As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 2011

Registration No. 333-                  





UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 





 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933






 

AMERISERV FINANCIAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)






 

Pennsylvania

 

25-1424278

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)


 





 

Main & Franklin Streets
P.O. Box 430
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

 

15907-0430

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)


AmeriServ Financial, Inc. 2011 Stock Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 





 

Glenn L. Wilson

President and Chief Executive Officer

AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

Main & Franklin Streets
P.O. Box 430
Johnstown, Pennsylvania  15907-0430

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

(814) 533-5300

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

Sunjeet S. Gill, Esq.

Stevens & Lee, P.C.

111 North Sixth Street

P.O. Box 679

Reading, PA 19603-0679

(610) 478-2000


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or smaller reporting company.  See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer £ Accelerated filer £ Non-accelerated filer £ Smaller reporting company   R

 





 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of securities

to be registered

 

Amount to be

registered(1)

 

 

Proposed maximum

offering price per

share(2)

 

 

Proposed maximum

aggregate offering

price(2)

 

 

Amount of

Registration Fee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, to be issued under the 2011 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 

800,000

 

 

$

1.97

 

 

$

1,576,000

 

 

$

182.97

 


(1)

Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended  (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement on Form S-8 covers an indeterminate number of shares which may be subject to grant or otherwise issuable by reason of stock splits, stock dividends, or similar transactions.


(2)

 

Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee based upon the average of the high and low prices for a share of the registrant’s common stock on September 12, 2011, as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market.

 

 

 














 


PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

 

The information called for in Part I of this Registration Statement on Form S-8 is not being filed with or included herein (by incorporation by reference or otherwise) in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

In this Registration Statement, “the registrant,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

 

The following documents, which have been filed with the Commission  pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference, and shall be deemed to be a part of, this Registration Statement:

 

(a) The registrant’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Commission on March 7, 2011;

 

(b) All other reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report on Form 10-K referred to in (a) above, including the registrant’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Commission on March 21, 2011 and the registrant’s current reports on Form 8-K during such period, except as to any portion of any current report on Form 8 –K furnished under Items 2.02, 7.01 and 9.01 of Form 8-K that is not deemed filed under such provisions; and

 

(c) The description of the registrant’s Common Stock contained in any registration statement or report that the registrant has filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents filed by the registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment, which indicates that all securities offered have been sold, or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents, except as to any portion of any future annual or quarterly report to stockholders or document or current report furnished under Items 2.02, 7.01 and 9.01 of Form 8-K that is not deemed filed under such provisions.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this Registration Statement.

 

Item 4.

 

Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

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Item 5.

 

Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6.

 

Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Pennsylvania law provides that a Pennsylvania corporation may indemnify directors, officers, employees and agents of the corporation against liabilities they may incur in such capacities for any action taken or any failure to act, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person under any provision of law, unless such action or failure to act is determined by a court to have constituted recklessness or willful misconduct.  Pennsylvania law also permits the adoption of a bylaw amendment, approved by shareholders, providing for the elimination of a director's liability for monetary damages for any action taken or any failure to take any action unless (1) the director has breached or failed to perform the duties of his office and (2) the breach or failure to perform constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness.


The bylaws of the registrant provide for (1) indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents of the registrant and (2) the elimination of a director's liability for monetary damages, to the fullest extent permitted by Pennsylvania law unless the director has breached or failed to perform the duties of his or her office under Subchapter B of Chapter 17 of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as it may be amended, and such breach or failure to perform constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness.


Directors and officers are also insured against certain liabilities for their actions, as such, by an insurance policy obtained by the registrant.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may permit for directors, executive officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable.

 

II-2














 

Item 7.

 

Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 8.

 

Exhibits.

 

Exhibits:

 

  Number

 

Description

 

 

 

3.1

 

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended through August 8, 2011.

 

 

 

3.2

 

Bylaws, as amended and restated on December 17, 2009 (incorporated by reference to Exhibits 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-11204) filed on December 23, 2009).

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion and consent of Stevens & Lee, P.C. regarding the legality of the shares of common stock being of the registrant offered hereby (filed herewith).

 

 

 

10.1

 

AmeriServ Financial, Inc. 201 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed on March 21, 2011).

 

 

 

15.1

 

Awareness letter of S.R. Snodgrass, A.C. (filed herewith).

 

 

 

23.1

 

Consent of S.R. Snodgrass, A.C. (filed herewith).

 

 

 

23.2

 

Consent of Stevens & Lee, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.1 and filed herewith).

 

 

 

24.1 

  

Powers of Attorney of Directors and Officers (included on signature page and filed herewith)

 

Item 9

Undertakings.

 

(a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)       To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

 

(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

 

(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

II-3














 

 

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

Provided, however , that:

 

(A) Paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and

 

(B)  Paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be  included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2) That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial  bona fide  offering thereof.

 

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

II-4














 


SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and that it has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Johnstown, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on September 15, 2011.

 

AMERISERV FINANCIAL, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/ Glenn L. Wilson

 

Glenn L. Wilson

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director


POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Glenn L. Wilson, Jeffrey A. Stopko, Jeffrey P. Waldron, and Sunjeet S. Gill, and each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact, as agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution of him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacity, to sign any or all amendments to this Registration Statement for purposes of registering the shares allocated to the AmeriServ Financial, Inc. 2011 Stock Incentive Plan, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as they might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on September 15, 2011.


Signature

 

Capacity

 

 

 

/s/ Craig G. Ford

 

Chairman and Director

Craig G. Ford

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Glenn L. Wilson

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Glenn L. Wilson

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

/s/ Jeffrey A. Stopko

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Jeffrey A. Stopko

 

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

/s/ J. Michael Adams, Jr.

 

Director

J. Michael Adams, Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Allan R. Dennison

 

Director

Allan R. Dennison

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Daniel R. DeVos

 

Director

Daniel R. DeVos

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ James C. Dewar

 

Director

James C. Dewar

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Bruce E. Duke, III

 

Director

Bruce E. Duke, III

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ James M. Edwards, Sr.

 

Director

James M. Edwards, Sr.

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Kim W. Kunkle

 

Director

Kim W. Kunkle

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Margaret A. O’Malley

 

Director

Margaret A. O’Malley

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Christian R. Oravec

 

Director

Very Rev. Christian R. Oravec

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Mark E. Pasquerilla

 

Director

Mark E. Pasquerilla

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Howard M. Picking, III

 

Director

Howard M. Picking, III

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Sara A. Sargent

 

Director

Sara A. Sargent

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Thomas C. Slater

 

Director

Thomas C. Slater

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Robert L. Wise

 

Director

Robert L. Wise

 

 


 

 

II-5





 



Exhibit 3.1


AMERISERV FINANCIAL, INC.

AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

As amended and restated on August 11, 2011

1.

The name of the Corporation is AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

2.

The location and post office address of the registered office of the Corporation in this Commonwealth is Main and Franklin Streets, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15901

3.

The Corporation is incorporated under the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the following purpose or purposes:

The corporation shall have unlimited power to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any or all lawful business for which corporations may be incorporated under such Law.

4.

The term for which the Corporation is to exist is perpetual.

5.

The aggregate number of shares which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is:

2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, without par value, and 30,000,000 shares of common stock with the par value of $0.01.

A description of each class of shares and a statement of the voting rights, designations, preferences, qualifications, privileges, limitations, options, conversion rights, and other special rights granted to or imposed upon the shares of each class and of the authority vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation to establish series of Preferred Stock or to determine the Preferred Stock will be issued as a class without series and to fix and determine the voting rights, designations, preferences and other special rights of the Preferred Stock as a class or of the series thereof are as follows:

(a)

Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time as a class without series or in one or more series.  Each series shall be designated by the Board of Directors so as to distinguish the shares thereof from the shares of all other series and classes.  The Board of Directors may by resolution from time to time divide shares of Preferred Stock into series, or determine that the Preferred Stock shall be issued as a class without series, fix and determine the number of shares in a series and the terms and conditions of the issuance of the class or the series, and subject to the provisions of this Article Five, fix and determine the rights, preferences, qualifications, privileges, limitations and other special rights, if any, of the class (if none of such shares of the class have been issued) or of any series so established, including but not limited to, voting rights (which may be limited, multiple, fractional or non-existent), the rate of dividend, if any, and whether or to what extent, if any, such dividends shall be cumulative (including the date from which dividends shall be cumulative, if any), the price at the terms and conditions on which shares may be redeemed, if any, the preference and the amounts payable on shares in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, sinking fund provisions for the redemption or purchase of shares in the event shares of the class or of any series are issued with sinking fund provisions, and the terms and conditions on which the shares of the class or of any series may be converted in the event the shares of the class or of any series are issued with the privilege of conversion.

(b)

The holders of Common Stock shall have one vote per share. The rights of the holders of Common Stock will be subject to any rights and preferences pertaining to any class of Preferred Stock or any series thereof to the extent set forth in any resolution of the Board of Directors fixing the terms thereof.

(c)

Except as limited by the provisions of any series of Preferred Stock or of the class if issued without series, the Board of Directors may in its discretion, at any time or from time to time, issue or cause to be issued all or any part of the authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for consideration of such character and value as the Board of Directors shall, from time to time, fix or determine.

(d)

The Board of Directors may, but need not, in connection with the issuance of any fractional shares of any class or series of any class of stock of the Corporation, grant such fractional shares proportional voting rights.

6.

The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a Board of Directors comprised as follows:

(a)

The whole Board of Directors shall consist of such number of persons, not less than 5 nor more than 25, as may from time to time be determined by the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority vote of the directors then in office or by resolution of the shareholders at a meeting thereof.

(b)

Beginning with the Board of Directors to be elected at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held in 1986, the Directors shall be classified, in respect solely to the time for which they shall severally hold office, by dividing them into three classes as nearly equal in number as possible.  At the annual meeting of shareholders to be held in 1986, separate elections shall be held for the directors of each class, the term of office of directors of the first class to expire at the first annual meeting after their election; the term of office of the directors of the second class to expire at the second annual meeting after their election; and the term of office of the directors of the third class to expire at the third annual meeting after their election.  At each succeeding annual meeting, the shareholders shall elect directors of the class whose term then expires, to hold office until the third succeeding annual meeting.  Each director shall hold office for the term for which elected and until his or her successor shall be elected and shall qualify.

(c)

Any director, any class of directors or the entire Board of Directors may be removed from office by shareholder vote at any time, without assigning any cause, but only if the holders of not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an annual election of directors voting together as a single class, shall vote in favor of such removal.

(d)

Vacancies in the Board of Directors, including vacancies resulting from an increase in the number of directors, may be filled only by a majority vote of the remaining directors then in office, though less than a quorum, except that vacancies resulting from removal from office by a vote of the shareholders may be filled by the shareholders at the same meeting at which such removal occurs.  All directors elected to fill vacancies shall hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of shareholders at which the term of the class to which they have been elected expires.  No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of an incumbent director.

(e)

Whenever the holders of any class or series of preferred stock shall have the right, voting separately as a class, to elect one or more directors of the Corporation, none of the foregoing provisions of this Article Sixth shall apply with respect to the director or directors elected by such holders of preferred stock.



CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

OF

SENIOR NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES E

OF


AMERISERV FINANCIAL, INC.

AmeriServ Financial, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the “ Issuer ”), in accordance with the provisions of Section 1522(b) of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended, thereof, does hereby certify:

The board of directors of the Issuer (the “ Board of Directors ”) or an applicable committee of the Board of Directors, in accordance with the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Issuer and applicable law, adopted the following resolution on July 21, 2011 creating a series of 21,000 shares of Preferred Stock of the Issuer designated as “ Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E ”.

RESOLVED , that pursuant to the provisions of the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Issuer and applicable law, a series of Preferred Stock, without par value, of the Issuer be and hereby is created, and that the designation and number of shares of such series, and the voting and other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series, are as follows:

Part 1.  Designation and Number of Shares .  There is hereby created out of the authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock of the Issuer a series of preferred stock designated as the “ Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E ” (the “ Designated Preferred Stock ”).  The authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be 21,000.

Part 2.  Standard Provisions .  The Standard Provisions contained in Schedule A attached hereto are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Certificate of Designation to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.

Part 3.  Definitions .  The following terms are used in this Certificate of Designation (including the Standard Provisions in  Schedule A  hereto) as defined below:

(a)

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Issuer.

(b)

Definitive Agreement ” means that certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and between Issuer and Treasury, dated as of the Signing Date.

(c)

Junior Stock ” means the Common Stock and any other class or series of stock of the Issuer the terms of which expressly provide that it ranks junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to dividend and redemption rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer, including without limitation the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

(d)

Liquidation Amount ” means $1,000 per share of Designated Preferred Stock.

(e)

Minimum Amount ” means (i) the amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of Designated Preferred Stock issued on the Original Issue Date or (ii) all of the outstanding Designated Preferred Stock, if the aggregate liquidation preference of the outstanding Designated Preferred Stock is less than the amount set forth in the preceding clause (i).

(f)

Parity Stock ” means any class or series of stock of the Issuer (other than Designated Preferred Stock) the terms of which do not expressly provide that such class or series will rank senior or junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to dividend rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer (in each case without regard to whether dividends accrue cumulatively or non-cumulatively).

(g)

Signing Date ” means August 11, 2011.

(h)

Treasury ” means the United States Department of the Treasury and any successor in interest thereto.

Part 4.  Certain Voting Matters .  Holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock will be entitled to one vote for each such share on any matter on which holders of Designated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, including any action by written consent.


[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, AmeriServ Financial, Inc. has caused this Certificate of Designation to be signed by Jeffrey A. Stopko, its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, this 5th day of August 2011.

AMERISERV FINANCIAL, INC.

By:    /s/  Jeffrey A. Stopko

 Name:  Jeffrey A. Stopko

 Title:    Executive Vice President and

             Chief Executive Officer



Schedule A

STANDARD PROVISIONS

Section 1.  General Matters .  Each share of Designated Preferred Stock shall be identical in all respects to every other share of Designated Preferred Stock.  The Designated Preferred Stock shall be perpetual, subject to the provisions of Section 5 of these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation.  The Designated Preferred Stock shall rank equally with Parity Stock and shall rank senior to Junior Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Issuer, as set forth below.  

Section 2.  Standard Definitions .  As used herein with respect to Designated Preferred Stock:

(a)

Acquiror ,” in any Holding Company Transaction, means the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent in the case of a merger or consolidation or the transferee in the case of a sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(b)

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any person, any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with, such other person. For purposes of this definition, “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”) when used with respect to any person, means the possession, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, of the power to cause the direction of management and/or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities by contract or otherwise.

(c)

Applicable Dividend Rate ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

(d)

Appropriate Federal Banking Agency ” means the “appropriate Federal banking agency” with respect to the Issuer as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. Section 1813(q)), or any successor provision.

(e)

Bank Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1842 and the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System thereunder.

(f)

Baseline ” means the “Initial Small Business Lending Baseline” set forth on the Initial Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement), subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 3(a).

(g)

Business Combination ” means a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction that requires the approval of the Issuer’s stockholders.

(h)

Business Day ” means any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the District of Columbia generally are authorized or required by law or other governmental actions to close.

(i)

Bylaws ” means the bylaws of the Issuer, as they may be amended from time to time.

(j)

Call Report ” has the meaning set forth in the Definitive Agreement.

(k)

Certificate of Designation ” means the Certificate of Designation or comparable instrument relating to the Designated Preferred Stock, of which these Standard Provisions form a part, as it may be amended from time to time.

(l)

Charge-Offs ” means the net amount of loans charged off by the Issuer or, if the Issuer is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, by the IDI Subsidiary(ies) during quarters that begin on or after the Signing Date, determined as follows:

(i)

if the Issuer or the applicable IDI Subsidiary is a bank, by subtracting (A) the aggregate dollar amount of recoveries reflected on line RIAD4605 of its Call Reports for such quarters from (B) the aggregate dollar amount of charge-offs reflected on line RIAD4635 of its Call Reports for such quarters (without duplication as a result of such dollar amounts being reported on a year-to-date basis); or

(ii)

if the Issuer or the applicable IDI Subsidiary is a thrift, by subtracting (A) the sum of the aggregate dollar amount of recoveries reflected on line VA140 of its Call Reports for such quarters and the aggregate dollar amount of adjustments reflected on line VA150 of its Call Reports for such quarters from (B) the aggregate dollar amount of charge-offs reflected on line VA160 of its Call Reports for such quarters.

(m)

Charter ” means the Issuer’s certificate or articles of incorporation, articles of association, or similar organizational document.

(n)

CPP Lending Incentive Fee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(e).

(o)

Current Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(i)(2).

(p)

Dividend Payment Date ” means January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.

(q)

Dividend Period ” means the period from and including any Dividend Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date;  provided, however , the initial Dividend Period shall be the period from and including the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date (the “ Initial Dividend Period ”).

(r)

Dividend Record Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

(s)

Dividend Reference Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(i)(2).

(t)

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

(u)

Holding Company Preferred Stock ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c)(v).

(v)

Holding Company Transaction ” means the occurrence of (a) any transaction (including, without limitation, any acquisition, merger or consolidation) the result of which is that a “person” or “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (i) becomes the direct or indirect ultimate “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under that Act, of common equity of the Issuer representing more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding Common Stock or (ii) is otherwise required to consolidate the Issuer for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or (b) any consolidation or merger of the Issuer or similar transaction or any sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one of the Issuer’s subsidiaries;  provided  that, in the case of either clause (a) or (b), the Issuer or the Acquiror is or becomes a Bank Holding Company or Savings and Loan Holding Company.

(w)

IDI Subsidiary ” means any Issuer Subsidiary that is an insured depository institution.

(x)

Increase in QSBL ” means:

(i)

with respect to the first (1st) Dividend Period, the difference obtained by subtracting (A) the Baseline from (B) QSBL set forth in the Initial Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement); and

(ii)

with respect to each subsequent Dividend Period, the difference obtained by subtracting (A) the Baseline from (B) QSBL for the Dividend Reference Period for the Current Period.

(y)

Initial Dividend Period ” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Dividend Period”.

(z)

Issuer Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary of the Issuer.

(aa)

Liquidation Preference ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

(bb)

Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the percentage obtained by subtracting the Qualifying Portion Percentage from one (1).

(cc)

Original Issue Date ” means the date on which shares of Designated Preferred Stock are first issued.

(dd)

Percentage Change in QSBL ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(ii).

(ee)

Person ” means a legal person, including any individual, corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, limited liability company or trust.

(ff)

Preferred Director ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c).

(gg)

Preferred Stock ” means any and all series of preferred stock of the Issuer, including the Designated Preferred Stock.

(hh)

Previously Acquired Preferred Shares ” has the meaning set forth in the Definitive Agreement.

(ii)

Private Capital ” means, if the Issuer is Matching Private Investment Supported (as defined in the Definitive Agreement), the equity capital received by the Issuer or the applicable Affiliate of the Issuer from one or more non-governmental investors in accordance with Section 1.3(m) of the Definitive Agreement.

(jj)

Publicly-traded ” means a company that (i) has a class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange and (ii) is required to file periodic reports with either the Securities and Exchange Commission or its primary federal bank regulator.

(kk)

Qualified Small Business Lending ” or “ QSBL ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the “Quarter-End Adjusted Qualified Small Business Lending” for such Dividend Period set forth in the applicable Supplemental Report.

(ll)

Qualifying Portion Percentage ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the percentage obtained by dividing (i) the Increase in QSBL for such Dividend Period by (ii) the aggregate Liquidation Amount of then-outstanding Designated Preferred Stock.

(mm)

Savings and Loan Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Office of Thrift Supervision pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1467a(b) and the regulations of the Office of Thrift Supervision promulgated thereunder.

(nn)

Share Dilution Amount ” means the increase in the number of diluted shares outstanding (determined in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, and as measured from the date of the  Issuer’s most recent consolidated financial statements prior to the Signing Date) resulting from the grant, vesting or exercise of equity-based compensation to employees and equitably adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar transaction.

(oo)

Signing Date Tier 1 Capital Amount ” means $88,276,000.

(pp)

Standard Provisions ” mean these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation relating to the Designated Preferred Stock.

(qq)

Supplemental Report ” means a Supplemental Report delivered by the Issuer to Treasury pursuant to the Definitive Agreement.

(rr)

Tier 1 Dividend Threshold ” means, as of any particular date, the result of the following formula:

( ( A + B – C ) * 0.9 ) – D

where:

A = Signing Date Tier 1 Capital Amount;

B = the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Designated Preferred Stock issued to Treasury;

C = the aggregate amount of Charge-Offs since the Signing Date; and

D = (i) beginning on the first day of the eleventh (11th) Dividend Period, the amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Designated Preferred Stock issued to Treasury as of the Effective Date (without regard to any redemptions of Designated Preferred Stock that may have occurred thereafter) for every one percent (1%) of positive Percentage Change in Qualified Small Business Lending between the ninth (9th) Dividend Period and the Baseline; and

(ii) zero (0) at all other times.

(ss)

Voting Parity Stock ” means, with regard to any matter as to which the holders of Designated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote as specified in Section 7(d) of these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation, any and all series of Parity Stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable with respect to such matter.

Section 3.  Dividends .

(a)

Rate .  

(i)

The “ Applicable Dividend Rate ” shall be determined as follows:

(1)

With respect to the Initial Dividend Period, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be five percent (5.0%).

(2)

With respect to each of the second (2nd) through the tenth (10th) Dividend Periods, inclusive (in each case, the “ Current Period ”), the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:

(A)

(x) the applicable rate set forth in column “A” of the table in Section 3(a)(iii), based on the Percentage Change in QSBL between the Dividend Period that was two Dividend Periods prior to the Current Period (the “ Dividend Reference Period ”) and the Baseline, multiplied by (y) the Qualifying Portion Percentage; plus

(B)

(x) five percent (5%) multiplied by (y) the Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage.  

In each such case, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be determined at the time the Issuer delivers a complete and accurate Supplemental Report to Treasury with respect to the Dividend Reference Period.  

(3)

With respect to the eleventh (11th) through the eighteenth (18th) Dividend Periods, inclusive, and that portion of the nineteenth (19th) Dividend Period prior to, but not including, the four and one half (4½) year anniversary of the Original Issue Date, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:

(A)

(x) the applicable rate set forth in column “B” of the table in Section 3(a)(iii), based on the Percentage Change in QSBL between the ninth (9th) Dividend Period and the Baseline, multiplied by (y) the Qualifying Portion Percentage, calculated as of the last day of the ninth (9th) Dividend Period; plus

(B)

(x) five percent (5%) multiplied by (y) the Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage, calculated as of the last day of the ninth (9th) Dividend Period.  

In such case, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be determined at the time the Issuer delivers a complete and accurate Supplemental Report to Treasury with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period.

(4)

With respect to (A) that portion of the nineteenth (19th) Dividend Period beginning on the four and one half (4½) year anniversary of the Original Issue Date and (B) all Dividend Periods thereafter, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be nine percent (9%).

(5)

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Issuer fails to submit a Supplemental Report that is due during any of the second (2nd) through tenth (10th) Dividend Periods on or before the sixtieth (60th) day of such Dividend Period, the Issuer’s QSBL for the Dividend Period that would have been covered by such Supplemental Report shall be zero (0) for purposes hereof.

(6)

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, but subject to Section 3(a)(i)(5) above, if the Issuer fails to submit the Supplemental Report that is due during the tenth (10th) Dividend Period, the Issuer’s QSBL for the shall be zero (0) for purposes of calculating the Applicable Dividend Rate pursuant to Section 3(a)(i)(3) and (4).  The Applicable Dividend Rate shall be re-determined effective as of the first day of the calendar quarter following the date such failure is remedied, provided it is remedied prior to the four and one half (4½) anniversary of the Original Issue Date.

(7)

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Issuer fails to submit any of the certificates required by Sections 3.1(d)(ii) or 3.1(d)(iii) of the Definitive Agreement when and as required thereby, the Issuer’s QSBL for the shall be zero (0) for purposes of calculating the Applicable Dividend Rate pursuant to Section 3(a)(i)(2) or (3) above until such failure is remedied.

(ii)

The “ Percentage Change in Qualified Lending ” between any given Dividend Period and the Baseline shall be the result of the following formula, expressed as a percentage:

 

 

 

 

 

(

( QSBL for the Dividend Period – Baseline )

)

 x  100

 

 

Baseline

 

 

 

(iii)

The following table shall be used for determining the Applicable Dividend Rate:

 

 

 

 

The Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:


If the Percentage Change in Qualified Lending is:

Column “A”

(each of the

2nd – 10th

Dividend Periods)

Column “B”

(11th – 18th, and the first part of the 19th, Dividend Periods)

0% or less

5%

7%

More than 0%, but less than 2.5%

5%

5%

2.5% or more, but less than 5%

4%

4%

5% or more, but less than 7.5%

3%

3%

7.5% or more, but less than 10%

2%

2%

10% or more

1%

1%

 

(iv)

If the Issuer consummates a Business Combination, a purchase of loans or a purchase of participations in loans and the Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding thereafter, then the Baseline shall thereafter be the “Quarter-End Adjusted Small Business Lending Baseline” set forth on the Quarterly Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement).

(b)

Payment .  Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, on each share of Designated Preferred Stock if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, but only out of assets legally available therefor, non-cumulative cash dividends with respect to:

(i)

each Dividend Period (other than the Initial Dividend Period) at a rate equal to one-fourth (¼) of the Applicable Dividend Rate with respect to each Dividend Period on the Liquidation Amount per share of Designated Preferred Stock, and no more, payable quarterly in arrears on each Dividend Payment Date; and

(ii)

the Initial Dividend Period, on the first such Dividend Payment Date to occur at least twenty (20) calendar days after the Original Issue Date, an amount equal to (A) the Applicable Dividend Rate with respect to the Initial Dividend Period multiplied by (B) the number of days from the Original Issue Date to the last day of the Initial Dividend Period (inclusive) divided by 360.  

In the event that any Dividend Payment Date would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, the dividend payment due on that date will be postponed to the next day that is a Business Day and no additional dividends will accrue as a result of that postponement.  For avoidance of doubt, “payable quarterly in arrears” means that, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, dividends begin accruing on the first day of such Dividend Period and are payable on the first day of the next Dividend Period.  

The amount of dividends payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any date prior to the end of a Dividend Period, and for the initial Dividend Period, shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of four 90-day quarters, and actual days elapsed over a 90-day quarter.

Dividends that are payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date will be payable to holders of record of Designated Preferred Stock as they appear on the stock register of the Issuer on the applicable record date, which shall be the 15th calendar day immediately preceding such Dividend Payment Date or such other record date fixed by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors that is not more than 60 nor less than 10 days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “ Dividend Record Date ”).  Any such day that is a Dividend Record Date shall be a Dividend Record Date whether or not such day is a Business Day.

Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, securities or other property, other than dividends (if any) declared and payable on Designated Preferred Stock as specified in this Section 3 (subject to the other provisions of the Certificate of Designation).

(c)

Non-Cumulative .  Dividends on shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be non-cumulative.  If the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors does not declare a dividend on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period:

(i)

the holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall have no right to receive any dividend for such Dividend Period, and the Issuer shall have no obligation to pay a dividend for such Dividend Period, whether or not dividends are declared for any subsequent Dividend Period with respect to the Designated Preferred Stock; and

(ii)

the Issuer shall, within five (5) calendar days, deliver to the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock a written notice executed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Issuer stating the Board of Directors’ rationale for not declaring dividends.

(d)

Priority of Dividends; Restrictions on Dividends .  

(i)

Subject to Sections 3(d)(ii), (iii) and (v) and any restrictions imposed by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency or, if applicable, the Issuer’s state bank supervisor (as defined in Section 3(r) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. § 1813(q)), so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, the Issuer may declare and pay dividends on the Common Stock, any other shares of Junior Stock, or Parity Stock, in each case only if (A) after giving effect to such dividend the Issuer’s Tier 1 capital would be at least equal to the Tier 1 Dividend Threshold ,  and (B) full dividends on all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock for the most recently completed Dividend Period have been or are contemporaneously declared and paid.

(ii)

If a dividend is not declared and paid in full on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period, then from the last day of such Dividend Period until the last day of the third (3rd) Dividend Period immediately following it, no dividend or distribution shall be declared or paid on the Common Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than dividends payable solely in shares of Common Stock) or Parity Stock;  provided, however , that in any such Dividend Period in which a dividend is declared and paid on the Designated Preferred Stock, dividends may be paid on Parity Stock to the extent necessary to avoid any material breach of a covenant by which the Issuer is bound.

(iii)

When dividends have not been declared and paid in full for an aggregate of four (4) Dividend Periods or more, and during such time the Issuer was not subject to a regulatory determination that prohibits the declaration and payment of dividends, the Issuer shall, within five (5) calendar days of each missed payment, deliver to the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock a certificate executed by at least a majority of the Board of Directors stating that the Board of Directors used its best efforts to declare and pay such dividends in a manner consistent with (A) safe and sound banking practices and (B) the directors’ fiduciary obligations.

(iv)

Subject to the foregoing and Section 3(e) below and not otherwise, such dividends (payable in cash, securities or other property) as may be determined by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors may be declared and paid on any securities, including Common Stock and other Junior Stock, from time to time out of any funds legally available for such payment, and holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividends.

(v)

If the Issuer is not Publicly-Traded, then after the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Signing Date, so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, no dividend or distribution shall be declared or paid on the Common Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than dividends payable solely in shares of Common Stock) or Parity Stock.

(e)

Special Lending Incentive Fee Related to CPP .  If Treasury held Previously Acquired Preferred Shares immediately prior to the Original Issue Date and the Issuer did not apply to Treasury to redeem such Previously Acquired Preferred Shares prior to December 16, 2010, and if the Issuer’s Supplemental Report with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period reflects an amount of Qualified Small Business Lending that is less than or equal to the Baseline (or if the Issuer fails to timely file a Supplemental Report with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period), then beginning on January 1, 2014 and on all Dividend Payment Dates thereafter ending on April 1, 2016, the Issuer shall pay to the Holders of Designated Preferred Stock, on each share of Designated Preferred Stock, but only out of assets legally available therefor, a fee equal to 0.5% of the Liquidation Amount per share of Designated Preferred Stock (“ CPP Lending Incentive Fee ”).  All references in Section 3(d) to “dividends” on the Designated Preferred Stock shall be deemed to include the CPP Lending Incentive Fee.

Section 4.  Liquidation Rights .

(a)

Voluntary or Involuntary Liquidation .  In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Issuer, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive for each share of Designated Preferred Stock, out of the assets of the Issuer or proceeds thereof (whether capital or surplus) available for distribution to stockholders of the Issuer, subject to the rights of any creditors of the Issuer, before any distribution of such assets or proceeds is made to or set aside for the holders of Common Stock and any other stock of the Issuer ranking junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution, payment in full in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Liquidation Amount per share and (ii) the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends on each such share (such amounts collectively, the “ Liquidation Preference ”).

(b)

Partial Payment .  If in any distribution described in Section 4(a) above the assets of the Issuer or proceeds thereof are not sufficient to pay in full the amounts payable with respect to all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock and the corresponding amounts payable with respect of any other stock of the Issuer ranking equally with Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution, holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the holders of such other stock shall share ratably in any such distribution in proportion to the full respective distributions to which they are entitled.

(c)

Residual Distributions .  If the Liquidation Preference has been paid in full to all holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the corresponding amounts payable with respect of any other stock of the Issuer ranking equally with Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution has been paid in full, the holders of other stock of the Issuer shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets of the Issuer (or proceeds thereof) according to their respective rights and preferences.

(d)

Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets Is Not Liquidation .  For purposes of this Section 4, the merger or consolidation of the Issuer with any other corporation or other entity, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Designated Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or other property for their shares, or the sale, lease or exchange (for cash, securities or other property) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer.

Section 5.  Redemption .  

(a)

Optional Redemption .  

(i)

Subject to the other provisions of this Section 5:

(1)

The Issuer, at its option, subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, may redeem, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, out of funds legally available therefor, the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding; and

(2)

If, after the Signing Date, there is a change in law that modifies the terms of Treasury’s investment in the Designated Preferred Stock or the terms of Treasury’s Small Business Lending Fund program in a materially adverse respect for the Issuer, the Issuer may, after consultation with the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, redeem all of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding.

(ii)

The per-share redemption price for shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be equal to the sum of:

(1)

the Liquidation Amount per share,

(2)

the per-share amount of any  unpaid dividends for the then current Dividend Period at the Applicable Dividend Rate to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption (regardless of whether any dividends are actually declared for that Dividend Period; and

(3)

the pro rata amount of CPP Lending Incentive Fees for the current Dividend Period.  

The redemption price for any shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be payable on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the certificate(s) evidencing such shares to the Issuer or its agent.  Any declared but unpaid dividends for the then current Dividend Period payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the Dividend Record Date for a Dividend Period shall not be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such Dividend Record Date relating to the Dividend Payment Date as provided in Section 3 above.

(b)

No Sinking Fund .  The Designated Preferred Stock will not be subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. Holders of Designated Preferred Stock will have no right to require redemption or repurchase of any shares of Designated Preferred Stock.

(c)

Notice of Redemption .  Notice of every redemption of shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the books of the Issuer.  Such mailing shall be at least 30 days and not more than 60 days before the date fixed for redemption.  Any notice mailed as provided in this Subsection shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of shares of Designated Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Designated Preferred Stock.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Designated Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility.  Each notice of redemption given to a holder shall state:  (1) the redemption date; (2) the number of shares of Designated Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (3) the redemption price; and (4) the place or places where certificates for such shares are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price.

(d)

Partial Redemption .  In case of any redemption of part of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either  pro rata  or in such other manner as the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof may determine to be fair and equitable, but in any event the shares to be redeemed shall not be less than the Minimum Amount. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time, subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency. If fewer than all the shares represented by any certificate are redeemed, a new certificate shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holder thereof.

(e)

Effectiveness of Redemption .  If notice of redemption has been duly given and if on or before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for the redemption have been deposited by the Issuer, in trust for the  pro rata  benefit of the holders of the shares called for redemption, with a bank or trust company doing business in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and having a capital and surplus of at least $500 million and selected by the Board of Directors, so as to be and continue to be available solely therefor, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been surrendered for cancellation, on and after the redemption date dividends shall cease to accrue on all shares so called for redemption, all shares so called for redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith on such redemption date cease and terminate, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive the amount payable on such redemption from such bank or trust company, without interest.  Any funds unclaimed at the end of three years from the redemption date shall, to the extent permitted by law, be released to the Issuer, after which time the holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to the Issuer for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

(f)

Status of Redeemed Shares .  Shares of Designated Preferred Stock that are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired by the Issuer shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock ( provided  that any such cancelled shares of Designated Preferred Stock may be reissued only as shares of any series of Preferred Stock other than Designated Preferred Stock).

Section 6.  Conversion .  Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shares shall have no right to exchange or convert such shares into any other securities.  

Section 7.  Voting Rights .

(a)

General .  The holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any voting rights except as set forth below or as otherwise from time to time required by law.

(b)

Board Observation Rights .  Whenever, at any time or times, dividends on the shares of Designated Preferred Stock have not been declared and paid in full within five (5) Business Days after each Dividend Payment Date for an aggregate of five (5) Dividend Periods or more, whether or not consecutive, the Issuer shall invite a representative selected by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, to attend all meetings of its Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors in connection with such meetings;  provided , that the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock shall not be obligated to select such a representative, nor shall such representative, if selected, be obligated to attend any meeting to which he/she is invited.  The rights of the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock set forth in this Section 7(b) shall terminate when full dividends have been timely paid on the Designated Preferred Stock for at least four consecutive Dividend Periods, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent default of the character above mentioned.

(c)

Preferred Stock Directors .  Whenever, at any time or times, (i) dividends on the shares of Designated Preferred Stock have not been declared and paid in full within five (5) Business Days after each Dividend Payment Date for an aggregate of six (6) Dividend Periods or more, whether or not consecutive, and (ii) the aggregate liquidation preference of the then-outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock is greater than or equal to $25,000,000, the authorized number of directors of the Issuer shall automatically be increased by two and the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to elect two directors (hereinafter the “ Preferred Directors ” and each a “ Preferred Director ”) to fill such newly created directorships at the Issuer’s next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if the next annual meeting is not yet scheduled or is scheduled to occur more than thirty days later, the President of the Company shall promptly call a special meeting for that purpose) and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders until full dividends have been timely paid on the Designated Preferred Stock for at least four consecutive Dividend Periods, at which time such right shall terminate with respect to the Designated Preferred Stock, except as herein or by law expressly provided, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent default of the character above mentioned;  provided  that it shall be a qualification for election for any Preferred Director that the election of such Preferred Director shall not cause the Issuer to violate any corporate governance requirements of any securities exchange or other trading facility on which securities of the Issuer may then be listed or traded that listed or traded companies must have a majority of independent directors.  Upon any termination of the right of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock to vote for directors as provided above, the Preferred Directors shall cease to be qualified as directors, the term of office of all Preferred Directors then in office shall terminate immediately and the authorized number of directors shall be reduced by the number of Preferred Directors elected pursuant hereto.  Any Preferred Director may be removed at any time, with or without cause, and any vacancy created thereby may be filled, only by the affirmative vote of the holders a majority of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding voting separately as a class.  If the office of any Preferred Director becomes vacant for any reason other than removal from office as aforesaid, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, may choose a successor who shall hold office for the unexpired term in respect of which such vacancy occurred.

(d)

Class Voting Rights as to Particular Matters .  So long as any shares of Designated Preferred Stock are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or by the Charter, the written consent of (x) Treasury if Treasury holds any shares of Designated Preferred Stock, or (y) the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, if Treasury does not hold any shares of Designated Preferred Stock, shall be necessary for effecting or validating:

(i)

Authorization of Senior Stock .  Any amendment or alteration of the Certificate of Designation for the Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter to authorize or create or increase the authorized amount of, or any issuance of, any shares of, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of, any class or series of capital stock of the Issuer ranking senior to Designated Preferred Stock with respect to either or both the payment of dividends and/or the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer;

(ii)

Amendment of Designated Preferred Stock .  Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of the Certificate of Designation for the Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter (including, unless no vote on such merger or consolidation is required by Section 7(d)(iii) below, any amendment, alteration or repeal by means of a merger, consolidation or otherwise) so as to adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Designated Preferred Stock;

(iii)

Share Exchanges, Reclassifications, Mergers and Consolidations .  Subject to Section 7(d)(v) below, any consummation of a binding share exchange or reclassification involving the Designated Preferred Stock, or of a merger or consolidation of the Issuer with another corporation or other entity, unless in each case (x) the shares of Designated Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which the Issuer is not the surviving or resulting entity, are converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent, and (y) such shares remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof that are the same as the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of Designated Preferred Stock immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole;  provided , that in all cases, the obligations of the Issuer are assumed (by operation of law or by express written assumption) by the resulting entity or its ultimate parent;

(iv)

Certain Asset Sales .  Any sale of all, substantially all, or any material portion of, the assets of the Company, if the Designated Preferred Stock will not be redeemed in full contemporaneously with the consummation of such sale; and

(v)

Holding Company Transactions .  Any consummation of a Holding Company Transaction, unless as a result of the Holding Company Transaction each share of Designated Preferred Stock shall be converted into or exchanged for one share with an equal liquidation preference of preference securities of the Issuer or the Acquiror (the “ Holding Company Preferred Stock ”).  Any such Holding Company Preferred Stock shall entitle holders thereof to dividends from the date of issuance of such Holding Company Preferred Stock on terms that are equivalent to the terms set forth herein, and shall have such other rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof that are the same as the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of Designated Preferred Stock immediately prior to such conversion or exchange, taken as a whole;

provided , however , that for all purposes of this Section 7(d), any increase in the amount of the authorized Preferred Stock, including any increase in the authorized amount of Designated Preferred Stock necessary to satisfy preemptive or similar rights granted by the Issuer to other persons prior to the Signing Date, or the creation and issuance, or an increase in the authorized or issued amount, whether pursuant to preemptive or similar rights or otherwise, of any other series of Preferred Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any other series of Preferred Stock, ranking equally with and/or junior to Designated Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer will not be deemed to adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers, and shall not require the affirmative vote or consent of, the holders of outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock.

(e)

Changes after Provision for Redemption .  No vote or consent of the holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be required pursuant to Section 7(d) above if, at or prior to the time when any such vote or consent would otherwise be required pursuant to such Section, all outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed, or shall have been called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been deposited in trust for such redemption, in each case pursuant to Section 5 above.

(f)

Procedures for Voting and Consents .  The rules and procedures for calling and conducting any meeting of the holders of Designated Preferred Stock (including, without limitation, the fixing of a record date in connection therewith), the solicitation and use of proxies at such a meeting, the obtaining of written consents and any other aspect or matter with regard to such a meeting or such consents shall be governed by any rules of the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may adopt from time to time, which rules and procedures shall conform to the requirements of the Charter, the Bylaws, and applicable law and the rules of any national securities exchange or other trading facility on which Designated Preferred Stock is listed or traded at the time.  


Section 8.  Restriction on Redemptions and Repurchases .

(a)

Subject to Sections 8(b) and (c), so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, the Issuer may repurchase or redeem any shares of Capital Stock (as defined below), in each case only if (i) after giving effect to such dividend, repurchase or redemption, the Issuer’s Tier 1 capital would be at least equal to the Tier 1 Dividend Threshold and (ii) dividends on all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock for the most recently completed Dividend Period have been or are contemporaneously declared and paid (or have been declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside for the benefit of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock on the applicable record date).

(b)

If a dividend is not declared and paid on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period, then from the last day of such Dividend Period until the last day of the third (3rd) Dividend Period immediately following it, neither the Issuer nor any Issuer Subsidiary shall, redeem, purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock, Junior Stock, Parity Stock or other capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of the Issuer or any Issuer Subsidiary, or any trust preferred securities issued by the Issuer or any Affiliate of the Issuer (“Capital Stock”), (other than (i) redemptions, purchases, repurchases or other acquisitions of the Designated Preferred Stock and (ii) repurchases of Junior Stock or Common Stock in connection with the administration of any employee benefit plan in the ordinary course of business (including purchases to offset any Share Dilution Amount pursuant to a publicly announced repurchase plan) and consistent with past practice; provided  that any purchases to offset the Share Dilution Amount shall in no event exceed the Share Dilution Amount, (iii) the acquisition by the Issuer or any of the Issuer Subsidiaries of record ownership in Junior Stock or Parity Stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than the Issuer or any other Issuer Subsidiary), including as trustees or custodians, (iv) the exchange or conversion of Junior Stock for or into other Junior Stock or of Parity Stock or trust preferred securities for or into other Parity Stock (with the same or lesser aggregate liquidation amount) or Junior Stock, in each case set forth in this clause (iv), solely to the extent required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to the Signing Date or any subsequent agreement for the accelerated exercise, settlement or exchange thereof for Common Stock, (v) redemptions of securities held by the Issuer or any wholly-owned Issuer Subsidiary or (vi) redemptions, purchases or other acquisitions of capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of any Issuer Subsidiary required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to (x) if Treasury held Previously Acquired Preferred Shares immediately prior to the Original Issue Date, the original issue date of such Previously Acquired Preferred Shares, or (y) otherwise, the Signing Date).

(c)

If the Issuer is not Publicly-Traded, then after the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Signing Date, so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, no Common Stock, Junior Stock or Parity Stock shall be, directly or indirectly,  purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries.

Section 9.  No Preemptive Rights .  No share of Designated Preferred Stock shall have any rights of preemption whatsoever as to any securities of the Issuer, or any warrants, rights or options issued or granted with respect thereto, regardless of how such securities, or such warrants, rights or options, may be designated, issued or granted.

Section 10.  References to Line Items of Supplemental Reports .  If Treasury modifies the form of Supplemental Report, pursuant to its rights under the Definitive Agreement,  and any such modification includes a change to the caption or number of any line item on the Supplemental Report, then any reference herein to such line item shall thereafter be a reference to such re-captioned or re-numbered line item.

Section 11.  Record Holders .  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Issuer and the transfer agent for Designated Preferred Stock may deem and treat the record holder of any share of Designated Preferred Stock as the true and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Issuer nor such transfer agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Section 12.  Notices .  All notices or communications in respect of Designated Preferred Stock shall be sufficiently given if given in writing and delivered in person or by first class mail, postage prepaid, or if given in such other manner as may be permitted in this Certificate of Designation, in the Charter or Bylaws or by applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Designated Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any similar facility, such notices may be given to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock in any manner permitted by such facility.

Section 13.  Replacement Certificates .  The Issuer shall replace any mutilated certificate at the holder’s expense upon surrender of that certificate to the Issuer. The Issuer shall replace certificates that become destroyed, stolen or lost at the holder’s expense upon delivery to the Issuer of reasonably satisfactory evidence that the certificate has been destroyed, stolen or lost, together with any indemnity that may be reasonably required by the Issuer.

Section 14.  Other Rights .  The shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers or relative, participating, optional or other special rights, or qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, other than as set forth herein or in the Charter or as provided by applicable law.



Exhibit 5.1



September 16, 2011



Board of Directors

AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

Main & Franklin Streets
P.O. Box 430
Johnstown, Pennsylvania  15907-0430

Re:

Registration Statement on Form S-8 of AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to AmeriServ Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”), relating to the registration of 800,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), that may be issued to participants in the AmeriServ Financial, Inc. 2011 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

In our capacity as counsel to the Company, we have reviewed:

(1)

the articles of incorporation of the Company;

(2)

the bylaws of the Company;

(3)

resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the Company relating to the Registration Statement;

(4)

the Registration Statement;

(5)

the Plan; and

(6)

a copy of a form of Common Stock certificate.

In rendering this opinion letter, we have relied as to matters of material fact upon the representations of members of the Company’s management; however, we have no reason to believe that any such representations are incorrect or incomplete.  We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such copies.  In connection with this letter, we have concerned ourselves solely with the application of the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the laws of the United States, and no opinion is expressed herein concerning the possible effects of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

Based upon such review of the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Common Stock covered by the Registration Statement has been duly authorized and, when issued and sold pursuant to the terms described in the Plan, will be fully paid and non-assessable.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.


Very truly yours,


STEVENS & LEE


/s/ Stevens & Lee




Exhibit 15.1





September 16, 2011




AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

216 Franklin Street

PO Box 520

Johnstown, Pennsylvania  15907-0520


We have reviewed, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the unaudited interim financial information of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. for periods ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, and June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, as indicated in our reports dated May 6, 2011, and August 12, 2011.  Because we did not perform an audit, we expressed no opinion on that information.


We are aware that our reports referred to above, which were included in your Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2011, and June 30, 2011, are being used in this Registration Statement.

 

We are also aware that the aforementioned report, pursuant to Rule 436(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, is not considered a part of the Registration Statement prepared or certified by an accountant or a report prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of that Act.


Sincerely,


/s/ SR Snodgrass, A.C.




Exhibit 23.1









CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM




We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. of our report dated March 7, 2011, relating to our audit of the consolidated financial statements, included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2010.



/s/ SR Snodgrass, A.C.



Wexford, Pennsylvania

September 16, 2011