EXECUTIVE
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Amended
and Restated as of December 15, 2008
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2.17
Deferred Compensation
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2.21
Incentive Compensation
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5
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2.24
Participation Agreement
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2.28
Separation from Service
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ARTICLE
III—PARTICIPATION
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6
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6
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3.3
Initial Year of Eligibility
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7
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(i)
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PAGE
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4.5
Transfers Among Investment Funds and Between Accounts
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5.1
Distributions upon Retirement
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5.2
Distributions upon Separation from Service (Other than Death) Prior
to Retirement
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5.5
In-Service Distributions
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5.6
Accelerated Distribution
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5.7
Distribution upon Death
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12
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ARTICLE
VI—BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS
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6.1
Beneficiary Designation
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6.3
No Beneficiary Designation or Death of Beneficiary
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ARTICLE
VII—THE COMMITTEE
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7.4
Binding Effect of Decisions
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7.5
Indemnity of Committee
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ARTICLE
VIII—CLAIMS PROCEDURES
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15
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15
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ARTICLE
IX—SHARES AVAILABLE
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(ii)
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PAGE
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10.2
Non-alienation of Benefits
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10.5
Amendment, Modification and Termination of the Plan
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10.6
Successors and Heirs
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10.7
Status as Shareholders
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10.10
Statement of Accounts
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10.11
Compliance with Laws
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10.13
Headings Not Part of Plan
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10.14
Extension of Plan to Affiliates
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ARTICLE
XI—CODE SECTION 409A
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11.1
Compliance with Code Section 409A
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11.2
Payments Upon Income Inclusion Under Code
Section 409A
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(iii)
EXECUTIVE
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF DECEMBER 15, 2008
This
Plan became effective as of January 1, 1996, and was amended
and restated in November 1996 and July 1997 and as of
October 21, 2000 and January 1, 2001. The Plan is hereby
amended and restated as of December 15, 2008 in order to
comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A and to
increase the number of shares of Common Stock available for
issuance under the Plan.
The
purposes of the Plan are (i) to provide executives with
flexibility with respect to the form and timing of the payment of
Compensation, (ii) to more closely align the interests of
executives with the interests of the Corporation’s
shareholders and (iii) to assist the Corporation and its
Affiliates in attracting and retaining qualified
executives.
Whenever
used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meaning set
forth or referenced below:
“Account”
means the bookkeeping accounts maintained on behalf of each
Participant by the Corporation or a participating Affiliate. For
purposes of this Plan, references to a Participant’s Account
shall include the Participant’s Stock Account(s) and Asset
Account(s).
“Affiliates”
means affiliated or subsidiary entities of the Corporation as
defined in Code Sections 414(b) and (c). An Affiliate may elect to
participate in the Plan and the Board may approve such election in
its sole discretion.
“Aggregated
Plan” means any agreement, method, program or other
arrangement that, along with the Plan, would be treated as a single
nonqualified deferred compensation plan under Code Section
409A.
“Asset
Account” means the sub-account(s) established pursuant to
Section 4.3 of the Plan.
PAGE 1
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
“Beneficiary”
means the person, persons or entity (including without limitation
any trustee) last designated by the Participant to receive benefits
specified hereunder in the event of the Participant’s
death.
“Base
Compensation” means the base salary of a Participant for
services as an employee of the Corporation or an Affiliate, as
indicated by the records of the Corporation or such Affiliate, as
the case may be.
“Board”
means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
“Business
Day” means a day, except for a Saturday, Sunday, a legal
holiday or a day when the primary stock exchange on which the
Common Stock is traded is not open.
“Change
in Control” means the occurrence of any one of the following
events:
(a)
Individuals who, on April 19, 2000, constitute the Board (the
“Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to
constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any
person becoming a director subsequent to April 19, 2000 whose
election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at
least two thirds (2/3rds) of the Incumbent Directors then on the
Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy
statement of the Corporation in which such person is named as a
nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination)
shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no director
of the Corporation initially as a result of an actual or threatened
election contest with respect to directors or any other actual or
threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of
any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent
Director;
(b)
Any “person” (as such term is defined in
Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and as used in
Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) is or
becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in
Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Corporation representing twenty-five percent
(25%) or more of the combined voting power of the
Corporation’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote
for the election of the Board (the “Company Voting
Securities”); provided, however, that the event described in
this paragraph (b) shall not be deemed to be a Change in
Control by virtue of any of the following acquisitions:
(i)
By the Corporation or any Affiliate;
(ii)
By any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the
Corporation or any Affiliate;
PAGE 2
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(iii)
By any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an
offering of such securities;
(iv)
Pursuant to a Non-Control Transaction (as defined in paragraph
(c)); or
(v)
A transaction (other than one described in (c) below) in which
Company Voting Securities are acquired from the Corporation, if a
majority of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board approve a
resolution providing expressly that the acquisition pursuant to
this clause (v) does not constitute a Change in Control under
this paragraph (b);
(c)
The consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share
exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the
Corporation or any of its Affiliates that requires the approval of
the Corporation’s shareholders, whether for such transaction
or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “Business
Combination”), unless immediately following such Business
Combination:
(i)
More than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of
(A) the corporation resulting from such Business Combination
(the “Surviving Entity”), or (B) if applicable,
the ultimate parent corporation that directly or indirectly has
beneficial ownership of one hundred percent (100%) of the voting
securities eligible to elect directors (“Total Voting
Power”) of the Surviving Entity (the “Parent
Entity”), is represented by Company Voting Securities that
were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination
(or, if applicable, shares into which such Company Voting
Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination),
and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially
the same proportion as the voting power of such Company Voting
Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the
Business Combination;
(ii)
No person (other than any employee benefit plan (or related trusts)
sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Entity or the Parent
Entity), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or
indirectly, of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the Total
Voting Power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect
directors of the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity,
the Surviving Entity); and
(iii)
At least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the
Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving
Entity) following the consummation of the Business Combination were
Incumbent Directors at the time of the Board’s approval of
the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business
Combination (any Business Combination which satisfies all of the
criteria specified in (i), (ii) and (iii) above shall be
deemed to be a “Non-Control Transaction”);
or
(d)
The shareholders of the Corporation approve a plan of complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a Change in Control of the Corporation shall not be
deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial
ownership of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the Company
Voting Securities as a result of the acquisition of Company Voting
Securities by the Corporation which reduces the number of Company
Voting Securities outstanding; provided, that if after such
acquisition by the Corporation such person becomes the beneficial
owner of additional Company Voting Securities that increases the
percentage of outstanding Company Voting Securities
beneficially
PAGE 3
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
owned
by such person by more than one percent (1%), a Change in Control
of the Corporation shall then occur.
“Closing
Price” means the closing price of the Common Stock as
reported on the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotation System.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and including
any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Committee”
means the Compensation Committee of the Board.
“Common
Stock” means the common shares, no par value, of the
Corporation.
“Compensation”
means Base Compensation and Incentive Compensation earned by and
payable to a Participant for services to the Corporation or an
Affiliate.
“Corporation”
means FirstMerit Corporation, and any successor
corporation.
“Deferral
Election” means an irrevocable annual election to defer
Compensation and the corresponding distribution elections, made by
an Eligible Employee and for which a Participation Agreement has
been submitted to the Committee.
2.17
Deferred Compensation
“Deferred
Compensation” means Compensation earned in a Plan Year for
services performed as an employee and deferred pursuant to a
Deferral Election.
“Eligible
Employee” means an Eligible Employee as defined in
Section 3.1.
“ERISA”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
PAGE 4
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
“Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
2.21
Incentive Compensation
“Incentive
Compensation” means the annual cash incentive award, if any,
payable to a Participant under the Corporation’s or an
Affiliate’s annual incentive plan.
“Investment
Fund” means an investment fund in which Accounts may be
deemed to be invested. An Investment Fund may be any open-ended
fund, closed-end fund, a fund which is deemed to be invested in a
particular stock or other investment except Common Stock, or a fund
which credits a fixed or variable interest rate determined by the
Committee.
“Participant”
means an Eligible Employee who has made a Deferral Election under
the Plan or a former Eligible Employee who has an
Account.
2.24
Participation Agreement
“Participation
Agreement” means the agreement, whether written or provided
through electronic means, to make a Deferral Election, which,
except as provided in Section 3.3, must be submitted by an
Eligible Employee to the Committee or its delegates prior to the
Plan Year in which Compensation is earned.
“Plan”
means the FirstMerit Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation
Plan, as amended from time to time.
“Plan
Year” means the calendar year.
(a)
With respect to Deferred Compensation prior to January 1, 2005
and deemed earnings, gains and losses credited thereon, retirement
at or after age sixty-five (65) or, with the consent of the
Committee, termination prior to age sixty-five (65) but at or
after age fifty-five (55); and
PAGE 5
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(b)
With respect to Deferred Compensation after December 31, 2004
and deemed earnings, gains and losses credited thereon after such
date, “Retirement” means Separation from Service on or
after attaining age fifty-five (55).
2.28
Separation from Service
“Separation
from Service” means the Participant’s “separation
from service” (as defined in Code Section 409A) with the
Corporation and all Affiliates.
“Stock
Account” means the sub-account(s) established pursuant to
Section 4.2 of the Plan.
“Stock
Credit” means a credit to a Participant’s Stock
Account, calculated pursuant to Section 4.2(b) of this
Plan.
“Valuation
Date” means the last day of the month in which the
Participant has a Separation from Service or dies.
ARTICLE
III—PARTICIPATION
The
Committee shall, from time to time, designate one or more key
employees of the Corporation and participating Affiliates as
eligible to participate in the Plan (an “Eligible
Employee”).
An
Eligible Employee may elect to participate in the Plan each year by
making a Deferral Election prior to January 1 of the Plan Year in
which Deferred Compensation is earned for services performed during
such Plan Year, except as set forth in Section 3.3 herein.
Such election shall be irrevocable as of December 31 prior to
the Plan Year to which the Deferral Election applies.
3.3
Initial Year of Eligibility
In
the case of the first Plan Year in which a key employee is
designated as an Eligible Employee, if such employee becomes
eligible after January 1 but prior to July 1, such Eligible
Employee may elect to participate in the Plan as of the next
following July 1 by making a Deferral Election with respect to Base
Compensation no later than thirty (30) days after the date on
which the employee is designated as an Eligible Employee. Such
Deferral Election shall be applicable only with respect to Base
Compensation for services performed after the later of July 1 or
the date such election is made, and shall become irrevocable thirty
(30) days after the date on which the employee is designated
as an Eligible Employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this
Section 3.3 shall not apply if, at the time the employee is
designated as an Eligible Employee, the employee also is eligible
to participate in any Aggregated Plan.
PAGE 6
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(a)
Incentive Compensation. An Eligible Employee may elect, as
provided in Section 3.2, to defer receipt of any Incentive
Compensation in increments of one percent (1%). Absent such a
timely election, an Eligible Employee shall be deemed to have
elected not to defer receipt of any such Incentive
Compensation.
(b)
Base Compensation. An Eligible Employee may elect, as
provided in Sections 3.2 and 3.3 herein, to defer receipt of
all or any portion of such Eligible Employee’s Base
Compensation in increments of one percent (1%) up to a maximum of
ninety percent (90%) of Base Compensation.
The
Corporation and each Affiliate that has elected to participate in
this Plan and has been approved to participate by the Board shall
establish on its books a separate Account for each Eligible
Employee who makes a Deferral Election, and shall credit to the
Account of each Participant such Deferred Compensation. The credit
shall be entered on the Corporation’s or Affiliate’s
books of account at the time that the Compensation, absent the
Deferral Election, otherwise would be paid to the
Participant.
(a)
Establishing a Stock Account. A Participant may elect to
establish an annual Stock Account which shall be maintained solely
for recordkeeping purposes. With respect to each Plan Year
commencing on and after January 1, 2009, each Participant
shall elect prior to the applicable Plan Year to allocate all or a
portion of his Deferred Compensation to the Stock Account for such
Plan Year; the balance shall be allocated to the Asset Account for
such Plan Year. A Participant shall be one hundred percent (100%)
vested in his Stock Account at all times.
(b)
Stock Credits. Each Participant’s Stock Account shall
be credited with Stock Credits equal to the number of shares of
Common Stock (including fractions of a share) that could have been
purchased with the amount of such Deferred Compensation at the
Closing Price of a share of Common Stock on the day as of which
such Stock Account is so credited.
(c)
Dividends. As of the date any cash dividend is paid to
holders of shares of Common Stock, a Participant’s Stock
Account shall be credited with additional Stock Credits equal to
the number of shares of Common Stock (including fractions of a
share) that could have been purchased, at the Closing Price of a
share of Common Stock on such date, with the amount that would have
been paid as dividends on that number of shares of Common Stock
(including fractions of a share) which is equal to the number of
Stock Credits attributable to the Participant’s Stock Account
as of the record date of such dividend. In the case of dividends
paid in shares of Common Stock, the Participant’s Account
shall be credited with additional Stock Credits equal to the number
of dividend shares that would have been received with respect to
that number of
PAGE 7
— EXECUTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
shares
of Common Stock (including fractions of a share) which is equal to
the number of Stock Credits attributable to the Participant’s
Account as of the record date of such dividend.
With
respect to each Plan Year commencing on or after January 1,
2009, a Participant may elect to establish an annual Asset Account
which shall be maintained solely for recordkeeping purposes by
making a Deferral Election allocation to one (1) or more
Investment Funds. A Participant shall be one hundred percent (100%)
vested in his Asset Account at all times.
(a)
Selection of Investment Funds. The Committee shall have sole
discretion in the selection, number and types of Investment Funds
for this Plan and may change or eliminate Investment Funds from
time to time in its sole discretion.
(b)
Investment Fund Performance. The deemed earnings, gains and
losses of each Investment Fund shall be determined by the
Committee, in its reasonable discretion, based on the performance
of the Investment Funds themselves. The balance of a
Participant’s Asset Accounts shall be credited or debited on
a daily basis based on the performance of each Investment Fund in
which a Participant’s Asset Accounts are deemed to be
invested, such performance and the crediting of such performance
being determined by the Committee in its sole
discretion.
4.5
Transfers Among Investment Funds and Between Accounts
(a)
Stock Account. No amount credited to any Stock Account may
be transferred and credited to any Investment Fund, and no amount
credited to an Investment Fund may be transferred and credited to
any Stock Account.
(b)
Investment Funds. Any amount credited to an Investment Fund
may be transferred and credited to any other Investment Fund at the
direction of the Participant. Any such direction from a Participant
will become effective as of the first day of the next month
following the Participant’s request for a change.
(c)
Committee Procedures. The Committee may establish such rules
and procedures as it determines to be appropriate for the crediting
of deferrals and transfers to Investment Funds, for transfers among
Investment Funds and for crediting deemed earnings, gains and
losses of an Investment Fund.
All
distributions under this Plan from Stock Accounts shall be made in
shares of Common Stock and all distributions from Asset Accounts
shall be made in cash, in each ca
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