FIRSTMERIT
CORPORATION
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CHANGE IN CONTROL TERMINATION AGREEMENT
(GREIG)
THIS
AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) originally was effective
May 18, 2006 (“Effective Date”), by and between
FirstMerit Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the
“Company”), and Paul Greig, the executive employee who
has executed this Agreement (“Employee”). Effective as
of this 8th day of January, 2009, the parties hereby amend and
restate the Agreement (as previously amended and restated from time
to time) as set forth herein.
A. The
Employee serves as an executive and is considered a key corporate
officer of the Company or one of its affiliates.
B. The
Board of Directors of the Company (“Board”) has
determined that the interests of the Company’s shareholders
will be best served by ensuring that key corporate officers will
adhere to the policies of the Board and senior management with
respect to any event by which another entity would acquire
effective control of the Company.
C. The
Board has also determined that it is in the best interests of the
shareholders to promote stability among key officers and employees,
particularly during the period leading up to and after another
entity acquires effective control of the Company.
D. Employee
and the Company may have previously entered into a Change in
Control Termination Agreement, which agreement is being replaced in
its entirety by this Agreement, and have also entered into a
Displacement Agreement which protects Employee in the circumstance
of a displacement of the Employee which occurred due to a merger or
acquisition described in the Displacement Agreement. If an event
(or series of events) creates an entitlement under both the
Displacement Agreement and this Agreement, the Employee will not be
entitled to be paid benefits under both this Agreement and the
Displacement Agreement but will be entitled to the benefit under
this Agreement.
IN
CONSIDERATION OF THE FOREGOING, the mutual covenants hereinafter
contained and other good and valuable consideration, receipt of
which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Employee agree as
follows:
1.
Duties of Employee . In exchange for the compensation and
benefits described in this Agreement, the Employee agrees to
discharge the obligations described in paragraph 9 and, consistent
with his duties to shareholders and other legal obligations, the
Employee shall support the position of the Board and the
Company’s senior management and shall take any action
reasonably requested by the Board and the Company’s senior
management with respect to any event that may or will constitute a
Change in Control. The Employee agrees (on his own behalf and in
behalf of his heirs, assigns and beneficiaries) that the
compensation and benefits described in this Agreement are adequate
consideration for the obligations assumed in this
Agreement.
2. Change
in Control. The term “Change in Control” shall mean the
occurrence of the earliest to occur of any one of the following
events on or after the Effective Date and while the Employee is in
the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary ( i.e., any
entity related to the Company through common ownership as
determined under Sections 414 or 1563 of the Code) before a
Change in Control or, after a Change in Control, the Change Entity
(as defined below) or any Related Entity ( i.e., any entity
related to the Change Entity through common ownership as determined
under Sections 414 or 1563 of the Code):
(a) Individuals
who, on April 19, 2000, constituted 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 2/3rds of the then Incumbent Directors (either by a specific
vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company 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 individual elected or nominated as a
director of the Company 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 ever be deemed to
be an Incumbent Director;
(b) Any
“person” (as such term is defined in
Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
“Exchange Act”) and as used in Sections 13(d)(3)
and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) becomes through any means
(including those described in paragraph (c)(i) through (v)) a
“beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the
Company representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of
the Company’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote
for the election of the Board (the “Company Voting
Securities”);
(c) 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) becomes a
“beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of Company Voting
Securities representing 25% or more (but less than 50%) of the
Company Voting Securities; provided, however, that the event
described in this paragraph (c) shall not be deemed to be a
Change in Control for purposes of this paragraph (c) by virtue
of any of the following acquisitions:
(i) by
the Company or any Subsidiary;
(ii) by
or through any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the
Company or any Subsidiary and described (or intended to be
described) in Section 401(a) of the Code;
(iii) directly
through an equity compensation plan maintained by the Company or
any Subsidiary, including a program described in Section 423
of the Code;
(iv) by
any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an
offering of such securities;
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(v) by
any entity or “person” (including a “group”
as contemplated by Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the
Exchange Act) with respect to which that acquirer has filed SEC
Schedule 13G indicating that the securities were not acquired
and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing
or influencing, directly or indirectly, the Company’s
management or policies (regardless of whether such acquisition of
securities is considered to constitute the acquisition of control
under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 pursuant to
Regulation Y promulgated thereunder), unless and until that
entity or person files SEC Schedule 13D, at which point this
exception will not apply to such Company Voting Securities,
including those previously subject to an SEC Schedule 13G
filing; or
(vi) pursuant
to a Non-Control Transaction (as defined in paragraph
(d)).
(d) The
consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange
or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries that requires the approval of the
Company’s shareholders, whether with respect to such
transaction or the issuance of securities in connection with the
transaction (a “Business Combination”), unless
immediately following such Business Combination:
(i) more
than 50% of the total voting power of (y) the corporation
resulting from such Business Combination (the “Surviving
Entity”), or (z) if applicable, the ultimate parent
corporation that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of
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; and
(ii) 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 (d)(i) and (d)(ii) shall be deemed to be a “Non-Control
Transaction”);
(e) The
shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation
or dissolution of the Company; or
(f) Any
other event that constitutes a “change in control
event” as defined in Section Treasury Regulation
§1.409A-3(i)(5) (a “Section 409A Change in
Control”).
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a Change in Control of the Company shall not be
deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial
ownership of more than 25% of the Company Voting Securities as a
result of the acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the
Company which reduces the number of Company Voting Securities
outstanding; provided, that if
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after
such acquisition by the Company such person becomes the beneficial
owner of additional Company Voting Securities that increases the
percentage of outstanding Company Voting Securities beneficially
owned by such person by more than one percent, a Change in Control
of the Company shall then occur.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the entity resulting from a Change in
Control (including, if appropriate, the Company) or succeeding to
the Company’s interest in connection with a Change in Control
is referred to as the “Change Entity.”
If
more than one event that constitutes a Change in Control occurs
during a Protection Period (as defined below), the Employee shall
be entitled to the amount that equals the largest after-tax amount
generated by any of the Changes in Control.
If
one or more events generate a payment under both this Agreement and
the Displacement Agreement, the Employee will be entitled only to
the benefit described in this Agreement.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the Employee will not be
entitled to any amount under this Agreement if he acted in concert
with any person or group (as defined above) to effect a Change in
Control, other than at the specific direction of the Board and in
his capacity as an employee of the Company or any
Subsidiary.
2A.
Benefits Upon Certain Changes in Control .
(a) On
the occurrence of any Change in Control during Employee’s
employment with the Company or any Subsidiary, the Employee shall
be entitled to (and each of the Change Entity and all Related
Entities shall be jointly liable for) the benefits provided in
subparagraphs (b) and (c) below; provided that such
benefits shall not apply if such Employee’s employment with
the Company or any Subsidiary is subsequently terminated for Cause
(as used for purposes of this Agreement). For the avoidance of
doubt, nothing in this paragraph 2A shall operate to accelerate the
payment or settlement of any amount or benefit in a manner that
would violate Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (“Code”).
(b) Except
as provided in subparagraph (a) above, upon a Change in
Control during Employee’s employment with the Company or any
Subsidiary (i) the Employee’s outstanding stock options,
restricted stock and other stock, phantom stock, stock appreciation
rights or similar arrangements in which he participates, whether
issued before, in connection with or after the Change in Control
will be fully vested and exercisable and settled as described in
the applicable plan or plans and (ii) notwithstanding any
provisions to the effect that rights terminate upon termination of
employment, the Employee (or his beneficiary) shall be given the
remaining period provided in the grant (determined without regard
to any termination of employment by the Employee following the
Change in Control), to realize or exercise all rights or options
provided under such plans with respect to any stock option, and
other stock, phantom stock, stock appreciation rights or similar
grants.
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(c) Except
as provided in subparagraph (a) above, upon a Change in
Control during Employee’s employment with the Company or any
Subsidiary, the following shall apply for purposes of calculating
the Employee’s benefits, if applicable, under the FirstMerit
Corporation Amended and Restated Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan, originally effective on February 13, 1987 and amended
and restated effective of as November 20, 2008, and as maybe
amended from time to time, and/or any other nonqualified plan of
deferred compensation in effect during the Protection Period (the
“SERP”):
(i)
The Employee’s Average Monthly Earnings for purposes of the
SERP shall be deemed to be equal to the higher of (x) the
Employee’s Average Monthly Earnings under the SERP as then in
effect and (y) the total of the highest monthly base salary
earned by the Employee during the 24 months immediately
preceding the Employee’s termination of employment and the
value of the incentive compensation payment the Employee would
receive if payout was made at the “target” percentage
for the Employee under the Company’s Executive Incentive Plan
(and/or any analogous plan adopted after the date of this
Agreement) in the year of the Employee’s termination of
employment (or any higher percentage based on objective criteria
specified in the Incentive Compensation Plan for the year in which
the date of termination occurs and/or any analogous plan adopted
after the date of this Agreement) that the Employee has achieved
before the date of termination) in the year of Employee’s
termination of employment divided by 12.
(ii)
The terms of this paragraph 2A(c) shall apply only if the Employee
is a participant in the SERP, and shall supersede any contrary
provisions of the SERP and any membership agreement executed
between the Company and the Employee in connection with the
Employee’s participation in the SERP, unless expressly
provided otherwise in such membership agreement. The
Employee’s SERP benefit, calculated using the provisions of
this paragraph 2A(c), is assumed to commence on the earliest date
upon which the Employee is eligible to retire under the SERP for
purposes of determining the Actuarial Equivalent (as defined in the
SERP) of such benefit.
3.
Company’s Right to Terminate . The entity with which
the Employee has a direct employment relationship
(“Employer”) may terminate the Employee’s
employment at any time during the term of this Agreement, subject
to the terms of this Agreement and the obligation to provide the
amounts stated herein if due. For purposes of this Agreement, any
reference to the Employee’s “termination” or
“termination of employment” (or any form thereof) shall
mean the Employee’s “separation from service”,
within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, from the
Employer and all entities that, along with the Employer would be
treated as a single employer under Sections 414(b) and (c) of
the Code.
4.
Termination in Connection With a Change in Control . In the
event of termination of employment from the Company or any
Subsidiary before a Change in Control or, after a Change in
Control, the Change Entity or any Related Entity (including an
involuntary termination while the employee is absent from active
employment pending determination of Disability under the procedures
described in paragraph 4(a)) within the “Protection
Period” ( i.e. , the period beginning on the date the
Board first learns of an act or event that results in a
Change
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in
Control, even if that period begins before the Effective Date, and
ending on the last day of the number of calendar months specified
in Item 10 on Exhibit A beginning coincident with or
immediately after a Change in Control), the Employee shall be
entitled to the benefits provided in paragraph 6 unless such
termination is because of the Employee’s death or
determination of Disability (as described in paragraph 4(a)), for
Cause, or by the Employee other than for Good Reason.
(a)
Disability . The term “Disability” shall mean
termination because of Total and Permanent Disability as defined in
the Long-Term Disability Plan in effect at any time during the
Protection Period in which the Employee is or was participating
when the condition began (or, if the Employee is or was not
participating in a Long-Term Disability Plan when the condition
begins, as defined under any long-term disability program in effect
at any time during the Protection Period). If the Employee is
deemed Disabled, his date of termination will be the end of any
period prescribed under the long-term disability plan for
determining eligibility for long term disability benefits and any
termination occurring before that date will not be a termination
for Disability. Also, any adjustment to the Employee’s
compensation, job duties or other circumstances of employment
during the period his Disability is being established will not
constitute a basis for “Good Reason” under paragraph
4(c).
(b)
Cause . The term “Cause” shall mean one or more
of the following acts of the Employee:
(i)
any act of fraud, intentional misrepresentation, embezzlement,
misappropriation or conversion by the Employee of the assets or
business opportunities of the Company or any Subsidiary before a
Change in Control or, after a Change in Control, the Change Entity
or any Related Entity;
(ii)
conviction of the Employee of (or plea by the Employee of guilty
to) a felony (or a misdemeanor that originally was charged as a
felony but was reduced to a misdemeanor as part of a plea bargain)
or intentional and repeated violations by the Employee of the
Employer’s written policies or procedures;
(iii)
disclosure, other than through mere inadvertence, to unauthorized
persons of any Confidential Information (as defined
below);
(iv)
intentional breach of any contract with or violation of any legal
obligation owed to the Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in
Control or, after a Change in Control, the Change Entity or any
Related Entity;
(v)
dishonesty relating to the duties owed by the Employee to the
Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in Control or, after a
Change in Control, the Change Entity or any Related
Entity;
(vi)
the Employee’s (x) willful and continued refusal to
substantially perform assigned duties (other than any refusal
attributable to an event that constitutes Good Reason, as defined
in paragraph (c)), (y) willful engagement in gross
misconduct
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materially
and demonstrably injurious to the Company or any Subsidiary before
a Change in Control or, after a Change in Control, the Change
Entity or any Related Entity or (z) breach of any term of this
Agreement; or
(vii)
any intentional cooperation with any party attempting to effect a
Change in Control unless (y) the Board has approved or
ratified that action before the Change in Control or (z) that
cooperation is required by law.
However,
Cause will not arise solely because the Employee is absent from
active employment during periods of vacation, consistent with the
Employer’s applicable vacation policy, sickness or illness or
while suffering from an incapacity due to physical or mental
illness, including a condition that does or may result in a
Disability or other period of absence initiated by the Employee and
approved by the Employer.
The
term “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all
information (other than information in the public domain) related
to the Company’s, any Subsidiary’s, the Change
Entity’s or any Related Entity’s business, including
all processes, inventions, trade secrets, computer programs,
technical data, drawings or designs, information concerning pricing
and pricing policies, marketing techniques, plans and forecasts,
new product information, information concerning methods and manner
of operations and information relating to the identity and location
of all past, present and prospective customers and
suppliers.
(c)
Good Reason . The term “Good Reason” shall mean
any of the following to which the Employee has not specifically
consented in writing:
(i)
at any time during the Protection Period, any breach of this
Agreement (including breach of the commitments undertaken under
paragraph 9(d) of any nature whatsoever) by or on behalf of the
Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in Control or, after a
Change in Control, the Change Entity or any Related
Entity;
(ii)
at any time during the Protection Period, a reduction in the
Employee’s title, duties, responsibilities or status, as
compared to either (y) the Employee’s title, duties,
responsibilities or status immediately before the beginning of the
Protection Period or (z) any enhanced or increased title, duties,
responsibilities or status assigned to the Employee during the
Protection Period;
(iii)
at any time during the Protection Period, the permanent assignment
to the Employee of duties that are inconsistent with (y) the
Employee’s office immediately before the beginning of the
Protection Period or (z) any more senior office to which the
Employee is promoted during the Protection Period;
(iv)
during any calendar year ending during the Protection Period (or
any fractional calendar year ending within the Protection Period),
a 15 percent (or larger) reduction (other than a reduction
that is attributable to any termination for death, after reaching
age 65 (but only if the Employee is then entitled to an immediate,
unreduced benefit under a deferred compensation plan described in
Section 401(a) of the Code),
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Disability
or Cause, voluntary termination by the Employee other than for Good
Reason or for any period of temporary absence protected by law or
initiated by the Employee and approved by the Employer) in the
aggregate value of the highest of the Employee’s total
compensation for the calendar year ending before the Date of
Termination, as determined under paragraph 5 (including base
salary, cash bonus potential, the value of employee benefits, other
than value associated solely with the performance of investments
the Employee controls, and fringe benefits but excluding
compensation attributable to the exercise or liquidation of stock
options) or, if higher, the Employee’s total compensation for
the last calendar year ending before the beginning of the
Protection Period (including base salary, cash bonus potential (as
distinguished from the cash bonus earned), the value of employee
benefits, other than value associated solely with the performance
of investments the Employee controls, and fringe benefits) but, in
both cases, determined without regard to any amounts, paid or
payable, under paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 11;
(v)
at any time during the Protection Period, a requirement that the
Employee relocate to a principal office or worksite (or accept
indefinite assignment) to a location more than 50 miles distant
from (y) the principal office or worksite to which the
Employee was assigned immediately before the beginning of the
Protection Period or (z) any location to which the Employee
agreed, in writing, to be assigned after a Change in
Control;
(vi)
at any time during the Protection Period, the imposition on the
Employee of business travel obligations substantially greater than
the Employee’s business travel obligations during the
12-consecutive-calendar-month period ending immediately before the
beginning of the Protection Period but determined without regard to
any special business travel obligations associated with activities
relating to the Change in Control;
(vii)
at any time during the Protection Period, the Employer’s
(u) failure to continue in effect any material fringe benefit
or compensation plan, retirement or deferred compensation plan,
life insurance plan, health and accident plan, sick pay plan or
disability plan in which the Employee is participating (or was
eligible to participate) immediately before the beginning of the
Protection Period, (v) modification of any of the plans or
programs just described that adversely affects the potential value
of the Employee’s benefits under those plans (other than
value associated solely with the performance of investments the
Employee controls) or (w) failure to provide the Employee,
after a Change in Control, with the same number of paid vacation
days to which the Employee is or becomes entitled at or anytime
during the Protection Period under the terms of the
Employer’s vacation policy or program. However, Good Reason
will not arise under this subsection solely because (x) the
Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in Control or, after a
Change in Control, the Change Entity or any Related Entity
terminates or modifies any such program during the Protection
Period solely to comply with applicable law but only to the extent
required to meet applicable legal standards, (y) a plan or
benefit program expires under self-executing terms contained in
that plan or benefit program before the Change in Control or
(z) the Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in Control
or, after a Change in Control, the
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Change
Entity or any Related Entity replaces a plan or program with a
successor plan or program of equal or equivalent value to the
Employee;
(viii)
for the duration of any period of any absence from active
employment that begins or continues at any time during the
Protection Period, failure to provide or continue for the Employee
any benefits (including disability benefits) available to employees
who are absent from active employment (including because of
disability) under programs maintained by the Company, a Subsidiary,
the Change Entity or any Related Entity on the date the absence
(including disability) begins;
(ix)
during the Protection Period, the Employee is unable to perform
normally assigned duties because of a physical or mental condition
and before his Disability is established under paragraph 4(a), the
Company or any Subsidiary before a Change in Control or, after a
Change in Control, the Change Entity or any Related Entity
terminates the Employee before the end of the Disability
determination period described in paragraph 4(a);
(x)
during the Protection Period, the Company or any Subsidiary before
a Change in Control or, after a Change in Control, the Change
Entity or any Related Entity unsuccessfully attempts to terminate
the Employee for Cause, in which case the Effective Period will not
end earlier than 60 days after the conclusion of the
Employer’s unsuccessful attempt to terminate the Employee for
Cause;
(xi)
during the Protection Period, the Employer attempts to amend or
terminate this Agreement without regard to the procedures described
in paragraphs 10 or 13;
(xii)
failure at any time to obtain an assumption of the Company’s
or any Subsidiary’s, before a Change in C
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