Amended and Restated Change in Control Employment Agreement between Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. and Michael Fegan
EXHIBIT 10.4
AMENDED AND RESTATED CHANGE IN CONTROL
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED Change in Control Employment AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into, as of December 19, 2023, by and between Dime Community Bancshares, Inc., a New York corporation (the “Company”) and Michael Fegan (“Executive”).
WHEREAS, Executive is presently the SEVP/Chief Technology & Operations Officer of the Company and Dime Community Bank (the “Bank”) and is a party to a change in control employment agreement with Dime Community Bancshares, Inc., dated as of February 1, 2019, as amended by First Amendment to Change in Control Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2021 (collectively, the “Prior Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to assure that the Company will have the continued dedication of Executive, notwithstanding the possibility, threat or occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined below); and
WHEREAS, the Board believes it is imperative to diminish the inevitable distraction of Executive by virtue of the personal uncertainties and risks created by a pending or threatened Change in Control and to encourage Executive’s full attention and dedication to the Company currently and in the event of any threatened or pending Change in Control, and to provide Executive with compensation and benefits arrangements upon a Change in Control that ensure that the compensation and benefits expectations of Executive will be satisfied and that are competitive with those of other corporations; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement shall supersede and replace the Prior Agreement as of the date first written above.
NOW, THEREFORE, in order to accomplish the foregoing objectives and in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, the parties agree as follows.
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(I)either (x) the members of the Board immediately prior to such merger or consolidation constitute at least a majority of the members of the governing body of the institution resulting from such merger or consolidation; or (y) the stockholders of the Company own securities of the institution resulting from such merger or consolidation representing 80% or more of the combined voting power of all such securities of the resulting institution then outstanding in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of voting securities of the Company immediately before such merger or consolidation; and
(II)if the entity which results from such merger or consolidation is not the Company, such entity expressly agrees in writing to assume and perform the Company's obligations under the Plan; or
(B)The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
(C)Any event that would be described in section 1(b)(i), (ii) or (iii) if “Bank (and any successor thereto)” were substituted for the “Company” therein.
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(c)“Change in Control Period” shall mean the period commencing on the date hereof and continuing for a period of thirty-six (36) months thereafter, and the Change in Control Period shall automatically renew on a daily basis, such that the remaining unexpired Change in Control Period shall be thirty-six (36) months, until the date the Company gives the Executive written notice of non-renewal (“Non-Renewal Notice”). The Change in Control Period shall end on the date that is thirty-six (36) months after the date of the Non-Renewal Notice.
(d)“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(e)“Effective Date” shall mean the first date during the Change in Control Period on which a Change in Control occurs. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if (i) Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company, (ii) the Date of Termination is prior to the date on which a Change in Control occurs, and (iii) it is reasonably demonstrated by Executive that such termination of employment (A) was at the request of a third party that has taken steps reasonably calculated to effect a Change in Control or (B) otherwise arose in connection with or anticipation of a Change in Control, then for all purposes of this Agreement, the “Effective Date” means the date immediately prior to such Date of Termination.
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For purposes of this provision, no act or failure to act, on the part of Executive, shall be considered “willful” unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by Executive in bad faith or without reasonable belief that Executive’s action or omission was in the best interests of the Company and its Affiliates. Any act, or failure to act,
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based upon authority given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board, or if the Company is not the ultimate parent entity of the Company and is not publicly traded, the board of directors (or, for a non-corporate entity, equivalent governing body) of the ultimate parent of the Company (the “Applicable Board”) or upon the instructions of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or a senior officer of the Company and its Affiliates or based upon the advice of counsel for the Company and its Affiliates shall be conclusively presumed to be done, or omitted to be done, by Executive in good faith and in the best interests of the Company and its Affiliates. The cessation of employment of Executive shall not be deemed to be for Cause unless and until there shall have been delivered to Executive a copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than three-quarters of the entire membership of the Applicable Board (excluding Executive if Executive is a member of the Applicable Board) at a meeting of the Applicable Board called and held for such purpose (after reasonable notice is provided to Executive and Executive is given an opportunity, together with counsel for Executive, to be heard before the Applicable Board), finding that, in the good faith opinion of the Applicable Board, Executive is guilty of the conduct described in subparagraph (i) or (ii) above, and specifying the particulars thereof in detail.
EXHIBIT 10.4
In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive shall provide written notice to the Company of the existence of one or more of the conditions described in clauses (i) through (v) within 90 days following Executive’s knowledge of the initial existence of such condition or conditions, specifying in reasonable detail the conditions constituting Good Reason, and the Company shall have 30 days following receipt of such written notice (the “Cure Period”) during which it may remedy the condition. In the event that the Company fails to remedy the condition constituting Good Reason during the applicable Cure Period, Executive’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) must occur, if at all, within two years following the initial existence of such condition or conditions in order for such termination as a result of such condition to constitute a termination for Good Reason. The Executive’s mental or physical incapacity following the occurrence of an event described above in clauses (i) through (v) shall not affect Executive’s ability to terminate employment for Good Reason and Executive’s death following delivery of a Notice of Termination for Good Reason shall not affect Executive’s estate’s entitlement to severance payments benefits provided hereunder upon a termination of employment for Good Reason.
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If to Executive:
At the last address on file
If to the Company:
898 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 560
Hauppauge, New York 11788
Attention: General Counsel
or to such other address as either party shall have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith. Notice and communications shall be effective when actually received by the addressee.
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(i)solicit, offer employment to, or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any officer or employee of the Bank, the Company or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates to terminate his or her employment and accept employment or become affiliated with, or provide services for compensation in any capacity whatsoever to, any business whatsoever that competes with the business of the Bank or the Company or any of their direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates or has headquarters or offices within the counties in which the Bank or the Company has business operations or has filed an application for regulatory approval to establish an office; provided, however, that this subsection (i) shall not prohibit general solicitations in any medium not specifically directed at officers or employees of the Bank, the Company or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates; or
EXHIBIT 10.4
(ii)solicit, provide any information, advice or recommendation or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any customer of the Bank or the Company located within a seventy-five (75) mile radius of Times Square, New York to terminate an existing business or commercial relationship with the Bank or the Company.
Executive agrees not to disparage or defame in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, the Company, the Bank, or their affiliates, officers, directors, owners, representatives, employees, products or services, and the Company and the Bank agree not to disparage or defame in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, the Executive, in each case at any time during the Employment Period or at any time following termination of employment, except when compelled to do so in connection with a government investigation or judicial proceeding, or as otherwise may be required or protected by law.
The parties hereto, recognizing that irreparable injury will result to the Bank, its business and property in the event of the Executive’s breach of this Section 11(n), agree that, in the event of any such breach by the Executive, the Bank and/or the Company will be entitled, in addition to any other remedies and damages available, to an injunction to restrain the violation hereof by the Executive and all persons acting for or with the Executive. Nothing herein will be construed as prohibiting the Bank and the Company from pursuing any other remedies available to them for such breach or threatened breach, including the recovery of damages from the Executive.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive has hereunto set Executive’s hand and, pursuant to the authorization from the Board, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name on its behalf, all as of the day and year first above written.
DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.