Exhibit 10.7
DIRECTORS' DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
OF
WESTFIELD FINANCIAL, INC.
_____________________________
Adopted on December 20, 2005
Effective as of December 20, 2005
<PAGE>
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
1
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 Non-Employee Director
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
3
Section 1.28 Unforeseeable Emergency
4
Article II
Participation
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
Section 2.6 Revocability of 2005
Elections
6
<PAGE> i
Article III
Accounting for Deferred Amounts
Section 3.1 In General
6
Section 3.2 Adjustments to Memorandum
Accounts
7
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
10
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
12
Section 6.4 Mandatory Cashout of Small
Balances
13
Section 6.5 Restrictions on Payments to
Key Employees
13
Article VII
Administration
Section 7.1 Administrator
13
Section 7.2 Committee Responsibilities
14
Section 7.3 Claims Procedure
15
Section 7.4 Claims Review Procedure
15
Section 7.5 Other Administrative
Provisions
16
Article VIII
Amendment And Termination
Section 8.1 Amendment by the Company
16
Section 8.2 Termination
17
Section 8.3 Amendment or Termination by
Other Companies
17
<PAGE> ii
Article IX
Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 9.1 Notice and Election
18
Section 9.2 Construction and Language
18
Section 9.3 Headings
18
Section 9.4 Non-Alienation of Benefits
18
Section 9.5 Indemnification
19
Section 9.6 Severability
19
Section 9.7 Waiver
19
Section 9.8 Governing Law
19
Section 9.9 Withholding
19
Section 9.10 No Deposit Account
20
Section 9.11 Rights of Participants
20
Section 9.12 Status of Plan Under ERISA
20
Section 9.13 Successors and Assigns
20
Section 9.14 Non-dilution Provisions
20
Section 9.15 Compliance with Section 409A of
the Code
21
<PAGE> iii
DIRECTORS' DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
-------------------------------------
OF
WESTFIELD FINANCIAL, 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 Westfield
Financial, 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 the monetary
compensation
payable to a Non-Employee Director for
service as a member of the board of
directors of a Participating Company,
including retainer payments and fees
for attendance at board and committee
meetings.
Section
1.9 Committee
means the Compensation
Committee of the
Board.
Section
1.10 Compensation
means, during any
period, the
compensation payable to a Non-Employee
Director by any Participating
Company that is reportable to the Internal
Revenue Service as compensation
for such period on Form 1099 in the absence
of an
<PAGE> 1
election to defer receipt thereof under the
terms of this Plan.
Compensation shall include 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 20,
2005.
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
Benchmark shall be
interest at an annual rate equal to the
rate on the highest yielding
certificate of deposit issued by Westfield
Bank during the year 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).
<PAGE> 2
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 Non-Employee
Director means a
voting member of the
board of directors of a Participating
Company who is not an officer or
employee of any Participating Company.
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 a Non-Employee
Director or former
Non-Employee Director who has a Memorandum
Account under the Plan.
Section
1.22 Participating
Company means the
Company, Westfield
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 Directors' Deferred
Compensation Plan
of Westfield Financial, 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 $.01
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
<PAGE> 3
(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
Non-Employee Director 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 Non-Employee Director 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 Non-Employee Director 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. A
Non-Employee
Director 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 Non-Employee Director 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 Non-Employee
Director 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 Non-Employee
Director 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 Non-Employee
Director 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
Non-Employee Director shall specify in his
election.
<PAGE> 4
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 Non-Employee Director 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 a Non-Employee
Director and filed with the Administrator
during the thirty (30) day period
immediately following the later of the
Effective Date or the date the Non-
Employee Director 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 Non-Employee Director 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 contratry, 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;
<PAGE> 5
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 a Non-Employee
Director or in the event that a
Non-Employee Director ceases to defer
receipt of his Compensation, the balance in
his Memorandum Account shall
continue to be adjusted in accordance with
Article III. A
Non-Employee
Director 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.
Section
2.6 Revocability of
2005 Elections.
Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, every
election
under the Plan to defer Compensation earned
and payable in 2005 shall, to
the maximum extent permitted and subject to
the terms and conditions set
forth in Internal Revenue Service Notice
2005-1, be revocable at any time
during 2005. Such a revocation shall be
effected by written notice given
to and actually received by the
Administrator on or before December 31,
2005 and shall result in the distribution
of the entire balance credited to
the Memorandum Account of the person
revoking the election and in the
inclusion of the entire amount distributed
in gross income for federal
income tax purposes in the 2005 taxable
year.
Article III
-----------
Accounting for Deferred Amounts
-------------------------------
Section
3.1 In General.
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.
<PAGE> 6
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.
<PAGE> 7
(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
proce