EXHIBIT
10.17
OFFICERS’ DEFERRED
COMPENSATION PLAN
OF
MERRILL MERCHANTS
BANCSHARES, INC.
_____________________________
Adopted on December 21,
2006
Effective as of December 21,
2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Article I
Definitions
|
Section
1.1
|
|
Acceleration
Event
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.2
|
|
Administrator
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.3
|
|
Beneficiary
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.4
|
|
Board
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.5
|
|
Code
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.6
|
|
Company
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.7
|
|
Change in
Control Event
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.8
|
|
Cash
Compensation
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.9
|
|
Committee
|
|
1
|
|
Section
1.10
|
|
Compensation
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.11
|
|
Disability
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.12
|
|
Effective
Date
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.13
|
|
Equity
Compensation
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.14
|
|
Fair Market
Value
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.15
|
|
Investment
Benchmark
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.16
|
|
ISO
Share
|
|
2
|
|
Section
1.17
|
|
Memorandum
Account
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.18
|
|
Memorandum
Subaccount
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.19
|
|
Officer
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.20
|
|
Option-Related
Compensation
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.21
|
|
Participant
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.22
|
|
Participating
Company
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.23
|
|
Phantom
Share
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.24
|
|
Plan
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.25
|
|
Previously
Acquired Share
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.26
|
|
Share
|
|
3
|
|
Section
1.27
|
|
Service
Recipient
|
|
4
|
|
Section
1.28
|
|
Unforeseeable
Emergency
|
|
4
|
|
Section
2.1
|
|
Election to
Participate
|
|
4
|
|
Section
2.2
|
|
Election to
Defer Cash Compensation
|
|
4
|
|
Section
2.3
|
|
Election to
Defer Equity Compensation
|
|
5
|
|
Section
2.4
|
|
Election to
Defer Option-Related Compensation
|
|
5
|
|
Section
2.5
|
|
Changes in
Participation
|
|
5
|
Article III
Accounting for Deferred
Amounts
|
Section
3.1
|
|
In
General
|
|
6
|
|
Section
3.2
|
|
Adjustments to
Memorandum Accounts
|
|
6
|
|
Section
3.3
|
|
Vesting
|
|
8
|
Article IV
Trust
|
Section
4.1
|
|
Establishment
of Trust
|
|
8
|
|
Section
4.2
|
|
Contributions
to Trust; Investments
|
|
9
|
|
Section
4.3
|
|
Unfunded
Character of Plan
|
|
9
|
Article V
Life Insurance
|
Section
5.1
|
|
Authority to
Purchase Life Insurance
|
|
9
|
|
Section
5.2
|
|
Cooperation to
Effect Purchases
|
|
9
|
|
Section
5.3
|
|
Ownership of
Policies
|
|
9
|
|
Section
5.4
|
|
Effect of
Termination of Participation
|
|
10
|
Article VI
Distributions
|
Section
6.1
|
|
Early
Distributions
|
|
10
|
|
Section
6.2
|
|
Scheduled
Distributions to Participants
|
|
11
|
|
Section
6.3
|
|
Distributions
to Beneficiaries
|
|
11
|
|
Section
6.4
|
|
Mandatory
Cashout of Small Balances
|
|
12
|
|
Section
6.5
|
|
Restrictions on
Payments to Key Employees
|
|
12
|
Article VII
Administration
|
Section
7.1
|
|
Administrator
|
|
12
|
|
Section
7.2
|
|
Committee
Responsibilities
|
|
13
|
|
Section
7.3
|
|
Claims
Procedure
|
|
14
|
|
Section
7.4
|
|
Claims Review
Procedure
|
|
15
|
|
Section
7.5
|
|
Other
Administrative Provisions
|
|
15
|
Article VIII
Amendment And Termination
|
Section
8.1
|
|
Amendment by
the Company
|
|
16
|
|
Section
8.2
|
|
Termination
|
|
16
|
|
Section
8.3
|
|
Amendment or
Termination by Other Companies
|
|
17
|
Article IX
Miscellaneous Provisions
|
Section
9.1
|
|
Notice and
Election
|
|
17
|
|
Section
9.2
|
|
Construction
and Language
|
|
17
|
|
Section
9.3
|
|
Headings
|
|
17
|
|
Section
9.4
|
|
Non-Alienation
of Benefits
|
|
17
|
|
Section
9.5
|
|
Indemnification
|
|
18
|
|
Section
9.6
|
|
Severability
|
|
18
|
|
Section
9.7
|
|
Waiver
|
|
18
|
|
Section
9.8
|
|
Governing
Law
|
|
18
|
|
Section
9.9
|
|
Withholding
|
|
19
|
|
Section
9.10
|
|
No Deposit
Account
|
|
19
|
|
Section
9.11
|
|
Rights of
Participants
|
|
19
|
|
Section
9.12
|
|
Status of Plan
Under ERISA
|
|
19
|
|
Section
9.13
|
|
Successors and
Assigns
|
|
19
|
|
Section
9.14
|
|
Non-dilution
Provisions
|
|
20
|
|
Section
9.15
|
|
Compliance with
Section 409A of the Code
|
|
20
|
OFFICERS' DEFERRED
COMPENSATION PLAN
OF
MERRILL MERCHANTS
BANCSHARES, INC.
Article
I
Definitions
The following
definitions shall apply for the purposes of this Plan unless a
different meaning is clearly indicated by the context:
Section 1.1
Acceleration
Event means, with respect to a Participant, any of the
events described in section 6.1 on the basis of which the
Administrator may permit acceleration of the payment of the balance
credited to the Participant's Memorandum Account.
Section 1.2
Administrator means any person, committee, corporation
or organization appointed by the Committee to perform the
responsibilities assigned to the Administrator
hereunder.
Section 1.3
Beneficiary means the person or persons designated by
a Participant under section 6.3 of the Plan.
Section 1.4
Board
means the Board of Directors
of the Company.
Section 1.5
Code
means the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 (including the corresponding provisions of any
succeeding law).
Section 1.6
Company means Merrill Merchants Bancshares, Inc.
or any successor thereto.
Section 1.7
Change in Control
Event
means, with respect to a Participant: (a) a change in ownership of
the Participant's Service Recipient; (b) a change in effective
control of the Participant’s Service Recipient; or (c) a
change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of
the Participant's Service Recipient. The existence of a Change in
Control Event shall be determined by the Administrator in
accordance with section 409A of the Code and the regulations
thereunder.
Section 1.8
Cash
Compensation means, during any period, the compensation
earned by an Officer for service to any Participating Company that
would be reportable to the Internal Revenue Service as wages for
such period on Form W-2 in the absence of an election to defer
receipt of such under the terms of this Plan.
Section 1.9
Committee means the Compensation Committee of the
Board.
Section 1.10
Compensation means Cash Compensation, Equity
Compensation and Option-Related Compensation. Compensation shall
not include amounts that become payable under this Plan.
Section 1.11
Disability
means, with respect to a
Participant, any medically determinable physical or mental
impairment which can be expected to result in death or to last for
a continuous period of at least twelve (12) months and as a result
of which either: (a) the Participant is unable to engage in any
substantial gainful activity or (b) the Participant has been
receiving income replacement benefits for a period of at least
three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering
employees of the Participant’s employer. The existence of a
Disability shall be determined by the Administrator in accordance
with section 409A and the regulations thereunder.
Section 1.12
Effective
Date
means December 21, 2006.
Section 1.13
Equity
Compensation means, with respect to any Participant, that
portion of the Participant’s Compensation, other than
Option-Related Compensation, that is paid to him in Shares or the
amount of which is based upon the value, or increase in value, of a
Share.
Section 1.14
Fair Market
Value
means, with respect to a Share on a specified date:
(a) the final reported sales price on the date in
question (or if there is no reported sale on such date, on the last
preceding date on which any reported sale occurred) as reported in
the principal consolidated reporting system with respect to
securities listed or admitted to trading on the principal United
States securities exchange on which the Shares are listed or
admitted to trading; or
(b) if the Shares are not listed or admitted to
trading on any such exchange, the closing bid quotation with
respect to a Share on such date on the National Association of
Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System, or, if no such
quotation is provided, on another similar system, selected by the
Committee, then in use; or
(c) if sections 1.14(a) and (b) are not applicable,
the fair market value of a Share as the Administrator may
determine.
Section 1.15
Investment
Benchmark means a hypothetical investment classification
in which a Participant’s Memorandum Account shall be deemed
to be invested for purposes of crediting or charging earnings,
losses, appreciation or depreciation with respect to the
Participant’s Memorandum Account, in accordance with section
3.2. The Investment Benchmarks shall be interest at an annual rate
equal to the average one-year Treasury rate for the applicable
year, Shares, or any other investment classification set as an
option by the Committee for this Plan.
Section 1.16
ISO
Share
means a Share acquired upon exercise of an incentive stock option
(within the meaning of section 422 of the Code).
Section 1.17
Memorandum
Account
means, with respect to a Participant, a bookkeeping account
maintained by the Company to which is credited the amount of the
Participant’s deferred Compensation, together with any
earnings and appreciation thereon, and against which are charged
any losses, depreciation or distributions thereof, pursuant to
Article III.
Section 1.18
Memorandum
Subaccount means, with respect to a Participant, a
portion of the Participant’s Memorandum Account that is
separately accounted for by the Company due to the application of
unique provisions relating to the applicable distribution schedule
or Investment Benchmark(s).
Section 1.19
Officer means the Chief Executive Officer of Merrill
Merchants Bank or the Company and such other officers of the Bank
or any other Participating Company that is selected for
participation hereunder by the Committee; provided,
however, that no person shall be named an Officer continue as
an Officer for purposes of the Plan, to the extent that such
person’s participation, or continued participation, in the
Plan would cause the Plan to fail to be considered maintained for
the primary purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select
group of management or highly compensated employees for purposes of
ERISA.
Section 1.20
Option-Related
Compensation means, with respect to an option to
purchase Shares that is exercised by paying the entire exercise
price therefor by actual or constructive delivery of Previously
Acquired Shares, a number of Shares equal to the excess of (a) the
total number of Shares as to which the option is exercised, over
(b) the number of Shares actually or constructively delivered in
payment of the exercise price.
Section 1.21
Participant means an Officer or former Officer who
has a Memorandum Account under the Plan.
Section 1.22
Participating
Company
means the Company, Merrill Merchants Bank, and any other company
which, with the prior approval of the Board, may adopt this
Plan.
Section 1.23
Phantom
Share a
unit of value that, at any relevant date, corresponds to the Fair
Market Value of a Share.
Section 1.24
Plan
means the Officers’
Deferred Compensation Plan of Merrill Merchants Bancshares,
Inc.
Section 1.25
Previously Acquired
Share
means, with respect to a Participant on any date: (a) a Share
(other than an ISO Share) that was acquired by the Participant more
than six (6) months prior to such date and has been held by the
Participant continuously since such acquisition and (b) an ISO
Share that was acquired by the Participant upon the exercise, at
least one year prior to such date, of an incentive stock option
(within the meaning of section 422 of the Code) that was granted to
him at least two (2) years prior to such date and has been held by
the Participant continuously since such acquisition.
Section 1.26
Share
means a share of Common
Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company.
Section 1.27
Service
Recipient
means with respect to a Participant on any date: (a) the
corporation for which the Participant is performing services on
such date; (b) all corporations that are liable to the Participant
for the benefits due to him under the Plan; (c) a corporation that
is a majority shareholder of a corporation described in section
1.27(a) or (b); or (d) any corporation in a chain of corporations
each of which is a majority shareholder of another corporation in
the chain, ending in a corporation described in section 1.27(a) or
(b).
Section 1.28
Unforeseeable
Emergency
means, with respect to a Participant, a severe financial hardship
to the Participant resulting from an illness or accident of the
Participant, the Participant’s spouse or a dependent (within
the meaning of section 152(e) of the Code) of the Participant, loss
of the Participant’s property due to casualty, or other
similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a
result of events beyond the control of the Participant. The
existence of an Unforeseeable Emergency shall be determined by the
Administrator in accordance with section 409A of the Code and the
regulations hereunder.
Article
II
Participation
Section 2.1
Election to
Participate .
Any Officer may elect to become a Participant in
the Plan by submitting to the Administrator a written election, on
a form prescribed by the Administrator, to defer the receipt of all
or any portion of his Compensation; provided, however,
that no Officer shall be permitted to defer receipt of Compensation
that is required to be withheld and remitted to any federal, state
or local taxing authority pursuant to any requirement for the
collection of tax at the source or that is required to fund any
contribution or premium payment or co-payment required of the
Officer as a condition of participation in any employee benefit
plan maintained by the Company or any other Participating Company
at the time the election is made. An Officer who elects to become a
Participant may make separate deferral elections with respect to
Cash Compensation, Equity Compensation and Option-Related
Compensation. The Administrator may deny participation to any
Officer whose initial election to become a Participant does not
contemplate the deferral of a minimum of $2,000 on an annualized
basis.
Section 2.2
Election to Defer Cash
Compensation .
An election to defer Cash Compensation shall
specify the amount or percentage of each payment of Cash
Compensation to be deferred, shall be made on or before the last
day of any calendar year and shall be effective for the calendar
year following the calendar year in which such election is made and
all subsequent calendar years unless status as a Officer ceases or
a change in the rate of deferral is elected pursuant to section 2.5
; provided, however, that an initial election to defer
Cash Compensation made by a Officer and filed with the
Administrator during the thirty (30) day period immediately
following the later of the Effective Date of the Plan or the date
the Officer first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan shall
take effect with the first payment of Compensation that relates to
a period of service that begins after such election is made, or
such later date as the Officer shall specify in his
election.
Section 2.3
Election to Defer Equity
Compensation .
An election to defer Equity Compensation shall
specify the amount or percentage of each payment of Equity
Compensation that is to be deferred, shall be made on or before the
first day of the calendar year in which such Equity Compensation
will be paid and prior to the first day of the period of service
for which such Equity Compensation is earned, and shall be
effective for all subsequent calendar years and service periods,
unless status as a Officer ceases or a change in the rate of
deferral is elected pursuant to section 2.5; provided,
however, that an initial election to defer Equity Compensation
made by an Officer and filed with the Administrator during the
thirty (30) day period immediately following the later of the
Effective Date or the date the Officer first becomes eligible to
participate in the Plan shall take effect with the first payment of
Equity Compensation that relates to a period of service that begins
after such election is made, or such later date as the Officer
shall specify in his election. Acceptance of an election to defer
Equity Compensation shall not be held or construed as a guarantee
that any conditions precedent to the payment thereof (including but
not limited to continued employment) will be met or the amount to
be deferred will in fact be earned. In the event the dollar amount
of Equity Compensation actually paid is less than the dollar amount
for which a deferral election has been made, the election shall be
deemed effective to defer the maximum permissible amount.
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, no person
shall elect to defer Equity Compensation until the Board shall
permit such deferral by resolution.
Section 2.4
Election to Defer
Option-Related Compensation
.
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the
contrary, no person shall elect to defer Option-Related
Compensation until such time as the Plan is amended to provide for
such elections.
Section 2.5
Changes in
Participation .
(a) An election by a Participant pursuant to section
2.2 shall continue in effect until termination of status as a
Participant; provided, however, that the Participant may,
by written election filed with the Administrator, increase or
decrease the portion of his Cash Compensation to be deferred, or
discontinue such deferral altogether. Such election shall be
effective with respect to Cash Compensation payable for services
rendered after the end of the calendar year in which such election
is filed with the Administrator; provided, however , that
if an election provides for the decrease or discontinuance of the
Participant’s deferral of Cash Compensation and is made on
account of Disability or an Unforeseeable Emergency or an
Acceleration Event, such election shall, to the extent permitted
under section 409A of the Code, be effective with respect to Cash
Compensation payable after the filing of such election.
(b) An election by a Participant pursuant to section
2.3 or 2.4 shall continue in effect until termination of status as
a Participant; provided, however , that the Participant
may, by written election filed with the Administrator, increase or
decrease the portion of his Equity Compensation to be deferred, or
discontinue such deferral altogether. Such election shall be
effective with respect to Equity Compensation payable after the
calendar year in which, and on account of a period of service that
begins after, such election is filed with the Administrator;
provided, however , that if an election provides for the
decrease or discontinuance of the Participant’s deferral of
Equity Compensation and is made on account of Disability or an
Unforeseeable Emergency or an Acceleration Event, such election
shall be effective with respect to Equity Compensation, payable
after the filing of such election.
(c) In the event that a Participant ceases to be an
Officer or in the event that an Officer ceases to defer receipt of
his Compensation, the balance in his Memorandum Account shall
continue to be adjusted in accordance with Article III. An Officer
who has filed a written election to cease deferring receipt of any
portion of his Compensation may thereafter again file an election
to defer receipt of his Compensation in the manner described in
sections 2.2 through 2.5.
Article
III
Accounting for Deferred
Amounts
The Administrator shall maintain a separate
Memorandum Account for each Participant and may establish within
such Memorandum Account two or more Memorandum Subaccounts as may
be necessary or appropriate to properly administer the Plan,
including, but not limited to:
(a) A separate Memorandum Subaccount for each
portion of a Participant’s Memorandum Account to which a
unique distribution schedule is applicable;
(b) A separate Memorandum Subaccount for that
portion of a Participant’s Memorandum Account that is
attributable to Equity Compensation or Option-Related Compensation
that has been deferred; and
(c) A separate Memorandum Subaccount for that
portion of a Participant’s Memorandum Account that is
required to be adjusted for earnings and losses on the basis of an
Investment Benchmark that is different from the Investment
Benchmark(s) applicable to other portions of the Memorandum
Account.
Credits,
charges, and other adjustments to each Participant’s
Memorandum Account and any Memorandum Subaccounts shall be made in
accordance with this Article III. Neither the Company nor any
Participating Company shall fund its liability for the balances
credited to a Memorandum Account or Memorandum Subaccount, but each
shall reflect its liability for such balances on its
books.
Section 3.2
Adjustments to Memorandum
Accounts .
(a) Each Participant’s Memorandum Account and
applicable Memorandum Subaccount(s) shall be credited with amounts
of Compensation deferred by the Participant as of the date on which
such Compensation would have been paid to the Participant in the
absence of a deferral election. For purposes of this section
3.2(a):
(i) Equity Compensation consisting of Shares or
other property which would be taxable for federal income tax
purposes pursuant to section 83 of the Code that is being deferred
shall be credited as of the date on which such Shares or other
property become vested or, if later, the date on which such Shares
or other property are contractually required to be transferred to
the Participant; and
(ii) Option-Related Compensation that is being
deferred shall be credited as of the earliest date on which all
actions have been taken and conditions satisfied to effectively
exercise the related options;
all as
determined by the Administrator, whose determination shall be
conclusive and binding in the absence of manifest error.
(b) Each Participant’s Memorandum Account
shall be adjusted to reflect the amount of earnings, losses,
appreciation or depreciation, as appropriate that would result if
the balances credited to the Participant’s Memorandum
Account, were actually invested in Investment Benchmarks according
to the following guidelines:
(i) That portion of a Participant’s Memorandum
Account that is attributable to the deferral of Option-Related
Compensation shall at all times be deemed to be invested in Phantom
Shares. The number of Phantom Shares credited in connection with
each deferral of Option-Related Compensation shall be equal to the
number of Shares corresponding to the Option-Related Compensation
that is being deferred. Additional Phantom Shares shall be credited
to account for any stock dividends to holders of record of Shares
in an amount equal to the product of (A) the number of Shares
issued as a stock dividend to the holder of record of one Share,
multiplied by (B) the number of Phantom Units credited to the
Participant’s Memorandum Account as of the record date for
the stock dividend. Additional Phantom Shares shall be credited to
account for cash dividends paid to holders of record of Shares in
an amount equal to the quotient of (A) the cash dividend per Share
multiplied by the number of Phantom Shares credited to the
Participant’s Memorandum Account as of the record date for
the cash dividend, divided by (B) the Fair Market Value of a Share
on the payment date for the cash dividend.
(ii) That portion of a Participant’s Memorandum
Account that is attributable to the deferral of Equity Compensation
shall be deemed to be invested in Phantom Shares for so long as the
Administrator may require.
(iii) Any portion of the Participant’s
Memorandum Account that is not subject to section 3.2(b)(i) or (ii)
shall be deemed to be invested in such Investment Benchmarks as the
Participant, by notice given in such form and manner and subject to
such terms, conditions and procedures as the Administrator may
prescribe, shall designate from time to time. If one of the
Investment Benchmarks is Phantom Shares, such terms, conditions and
procedures shall be designed to prevent the occurrence of
non-exempt short-swing transactions desc