Exhibit 10.3
CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
2008 Restatement
Effective Date: January 1, 2004,
As Amended and Restated December 30, 2008,
For Compliance with Code § 409A
This CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT
(“Agreement”) is made by WEST COAST BANCORP
(“Bancorp”) and WEST COAST BANK (“Bank”)
(collectively “Company”) and ANDERS GILTVEDT
(“Executive”).
RECITALS
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A.
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The Executive is employed by the
Company as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer.
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B.
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The Board recognizes that a
possible or threatened Change in Control may result in key
management personnel being concerned about their continued
employment status or responsibilities. In addition, they may be
approached by other companies offering competing employment
opportunities. Consequently, they will be distracted from their
duties and may even leave the Company during a time when their
undivided attention and commitment to the best interests of the
Company and Bancorp’s shareholders would be vitally
important.
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C.
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The Company considers it
essential to its best interests and those of Bancorp’s
shareholders to provide for the continued employment of key
management personnel in the event of a Change in
Control.
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D.
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Therefore, in order
to—
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(4)
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Encourage the Executive to assist
the Company during a Change in Control and be available during the
transition afterwards;
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(5)
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Give assurance regarding the
Executive’s continued employment status and responsibilities
in the event of a Change in Control;
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(6)
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Provide the Executive with Change
in Control benefits competitive with the Company’s peers;
and
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(4)
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Comply with the requirements of
Internal Revenue Code § 409A so that the Change in Control
benefits can continue to be provided to the Executive on a
tax-deferred basis until they are actually paid to the
Executive
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—the parties agree to the
following amended and restated:
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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1.
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D
EFINITIONS
. Words and phrases appearing in this Agreement
with initial capitalization are defined terms that have the
meanings stated below. Words appearing in the following definitions
which are themselves defined terms are also indicated by initial
capitalization.
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(a)
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“Beneficial Ownership”
means direct or indirect ownership
within the meaning of Rule 13(d)(3) under the Exchange
Act.
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(b)
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“Board” means Bancorp’s Board of
Directors.
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(c)
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“Cause” means either:
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(1)
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Any of the circumstances that qualify as grounds
for termination for cause under the Executive’s employment
agreement as in effect at the time; or
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(2)
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If no employment agreement is in effect at that
time or if the employment agreement in effect at that time does not
specify grounds for termination for cause, any of the circumstances
listed in subparagraph (A) below shall qualify as
“Cause” under this Agreement, subject to the due
process requirement of subparagraph (B) below:
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(A)
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Any of the following circumstances shall qualify
as “Cause:”
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(i)
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Embezzlement, dishonesty or other fraudulent
acts involving the Company or the Company’s business
operations;
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(iii)
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Material breach of any confidentiality agreement
or policy;
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(iii)
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Conviction (whether entered upon a verdict or a
plea, including a plea of no contest) on any felony charge or on a
misdemeanor reflecting upon the Executive’s
honesty;
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(vi)
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An act or omission that materially injures the
Company’s reputation, business affairs or financial
condition, if that injury could have been reasonably avoided by the
Executive; or
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(vii)
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Willful misfeasance or gross negligence in the
performance of the Executive’s duties provided, however, that
the Executive is first given:
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(I)
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Written notice by the Committee specifying in
detail the performance issues; and
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(II)
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A reasonable opportunity to cure the issues
specified in the notice.
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(B)
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The Company may not terminate the
Executive’s employment for Cause unless:
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(i)
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The determination that Cause exists is made and
approved by two-thirds of the Board;
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(ii)
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The Executive is given reasonable notice of the
Board meeting called to make that determination; and
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(iii)
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The Executive and the Executive’s legal
counsel are given the opportunity to address that
meeting.
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(d)
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“Change in Control”
means:
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(1)
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Except as provided in subparagraph (B) below, an
acquisition or series of acquisitions as described in subparagraph
(A) below.
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(A)
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The acquisition by a Person of the Beneficial
Ownership of more than 30% of either:
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(i)
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Bancorp’s then outstanding shares of
common stock; or
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(ii)
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The combined voting power of Bancorp’s
then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in
the election of directors;
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(B)
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This paragraph (1) does not apply to any
acquisition:
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(i)
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Directly from the Company;
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(iii)
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By the Company; or
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(iii)
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Which is part of a transaction that satisfies
the exception in paragraph (3)(A), (B) and (C) below;
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(2)
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The incumbent directors cease for any reason to
be a majority of the Board. The “incumbent directors”
are directors who are either:
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(A)
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Directors on the Effective Date; or
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(B)
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Elected, or nominated for election, to the Board
by a majority vote of the members of the Board or the Nominating
Committee of the Board who were directors on the Effective Date.
However this subparagraph (B) does not include any director whose
election came as a result of an actual or threatened election
contest regarding the election or removal of directors or other
actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of a
Person other than the Board;
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(3)
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Consummation of a merger, reorganization or
consolidation of Bancorp or the sale or other disposition of
substantially all of its assets, except where:
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(A)
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Persons who, immediately before the
consummation, had, respectively, a Controlling Interest in and
Voting Control of Bancorp have, respectively, a Controlling
Interest in, and Voting Control of the resulting entity;
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(B)
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No Person (other than the entity resulting from
the transaction or an employee benefit plan maintained by that
entity) has the Beneficial Ownership of more than 30% of
either:
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(i)
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The resulting entity’s then outstanding
shares of common stock or other comparable equity security;
or
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(ii)
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The combined voting power of the resulting
entity’s then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors,
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except to the extent that Person held that
Beneficial Ownership before the consummation; and
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(C)
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A majority of the members of the board of
directors of the resulting entity were members of the Board at
either the time:
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(ii)
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The transaction was approved by the Board;
or
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(ii)
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The initial agreement for the transaction was
signed; or
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(4)
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Approval by Bancorp’s shareholders of its
complete liquidation or dissolution.
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(e)
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“Change in Control
Proposal” means any
proposal or offer that is intended to or has the potential to
result in a Change in Control.
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(f)
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“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of
1986.
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(g)
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“Committee” means the Compensation and Personnel Committee
of the Board.
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(h)
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“Controlling Interest”
means Beneficial Ownership of more
than 50% of the outstanding shares of common stock of a corporation
or the comparable equity securities of a noncorporate business
entity.
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(i)
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“Disability” means that either the carrier of any
Company-provided individual or group long-term disability insurance
policy covering the Executive or the Social Security Administration
has determined that the Executive is disabled. Upon the request of
the Committee, the Executive will submit proof of the
carrier’s or the Social Security Administration’s
determination.
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(j)
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“Effective Date”
means January 1, 2004, the original
effective date of this Agreement. (The effective date of this 2008
Restatement is December 30, 2008.)
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(k)
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“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974.
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(l)
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“Exchange Act”
means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
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(m)
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“Good Reason”
means any one of the
following:
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(1)
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Any material reduction in the Executive’s
salary or reduction or elimination of any compensation or benefit
plan benefiting the Executive, which reduction or elimination does
not generally apply to substantially all similarly situated
employees of the Company or such employees of any successor entity
or of any entity in control of Bancorp or the Bank;
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(2)
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A relocation or transfer of the
Executive’s place of employment to an office or location that
is more than 35 miles from the Executive’s then current place
of employment; or
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(3)
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A material diminution in the Executive’s
responsibilities, authority or duties.
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(n)
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“Person” means any individual, entity or group within the
meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, other than
a trustee or fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit
plan of the Company.
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(o)
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“Termination Event”
means any of the following
events:
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(1)
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The Executive terminates employment for Good
Reason within 24 months after a Change in Control; provided,
however, that for purposes of Section 4(g)(2) of this Agreement
(exception to the six-month delay in payment of the severance
benefit), the Executive will be deemed to have terminated
employment for Good Reason only if:
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(A)
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The termination occurs within 24 months after
the occurrence of a Good Reason event; and
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(B)
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Before terminating employment, the Executive
provided the Company:
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(i)
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With reasonable notice of the occurrence of the
Good Reason event; and
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(ii)
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A period of at least 30 days in which the
Company could remedy the Good Reason event;
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(2)
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The Company terminates the Executive’s
employment other than for Cause, Disability or death within 24
months after a Change in Control;
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(3)
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The Company terminates the Executive’s
employment before a Change in Control if:
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(A)
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The termination is not for Cause, Disability or
death; and
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(B)
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The termination occurs either on or
after:
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(iii)
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The announcement by Bancorp, or any other
Person, that a Change in Control is contemplated or intended;
or
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(iv)
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The date a contemplated or intended Change in
Control should have been announced under applicable securities or
other laws; or
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(4)
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The date the Executive’s period of
continued employment under Section 3(b) ends.
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(p)
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“Voting Control”
means holding more than 50% of the
combined voting power of an entity’s then outstanding
securities entitled to vote in the election of its directors or
other governing body.
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2.
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I NITIAL T ERM; R ENEWALS; E XTENSION .
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(a)
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The initial term of this Agreement begins on the
Effective Date and ends on December 31, 2004.
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(b)
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Following this initial term, this Agreement will
automatically renew on January 1 of each year for subsequent
one-year terms, unless not later than the September 30 preceding
the upcoming renewal date, either the Company or the Executive
gives the other written notice terminating this Agreement as of the
upcoming December 31.
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(c)
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If a definitive agreement providing for a Change
in Control is signed on or before the expiration date of the
initial term or any renewal term, the term of this Agreement then
in effect will automatically be extended to 24 months after the
effective date (as stated in the definitive agreement) of the
Change in Control. During this extended period, the Board may not
terminate this Agreement without the Executive’s written
consent.
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3.
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E XECUTIVE ' S O BLIGATIONS .
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(a)
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The Executive agrees that, upon notification
that the Company has received a Change in Control Proposal, the
Executive shall:
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(1)
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At the Company’s request, assist the
Company in evaluating that proposal; and
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(2)
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Not resign the Executive’s position with
the Company until the transaction contemplated by that proposal is
either consummated or abandoned.
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(b)
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If, within 24 months following a Change in
Control, the Company wants the Executive to continue employment in
a position or under circumstances that would qualify as Good Reason
for the Executive to terminate employment, the Executive shall
nevertheless agree to that continued employment, provided
that:
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(1)
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The term of this continued employment shall not
exceed 90 days or such shorter or longer term as agreed by the
Company and the Executive;
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(2)
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The continued employment will be at an
executive-level position that is reasonably comparable to the
Executive’s then current position;
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(3)
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The continued employment shall be at
either:
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(A)
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The Executive’s then current place of
employment; or
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(B)
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Such other location as agreed by the Company and
the Executive; and
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(4)
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As compensation for this continued employment,
the Executive shall receive:
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(A)
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The same base pay and bonus arrangement as in
effect on the day before the continued employment agreement became
effective (or their hourly equivalent); and
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(B)
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Either:
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(i)
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Continuation of the Executive’s employee
benefits, fringe benefits and perquisites at their then current
level; or
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(ii)
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If that continuation is not reasonably feasible,
the Executive shall receive additional cash compensation equal to
the amount the Company would have paid as the employer contribution
for the items that cannot be continued.
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4.
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S EVERANCE B ENEFITS . Upon
a Termination Event, the Executive will receive severance benefits
as follows:
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(a)
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Components. The severance benefits will consist
of:
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(1)
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The cash compensation payment under subsection
(b) below;
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(2)
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The equity acceleration under subsection (c)
below;
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(3)
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The health plan continuation benefits under
subsection (d) below;
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(4)
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The 401(k) equivalency payment under subsection
(e) below; and
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(5)
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The outplacement/tax planning benefits under
subsection (f) below.
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(b)
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Cash Compensation Payment.
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(1)
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This payment will equal three times the
Executive’s cash compensation. The Executive’s
“cash compensation” is the sum of:
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(A)
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The Executive’s adjusted salary as
determined under paragraph (2) below; and
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(B)
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The Executive’s average bonus as
determined under paragraph (3) below.
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(2)
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The Executive’s “adjusted
salary” is the Executive’s annualized regular monthly
salary in effect on the date of the Termination Event as reportable
on IRS Form W- 2, adjusted by including and excluding the following
items:
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(A)
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Include any salary deferral contributions made
under any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company,
including Bancorp’s Executives’ Deferred Compensation
Plan;
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