Exhibit 10(h)
DIRECTORS’ FEE DEFERRAL AGREEMENT
As Amended
THIS AGREEMENT,
made this day of , 2003 by and between
Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”),
and (the
“Director”) amends and restates as of this day any and
all Directors’ Fee Agreement(s) previously entered by the
Bank and the Director.
INTRODUCTION
To
encourage the Director to remain a member of the Bank’s Board
of Directors, the Bank is willing to provide the Director an
opportunity to defer receipt of Directors’ fees and to
accumulate interest on the fees so deferred as provided in this
Agreement. Amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement are unfunded,
and the Bank will pay benefits from its general assets. Deferred
fees and interest on them are subject to substantial restrictions
and limitations.
AGREEMENT
The
Director and the Bank agree as follows:
Article 1
Definitions
1.1 Definitions. Whenever
used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases shall have
the meanings specified:
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1.1.1
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“Change in
Control” means the transfer of 51% or more of
the Bank’s outstanding voting common stock followed within
twenty-four months by termination of the Director’s status as
a member of the Bank’s Board of Directors.
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1.1.2
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“Code”
means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. References to a code section
shall be deemed to be that section as it now exists and to any
successor provision.
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1.1.3
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“Election
Form” means the form attached as
Exhibit I.
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1.1.4
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“Fees”
means the total
Directors fees payable to the Director.
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1
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1.1.5
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“Insurance
Policy” means a single premium life
insurance policy which may be acquired by the Bank, in its sole
discretion, as the sole owner, on the life of the Director in
connection with this Agreement.
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1.1.6.
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“Joint and Survivor Annuity
Payments” means a form of benefit equal to the monthly
payments that would be payable under a straight-life, maximum
monthly payment, lifetime joint and survivor annuity for the
Director and the Director’s spouse, that could be purchased
from an issuer rated superior by A.M. Best (or, in the Bank’s
discretion, with an equivalent rating from another rating
organization of similar reputation) for cash equal to the
applicable amount of benefit. Joint and Survivor Annuity Payments
terminate upon the payment for the month of death of the survivor
of the Director and this spouse.
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1.1.7
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“Prime Rate”
for a calendar year
means the lowest Prime Rate reported for the last business day
before January 1 of that year in the “Money Rates”
column of the Wall Street Journal, or, if such rate is not
published or its definition of such rate in the Wall Street Journal
is substantially changed, such reasonably equivalent rate that the
Board of Directors of the Bank in its good faith discretion shall
establish.
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1.1.8
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“Termination of
Service” means the Director’s ceasing
to be a member of the Bank’s Board of Directors (excluding
directors emeriti ) for any reason whatsoever.
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Article 2
Deferral Election
2.1
Initial Election. The Director shall make an initial
deferral election under this Agreement by filing with the Bank a
signed Election Form within 30 days after the date of this
Agreement. The Election Form shall set forth the amount of fees to
be deferred and the form of benefit payment. The Election Form
shall be effective to defer only fees earned after the date the
Election Form is received by the Bank.
2.2
Election Changes
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2.2.1
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Generally. The Director may modify the amount
of Fees to be deferred by filing with the Bank a signed Election
Form. The Election shall set forth the amount of Fees to be
deferred and the form of benefit payment. The modified deferral or
form of benefit shall not be effective until the calendar year
following the year in which the subsequent Election Form is
received by the Bank. The Election Form shall be effective to defer
only Fees earned after the date the Election Form is received by
the Bank.
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2.2.2
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Hardship. If an unforeseeable financial
emergency arising from the death of a family member, divorce,
sickness, injury, catastrophe or similar event outside the control
of the Director occurs, the Director, by written instruction to the
Bank may
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cease deferrals under this
Agreement.
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Article 3
Deferral Account
3.1
Establishing and Crediting. The Bank shall establish a
Deferral Account on its books for the Director, and shall credit to
the Deferral Account the following amounts:
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3.1.1
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Deferrals. The Fees deferred by the Director as
of the time the fees would have otherwise been paid to the
Director.
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3.1.2
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Interest. On the first day of each month and
immediately prior to the payment of any benefits, interest on the
account balance since the preceding credit under this
Section 3.1.2, if any, at an annual rate, compounded monthly,
equal to the Prime Rate for the calendar year for the period or
periods for which such accrual is recorded.
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3.2
Statement of Accounts. The Bank shall provide to the
Director, within one-hundred and twenty days after each calendar
year-end, a statement setting forth the Deferral Account
balance.
3.3
Accounting Device Only. The Deferral Account is solely a
device for measuring amounts to be paid under this Agreement. The
Deferral Account is not a trust fund of any kind. The Director is a
general unsecured creditor of the Bank for the payment of benefits.
The benefits represent the mere Bank promise to pay such benefits.
The Director’s rights are not subject in any manner to
anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge,
encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment by the Director’s
creditors.
ARTICLE 4
Lifetime Benefits
4.1
Normal Termination Benefit. Upon the Director’s
Termination of Service, the Bank shall pay to the Director the
benefit described in this Section 4.1.
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4.1.1
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Amount of Benefit.
The benefit under this
Section 4.1 is the Deferral Account balance at the
Director’s Termination of Service.
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4.1.2
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Payment of Benefit.
The Bank shall pay the
benefit to the Director in the form elected by the Director on the
Election Form. The Bank shall continue to credit interest under
Section 3.1.2 on any unpaid balance of the benefit, other than
benefits for which the Joint and Survivor Annuity Payments form of
payment has
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3
4.2
Change in Control Benefit. Upon a Change in Control while
the Director is in the active service of the Bank, the Bank shall
pay to the Director the benefit described in this Section 4.2
in lieu of any other benefit under this Agreement.
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4.2.1
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Amount of Benefit.
The benefit under this
Section 4.2 is the Deferral Account balance at the date of the
Director’s termination of Service.
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4.2.2
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Payment of Benefit.
The Bank shall pay the
benefit to the Director in a lump sum within ten calendar days
after the Director’s Termination of Service.
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4.3
Hardship Distribution. Upon the Bank’s determination
(following petition by the Director) that the Director has suffered
an unforeseeable financial emergency as described in
Section 2.2.2, the Bank s
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