AGREEMENT UNDER THE FIRST UNITED BANK CORPORATION CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN
Exhibit
10.3
AGREEMENT
UNDER THE
FIRST
UNITED BANK CORPORATION
CHANGE
IN CONTROL SEVERANCE PLAN
THIS
AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into this 14th
day of
February, 2007 by and between FIRST
UNITED
CORPORATION,
a
Maryland corporation (“the Company”), and _______________________, an executive
officer of the Company (the “Eligible Employee”).
RECITALS:
WHEREAS,
the Company adopted the First United Corporation Change in Control Severance
Plan effective as of February 14, 2007, a copy of which is attached hereto
as
Exhibit
A;
and
WHEREAS,
the Eligible Employee has been designated as a participant in the Plan,
effective as of the date set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement;
and
WHEREAS,
the Company and the Eligible Employee desire to enter into this Agreement to
set
forth the benefits to which the Eligible Employee is entitled under the Plan;
and
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the agreements and covenants
set
forth herein, and other valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of
which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree to enter into this Agreement,
effective as set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement, as follows:
1. Definitions.
Except
as defined in the Recitals and below, capitalized terms in this Agreement shall
have the meanings given those terms in the Plan.
(a) |
“Base
Amount”
means the Eligible Employee’s “annualized includible compensation for the
base period,” within the meaning of Sections 280G(d)(1) and (d)(2) of the
Code and the Treasury Regulations
thereunder.
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(b) |
“Cause”
means one of the following reasons for which the Eligible Employee’s
employment with the Employer is terminated: (1) willful or grossly
negligent misconduct that is materially injurious to the Employer;
(2)
embezzlement or misappropriation of funds or property of the Employer;
(3)
conviction of a felony or the entrance of a plea of guilty or nolo
contendere to a felony; (4) conviction of any crime involving fraud,
dishonesty, moral turpitude or breach of trust or the entrance of
a plea
of guilty or nolo contendere to such a crime; (5) failure or refusal
by
the Eligible Employee to devote full business time and attention
to the
performance of his or her duties and responsibilities if such breach
has
not been cured within 15 days after notice is given to the Eligible
Employee; or (6) issuance of a final non-appealable order or other
direction by a Federal or state regulatory agency prohibiting the
Eligible
Employee’s employment in the business of
banking.
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(c) |
“Change
in Control Severance Benefits”
means the benefits payable pursuant to Section 3 of this
Agreement.
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(d) |
“Change
in Control Protection Period”
means the period commencing on the later of (1) the date that is
90 days
before the date a Change in Control occurs, or (2) the Effective
Date, and
ending on the first anniversary of the date the Change in Control
occurs.
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(e) |
“Contingent
Payments”
means payments in the “nature of compensation” to (or for the
benefit) of an Eligible Employee if such payment is “contingent on a
change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation or
in the
ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation,” as
such terms are defined in Section 280G of the Code and the Treasury
Regulations thereunder.
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(f) |
“Disability”
shall have the meaning given that term under the First United Bank
&
Trust Long Term Disability Plan, as in effect at the time a determination
of Disability is to be made.
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(g) |
“Effective
Date”
means the date set forth in Section 2 of this
Agreement.
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(h) |
“Employer”
means the Company or an Affiliate.
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(i) |
“Final
Pay”
means the sum of (1) the Eligible Employee’s annual salary for the year in
which employment terminates, regardless of whether all such salary
has
been paid at the time of termination of employment and (2) the greater
of
(A) the Eligible Employee’s targeted cash bonus for the year in which
employment terminates or (B) the actual cash bonus earned by the
Eligible
Employee for the year immediately prior to the year in which employment
terminates.
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(j) |
“Good
Reason”
means, without the specific written consent of the Eligible
Employee, any of the following:
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(1) A
material and adverse change in the Eligible Employee’s status or position(s) as
an officer or management employee of the Employer as in effect immediately
prior
to the Change in Control, including, without limitation, any adverse change
in
his or her status or position as an employee of the Employer as a result
of a
material diminution in his or her duties or responsibilities (other than,
if
applicable, any such change directly attributable to the fact that the Employer
is no longer publicly owned) or the assignment to him or her of any duties
or
responsibilities which are materially inconsistent with such status or
position(s) (other than any isolated and inadvertent failure by the Employer
that is cured promptly upon his or her giving notice), or any removal of
the
Eligible Employee from or any failure to reappoint or reelect him or her
to such
position(s) (except in connection with the Eligible Employee’s Severance other
than for Good Reason).
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(2) A
10% or
greater reduction in the Eligible Employee’s base salary and targeted bonus from
the base salary and targeted bonus that was in effective immediately prior
to
the occurrence of a Change of Control, but disregarding any reduction in bonus
which occurs in accordance with the terms of any written bonus program as it
reads immediately prior to the occurrence of a Change of Control.
(3) The
failure by the Employer or any successor to continue in effect any employee
benefit plan (excluding any equity compensation plan) in which the Eligible
Employee is participating at the time of the Change in Control (or plans
providing the Eligible Employee with at least substantially similar benefits
in
the aggregate) other than as a result of the normal expiration of any such
plan
in accordance with its terms as in effect at the time of the Change in Control;
or the taking of any action, or the failure to act, by the Employer or any
successor which would adversely affect the Eligible Employee’s continued
participation in any of such plans on at least as favorable a basis to him
or
her as is the case on the date of the Change in Control or which would
materially reduce his or her benefits under any of such plans.
(4) The
Employer’s requiring the Eligible Employee to be based at an office that is both
more than 50 miles from where his or her office is located immediately prior
to
the Change in Control and further from his or her then current residence, except
for required travel on the Employer’s business to an extent substantially
consistent with the business travel obligations which the Eligible Employee
undertook on behalf of the Employer prior to the Change in Control.
(5) The
failure by the Company to obtain assumption of the Plan by a successor.
(k) |
“Incentive
Plan”
means the First United Corporation 2006 Stock and Incentive Compensation
Plan (or a successor plan).
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(l) |
“Key
Employee”
means, for the 12-month period beginning on a particular April 1,
an
Eligible Employee described in Section 416(i) of the Code (applied
in
accordance with the Section 416 regulations and disregarding Section
416(i)(5) of the Code) at any time during the 12-month period ending
on
the preceding December 31.
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(m) |
“Severance”
means (1) the involuntary termination of the Eligible Employee’s
employment by the Employer, other than for Cause, death or Disability
or
(2) a termination of the Eligible Employee’s employment by the Eligible
Employee for Good Reason, in each case, during the Change in Control
Protection Period; provided, however, that in each case the termination
constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section
409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code and Treasury Regulations
thereunder.
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(n) |
“Severance
Date”
means the date on which the Eligible Employee incurs a
Severance.
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2. Effective
Date and Term of Agreement.
The
effective date of this Agreement shall be February 14, 2007. This
Agreement shall remain in effect from the Effective Date through February 14,
2010; provided, however, that (a) the Agreement shall automatically extend
for
additional one-year terms unless the Company provides written notice to the
Eligible Employee not less than 6 months before the end of the then-current
term; and (b) the Agreement shall automatically extend until the end of the
Change in Control Protection Period if a Change in Control occurs during the
term of the Agreement.
3. Change
in Control Severance Benefits.
(a) |
Generally.
Subject to subsections (h) and (i) below and Section 4, the Eligible
Employee shall be entitled to the Change in Control Severance Benefits
provided in this Section 3 if he or she incurs a Severance during
the
Change in Control Protection Period. Except for any benefits to which
the
Eligible Employee may be entitled to receive pursuant to the First
United
Bank & Trust Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (as amended or
supplemented from time to time), the Change in Control Severance
Benefits
provided in this Section 3 shall be the sole severance payments and
benefits to which the Eligible Employee shall be entitled during
the
Change in Control Protection
Period.
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(b) |
Payment
of Accrued Obligations.
If the Eligible Employee incurs a Severance during the Change in
Control
Protection Period, the Company shall pay to him or her a lump sum
payment
in cash, no later than 10 days after the Severance Date, equal to
the sum
of (1) the Eligible Employee’s accrued annual base salary and any accrued
vacation pay through the Severance Date, and (2) the Eligible Employee’s
annual bonus earned for the fiscal year immediately preceding the
fiscal
year in which the Severance Date occurs if such bonus has not been
paid as
of the Severance Date.
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(c) |
Payment
of Severance.
Subject to subsections (h) and (i) below and Section 4, if the Eligible
Employee incurs a Severance during the Change in Control Protection
Period, the Company shall pay to him or her a lump sum cash payment,
no
later than 10 days after the Severance Date, equal to two (2) times
the
Eligible Employee’s Final Pay.
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(d) |
[Intentionally
Omitted].
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(e) |
Immediate
Vesting of Equity-Based Compensation Awards upon a Change in
Control.
Subject to subsections (h) and (i) below and Section 4, if the Eligible
Employee incurs a Severance during the Change in Control Protection
Period, (1) the unexercised portions of all Options and SARs (as
defined
in the Incentive Plan) granted to the Eligible Employee under the
Incentive Plan that have not expired or been forfeited pursuant to
their
terms shall automatically accelerate and become fully exercisable,
(2) the
restrictions and conditions on all outstanding Stock Awards (as defined
in
the Incentive Plan) granted to the Eligible Employee that have not
expired
or been forfeited pursuant to their terms shall immediately lapse,
(3) all
outstanding Performance Units (as defined in the Incentive Plan)
granted
to the Eligible Employee that have not expired or been forfeited
pursuant
to their terms shall become payable in an amount determined by the
Committee, based on the Eligible Employee’s target payment for the
relevant performance period and the portion of the relevant performance
period that precedes the Change in Control, (4) all outstanding Stock
Units (as defined in the Incentive Plan) granted to the Eligible
Employee
that have not expired or been forfeited pursuant to their terms shall
become payable in an amount not less than their target amounts, as
determined by the Committee, and (5) all unpaid Dividend Equivalents
(as
defined in the Incentive Plan) and other Stock-Based Awards (as defined
in
the Incentive Plan) granted to the Eligible Employee that have not
expired
or been forfeited pursuant to their terms shall become fully payable
in
amounts determined by the Committee; provided, however, that, where
a
Severance precedes the Change in Control and the terms of any award
granted to the Eligible Employee under the Incentive Plan would otherwise
call for the forfeiture of such award upon the termination of the
Eligible
Employee’s employment with the Company, such award shall not be deemed to
be forfeited on account of the Eligible Employee’s Severance and shall
remain outstanding (subject to the other terms of the award, including
its
original term) as if the Change in Control preceded the
Severance.
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(f) |
Benefit
Continuation.
Subject to subsections (h) and (i) below and Section 4, if the Eligible
Employee incurs a Severance during the Change in Control Protection
Period, commencing on the date immediately following such Eligible
Employee’s Severance Date and continuing for 24 months (or such lesser
time as required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under
Section
409A of the Code) (the “Welfare Benefit Continuation Period”), the Company
shall cover the Eligible Employee under the same type (e.g., individual
or
family coverage) of Employer-sponsored group health plan and dental
plan
in which he or she was covered as of his or her Severance Date. The
Eligible Employee shall receive such continued coverage under the
same
terms and conditions (e.g., any requirement that employees pay all
or any
portion of the cost of such coverage) that would apply if the Eligible
Employee had continued to be an employee of the Employer.
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For
each
month during the Welfare Benefit Continuation Period in which the Eligible
Employee’s continued coverage under an insured plan is not possible, the Company
shall, in lieu of providing the coverage described in the preceding paragraph,
make a monthly cash payment to the Eligible Employee equal to the
monthly premium the Employer would be charged for coverage of a
similarly-situated employee. The Company shall not be obligated to “gross
up” or otherwise compensate the Eligible Employee for any taxes due on amounts
paid pursuant to the preceding sentence.
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Notwithstanding
any other provision of this subsection (f), the Company’s obligation to provide
continued coverage (or, in lieu thereof, make a cash payment) pursuant to this
subsection (f) shall expire on the date the Eligible Employee becomes covered
under one or more plans sponsored by a new employer (other than a successor
to
the Company) that, at the sole discretion of the Plan Administrator, are
determined to provide coverage at least equivalent in the aggregate to the
benefits continued under this subsection (f). The coverage period for purposes
of the group health continuation requirements of Section 4980B of the Code
shall
commence at the expiration of the Welfare Benefit Continuation
Period.
(g) |
Outplacement
Services.
Subject to subsection (i) below and Section 4, if the Eligible Employee
incurs a Severance during the Change in Control Protection Period,
the
Company shall provide him or her with reasonable outplacement services
for
up to 12 months following the Severance
Date.
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(h) |
Release.
The Eligible Employee shall not be eligible to receive any Change
in
Control Severance Benefits provided in this Section 3 (other than
payments
under Section 3(b)) unless he or she first executes a written release
and
agreement provided by the Company and does not revoke such release
and
agreement within the time permitted therein for such
revocation.
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(i) |
Restriction
on Timing of Distribution for Key Employees.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary and
to the
extent required by Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations
thereunder, if the Eligible Employee is a Key Employee and any class
of
securities of the Company (or of any person with whom the Company
would be
considered a single employer under Section 414(b) and (c) of the
Code) is
publicly traded as of the Eligible Employee’s Severance Date, no
distribution may be made to the Eligible Employee on account of such
Severance before the date that is six (6) months after the Severance
Date
(or, if earlier, the date of the Key Employee’s
death).
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4. Reduction
of Change in Control Severance Benefits.
(a) |
Reduction.
If it is determined
that the aggregate present value of (1) such portion of the Eligible
Employee’s Change in Control Severance Benefits that are
considered Contingent Payments, and (2) all other Contingent Payments
payable to the Eligible Employee exceeds 2.99 times the Eligible
Employee’s Base Amount such that the excise tax under Section 4999 of the
Code would otherwise be triggered, then the Change in Control
Severance Benefits provided in Section 3(c) shall be reduced to the
extent necessary so that the aggregate present value of all Contingent
Payments payable following such reduction does not exceed 2.99
times the Eligible Employee’s Base
Amount.
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(b) |
Determination.
The determination
that the aggregate present value of the Eligible Employee’s Contingent
Payments exceed 2.99 times his or her Base Amount, and the calculation
of
the amount of any reduction, shall be made, at the Company’s discretion,
by the Company’s outside auditing firm or by a nationally-recognized
accounting or benefits consulting firm designated by the Company
prior to
a Change in Control. The firm’s expenses shall be paid by the
Company.
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(c) |
Payment
of Remaining Benefits.
If a determination
is
made that the Eligible Employee’s Change in Control Severance Benefits
provided in Section 3(c) must be reduced, payment of the
remaining Change in Control Severance Benefits provided in
Section 3(c) shall be made in a lump sum cash payment no later than
10 days after the latter of the Severance Date or the date the
determination is made.
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5. Taxes;
Withholding.
The
Eligible Employee shall be responsible for the payment of all applicable local,
state and federal taxes associated with the Eligible Employee’s participation in
the Plan and the receipt of Change in Control Severance Benefits hereunder,
and
the Company shall have the right to deduct from any distributions hereunder
any
such taxes or other amounts required by law to be withheld
therefrom.
6. General
Provisions
(a) |
Amendment
and Termination.
This
Agreement may not be terminated prior to the end of its term without
the
written consent of the Eligible Employee. This Agreement may
be amended by the Board at any time; provided, however, that
this Agreement may not be amended without the written consent of
the
Eligible Employee if such amendment would in any manner adversely
affect
the interests of the Eligible Employee. Any action taken by the
Company or the Plan Administrator to cause the Eligible Employee
to no
longer be designated as an Eligible Employee or any action taken
by the
Company or the Plan Administrator to decrease the benefits for which
the
Eligible Employee is eligible shall be treated as an amendment to
the
Agreement which adversely affects the interests of the Eligible
Employee.
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(b) |
Compliance
with Law.
Notwithstanding subsection (a) above or any other provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Company may amend, modify or terminate
this
Agreement, without the consent of the Eligible Employee, as the Company
deems necessary or appropriate to ensure compliance with any law,
rule,
regulation or other regulatory pronouncement applicable to the Plan
or
this Agreement, including, without limitation, Section 409A of the
Code
and any Treasury Regulations or other guidance thereunder.
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(c) |
Governing
Law.
This Agreement shall be construed and enforced according to the laws
of
the State of Maryland to the extent not preempted by federal law,
without
regard to any conflict of laws principles that would apply the law
of
another jurisdiction.
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(d) |
Severability.
If any provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable,
such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions
hereof, and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if
such
provisions had not been included.
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(e) |
Headings
and Terms.
The headings and captions herein are provided for reference and
convenience only, shall not be considered part of the Agreement,
and shall
not be employed in the construction of the Agreement. Capitalized
terms
shall have the meanings given herein. Singular nouns shall be read
as
plural and masculine pronouns shall be read as feminine, and vice
versa,
as appropriate.
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(f) |
Successors.
This Agreement shall
be
binding upon each of the parties and shall also be binding upon their
respective successors or assigns.
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(g) |
Application
of the Plan; Entire Agreement.
The
Eligible Employee acknowledges, by executing this Agreement, that
(1) this
Agreement is subject in all respects to the provisions of the Plan,
as
amended from time to time, the terms of which are incorporated herein
by
reference and made a part hereof, (2) that a copy of the Plan and
all
amendments thereto through the date hereof were provided to the Eligible
Employee on the date hereof, and (3) he or she understands and accepts
of
all of the terms and conditions of the Plan. This
Agreement sets forth the entire agreement of the parties with respect
to
the subject matter hereof. Any and all prior agreements or understandings
with respect to such matters are hereby
superseded.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed
as
of the day first above written.
ATTEST: | FIRST UNITED CORPORATION | |
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By: | ||
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Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
Title: Chairman/Chief
Executive Officer
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WITNESS: | ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE | |
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Name: |
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