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Exhibit 10.19
CHITTENDEN CORPORATION
Senior Executive Severance Agreement
AGREEMENT made as of this 15th day of November, 2006 by and
among Chittenden Corporation, a Vermont corporation with its
principal place of business in Burlington, Vermont (the "Company"
and the "Employer"), and
(the "Executive"), an individual presently employed as the
of the Company.
1. Purpose . The Company considers it essential to the
best interest of its stockholders to foster the continuous
employment of key management personnel. The Board of Directors of
the Company (the "Board") recognizes, however, that, as is the case
with many publicly held corporations, the possibility of a Change
in Control (as defined in Section 2 hereof) exists and that
such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions which it may
raise among management, may result in the departure or distraction
of management personnel to the detriment of the Company and its
stockholders. Therefore, the Board has determined that appropriate
steps should be taken to reinforce and encourage the continued
attention and dedication of members of the Employer’s
management, including the Executive, to their assigned duties
without distraction in the face of potentially disturbing
circumstances arising from the possibility of a Change in Control.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as creating an express
or implied contract of employment and, except as otherwise agreed
in writing between the Executive and the Employer, the Executive
shall not have any right to be retained in the employ of the
Employer.
2. Change in Control . A "Change in Control" shall mean
the occurrence of any one of the following events:
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(a) any "person," as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and
14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act") (other than the Company or any corporation owned,
directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in
substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of
the Company), is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in
Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing more than 25% of the number
of the Company’s then outstanding securities; or
(b) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who
at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new
director (other than a director designated by a person who has
entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction
described in Section 2(a), (c) or (d) of this
Section 2) whose election by the Board or nomination for
election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote
of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in
office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or
whose election or nomination for election was previously so
approved, cease by any reason to constitute at least a majority
thereof; or
(c) the stockholders of the Company approve a merger or
consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than
a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting
securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto
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continuing to represent (either by remaining
outstanding or being converted into voting securities of the
surviving entity) more than 60% of the number of outstanding
securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding
immediately after such merger or consolidation; provided that a
Change in Control will occur in the circumstances described above
only if the merger or consolidation is ultimately consummated;
or
(d) the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete
liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or
disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets.
3. Terminating Event . A "Terminating Event" shall mean
any of the events provided in this Section 3 occurring within
two years subsequent to a Change in Control as defined in
Section 2:
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(a) termination by the Employer of the employment of the
Executive with the Employer for any reason other than for gross
misconduct or due to death or disability of the Executive; or
(b) termination by the Executive of the Executive’s
employment with the Employer for any reason, at Executive’s
option.
A Terminating Event shall not be deemed to have occurred
pursuant to this Section 3 solely as a result of the Executive
being an employee of any direct or indirect successor to the
business or assets of the Employer, rather than continuing as an
employee of the Employer following a Change in Control. For
purposes of this Agreement, "gross misconduct" shall mean
(i) Executive’s willful misconduct in the performance of
his or her duties which is materially injurious to the Employer or
(ii) Executive’s indictment for, or conviction of, or
pleading guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony; and "disability"
shall have the meaning given to such term in the Chittenden
Corporation Long-Term Disability Plan.
4. Special Termination Payments. In the event a
Terminating Event occurs within two years after a Change in
Control:
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Said amount shall be paid in one lump sum payment no later than
thirty-one (31) days following the Date of Termination (as
such term is defined in Section 8(b)), except that, if
Executive is a specified employee within the meaning of
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), and such delay is required to avoid subjecting
Executive to the additional taxes imposed under such Section, then
such payment shall be made on the first business day after the
six-month anniversary of Executive’s Date of Termination;
and
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(b) the Employer shall, regardless of whether Employee is unable
to utilize Company related benefit plans, continue to provide to
the Executive at Employer’s expense all medical, dental, or
other welfare benefits received by Executive in the year of a
Change in Control, on the same terms and same conditions as though
the Executive had remained an active employee, for twenty-four
months, but in no event beyond the earlier of
(i) December 31 of the second calendar year commencing
after the Terminating Event or (ii) the day on which Executive
becomes eligible to receive any group medical, dental, or other
welfare benefits as the case may be, under any plan or program of
any other employer for active employees (the "Benefit Termination
Date"). At Executive’s election, the Employer will be
required to pay to Executive the cash equivalent of the foregoing,
determined by a reputable accounting or actuarial firm selected by
Executive and paid for by Employer. Following such Benefit
Termination Date, the Executive shall be eligible to participate in
Employer’s medical and dental plans and programs until
Executive becomes eligible for Medicare. The Executive will be
responsible for the full premium expense of this coverage.
(c) the Employer shall provide Executive with professional
advice of a financial planner, or actuary or an accountant of
Executive’s choice to help Executive determine which
elections Executive will make with respect to this Agreement;
and
(d) Employer shall pay for outplacement services selected by
Executive and shall provide an office and clerical assistance to
the Executive for one year after a termination of Executive’s
employment; and
(e) the Employer shall pay to the Executive all reasonable legal
and mediation fees and expenses incurred by the Executive in
obtaining or enforcing any right or benefit provided by this
Agreement, except in cases involving frivolous or bad faith
litigation initiated by the Executive.
5. Additional Benefits .
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(a) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding,
in the event it shall be determined that any compensation, payment
or distribution by the Employer to or for the benefit of the
Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (the
"Severance Payments"), would be subject to the excise tax imposed
by Section 4999 of the Code, or any interest or penalties are
incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such
excise tax, together with any such interest and
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penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred
to as the "Excise Tax"), then the Executive shall be entitled to
receive an additional payment (a "Gross-Up Payment") such that the
net amount retained by the Executive, after deduction of any Excise
Tax on the Severance Payments, any Federal, state, and local income
tax, employment tax and Excise Tax upon the payment
provided
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