(f) The terms "Termination for Cause" and "Terminated for
Cause" mean termination of the employment of the Employee because of the
Employee's personal dishonesty, willful misconduct, breach of a 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 (except as provided below)
material breach of any provision of this Agreement. No act or failure to act by
the Employee shall be considered willful unless the Employee acted or failed to
act with an absence of good faith and without a reasonable belief that his
action or failure to act was in the best interest of the Company or the Savings
Bank. The Employee shall not be deemed to have been Terminated for Cause unless
and until there shall have been delivered to the Employee a copy of a
resolution, duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of
the entire membership of the Board of Directors at a meeting of the Board duly
called and held for such purpose (after reasonable notice to the Employee and an
opportunity for the Employee, together with the Employee's counsel, to be heard
before the Board), stating that in the good faith opinion of the Board of
Directors the Employee has engaged in conduct described in the preceding
sentence and specifying the particulars thereof in detail.
2. Term. The term of this Agreement shall be a period of three years
beginning on the Commencement Date, subject to earlier termination as provided
herein. Beginning on the first anniversary of the Commencement Date, and on each
anniversary thereafter, the term of this Agreement shall be extended for a
period of one year in addition to the then-remaining term, provided that prior
to such anniversary, the Board of Directors explicitly reviews and approves the
extension. Reference herein to the term of this Agreement shall refer to both
such initial term and such extended terms.
3. Severance Benefits.
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(a) If after a Change in Control, the Savings Bank shall
terminate the Employee's employment other than Termination for Cause, or
employment is terminated in the event of Involuntary Termination by the
Employee, within 12 months following a Change in Control, the Savings Bank shall
(i) pay the Employee his salary, including the pro rata portion of any incentive
award, through the Date of Termination; (ii) continue to pay, for the remaining
term of this Agreement, for the life, health and disability coverage that is in
effect with respect to the Employee and his/her eligible dependents; and (iii)
pay to the Employee in a lump sum in cash, within 25 days after the later of the
date of such Change in Control or the Date of Termination, an amount equal to
299% of the Employee's "base amount" as determined under Section 280G of the
Code.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if payments and
the value of benefits received or to be received under this Agreement, together
with any other amounts and the value of benefits received or to be received by
the Employee, would cause any amount to be nondeductible by the Company or any
of the Consolidated Subsidiaries for federal income tax purposes pursuant to or
by reason of Section 280G of the Code, then payments and benefits under this
Agreement shall be reduced (not less than zero) to the extent necessary so as to
maximize amounts and the value of benefits to be received by the Employee
without causing any amount to become nondeductible pursuant to or by reason of
Section 280G of the Code. The Employee shall determine the allocation of such
reduction among payments and benefits to the Employee.
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(b) The Employee shall not be required to mitigate the
amount of any payment or benefit provided for in this Agreement by seeking other
employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of any payment or benefit provided
for in this Agreement be reduced by any compensation earned by the Employee as
the result of employment by another employer, by retirement benefits after the
Date of Termination or otherwise. This Agreement does not constitute a contract
of employment or impose on the Company or the Savings Bank any obligation to
retain the Employee, to change the status of the Employee's employment, or to
change the Company's or the Savings Bank's policies regarding termination of
employment.
4. Attorneys' Fees. If the Employee is purportedly Terminated for
Cause and the Savings Bank denies payments and/or benefits under Section 3(a) of
this Agreement on the basis that the Employee experienced Termination for Cause,
but it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or by an arbitrator
pursuant to Section 12 that cause as contemplated by Section 1(f) of this
Agreement did not exist for termination of the Employee's employment, or if in
any event it is determined by any such court or arbitrator that the Savings Bank
has failed to make timely payment of any amounts or provision of any benefits
owed to the Employee under this Agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to
reimbursement for all reasonable costs, including attorneys' fees, incurred in
challenging such termination of employment or collecting such amounts or
benefits. Such reimbursement shall be in addition to all rights to which the
Employee is otherwise entitled under this Agreement.
5. No Assignments.
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(a) This Agreement is personal to each of the parties
hereto, and neither party may assign or delegate any of its rights or
obligations hereunder without first obtaining the written consent of the other
party; provided, however, that the Savings Bank shall require any successor or
assign (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation,
operation of law or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business
and/or assets of the Savings Bank, by an assumption agreement in form and
substance satisfactory to the Employee, to expressly assume and agree to perform
this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Savings Bank
would be required to perform it if no such succession or assignment had taken
place. Failure of the Savings Bank to obtain such an assumption agreement prior
to the effectiveness of any such succession or assignment shall be a breach of
this Agreement and shall entitle the Employee to compensation and benefits from
the Savings Bank in the same amount and on the same terms that Employee would be
entitled to hereunder if an event of Involuntary Termination occurred, in
addition to any payments and benefits to which the Employee is entitled under
Section 3 hereof. For purposes of implementing the provisions of this Section
5(a), the date on which any such succession becomes effective shall be deemed
the Date of Termination.
(b) This Agreement and all rights of the Employee
hereunder shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Employee's
personal and legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors,
heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. In the event of the death of the
Employee, unless otherwise provided herein, all amounts payable hereunder shall
be paid to the Employee's devisee, legatee, or other designee or, if there be no
such designee, to the Employee's estate.
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6. Deferred Payments. If following a termination of the Employee, the
aggregate payments to be made by the Savings Bank under this Agreement and all
other plans or arrangements maintained by the Company or any of the Consolidated
Subsidiaries would exceed the limitation on deductible compensation contained in
Section 162(m) of the Code in any calendar year, any such amounts in excess of
such limitation shall be mandatorily deferred with interest thereon at 8.0% per
annum to a calendar year such that the amount to be paid to the Employee in such
calendar year, including deferred amounts, does not exceed such limitation.
7. Delivery of Notices. For the purposes of this Agreement, all
notices and other communications to any party hereto shall be in writing and
shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or sent by certified
mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to the Employee: _____________________________
At the address last appearing
on the personnel records of
the Employee
If to the Savings Bank: Home Federal Bank
000 00xx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attention: Secretary
or to such other address as such party may have furnished to the other in
writing in accordance herewith, except that a notice of change of address shall
be effective only upon receipt.
8. Amendments. No amendments or additions to this Agreement shall be
binding unless in writing and signed by both parties, except as herein otherwise
provided.
9. Headings. The headings used in this Agreement are included solely
for convenience and shall not affect, or be used in connection with, the
interpretation of this Agreement.
10. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed
severable and the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision shall not
affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof.
11. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Idaho to the extent that federal law does not govern.
12. Arbitration. Any dispute or controversy arising under or in
connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by binding
arbitration, conducted before a panel of three arbitrators in a location
selected by the Employee within 100 miles of such Employee's job location with
the Savings Bank, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration
Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators' award in
any court having jurisdiction.
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* * * * *
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the
day and year first above written.
THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION WHICH MAY BE
ENFORCED BY THE PARTIES.
Attest: HOME FEDERAL BANK
__________________________________ ____________________________________
By: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
__________________________________ Its: Chairman of the Board
of Directors
EMPLOYEE
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
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