Exhibit 10.12
TERMINATION
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT ("Agreement") made as of this 1st day of January
2007, by and between PEOPLES FINANCIAL SERVICES
CORP ., a Pennsylvania corporation ("Peoples") and
JOSEPH M. FERRETTI (the
“Executive”).
WITNESSETH
:
WHEREAS , Peoples is engaged in the business of a bank
holding company and is the owner of all the issued and outstanding
capital stock of Peoples National Bank (the "Bank"); and
WHEREAS , the Executive is presently serving as Vice
President of the Bank; and
WHEREAS , Peoples considers the continued services of
the Executive to be in the best interests of Peoples and its
shareholders and desires to induce the Executive to remain in the
employ of the Bank on an impartial and objective basis in the event
of a change in control of Peoples.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE , the parties hereto, intending to be legally
bound, hereby agree as follows:
(a) The term of this Agreement shall:
(i) initially be a term commencing as of January 1,
2007, and ending on December 31, 2008; and
(ii) be automatically extended to provide for a two
(2) year term, annually, on January 1, 2008, and again on January 1
of each year thereafter, effective as of such respective dates,
unless either Peoples or the Executive shall have given written
notice of nonextension of the term of this Agreement to the other
at least ninety (90) days before the date of any such
extension.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1(a)
of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate automatically
upon termination by Peoples of the Executive's employment for
Cause. As used in this Agreement, "Cause" shall mean the
following:
(i) the Executive is convicted of or enters a plea
of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony, a crime of falsehood, or
a crime involving fraud or moral turpitude, or the actual
incarceration of the Executive for a period of forty-five (45)
consecutive days;
(ii) the Executive willfully fails to follow the
lawful, good faith instructions of the Board of Directors of
Peoples after the Executive's receipt of written notice of such
instructions, other than a failure resulting from the Executive's
incapacity because of physical or mental illness; or
(iii) any government regulatory agency orders that
Peoples terminate the employment of the Executive or relieve him of
his duties.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Executive's employment under this Agreement
shall not be deemed to have been terminated for "Cause" under
Clause (i) or (ii) above if such termination took place solely as a
result of:
(i) questionable judgment on the part of the
Executive;
(ii) any act or omission believed by the Executive,
in good faith, to have been in, or not opposed to, the best
interests of Peoples or its affiliated companies; or
(iii) any act or omission in respect of which a
determination could properly be made that the Executive met the
applicable standard of conduct prescribed for indemnification or
reimbursement or payment of expenses under the Charter or Bylaws of
Peoples (or its affiliates) or the directors' and officers'
liability insurance of Peoples (or its affiliates), in each case as
in effect at the time of such act or omission.
If the
Executive's employment is terminated for Cause, the Executive's
rights under this Agreement shall cease as of the effective date of
such termination.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1(a)
of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate automatically
upon termination of the Executive's employment as a result of the
Executive's voluntary termination (other than in accordance with
Section 2 of this Agreement), retirement at the Executive's
election, or death, and the Executive's rights under this Agreement
shall cease as of the date of such voluntary termination,
retirement at the Executive's election, or death; provided,
however, that if the Executive dies after a Notice of Termination
(as defined in Section 2(a) of this Agreement) is delivered by the
Executive, the provisions of Section 11(b) of this Agreement shall
apply.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1(a)
of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate automatically
upon termination of the Executive's employment as a result of the
Executive's disability and the Executive's rights under this
Agreement shall cease as of the date of such termination. For
purposes of this Agreement, "disability" shall mean the Executive's
incapacitation by accident, sickness, or otherwise that renders the
Executive mentally or physically incapable of performing the
services therefore required of the Executive for a continuous
period of six (6) months.
2. Termination Following Change in
Control .
(a) If a Change in Control (as defined in Section
2(b) of this Agreement) shall occur and if thereafter, at any time
during the term of this Agreement, the Executive shall be
involuntarily terminated or there shall be:
(i) any reduction in title or a reduction in the
Executive's responsibilities or authority with respect to Peoples
or the Bank, including such responsibilities and authority as the
same may be increased at any time during the term of this
Agreement, or the assignment to the Executive of duties
inconsistent with the Executive's prior status as a Vice President
of the Bank;
(ii) any reassignment of the Executive which
requires the Executive to move his principal residence;
(iii) any removal of the Executive from office or any
adverse change in the terms and conditions of the Executive's
employment, except for any termination of the Executive's
employment under the provisions of Section 1(b) hereof;
(iv) any reduction in the Executive's annual base
salary as in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be
increased from time to time;
(v) any failure of Peoples to provide the Executive
with benefits at least as favorable as those enjoyed by the
Executive under any of the pension, life insurance, medical,
health, accident, disability or other employee benefit plans of
Peoples (or any affiliated company) in which the Executive
participated at the time of the Change in Control, or the taking of
any action that would materially reduce any of such benefits in
effect at the time of the Change in Control, unless such reduction
is part of a reduction applicable to all employees;
(vi) any failure to obtain a satisfactory agreement
from any successor to assume and agree to perform under this
Agreement, as contemplated in Section 11(a) hereof;
(vii) any material change in the legal relationship
between Peoples and the Bank; or
(viii) any material breach of this Agreement on the
part of Peoples;
then, at the
option of the Executive, exercisable by the Executive within one
hundred twenty (120) days of the occurrence of each and every of
the foregoing enumerated events, the Executive may resign from
employment with Peoples (or, if involuntarily terminated, give
notice of intention to collect benefits under this Agreement) by
delivering a notice in writing (the "Notice of Termination") to
Peoples, and the provisions of Section 3 of this Agreement shall
apply.
(b) As used in this Agreement, "Change in Control"
mea