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AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

Change of Control Agreement

AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT | Document Parties: ASTORIA FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION | ASTORIA FINANCIAL CORPORATION | Two World Financial You are currently viewing:
This Change of Control Agreement involves

ASTORIA FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION | ASTORIA FINANCIAL CORPORATION | Two World Financial

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Title: AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 2/27/2009
Industry: SandLs/Savings Banks     Law Firm: Thacher Proffitt     Sector: Financial

AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT, Parties: astoria federal savings and loan association , astoria financial corporation , two world financial
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Exhibit 10-46

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

 

This AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE OF CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made and entered into as of January 1, 2009 by and among ASTORIA FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, a savings and loan association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America and having an office at One Astoria Federal Plaza, Lake Success, New York 11042 (the "Association"), ASTORIA FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a business corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and having an office at One Astoria Federal Plaza, Lake Success, New York 11042 (the "Company") and Brian T. Edwards, an individual residing at 37 Club Drive, Massapeque, New York 11758 (the "Officer").

 

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

 

WHEREAS , the Officer is a key officer of the Association;

 

WHEREAS , should the possibility of a Pending Change of Control or Change of Control of the Association or the Company arise, the Boards of Directors of the Association and the Company believe it is imperative that the Association, the Company and the Boards of Directors of the Association and the Company should be able to rely upon the Officer to continue in his or her position, and that the Association and the Company should be able to receive and rely upon the Officer's advice, if requested, as to the best interests of the Association and the Company and their respective shareholders without concern that the Officer might be distracted by the personal uncertainties and risks created by the possibility of a Pending Change of Control or Change of Control;

 

WHEREAS , should the possibility of a Pending Change of Control or Change of Control arise, in addition to his or her regular duties, the Officer may be called upon to assist in the assessment of such possible Pending Change of Control or Change of Control, advise management and the Board as to whether such Pending Change of Control or Change of Control would be in the best interests of the Association, the Company and their respective shareholders, and to take such other actions as the Boards of Directors of the Association and the Company might determine to be appropriate;

 

WHEREAS , the Officer currently has a Change of Control Severance Agreement with the Association and the Company entered into on January 1, 2000 (such date, the "Initial Effective Date," and such agreement, the "Prior Agreement"); and

 

WHEREAS , the Officer, the Association and the Company wish to amend and modify the Prior Agreement pursuant to section 26 thereof for the purpose, among others, of compliance with the applicable requirements of section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code");

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth, the Association, the Company and the Officer hereby amend

 

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and restate in its entirety the Prior Agreement so as to provide as follows from and after the date hereof:

 

AGREEMENT

 

Section 1. Effective Date; Term; Pending Change of Control and Change of Control Defined.

 

(a) This Agreement has been in effect since the Initial Effective Date  and shall remain in effect during the period (the "Term") beginning on the Initial Effective Date and ending on the earlier of:

 

(i) the date, prior to the occurrence of a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control, as defined below, respectively, on which the Officer's employment by the Association terminates whether by discharge, resignation, death, disability or retirement, or

 

(ii) the later of:

 

(A) the first anniversary of the date on which the Association notifies the Officer of its intent to discontinue the Agreement (the "Initial Expiration Date") or,

 

(B) the second anniversary of the latest Change of Control, as defined below, that occurs after the Initial Effective Date and before the Initial Expiration Date.

 

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Change of Control" shall be deemed to have occurred upon the happening of any of the following events:

 

(i) the consummation of a transaction that results in the reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company with one or more other persons, other than a transaction following which:

 

(A) at least 51% of the equity ownership interests of the entity resulting from such transaction are beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) in substantially the same relative proportions by persons who, immediately prior to such transaction, beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) at least 51% of the outstanding equity ownership interests in the Company; and

 

(B) at least 51% of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the entity resulting from such transaction are beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) in substantially the same relative

 

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proportions by persons who, immediately prior to such transaction, beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) at least 51% of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company;

 

(ii) the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 20% or more of the outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors by any person or by any persons acting in concert;

 

(iii) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or approval by the shareholders of the Company of a plan for such liquidation or dissolution;

 

(iv) the occurrence of any event if, immediately following such event, at least 50% of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company do not belong to any of the following groups:

 

(A) individuals who were members of the Board of Directors of the Company on the Initial Effective Date; or

 

(B) individuals who first became members of the Board of Directors of the Company after the Initial Effective Date either:

 

(I) upon election to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company by affirmative vote of three-quarters of the members of such Board, or of a nominating committee thereof, in office at the time of such first election; or

 

II) upon election by the stockholders of the Company to serve as a member of such Board, but only if nominated for election by affirmative vote of three-quarters of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company, or of a nominating committee thereof, in office at the time of such first nomination;

 

provided, however, that such individual's election or nomination did not result from an actual or threatened election contest (within the meaning of Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents (within the meaning of Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) other than by or on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company; or

 

(v) any event which would be described in section 1(b)(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) if the term "Association" were substituted for the term "Company" therein.

 

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In no event, however, shall a Change of Control be deemed to have occurred as a result of any acquisition of securities or assets of the Company, the Association, or an affiliate or subsidiary of either of them, by any employee benefit plan maintained by any of them. For purposes of this section 1(b), the term "person" shall have the meaning assigned to it under sections 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act.

 

(c) For purposes of this Agreement, a "Pending Change of Control" shall mean:

 

(i) the approval by the shareholders of the Association or the Company of a definitive agreement for a transaction which, if consummated, would result in a Change of Control; or

 

(ii) the approval by the shareholders of the Association or the Company of a transaction which, if consummated, would result in a Change of Control.

 

Section 2. Discharge Prior to a Pending Change of Control.

 

The Association may discharge the Officer at any time prior to the occurrence of a Pending Change of Control or, if no Pending Change of Control has occurred, a Change of Control, for any reason or for no reason. In such event:

 

(a) The Association shall pay to the Officer or the Officer's estate his or her earned but unpaid compensation, including, without limitation, salary and all other items which constitute wages under applicable law, as of the date of the Officer's termination of employment. This payment shall be made at the time and in the manner prescribed by law applicable to the payment of wages but in no event later than 30 days after the date of the Officer's termination of employment.

 

(b) The Association shall provide the benefits due, if any, to the Officer or the Officer's estate, surviving dependents or designated beneficiaries, as applicable, under the employee benefit plans and programs and compensation plans and programs maintained for the benefit of the officers and employees of the Association, including the annual bonus (if any) to which he or she is entitled under any cash-based annual bonus or performance compensation plan in effect for the year in which his or her termination occurs, to be paid ate same time and on the terms and conditions (including but not limited to achievement of performance goals) applicable under the relevant plan. The time and manner of payment or other delivery of these benefits and the recipients of such benefits shall be determined according to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and programs.

 

The payments and benefits described in sections 2(a) and (b) shall be referred to in this Agreement as the "Standard Termination Entitlements."

 

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Section 3. Termination of Employment Due to Death.

 

The Officer's employment with the Association shall terminate automatically, and without any further action on the part of any party to this Agreement, on the date of the Officer's death. In such event, the Association shall pay and deliver to the Officer's estate and surviving dependents and designated beneficiaries, as applicable, the Standard Termination Entitlements.

 

Section 4. Termination Due to Disability after a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control.

 

The Association may terminate the Officer's employment during the Term and after the occurrence of a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control upon a determination by the Board of Directors of the Association, by the affirmative vote of 75% of its entire membership, acting in reliance on the written advice of a medical professional acceptable to it, that the Officer is suffering from a physical or mental impairment which, at the date of the determination, has prevented the Officer from performing the Officer's assigned duties on a substantially full-time basis for a period of at least one hundred and eighty (180) days during the period of one (1) year ending with the date of the determination or is likely to result in death or prevent the Officer from performing the Officer's assigned duties on a substantially full-time basis for a period of at least one hundred and eighty (180) days during the period of one (1) year beginning with the date of the determination. In such event:

 

(a) The Association shall pay and deliver the Standard Termination Entitlements to the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death following such termination but before payment, to the Officer's estate, surviving dependents or designated beneficiaries, as applicable.

 

(b) In addition to the Standard Termination Entitlements, the Association shall continue to pay the Officer his or her base salary, at the annual rate in effect for the Officer immediately prior to the termination of the Officer's employment, during a period ending on the earliest of: (i) the expiration of one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of termination of the Officer's employment; (ii) the date on which long-term disability insurance benefits are first payable to the Officer under any long-term disability insurance plan covering employees of the Association; or (iii) the date of the Officer's death.

 

A termination of employment due to disability under this section 4 shall be effected by a notice of termination given to the Officer by the Association and shall take effect on the later of the effective date of termination specified in such notice or, if no such date is specified, the date on which the notice of termination is deemed given to the Officer.

 

Section 5. Discharge with Cause after a Pending Change of Control or Change of Control.

 

(a) The Association may terminate the Officer's employment with "Cause" during the Term and after the occurrence of a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control, but a termination shall be deemed to have occurred with "Cause" only if:

 

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(i) (A) the Board of Directors of the Association, by the affirmative vote of 75% of its entire membership, determines that the Officer is guilty of personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct, 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 any material breach of this Agreement, in each case measured against standards generally prevailing at the relevant time in the savings and community banking industry;

 

(B) prior to the vote contemplated by section 5(a)(i)(A), the Board of Directors of the Association shall provide the Officer with notice of the Association's intent to discharge the Officer for Cause, detailing with particularity the facts and circumstances which are alleged to constitute Cause (the "Notice of Intent to Discharge"); and

 

(C) after the giving of the Notice of Intent to Discharge and before the taking of the vote contemplated by section 5(a)(i)(A), the Officer, together with the Officer's legal counsel, if he so desires, are afforded a reasonable opportunity to make both written and oral presentations before the Board of Directors of the Association for the purpose of refuting the alleged grounds for Cause for the Officer's discharge; and

 

(D) after the vote contemplated by section 5(a)(i)(A), the Association has furnished to the Officer a notice of termination which shall specify the effective date of the Officer's termination of employment (which shall in no event be earlier than the date on which such notice is deemed given) and include a copy of a resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Association, certified by its corporate secretary, authorizing the termination of the Officer's employment with Cause and stating with particularity the facts and circumstances found to constitute Cause for the Officer's discharge (the "Final Discharge Notice"); or

 

(ii)  the Officer, during the 90 day period commencing on the delivery to the Officer by the Association of the Notice of Intent to Discharge specified in section 5(a)(i)(B), resigns his or her employment with the Association prior to the delivery to the Officer by the Association of the Final Discharge Notice specified in section 5(a)(i)(D).  For purposes of this section 5, no act or failure to act, on the part of the Officer, shall be considered "willful" unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by the Officer in bad faith or without reasonable belief that the Officer's action or omission was in the best interests of the Association or the Company, respectively. Any act or failure to act based upon authority given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Association or the Company or based upon the written advice of counsel for the Association or the Company shall be conclusively presumed to be done or omitted to be done by the Officer in good faith and in the best interests of the Association or the Company, respectively.

 

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(b) If the Officer is discharged with Cause during the Term and after a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control, the Association shall pay and provide to him or, in the event of the Officer's death following such discharge but prior to payment and providing, to the Officer's estate, surviving dependents or designated beneficiaries, as applicable, the Standard Termination Entitlements only.

 

(c) Following the giving of a Notice of Intent to Discharge, the Association may temporarily suspend the Officer's duties and authority and, in such event, may also suspend the payment of salary and other cash compensation, but not the Officer's participation in retirement, insurance and other employee benefit plans. If the Officer is not discharged or is discharged without Cause within forty-five (45) days after the giving of a Notice of Intent to Discharge, payments of salary and cash compensation shall resume, and all payments withheld during the period of suspension shall be promptly restored.  If the Officer is discharged with Cause not later than forty-five (45) days after the giving of the Notice of Intent to Discharge, all payments withheld during the period of suspension shall be deemed forfeited and shall not be included in the Standard Termination Entitlements. If a Final Discharge Notice is given later than forty-five (45) days, but sooner than ninety (90) days, after the giving of the Notice of Intent to Discharge, all payments made to the Officer during the period beginning with the giving of the Notice of Intent to Discharge and ending with the Officer's discharge with Cause shall be retained by the Officer and shall not be applied to offset the Standard Termination Entitlements. If the Association does not give a Final Discharge Notice to the Officer within ninety (90) days after giving a Notice of Intent to Discharge, the Notice of Intent to Discharge shall be deemed withdrawn and any future action to discharge the Officer with Cause shall require the giving of a new Notice of Intent to Discharge. If the Officer resigns pursuant to section 5(a)(ii), the Officer shall forfeit his or her right to suspended amounts that have not been restored as of the date of the Officer's resignation or notice of resignation, whichever is earlier.

 

Section 6. Discharge Without Cause after a Pending Change of Control or Change of Control.

 

The Association may discharge the Officer without Cause at any time after the occurrence of a Pending Change of Control or a Change of Control, and in such event:

 

(a) The Association shall pay and deliver the Standard Termination Entitlements to the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death following the Officer's discharge but before payment, to the Officer's estate, surviving dependents or designated beneficiaries, as applicable.

 

(b) In addition to the Standard Termination Entitlements:

 

(i) the Association shall provide for a period of two years following the date of the Officer's discharge (the "Assurance Period") for the benefit of the Officer and the Officer's spouse and dependents continued group life, health (including hospitalization, medical and major medical), dental, accident and long-term disability insurance benefits on substantially the same terms and conditions (including any co-payments and deductibles, but excluding any premium sharing

 

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arrangements, it being the intention of the parties to this Agreement that the premiums for such insurance benefits shall be the sole cost and expense of the Association) in effect for them immediately prior to the Officer's discharge. The coverage provided under this section 6(b)(i) may, at the election of the Association, be secondary to the coverage provided as part of the Standard Termination Entitlements and to any employer-paid coverage provided by a subsequent employer or through Medicare, with the result that benefits under the other coverages will offset the coverage required by this section 6(b)(i), provided, however, that for purposes of this section 6(b)(i) benefits provided at the cost of the Officer or the Officer's spouse or dependants pursuant to the Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, as amended, shall not be considered Standard Termination Entitlements.

 

(ii) The Association shall make a lump sum payment to the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death following the Officer's discharge but before payment, to the Officer's estate in an amount equal to the salary that the Officer would have earned if he had continued working for the Association during the Assurance Period at the highest annual rate of salary achieved during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination (the "Salary Severance Payment"). The Salary Severance Payment shall be computed using the following formula:

 

SSP.  =   BS x NY

 

where:

 

"SSP" is the amount of the Salary Severance Payment, before the deduction of applicable federal, state and local withholding taxes;

 

"BS" is the highest annual rate of salary achieved by the Officer during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination; and

 

"NY" is the Assurance Period expressed as a number of years (rounded, if such period is not a whole number, to the next highest whole number).

 

The Salary Severance Payment shall be made sixty (60) days after the Officer's termination of employment and shall be in lieu of any claim to a continuation of base salary which the Officer might otherwise have and in lieu of cash severance benefits under any severance benefits program which may be in effect for officers or employees of the Association.

 

(iii) The Association shall make a lump sum payment to the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death following the Officer's discharge but before payment, to the Officer's estate in an amount equal to the potential annual bonuses that the Officer would have earned if the

 

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Officer had continued working for the Association during the period of the same length as the Assurance Period, beginning on the date after the end of the current performance period under the Association’s Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives at the highest annual rate of salary achieved during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination (the "Bonus Severance Payment"). The Bonus Severance Payment shall be computed using the following formula:

 

BSP   =    ((BS x TIO x IP) + ( BS x TIO x FP x AP)) x NY

 

where:

 

"BSP" is the amount of the Bonus Severance Payment, before the deduction of applicable federal, state and local withholding taxes;

 

"BS" is the highest annual rate of salary achieved by the Officer during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination;

 

"TIO" is the target incentive opportunity for the Officer expressed as a percentage as established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association pursuant to the Association's Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives for the year in which the employment of the Officer by the Association terminates or, if no target incentive opportunity is established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association for such year with respect to the Officer, then the highest target incentive opportunity established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Officer pursuant to the Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination;

 

"IP" is either (i) the percentage of the TIO which is to be determined by the individual performance of the Officer as established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association pursuant to the Association's Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives for the year in which the employment of the Officer by the Association terminates or, (ii) if no target incentive opportunity has been established with respect to the Officer by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association for the year in which the employment of the Officer by the Association terminates, then the lowest percentage of the target incentive opportunity to be determined by the individual performance of the Officer established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Officer pursuant to the Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination;

 

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"FP" is either (i) the percentage of the TIO with respect to the Officer which is to be determined by the financial performance of the Company as established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association pursuant to the Association's Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives for the year in which the employment of the Officer by the Association terminates or, (ii) if no target incentive opportunity has been established with respect to the Officer by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association for the year in which the employment of the Officer by the Association terminates, then a percentage equal to 100% minus the IP;

 

"AP" is the highest award percentage available to the Officer with respect to the financial performance of the Company as established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association pursuant to the Association's Annual Incentive Plan for Select Executives during the period of three (3) years ending immediately prior to the date of termination;

 

"NY" is the Assurance Period expressed as a number of years (rounded, if such period is not a whole number, to the next highest whole number).

 

The Bonus Severance Payment shall be made on the date sixty (60) days after the Officer's termination of employment and shall be in lieu of any claim to a continuation of participation in any cash-based annual bonus or performance-based compensation plans of the Association which the Officer might otherwise have, other than any claim based on rights the Officer may have with regard to any performance period under any such plan that begins before the effective date of the Officer's termination of employment.

 

The payments and benefits described in section 6(b) are referred to in this Agreement as the "Additional Termination Entitlements". The payments described in section 6(b)(ii) and (iii) shall be computed at the expense of the Company by an attorney of the firm of Thacher Proffitt & Wood, Two World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281 or, if such firm is unavailable or unwilling to perform such calculation, by a firm of independent certified public accountants selected by the Officer and reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the "Computation Advisor"). The determination of the Computation Advisor as to the amount of such payments shall be final and binding in the absence of manifest error.

 

Section 7. Tax Indemnification.

 

(a) If the Officer's employment terminates under circumstances entitling the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death following such termination but before payment, his or her estate to the Additional Termination Entitlements, the Company shall pay to the Officer or, in the event of the Officer's death, his or her estate an additional amount (the “Tax Indemnity Payment”) intended to indemnify the Officer against the financial effects of the excise tax imposed on excess parachute payments under section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of

 

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1986, as amended (the "Code"). The Tax Indemnity Payment shall be determined under the following formula:

 

TIP   =

E x P

1 - (( FI x ( 1 - SLI )) + SLI + E + M )

 

where:

 

"TIP" is the Tax Indemnity Payment, before the deduction of applicable federal, state and local withholding taxes;

 

"E" is the percentage rate at which an excise tax is assessed under section 4999 of the Code;

 

"P" is the amount with respect to which such excise tax is assessed, determined without regard to this section 16;

 

"FI" is the highest marginal rate of income tax applicable to the Officer under the Code for the taxable year in question;

 

"SLI" is the sum of the highest marginal rates of income tax applicable to the Officer under all applicable state and local laws for the taxable year in question; and

 

"M" is the highest marginal rate of Medicare tax applicable to the Officer under the Code for the taxable year in question.

 

Such computation shall be made at the expense of the Company by the Computation Advisor and shall be based on the foll


 
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