Form of Director Support Agreement, dated as of May 14, 2021, by and among Equity Bancshares, Inc. and the directors party thereto

Exhibit 10.2

FORM OF DIRECTOR SUPPORT AGREEMENT

This DIRECTOR SUPPORT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of May 14, 2021, by and between Equity Bancshares, Inc. (the “EQBK”), a Kansas corporation and registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and ___________________________, an individual resident of the State of _________ (“Director”). Terms with their initial letters capitalized and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, EQBK, Greyhound Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a Kansas corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of EQBK, and American State Bancshares, Inc. (“ASB”), a Kansas corporation and registered bank holding company under the BHCA, have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of the date hereof (the “Merger Agreement”), providing for EQBK’s acquisition of ASB through the merger of Merger Sub with and into ASB, with ASB surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of EQBK (the “Merger”); and

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to EQBK’s willingness to enter into the Merger Agreement, EQBK and Director have agreed to enter into this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants contained herein and in the Merger Agreement intending to be legally bound hereby, EQBK and Director agree as follows;

AGREEMENT

1. Director Support. Director agrees to use his or her good faith efforts to refrain from disparaging ASB, any Subsidiary of ASB (“ASB Subsidiary”), EQBK or any Subsidiary of EQBK, and their respective customer, client and vendor relationships. During the term of this Agreement, Director agrees to consider utilizing American State Bank & Trust Company, a Kansas state bank with its principal office in Wichita, Kansas and wholly owned subsidiary of EQBK, when obtaining banking products or services for his or her personal or business needs.

2. Director Covenants.

(a) Director acknowledges that he or she has received substantial, valuable consideration, including confidential trade secret and proprietary information relating to the identity and special needs of current and prospective customers of ASB or any ASB Subsidiary, ASB’s and any ASB Subsidiary’s current and prospective services, ASB’s and any ASB Subsidiary’s business projections and market studies, ASB’s and any ASB Subsidiary’s business plans and strategies, ASB’s and any ASB Subsidiary’s studies, and information concerning special services unique to ASB or any ASB Subsidiary. Director further acknowledges and agrees that this consideration constitutes fair and adequate consideration for the execution of the non-solicitation and non-competition restrictions set forth below. Accordingly, other than in any capacity for or on behalf of EQBK or any Subsidiary of EQBK, Director agrees that Director will not, directly or indirectly, individually or as an employee, partner, officer, director or shareholder or in any other capacity whatsoever:

i. solicit the business of any person or entity who is a customer of ASB or any ASB Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement or as of the Closing Date on behalf of any other insured depository institution for the purpose of providing financial services to such person or entity;

ii. acquire any interest in (directly or indirectly), charter, operate or enter into any franchise or other management agreement with any insured depository institution that has a branch or other office (A) in any county where ASB or any ASB Subsidiary has a branch or office, or (B) in any county that is contiguous to a county where ASB or any ASB Subsidiary has a branch or office (together clauses A and B, the “Noncompete Area”) (but notwithstanding the foregoing, Director may (1) acquire an ownership interest in any publicly-traded depository institution, so long as that ownership interest does not exceed 2% of the total number of shares outstanding of that depository institution, and (2) invest in an existing mutual fund that invests, directly or indirectly, in such insured depository institutions);

iii. from and after the Effective Time, serve as an officer, director, employee, agent or consultant to any insured depository institution that has a location within the Noncompete Area;

iv. establish or operate a branch or other office of an insured depository institution within the Noncompete Area; or

v. recruit, hire, assist others in recruiting or hiring, discuss employment with, or refer others concerning employment, any person who is, or within the 12 months preceding the Closing Date was, an employee of ASB or any ASB Subsidiary; but nothing in this Section 2(a)(v) applies to employment other than in financial services.

Director may not avoid the purpose and intent of this Section 2(a) by engaging in conduct within the Noncompete Area from a remote location through means such as telecommunications, written correspondence, computer generated or assisted communications, or other similar methods.

(b) If any court of competent jurisdiction should determine that the terms of this Section 2 are too broad in terms of time, geographic area, lines of commerce or otherwise, that court is to modify and revise any such terms so that they comply with applicable law.

(c) Director agrees that (i) this Agreement is entered into in connection with the sale to EQBK of ASB and American State Bank & Trust Company, a Kansas state bank with its principal office in Wichita, Kansas (the “Bank”), (ii) Director is receiving valuable consideration for this Agreement, (iii) the restrictions imposed upon Director by this Agreement are essential and necessary to ensure EQBK acquires the goodwill of the ASB and the Bank, and (iv) all the restrictions (including particularly the time and geographical limitations) set forth in this Agreement are fair and reasonable.

3. Early Resolution Conference. This Agreement is understood to be clear and enforceable as written and is executed by both parties on that basis. However, should Director later challenge any provision as unclear, unenforceable, or inapplicable to any competitive activity that Director intends to engage in, Director will first notify EQBK in writing and meet with a EQBK representative and a neutral mediator (if EQBK elects to retain one at its expense) to discuss resolution of any disputes between the parties. Director will provide this notice at least twenty-one (21) days before Director engages in any activity on behalf of a competing business or engages in other activity that could foreseeably fall within a questioned restriction. If Director fails to comply with this requirement, Director waives his right to challenge the reasonable scope, clarity, applicability or enforceability of this Agreement and its restrictions at a later time.

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4. Termination. This Agreement and all obligations hereunder will terminate on the earlier of (a) the date the Merger Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Merger Agreement or (b) the date that is twenty (20) months after the Closing Date.

5. Waiver, Amendment and Modification. Any party may unilaterally waive a right which is solely applicable to it. Such action will be evidenced by a signed written notice. No failure to exercise nor any delay in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder by any party hereto will operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder will preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver of any party of any right or remedy on any one occasion will not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that such party would otherwise have on any future occasion or to any right or remedy that any other party may have hereunder. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by an instrument in writing executed by each of the parties hereto.

6. Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT IS TO BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF KANSAS WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE PROVISIONS THEREOF REGARDING CHOICE OF LAW THAT WOULD APPLY THE LAW OF A DIFFERENT JURISDICTION. VENUE FOR ANY CAUSE OF ACTION BETWEEN THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT WILL LIE IN SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, EACH SUCH PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LEGAL ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER IN THE EVENT OF A LEGAL ACTION, (B) SUCH PARTY HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER, (C) SUCH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND (D) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 6.

7. Binding Effect; Assignment. All of the terms, covenants, representations, warranties and conditions of this Agreement are binding upon, and inure to the benefit of and are enforceable by, the parties and their respective successors, representatives and permitted assigns. No party to this Agreement may assign this Agreement, by operation of law or otherwise, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the other parties, and any purported assignment made or attempted in violation of this Section shall be null and void.

8. No Third Party Beneficiaries. Nothing contained in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any Persons, other than the parties hereto or their respective successors, any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement.

9. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws, then (a) this Agreement is to be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision were not a part hereof; (b) the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement; and (c) there will be added automatically as a part of this Agreement a provision mutually agreed to which is similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and still be legal, valid and enforceable.

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10. Specific Performance. Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that the other parties would be irreparably damaged and would not have an adequate remedy at law for money damages if any of the covenants contained in this Agreement were not performed in accordance with its terms or otherwise were materially breached. Each of the parties hereto therefore agrees that, without the necessity of proving actual damages or posting bond or other security, the other party will be entitled to temporary and/or permanent injunction or injunctions which a court of competent jurisdiction concludes is justified to prevent breaches of such performance and to specific enforcement of such covenants in addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled, at law or in equity.

11. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Merger Agreement, the Voting Agreement and the other agreements, documents, schedules and instruments signed and delivered by the parties to each other at the Closing are the full understanding of the parties, a complete allocation of risks between them and a complete and exclusive statement of the terms and conditions of their agreement relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all prior agreements, whether written or oral, that may exist between the parties with respect thereto.

12. Rules of Construction. Descriptive headings as to the contents of particular sections are for convenience only and do not control or affect the meaning, construction or interpretation of this Agreement or any particular section. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they are deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision in this Agreement. Each use herein of the masculine, neuter or feminine gender is deemed to include the other genders. Each use herein of the plural includes the singular and vice versa, in each case as the context requires or as is otherwise appropriate. The word “or” is used in the inclusive sense. Any agreement or instrument defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement or instrument as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including by waiver or consent. References to a Person are also to its permitted successors or assigns. In the event that an ambiguity or a question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

13. Notice. Any and all notices, requests, instructions and other communications required or permitted to be given under this Agreement after the date of this Agreement by any party hereto to any other party may be delivered personally or by nationally recognized overnight courier service or sent by U.S. mail or (except in the case of payments) by facsimile transmission, at the respective addresses or transmission numbers set forth below and is deemed delivered (a) in the case of personal delivery or facsimile transmission, when received; (b) in the case of mail, upon the earlier of actual receipt or five (5) Business Days after deposit in the United States Postal Service, first class certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested; and (c) in the case of an overnight courier service, one (1) Business Day after delivery to such courier service with instructions for overnight delivery. The parties may change their respective addresses and transmission numbers by written notice to all other parties, sent as provided in this Section. All communications must be in writing and addressed as follows:

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If to Director:

If to EQBK:

Brad S. Elliott

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

7701 East Kellogg Drive, Suite 200

Wichita, Kansas 67207

Email: ***@***

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Michael G. Keeley, Esq.

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 3600

Dallas, Texas ###-###-####

Fax: (214) 855-8200

Email: ***@***

14. Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules. All articles and sections referred to herein are articles and sections, respectively, of this Agreement and all exhibits and schedules referred to herein are exhibits and schedules, respectively, attached to this Agreement. Descriptive headings as to the contents of particular sections are for convenience only and do not control or affect the meaning, construction or interpretation of this Agreement or any particular section. Any and all schedules, exhibits, certificates or other documents or instruments referred to herein or attached hereto are and will be incorporated herein by reference hereto as though fully set forth herein.

15. Multiple Counterparts. For the convenience of the parties hereto, this Agreement may be signed in multiple counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, and all counterparts hereof so signed by the parties hereto, whether or not such counterpart will bear the execution of each of the parties hereto, will be deemed to be, and is to be construed as, one and the same Agreement. A facsimile or electronic scan in “PDF” format of a signed counterpart of this Agreement will be sufficient to bind the party or parties whose signature(s) appear thereon.

[Signature Page Follows]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

[Signature Page to Director Support Agreement]