Exhibit 10(m)
CHANGE OF CONTROL AGREEMENT
WITH NATIONAL BANK OF SUSSEX COUNTY
AND HIGH POINT FINANCIAL CORP.
This AGREEMENT is made effective as of October 1, 1996 by and between
NATIONAL BANK OF SUSSEX COUNTY, a national association chartered under the laws
of the United States (the "Bank"), HIGH POINT FINANCIAL CORP., a New Jersey
corporation (the "Company") (the Company and the Bank sometimes collectively
referenced to herein as the "Employer") and Gregory W.A. Meehan ("Executive").
WHEREAS, the Bank recognizes the substantial contribution Executive has
made in the past to the Bank and the Company and wishes to ensure that Bank and
Company (referred to herein collectively as the "Employer") will continue to
benefit from Executive's services in the future; and
WHEREAS, Executive has been appointed to, and has agreed to serve in the
position of Executive Vice President, a position of substantial responsibility;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the contribution of Executive, and upon
the terms and conditions hereinafter provided, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1. TERM OF AGREEMENT
The term of this Agreement shall be deemed to have commenced as of the date
first above written and shall continue until September 30, 2001; provided,
however, that the term of this Agreement shall be automatically extended for one
additional year on each anniversary date of the commencement date of this
Agreement, unless 60 days prior to such anniversary date the Boards of Directors
of the Employer shall pass a resolution clearly stating their intention not to
so extend the term of this Agreement.
2. PAYMENTS TO EXECUTIVE UPON CHANGE IN CONTROL
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control of the Company (as defined
herein) followed at any time during the term of this Agreement by the
involuntary termination of Executive's employment (other than a Termination for
Cause as defined in Section 2(c) hereof), or the voluntary termination of the
Executive's employment pursuant to Section 4 hereof, or a termination without
Cause in the event that a Change in Control takes place within six months
thereafter, the provisions of Section 3 shall apply.
(b) A "Change in Control" shall mean any of the following:
(1) a reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Bank or the Company, or a
similar transaction in which the Bank or the Company is not the
resulting entity; or
(2) individuals who constitute the Incumbent Board (as herein
defined) of the Bank or the Company cease for any reason to
constitute a majority thereof; or
(3) a change in control within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. (s)
225.2(e)(1), as determined by the Board of Directors of the Bank
or the Company; or
(4) an event occurs of a nature that (i) would be required to be
reported in response to Item I of the current report on Form 8-K,
as in effect on the date hereof, pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), or
(ii) results in a change in control of the Bank or the Company
within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations promulgated by
the Broad of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as in effect on the
date hereof; or
(5) without limitation, a change in control shall be deemed to have
occurred at such time as any "person" (as the term is used in
Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) other than the
Company is or becomes a "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule
13-d under the Exchange Act) directly or indirectly, of
securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the
Company's outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to
vote at the election of directors (excluding any securities
purchased by the Bank's employee stock ownership plan and trust
or any other employee benefit plan of the Company or the Bank
established from time to time); or
(6) a proxy statement soliciting proxies from stockholders of the
Company is distributed by someone other than the current
management of the Company, seeking stockholder approval of a plan
of reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company or
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similar transaction with one or more corporations as a result of
which the outstanding shares of the class of securities then
subject to the plan or transaction are exchanged or converted
into cash or property or securities not issued by the Company; or
(7) a tender offer is made for 25% or more of the voting securities
of the Company and the shareholders owning beneficially or of
record 25% or more of the outstanding securities of the Company
have tendered or offered to sell their shares pursuant to such
tender offer and such tendered shares have been accepted by the
tender offeror.
For these purposes, "Incumbent Board" means the Board of Directors on
the date hereof, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to the
date hereof whose election was approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of
the directors comprising the Incumbent Board, or whose nomination for election
by members or stockholders was approved by the same nominating committee serving
under an Incumbent Board, shall be considered as though he were a member of the
Incumbent Board.
(c) Executive shall not have the right to receive termination benefits
pursuant to Section 3 hereof upon Termination for Cause. The term "Termination
for Cause" shall mean termination because of the Executive's intentional failure
to perform stated duties, personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct,
any breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit, willful violation of any
law, rule, regulation (other than traffic violations or similar offenses) or
final cease and desist order, or any material breach of any material provision
of this Agreement. In determining incompetence, the acts or omissions shall be
measured against standards generally prevailing in the banking industry.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall not be deemed to have been
Terminated for Cause unless and until there shall have been delivered to him a
copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than
three-fourths of the members of the Board of Directors of the Employer at a
meeting of the Board called and held for that purpose (after reasonable notice
to Executive and an opportunity for him, together with counsel, to be heard
before the Board), finding that in the good faith opinion of the Board,
Executive was guilty of conduct justifying Termination for Cause and specifying
the particulars thereof in detail. The Executive shall not have the right to
receive compensation or other benefits (other than the payment of vested
benefits and those benefits required by law) for any period after Termination
for Cause.
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3. TERMINATION
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, followed at any time
during the term of this Agreement by the involuntary termination of the
Executive's employment (other than a Termination for Cause), or a termination
without Cause in the event that a Change in Control takes place within six
months thereafter, the Company shall be obligated to pay the Executive, or in
the event of his subsequent death, his beneficiary or beneficiaries, or his
estate, as the case may be, as severance pay, a sum equal to two and ninety-nine
one-hundredths (2.99) times the preceding year's annual salary, including
bonuses and any other cash compensation paid or accrued by the executive during
such year, and the amount of any benefits received pursuant to any employee
benefit plans on behalf of the Executive maintained by the Company and the Bank
during such years, excluding benefits continued pursuant to (b) below. Payment
shall be made in a lump sum less any deductions for withholding required by law.
(b) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control followed at any time
during the term of this Agreement by the Executive's termination of employment,
other than a Termination for Cause, the Company shall cause to be continued
life, medical, dental and disability coverage substantially identical to the
coverage maintained for the Executive prior to his severance. Such coverage and
payments shall cease upon expiration of thirty-six (36) months.
(c) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control followed at any time
during the term of this Agreement by the Executive's termination of employment,
other than a Termination for Cause, the Executive will have the personal use of
the automobile assigned to him for a period of one year after the Termination
Date. The vehicle shall be the one most frequently utilized by the Executive
during the prior 12-month period unless upgraded to a newer model of equivalent
value during the months immediately preceding the Termination Date.
(d) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control followed at any time
during the term of this Agreement by the Executive's termination of employment,
other than a Termination for Cause, the Company shall reimburse the Executive
for outplacement services with a mutually agreed upon firm for a period not to
exceed eighteen months.
(e) Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this Section 3: (i)
in no event shall the aggregate payments or benefits to be made or afforded to
Executive under said paragraphs (the "Termination Benefits") constitute an
"excess parachute payment" under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code") or any successor thereto, and in order to avoid
such a result Termination Benefits will be reduced, if necessary, to an amount
(the "Non-Triggering Amount"), the value of which is one dollar ($1.00) less
than an amount equal to three (3) times
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Executive's "base amount", as determined in accordance with said Section 280G.
The allocation of the reduction required hereby among Termination Benefits
provided by the preceding paragraphs of this Section 3 shall be determined by
the Company.
4. RESIGNATION FOR GOOD REASON
Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, Executive shall have the
right for a period of six (6) months following such Change in Control to elect
to voluntarily terminate his employment with the Company or with the Bank in the
event Executive is reassigned to a position of lesser rank or status than that
held prior to the Change in Control, or the Executive's principal place of
employment is relocated by more than thirty (30) miles from its location prior
to the Change in Control or Executive's annual compensation is reduced or if
there is a material reduction in other benefits below what they were prior to
the Change in Control, and Executive shall be treated as if his employment had
been involuntarily terminated without Cause and shall be entitled to receive
benefits provided for under Section 3 hereof.
5. NOTICE OF TERMINATION
(a) Any purported termination by the Company or by Executive shall be
communicated by Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of
this Agreement, a "Notice of Termination" shall mean a written notice which
shall indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon
and shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to
provide a basis for termination of Executive's employment under the provision so
indicated.
(b) "Date of Termination" shall mean the date specified in the Notice
of Termination (which, in the case of a Termination for Cause, shall be
immediate). In no event shall the Date of Termination exceed thirty (30) days
from the date Notice of Termination is given.
6. EFFECT ON PRIOR AGREEMENTS AND EXISTING BENEFIT PLANS
This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties
hereto and supersedes any prior agreement between the Company and/or the Bank
and Executive, except that this Agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce
any benefit or compensation inuring to Executive of a kind elsewhere provided.
No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted to mean that Executive is
subject to receiving fewer benefits than those available to him without
reference to this Agreement.
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7. NO ATTACHMENT
(a) Except as required by law, no right to receive payments under
this Agreement shall be subject to anticipation, commutation, alienation, sale,
assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge, or hypothecation, or to execution,
attachment, levy, or similar process or assignment by operation of law, and any
attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to affect any such action shall be null,
void, and of no effect.
(b) This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit
of, Executive, the Bank, the Company and their respective successors and
assigns.
8. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER
(a) This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by an
instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.
(b) No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have
been waived, nor shall there be any estoppel against the enforcement of any
provision of this Agreement, except by written instrument of the party charged
with such waiver or estoppel. No such written waiver shall be deemed a
continuing waiver unless specifically stated therein, and each such waiver shall
operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not
constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any act
other than that specifically waived.
9. SEVERABILITY
If, for any reason, any provision of this Agreement, or any part of
any provision, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other
provision of this Agreement or any part of such provision not held so invalid,
and each such other provision and part thereof shall to the full extent
consistent with law continue in full force and effect.
10. HEADINGS FOR REFERENCE ONLY
The headings of sections and paragraphs herein are included solely for
convenience of reference and shall not control the meaning or interpretation of
any of the provisions of this Agreement.
11. GOVERNING LAW
The validity, interpretation, performance, and enforcement of this
Agreement shall be governed by the substantive laws of the State of New Jersey,
without
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giving effect to the choice of law provisions thereof, unless preempted by
Federal law as now or hereafter in effect.
Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this
Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted before a panel
of three (3) arbitrators sitting in a location selected by Executive within
fifty (50) miles from the location of the headquarters of the Company, in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in
effect. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators' award in any court having
jurisdiction; provided, however, that Executive shall be entitled to seek
specific performance of his right to be paid until the Date of Termination
during the pendency of any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection
with this Agreement.
12. PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES
All reasonable legal fees paid or incurred by Executive pursuant to
any dispute or question of interpretation relating to this Agreement shall be
paid or reimbursed by the Company if Executive is successful on the merits
pursuant to a legal judgment, arbitration or settlement.
13. INDEMNIFICATION
The Company shall provide Executive (including his heirs, executors
and administrators) with coverage under a standard directors' and officers'
liability insurance policy at its expense, or in lieu thereof, shall indemnify
Executive (and his heirs, executors and administrators) to the fullest extent
permitted under law and as provided in the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws against all expenses and liabilities reasonably
incurred by him in connection with or arising out of any action, suit or
proceeding in which he may be involved by reason of his having been a director
or officer of the Company and/or the Bank (whether or not he continues to be a
director or officer at the time of incurring such expenses or liabilities), such
expenses and liabilities to include, but not be limited to, judgments, court
costs, attorneys' fees and the cost of reasonable settlements.
14. SUCCESSORS
The Company shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or
indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all or
substantially all the business or assets of the Bank, expressly and
unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Bank's obligations under this
Agreement, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Bank would be
required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of National Bank of Sussex County, and High
Point Financial Corp. has caused this Agreement to be executed by its duly
authorized officer, and Executive has signed this Agreement, on the day and date
first above written.
ATTEST: NATIONAL BANK OF SUSSEX COUNTY
/s/ Robert A. Vandenbergh By: /s/ Charles L. Lain
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Robert A. Vandenbergh Name: Charles L. Lain
Secretary Title: Chairman of the Board
ATTEST: HIGH POINT FINANCIAL CORP.
/s/ Robert A. Vandenbergh By: /s/ Charles L. Tice
- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Robert A. Vandenbergh Name: Charles L. Tice
Secretary Title: Chairman of the Board
WITNESS:
/s/ Michael A. Dickerson By: /s/ Gregory W. A. Meehan
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President Gregory W.A. Meehan, Executive
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