Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8

Exhibit 10.1

Western new england bancorp, inc.
2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

Table of Contents

Page

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.
2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) sets forth herein the terms of its 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as follows:

The Plan is intended to (a) provide eligible individuals with an incentive to contribute to the success of the Company and to operate and manage the Company’s business in a manner that will provide for the Company’s long-term growth and profitability and that will benefit its stockholders and other important stakeholders, including its employees and customers, and (b) provide a means of recruiting, rewarding, and retaining key personnel. To this end, the Plan provides for the grant of awards of stock options, restricted stock, stock units, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent rights, other equity-based awards, and cash bonus awards. Any of these awards may, but need not, be made as performance incentives to reward the holders of such awards for the achievement of performance conditions in accordance with the terms of the Plan. Stock options granted under the Plan may be non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options, as provided herein.

For purposes of interpreting the Plan documents, including the Plan and Award Agreements, the following capitalized terms shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

2.1              “Affiliate” means any company or other entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Securities Act, including any Subsidiary. For purposes of grants of Options, an entity may not be considered an Affiliate unless the Company holds a “Controlling Interest” in such entity. “Controlling Interest” shall have the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i); provided that (a) except as specified in clause (b) below, an interest of “at least 50 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i) and (b) where a grant of Options is based upon a legitimate business criterion, an interest of “at least 20 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulations Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i).

2.2              “Applicable Laws” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under (a) applicable provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any rules or regulations thereunder, and any other laws, rules, regulations and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to the Company or its Affiliates, (b) applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax and other laws, rules, regulations and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents thereof and (c) the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

2.3              “Award” means a grant under the Plan of an Option, Restricted Stock, a Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, a Dividend Equivalent Right, an Other Equity-Based Award, or cash.

2.4          “Award Agreement” means the written agreement, in such paper, electronic or other form as determined by the Committee, between the Company and a Grantee that evidences and sets forth the terms and conditions of an Award.

2.5          “Award Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16.3(a)(ii).

2.6          “Bank” means Westfield Bank and its successors.

2.7          “Benefit Arrangement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 14.

2.8          “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.9          “Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company, the Bank or an Affiliate, and in the absence of any such agreement, shall mean, with respect to any Grantee and as determined by the Committee, such Grantee’s (a) personal dishonesty, (b) incompetence, (c) willful misconduct, (d) breach of fiduciary duties involving personal profit, (e) intentional failure to perform stated duties, or (f) willful violation of any law, rule, or regulation (other than traffic violations or similar offenses) or final cease-and-desist order. Any determination by the Committee whether an event constituting Cause shall have occurred shall be final, binding, and conclusive.

2.10        “Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations, or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding on the Effective Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all shares of Stock.

2.11        “Change in Control” means, subject to Section 17.10, the occurrence of any of the following:

provided, however, that such individual’s election or nomination did not result from an actual or threatened election contest or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents other than by or on behalf of the Board of the Company; or

In no event, however, shall a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred as a result of any acquisition of securities or assets of the Company, the Bank, or any Subsidiary of either of them, by the Company, the Bank, or any Subsidiary of either of them, or by any employee benefit plan maintained by any of them.

The Board shall have full and final authority, in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control, and any incidental matters relating thereto.

2.12          “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto. References in the Plan to any Code section shall be deemed to include, as applicable, regulations and guidance promulgated under such Code section.

2.13          “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (as the name of such body may be changed from time to time); provided that, if no such Compensation Committee exists, “Committee” means a committee of, and designated from time to time by resolution of, the Board, or, if no such committee has been so designated, the Board.

2.14          “Company” means Western New England Bancorp, Inc. and its successors.

2.15          “Disability” means, as determined by the Committee and unless otherwise provided in an applicable agreement with the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, the inability of a Grantee to perform each of the essential duties of such Grantee’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; provided, that, with respect to rules regarding the expiration of an Incentive Stock Option following termination of a Grantee’s Service, Disability shall mean the inability of such Grantee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.

2.16          “Disqualified Individual” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 280G(c).

2.17          “Dividend Equivalent Right” means a right, granted to a Grantee pursuant to Section 12.1, entitling the Grantee thereof to receive, or to receive credits for the future payment of, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividend payments or distributions, or other periodic payments, declared or paid with respect to a number of shares of Stock specified in such Dividend Equivalent Right (or other Award to which such Dividend Equivalent Right relates) as if such shares of Stock had been issued to and held by the Grantee of such Dividend Equivalent Right as of the record date.

2.18          “Effective Date” means May 11, 2021, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders on such date, the Plan having been approved by the Board on November 24, 2020.

2.19        “Employee” means, as of any date of determination, an employee (including an officer) of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate; provided, that for purposes of determining eligibility to receive Incentive Stock Options, an Employee shall mean an employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code. Mere service as a Director or payment of a director’s fee by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company or an Affiliate.

2.20        “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto.

2.21        “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of a share of Stock for purposes of the Plan, which shall be determined as of any date as follows:

Notwithstanding this Section 2.21 or Section 17.3, for purposes of determining taxable income and the amount of the related tax withholding obligation pursuant to Section 17.3, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Committee in good faith using any reasonable method as it deems appropriate, to be applied consistently with respect to Grantees; provided, further, that the Committee shall determine the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock due in connection with sales, by or on behalf of a Grantee, of such shares of Stock subject to an Award to pay the Option Price and/or any tax withholding obligation on the same date on which such shares may first be sold pursuant to the terms of the applicable Award Agreement in any manner consistent with the applicable provisions of the Code, including but not limited to using the sale price of such shares on such date (or if sales of such shares are effectuated at more than one sale price, the weighted average sale price of such shares on such date) as the Fair Market Value of such shares, so long as such Grantee has provided the Company, or its designee or agent, with advance written notice of such sale.

2.22          “Family Member” means, with respect to any Grantee as of any date of determination, (a) a person who is a spouse, former spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of such Grantee, (b) any person sharing such Grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), (c) a trust in which any one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and/or such Grantee) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interest, (d) a foundation in which any one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and/or such Grantee) control the management of assets, and (e) any other entity in which one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and/or such Grantee) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests.

2.23          “Fully Diluted Basis” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of (x) the number of shares of Voting Stock outstanding as of such date of determination plus (y) the number of shares of Voting Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion, or exchange of all then-outstanding warrants, options, convertible Capital Stock or indebtedness, exchangeable Capital Stock or indebtedness, or other rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into, directly or indirectly, shares of Voting Stock, whether at the time of issue or upon the passage of time or upon the occurrence of some future event, and whether or not in the money as of such date of determination.

2.24          “Grant Date” means, as determined by the Committee, the latest to occur of (a) the date as of which the Committee adopts a resolution, or takes other appropriate action, expressly approving the Award and expressly granting an Award to an Employee that specifies the key terms and conditions of the Award, (b) the date on which the recipient of an Award first becomes eligible to receive an Award under Section 6 hereof, or (c) such subsequent date specified by the Committee in the corporate action or resolution approving the Award.

2.25          “Grantee” means a person who receives or holds an Award under the Plan.

2.26          “Incentive Stock Option” means an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Code Section 422.

2.27          “Non-Employee Director” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

2.28          “Non-qualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

2.29          “Officer” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act.

2.30          “Option” means an option to purchase one or more shares of Stock at a specified Option Price awarded to a Grantee pursuant to the Plan.

2.31          “Option Price” means the per share exercise price for shares of Stock subject to an Option.

2.32          “Other Agreement” means any agreement, contract or understanding heretofore or hereafter entered into by a Grantee with the Company, the Bank or an Affiliate, except an agreement, contract or understanding that expressly addresses Code Section 280G and/or Code Section 4999.

2.33          “Other Equity-Based Award” means an Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock, other than an Option, Restricted Stock, a Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, or a Dividend Equivalent Right.

2.34          “Outside Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

2.35          “Parachute Payment” means a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G(b)(2).

2.36          “Performance-Based Award” means an Award made subject to the achievement of performance conditions over a Performance Period specified by the Committee.

2.37          “Performance Period” means the period of time, up to ten (10) years, during or over which the performance goals under Performance-Based Awards must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to any such Performance-Based Awards.

2.38          “Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, an association, a trust, or any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

2.39          “Plan” means the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

2.40          “Prior Plans” means the Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan, the Company’s 2007 Recognition and Retention Plan, and the Company’s 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

2.41          “Restricted Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.2.

2.42          “Restricted Stock” means shares of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 10.

2.43          “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto.

2.44          “Securities Market” means any established securities market.

2.45          “Separation from Service” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 409A.

2.46          “Service” means service qualifying a Grantee as a Service Provider to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee’s change in position or duties shall not result in interrupted or terminated Service, so long as such Grantee continues to be a Service Provider to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate. Subject to the preceding sentence, any determination by the Committee whether a termination of Service shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be final, binding, and conclusive. If a Service Provider’s employment or other service relationship is with an Affiliate and the applicable entity ceases to be an Affiliate, a termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred when such entity ceases to be an Affiliate unless the Service Provider transfers his or her employment or other service relationship to the Company or any other Affiliate.

2.47          “Service Provider” means an Employee, officer, or director of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, or a consultant or adviser to the Company, the Bank or an Affiliate (i) who is a natural person, (ii) who provides bona fide services to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, and (iii) whose services are not in connection with the Company’s offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s Capital Stock.

2.48          “Service Recipient Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 409A.

2.49          “Short-Term Deferral Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 409A.

2.50          “Stock” means the common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company, or any security which shares of Stock may be changed into or for which shares of Stock may be exchanged as provided in Section 16.1.

2.51          “Stock Exchange” means the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) or another established national or regional stock exchange.

2.52          “Stock Unit” means a bookkeeping entry representing the equivalent of one (1) share of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 9 that (a) is not subject to vesting or (b) is subject to time-based vesting, but not to performance-based vesting. A Stock Unit may also be referred to as a restricted stock unit.

2.53          “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) or non-corporate entity with respect to which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock, membership interests, or other ownership interests of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the directors, managers, or other voting members of the governing body of such corporation or non-corporate entity; provided, however, for purposes of Incentive Stock Options, Subsidiary means any “subsidiary corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Code Section 424(f). In addition, any other entity may be designated by the Committee as a Subsidiary; provided, that (a) such entity could be considered as a subsidiary according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and (b) in the case of an Award of Options, such Award would be considered to be granted in respect of Service Recipient Stock under Code Section 409A.

2.54        “Substitute Award” means an Award granted under the Plan in substitution for outstanding awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of a business entity acquired or to be acquired by the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate or with which the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate has combined or will combine.

2.55        “Ten Percent Stockholder” means a natural person who owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of outstanding voting securities of the Company, the Company’s parent (if any), or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries. In determining stock ownership, the attribution rules of Code Section 424(d) shall be applied.

2.56        “Unrestricted Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.1.

2.57        “Voting Stock” means, with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors, managers, or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.

3.1.1        Powers and Authorities.

The Committee shall administer the Plan and shall have such powers and authorities related to the administration of the Plan as are consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall have full power and authority to take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement, and shall have full power and authority to take all such other actions and make all such other determinations not inconsistent with the specific terms and provisions of the Plan which the Committee deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration of the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. All such actions and determinations shall be made by (a) the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present or (b) the unanimous consent of the members of the Committee executed in writing or evidenced by electronic transmission in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Unless otherwise expressly determined by the Board, the Committee shall have the authority to interpret and construe all provisions of the Plan, any Award, and any Award Agreement, and any such interpretation or construction, and any other determination contemplated to be made under the Plan or any Award Agreement, by the Committee shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all Persons whether or not expressly provided for in any provision of the Plan, such Award, or such Award Agreement.

In the event that the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement provides for any action to be taken by the Board or any determination to be made by the Board, such action may be taken or such determination may be made by the Committee constituted in accordance with this Section 3.1 if the Board has delegated the power and authority to do so to such Committee.

3.1.2        Composition of the Committee.

The Committee shall be a committee composed of not fewer than two (2) directors of the Company designated by the Board to administer the Plan. Each member of the Committee shall be a (a) Non-Employee Director and (b) an independent director in accordance with the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded; provided that any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 3.1.2 or otherwise provided in any charter of the Committee.

3.1.3        Other Committees.

The Board also may appoint one or more committees of the Board, each composed of one (1) or more directors of the Company who need not be Outside Directors, which (a) may administer the Plan with respect to Grantees who are not Officers or directors of the Company, (b) may grant Awards under the Plan to such Grantees, and (c) may determine all terms of such Awards, in each case, subject, if applicable, to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

3.1.4        Delegation by the Committee.

To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Committee may, by resolution, delegate some or all of its authority with respect to the Plan and Awards to an officer of the Company designated by the Committee, provided that the Committee may not delegate its authority hereunder (a) to make Awards to directors of the Company, (b) to make Awards to Employees who are (i) Officers or (ii) officers of the Company who are delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to this Section 3.1.4, or (c) to interpret the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. Any delegation hereunder will be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or thereafter. Nothing in the Plan will be construed as obligating the Committee to delegate authority to any officer of the Company, and the Committee may at any time rescind the authority delegated to an officer of the Company appointed hereunder and delegate authority to one or more other officers of the Company. At all times, an officer of the Company delegated authority pursuant to this Section 3.1.4 will serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee. Any action undertaken by any such officer of the Company in accordance with the Committee’s delegation of authority will have the same force and effect as if undertaken directly by the Committee, and any reference in the Plan to the “Committee” will, to the extent consistent with the terms and limitations of such delegation, be deemed to include a reference to each such officer.

The Board, from time to time, may exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the Plan, as set forth in Section 3.1 and other applicable provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine, consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws.

Subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full and final authority to:

If any time within one (1) year after the date on which a Grantee exercises an Option, or receives payment of a Performance-Based Award, or on which Restricted Stock or Stock Units vest, or on which income is realized by a Grantee in connection with any other Award (each of which events shall be a “realization event”), the Board determines in its discretion that the Company has been materially harmed by the Grantee, whether such harm (a) results in the Grantee’s termination or deemed termination of employment for Cause or (b) results from any activity of the Grantee determined by the Board to be in competition with any activity of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, or otherwise prejudicial, contrary, or harmful to the interests of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate (including, but not limited to, accepting employment with or serving as a consultant, adviser, or in any other capacity to an entity that is in competition with or acting against the interests of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate), then any gain realized by the Grantee from the realization event shall be paid by the Grantee to the Company upon notice from the Company. Such gain shall be determined as of the date of the realization event, without regard to any subsequent change in the Fair Market Value of the Stock. The Company shall have the right to offset such gain against any amounts otherwise owed to the Grantee by the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate (whether as wages, vacation pay, or pursuant to any benefit plan or other compensatory arrangement).

In addition, the Committee may reserve the right in an Award Agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a Grantee with respect to an Award thereunder on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, such Grantee in violation or breach of, or in conflict with, any (a) employment agreement, (b) non-competition agreement, (c) agreement prohibiting solicitation of Employees or clients of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, (d) confidentiality obligation with respect to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, (e) Company or Bank policy or procedure, (f) other agreement, or (g) any other obligation of such Grantee to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, as and to the extent specified in such Award Agreement. The Committee may annul an outstanding Award as of the date of the Grantee’s termination of Service for Cause if the Grantee thereof is an Employee of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate and is terminated for Cause.

Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Plan, the Company may cancel any Award granted pursuant to the Plan, require reimbursement of any Award by a Grantee, and effect any other right of recoupment of equity or other compensation provided under the Plan in accordance with (a) any Company or Bank “clawback” or recoupment policy that is or may be adopted and/or modified from time to time to comply with the requirements of any Applicable Law, rule, regulation, or otherwise (“Clawback Policy”), or (b) any law, rule, or regulation which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule, or regulation. In addition, a Grantee may be required to repay to the Company previously paid compensation, whether provided pursuant to the Plan or an Award Agreement, in accordance with the Clawback Policy. By accepting an Award, the Grantee is agreeing to be bound by the Clawback Policy, as in effect or as it may be adopted and/or modified from time to time by the Company in its discretion (including, without limitation, to comply with Applicable Law).

Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other securities or other property), stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, Change in Control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of shares of Stock or other securities or similar transaction), the Company may not: (a) amend the terms of outstanding Options to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding Options; (b) cancel or assume outstanding Options in exchange for, or substitution of, Options with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Options; or (c) cancel or assume outstanding Options with an exercise price above the current Fair Market Value in exchange for cash, Awards or other securities, in each case, unless such action is subject to and approved by the Company’s stockholders.

The Committee may permit or require the deferral of any payment pursuant to any Award into a deferred compensation arrangement, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or Dividend Equivalent Rights and, in connection therewith, provisions for converting such credits into Stock Units; provided, that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options. Any such deferrals shall be made in a manner that complies with Code Section 409A, including, if applicable, with respect to when a Separation from Service occurs.

No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, neither the Company, an Affiliate, the Board, the Committee, nor any person acting on behalf of the Company, an Affiliate, the Board, or the Committee will be liable to any Grantee or to the estate or beneficiary of any Grantee or to any other holder of an Award under the Plan by reason of any acceleration of income, or any additional tax (including any interest and penalties), asserted by reason of the failure of an Award to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422 or Code Section 409A or by reason of Code Section 4999, or otherwise asserted with respect to the Award; provided, that this Section 3.6 shall not affect any of the rights or obligations set forth in an applicable agreement between the Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the ownership of the shares of Stock issued under the Plan may be evidenced in such a manner as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, including by book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or the issuance of one or more share certificates.

Subject to such additional shares of Stock as shall be available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.2, and subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 16.1, the maximum number of shares of Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be equal to seven hundred thousand (700,000) shares of Stock (the “Share Limit”). Such shares of Stock may be authorized and unissued shares of Stock or treasury shares of Stock or any combination of the foregoing, as may be determined from time to time by the Board or by the Committee. Any of the shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan may be used for any type of Award under the Plan, and any or all of the shares of Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be available for issuance pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.

In connection with mergers, reorganizations, separations, or other transactions to which Code Section 424(a) applies, the Committee shall have the right to cause the Company to assume awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of another business entity that is a party to such transaction and/or to grant substitute Awards under the Plan for such awards. Assumed awards shall not, but Substitute Awards shall, reduce the number of shares of Stock otherwise available for issuance under the Plan, subject to applicable rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date. Following the Effective Date, no awards shall be made under the Prior Plans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares of Stock reserved under the Prior Plans to settle awards, which are made under the Prior Plans prior to the Effective Date may be issued and delivered following the Effective Date to settle such awards.

5.2           Term. The Plan shall terminate on the first to occur of (a) 11:59 PM ET on the day before the tenth (10^th) anniversary of the Effective Date, (b) the date determined in accordance with Section 5.3, and (c) the date determined in accordance with Section 16.3; provided, however, that, subject to the provisions of Section 8.3 regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Incentive Stock Options may be granted under the Plan more than ten (10) years after the date of the Board’s adoption of the Plan or be exercisable more than ten (10) years after the Grant Date. No Awards may be granted after termination of the Plan, and upon such termination of the Plan, all then-outstanding Awards shall continue to have full force and effect in accordance with the provisions of the terminated Plan and the applicable Award Agreement (or other documents evidencing such Awards)

The Committee may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan; provided that, with respect to Awards theretofore granted under the Plan, no amendment, suspension, or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent of the Grantee, materially impair the rights or obligations under any such Award. The effectiveness of any amendment to the Plan shall be contingent on approval of such amendment by the Company’s stockholders to the extent provided by the Board or required by Applicable Laws; provided that no amendment shall be made to the no-repricing provisions of Section 3.4 or the Option Price provisions of Section 8.1 without the approval of the Company’s stockholders.

Subject to this Section 6, Awards may be made under the Plan to any Service Provider, as the Committee shall determine and designate from time to time.

During any time when the Company has a class of equity security registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 16.5:

Subject to Section 3.4, Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, (a) any other Award, (b) any award granted under another plan of the Company, the Bank, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, or (c) any other right of a Grantee to receive payment from the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate. Such additional, tandem, Substitute, or exchange Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, or for an award granted under another plan of the Company, the Bank, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award under such other plan in consideration for the grant of such Substitute or exchange Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash payments under other plans of the Company or an Affiliate. Notwithstanding Section 8.1, the Option Price of an Option that is a Substitute Award may be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the original Grant Date; provided, that such Option Price is determined in accordance with the principles of Code Section 424 for any Incentive Stock Option and consistent with Code Section 409A for any other Option.

Each Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be in such form or forms as the Committee shall from time to time determine. Award Agreements utilized under the Plan from time to time or at the same time need not contain similar provisions but shall be consistent with the terms of the Plan. Each Award Agreement evidencing an Award of Options shall specify whether such Options are intended to be Non-qualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options, and in the absence of such specification, such Options shall be deemed to constitute Non-qualified Stock Options. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control.

The Option Price of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement evidencing such Option. Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the Option Price of each Option shall be at least the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date; provided, that in the event that a Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, the Option Price of an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date. In no case shall the Option Price of any Option be less than the par value of a share of Stock.

Subject to Sections 8.3 and 16.3, each Option granted under the Plan shall become vested and/or exercisable at such times and under such conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing; provided, that no Option shall be granted to Grantees who are entitled to overtime under Applicable Laws that will vest or become exercisable within a six (6)-month period starting on the Grant Date.

Each Option granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder shall cease, on the day before the tenth (10^th) anniversary of the Grant Date of such Option, or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such Option; provided, that in the event that the Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder shall cease, on the day before the fifth (5^th) anniversary of the Grant Date of such Option; and provided, further, that, to the extent deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom with respect to any Option granted to a Grantee who is a Service Provider who is employed or providing services outside the United States, such Option may terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder may cease, upon the expiration of a period longer than ten (10) years from the Grant Date of such Option as the Committee shall determine.

Each Award Agreement with respect to the grant of an Option shall set forth the extent to which the Grantee thereof, if at all, shall have the right to exercise such Option following termination of such Grantee’s Service. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in no event may any Option be exercised, in whole or in part, after the occurrence of an event referred to in Section 16 which results in the termination of such Option.

Subject to the terms of Section 10 and Section 17.3, an Option that is exercisable may be exercised by the Grantee’s delivery to the Company or its designee or agent of written notice of exercise on any business day, at the Company’s principal office or the office of such designee or agent, on the form specified by the Company and in accordance with any additional procedures specified by the Committee. Such notice shall specify the number of shares of Stock with respect to which such Option is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price of the shares of Stock for which such Option is being exercised plus the amount (if any) of federal and/or other taxes which the Company may, in its judgment, be required to withhold with respect to the exercise of such Option.

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee or other person holding or exercising an Option shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock subject to such Option, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock subject to such Option, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders) until the shares of Stock subject thereto are fully paid and issued to such Grantee or other person. Except as provided in Section 16, no adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions, or other rights with respect to any shares of Stock subject to an Option for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of such shares of Stock.

Promptly after the exercise of an Option by a Grantee and the payment in full of the Option Price with respect thereto, such Grantee shall be entitled to receive such evidence of such Grantee’s ownership of the shares of Stock subject to such Option as shall be consistent with Section 3.7.

Except as provided in Section 8.10, during the lifetime of a Grantee of an Option, only such Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such Option. Except as provided in Section 8.10, no Option shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

The Committee, in its sole discretion, may provide either in an applicable Award Agreement or by the subsequent approval of the Committee that a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of an Option which is not an Incentive Stock Option to any Family Member. For the purpose of this Section 8.10, a transfer “not for value” is a transfer which is (a) a gift, (b) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights, or (c) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests are owned by Family Members (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity. Following a transfer under this Section 8.10, any such Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to such transfer, and the shares of Stock acquired pursuant to such Option shall be subject to the same restrictions with respect to transfers of such shares of Stock as would have applied to the Grantee thereof. Subsequent transfers of transferred Options shall be prohibited except to Family Members of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 8.10 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The provisions of Section 8.4 relating to termination of Service shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee of the Option, following which such Option shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent, and for the periods specified, in Section 8.4.

An Option shall constitute an Incentive Stock Option only (a) if the Grantee of such Option is an Employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, (b) to the extent specifically provided in the related Award Agreement, (c) to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time such Option is granted) of the shares of Stock with respect to which all Incentive Stock Options held by such Grantee become exercisable for the first time during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company, the Bank, and its Affiliates) does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), and (d) to the extent such Option fulfills all other requirements under Code Section 422. Except to the extent provided under Code Section 422, this limitation shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.

If any Grantee shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances provided in Code Section 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Grantee shall notify the Company of such disposition immediately but in no event later than ten (10) days thereafter.

Awards of Restricted Stock and Stock Units may be made for consideration or for no consideration, other than the par value of the shares of Stock, which shall be deemed paid by past Service or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, the promise by the Grantee to perform future Service to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate.

At the time a grant of Restricted Stock or Stock Units is made, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (a) establish a period of time (a “Restricted Period”) applicable to such Restricted Stock or Stock Units and (b) prescribe restrictions in addition to or other than the expiration of the Restricted Period, including the achievement of corporate or individual performance goals, which may be applicable to all or any portion of such Restricted Stock or Stock Units as provided in Section 12. Awards of Restricted Stock and Stock Units may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of during the Restricted Period or prior to the satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Committee with respect to such Awards.

Pursuant to Section 3.7, to the extent that ownership of Restricted Stock is evidenced by a book-entry registration or direct registration (including transaction advices), such registration shall be notated to evidence the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement. Subject to Section 3.7 and the immediately following sentence, the Company may issue, in the name of each Grantee to whom Restricted Stock has been granted, share certificates representing the total number of shares of Restricted Stock granted to the Grantee, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Grant Date of such Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock that either (a) the Secretary of the Company shall hold such share certificates for such Grantee’s benefit until such time as such shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited to the Company or the restrictions applicable thereto lapse and such Grantee shall deliver a stock power to the Company with respect to each share certificate, or (b) such share certificates shall be delivered to such Grantee; provided, that such share certificates shall bear legends that comply with applicable securities laws and regulations and make appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and such Award Agreement.

Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement and subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan, any applicable Company program, and the applicable Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock shall have the right to vote such shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of Restricted Stock that (a) any cash dividend payments or distributions paid on Restricted Stock shall be reinvested in shares of Stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as the vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying shares of Restricted Stock, or (b) any cash dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of Restricted Stock shall be made or paid currently or only be made or paid upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares of Restricted Stock. All stock dividends or distributions, if any, received by a Grantee with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, combination of stock, or other similar transaction shall be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying shares of Restricted Stock.

Holders of Stock Units shall have no rights as stockholders of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock underlying such Stock Units, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock underlying such Stock Units, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders), provided, however, that the Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of Stock Units that the holder of such Stock Units shall be entitled to receive Dividend Equivalent Rights in accordance with Section 12.

A holder of Stock Units shall have no rights other than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company. Stock Units represent unfunded and unsecured obligations of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement.

Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of such Grantee’s Service, any Restricted Stock or Stock Units held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of such Restricted Stock or Stock Units, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect thereto, including any right to vote such Restricted Stock or any right to receive dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights, as applicable, with respect to such Restricted Stock or Stock Units.

The Grantee of an Award of Restricted Stock or vested Stock Units shall be required, to the extent required by Applicable Laws, to purchase such Restricted Stock or the shares of Stock subject to such vested Stock Units from the Company at a purchase price equal to the greater of (x) the aggregate par value of the shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock or such vested Stock Units or (y) the purchase price, if any, specified in the Award Agreement relating to such Restricted Stock or such vested Stock Units. Such purchase price shall be payable in a form provided in Section 10 or, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in consideration for Service rendered or to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate.

Upon the expiration or termination of any Restricted Period and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, including, without limitation, any performance goals or delayed delivery period, the restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock or Stock Units settled in shares of Stock shall lapse, and, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or a certificate evidencing ownership of such shares of Stock shall, consistent with Section 3.7, be issued, free of all such restrictions, to the Grantee thereof or such Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be. Neither the Grantee, nor the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, shall have any further rights with regard to a Stock Unit once the shares of Stock represented by such Stock Unit have been delivered in accordance with this Section 9.8.

The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant (or sell at the par value of a share of Stock or at such other higher purchase price as shall be determined by the Committee) an Award to any Grantee pursuant to which such Grantee may receive shares of Unrestricted Stock under the Plan. Awards of Unrestricted Stock may be granted or sold to any Grantee as provided in the immediately preceding sentence in respect of Service rendered or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate or other valid consideration, in lieu of, or in addition to, any cash compensation due to such Grantee.

The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant Awards in the form of Other Equity-Based Awards, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Awards granted pursuant to this Section 10.2 may be granted with vesting, value, and/or payment contingent upon the achievement of one or more performance goals. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of Other Equity-Based Awards on the Grant Date or thereafter. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of a Grantee’s Service, any Other Equity-Based Awards held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of any Other Equity-Based Award, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect to such Other Equity-Based Award.

Payment of the Option Price for the shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock shall be made in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the Company.

To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock may be made all or in part through the tender or attestation to the Company of shares of Stock, which shall be valued, for purposes of determining the extent to which such Option Price or purchase price has been paid thereby, at their Fair Market Value on the date of such tender or attestation.

To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and to the extent the Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be made all or in part by delivery (on a form acceptable to the Committee) of an irrevocable direction to a licensed securities broker acceptable to the Company to sell shares of Stock and to deliver all or part of the proceeds of such sale to the Company in payment of such Option Price and any withholding taxes described in Section 17.3, or, with the consent of the Company, by issuing the number of shares of Stock equal in value to the difference between such Option Price and the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock subject to the portion of such Option being exercised.

To the extent the applicable Award Agreement so provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock may be made in any other form that is consistent with Applicable Laws, including (a) Service by the Grantee thereof to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate and (b) by withholding shares of Stock that would otherwise vest or be issuable in an amount equal to the Option Price or purchase price and the required tax withholding amount.

A Dividend Equivalent Right may be granted hereunder, provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options. The terms and conditions of Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be specified in the Award Agreement therefor. Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Stock or Awards, which may thereafter accrue additional Dividend Equivalent Rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation). Any such reinvestment shall be at the Fair Market Value thereof on the date of such reinvestment. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash, shares of Stock, or a combination thereof, in a single installment or in multiple installments, all as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may (a) provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award, and that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such other Award or (b) contain terms and conditions which are different from the terms and conditions of such other Award.

Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, a Grantee’s rights in all Dividend Equivalent Rights shall automatically terminate upon such Grantee’s termination of Service for any reason.

Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Performance-Based Awards in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine.

Each grant of a Performance-Based Award shall have an actual or target number of shares of Stock or initial cash value that is established by the Committee as of the Grant Date. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are achieved, shall determine the value and/or number of shares of Stock subject to a Performance-Based Award that will be paid out to the Grantee thereof.

Subject to the terms of the Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the Grantee of a Performance-Based Award shall be entitled to receive a payout of the value earned under such Performance-Based Award by such Grantee over such Performance Period. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, adjust the amount of a payment otherwise to be made in connection with a Performance-Based Award, based on the Grantee’s actual performance.

Payment of the value earned under Performance-Based Awards shall be made, as determined by the Committee, in the form, at the time, and in the manner described in the applicable Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, (a) may pay the value earned under Performance-Based Awards in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other Awards, or a combination thereof including shares of Stock and/or Awards that are subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee, and (b) shall pay value earned under Performance-Based Awards at the close of the applicable Performance Period, or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Committee has determined that the performance goal or goals relating thereto have been achieved; provided, that, unless specifically provided in the Award Agreement for such Performance-Based Awards, such payment shall occur no later than the fifteenth (15^th) day of the third (3^rd) month following the end of the calendar year in which such Performance Period ends. The applicable Award Agreement shall specify the circumstances in which Performance-Based Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of Service by the Grantee prior to the end of a Performance Period or settlement of such Performance-Based Awards.

The right of a Grantee to exercise or to receive a grant or settlement of any Performance-Based Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee may use such performance goals, business criteria, and other measures of performance, with or without adjustment, as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions.

Performance under any of the Performance Measures (a) may be used to measure the performance of (i) the Company, the Bank, Subsidiaries of the Company and the Bank, and other Affiliates as a whole, (ii) the Company, the Bank, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate, or any combination thereof, or (iii) any one or more business units of the Company, the Bank, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate and (b) may be compared to the performance of one or more other companies or one or more published or special indices designated or approved by the Committee for such comparison, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. The Committee also shall have the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Performance-Based Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to the Performance Measures specified in this Section 13. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein is intended to prevent the Committee from granting Awards subject to subjective performance conditions (including individual performance conditions).

If any Grantee is a Disqualified Individual, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or of any Other Agreement to the contrary and notwithstanding any Benefit Arrangement, any right of the Grantee to any exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit under the Plan shall be reduced or eliminated:

Except as required by Code Section 409A or to the extent that Code Section 409A permits discretion, the Committee shall have the right, in the Committee’s sole discretion, to designate those rights, payments or benefits under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements that should be reduced or eliminated so as to avoid having such rights, payments or benefits be considered a Parachute Payment; provided, however, to the extent any payment or benefit constitutes deferred compensation under Code Section 409A, in order to comply with Code Section 409A, the Company shall instead accomplish such reduction by first reducing or eliminating any cash payments, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Performance-Based Awards, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Options, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Restricted Stock or Stock Units, then by reducing or eliminating any other remaining Parachute Payments, in each case with the payments to be made furthest in the future being reduced first.

The Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue any shares of Stock under any Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option or otherwise, if the offer, sale, or issuance of such shares of Stock would constitute a violation by the Grantee, the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, or any other person, of any provision of the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or of Applicable Laws, including any federal or state securities laws or regulations. If at any time the Company shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration, or qualification of any shares of Stock subject to an Award upon any Stock Exchange or Securities Market or under any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the offering, sale, issuance, or purchase of shares of Stock in connection with any Award, no shares of Stock may be offered, sold, or issued to the Grantee or any other person under such Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option or otherwise, unless such listing, registration, or qualification shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company, and any delay caused thereby shall in no way affect the date of termination of such Award. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the exercise of any Option that may be settled in shares of Stock or the delivery of any shares of Stock underlying an Award, unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is in effect with respect to the shares of Stock subject to such Award, the Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue such shares of Stock unless the Committee shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the Grantee or any other person exercising such Option or accepting delivery of such shares may acquire such shares of Stock pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Any determination by the Committee in connection with the foregoing shall be final, binding, and conclusive. The Company may register, but shall in no event be obligated to register, any shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company shall not be obligated to take any affirmative action in order to cause the exercise of an Option or the issuance of shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan or any Award to comply with any Applicable Laws. As to any jurisdiction that expressly imposes the requirement that an Option that may be settled in shares of Stock shall not be exercisable until the shares of Stock subject to such Option are registered under the securities laws thereof or are exempt from such registration, the exercise of such Option under circumstances in which the laws of such jurisdiction apply shall be deemed conditioned upon the effectiveness of such registration or the availability of such an exemption.

During any time when the Company has any class of common equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, it is the intention of the Company that Awards pursuant to the Plan and the exercise of Options granted hereunder that would otherwise be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. To the extent that any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee does not comply with the requirements of such Rule 16b-3, such provision or action shall be deemed inoperative with respect to such Awards to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and deemed advisable by the Committee and shall not affect the validity of the Plan. In the event that such Rule 16b-3 is revised or replaced, the Committee may exercise its discretion to modify the Plan in any respect necessary or advisable in its judgment to satisfy the requirements of, or to permit the Company to avail itself of the benefits of, the revised exemption or its replacement.

If the number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares of Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number of shares or kind of Capital Stock or other securities of the Company on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of stock, exchange of stock, stock dividend, or other distribution payable in Capital Stock, or other increase or decrease in shares of Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company occurring after the Effective Date, the number and kinds of shares of Capital Stock for which grants of Options and other Awards may be made under the Plan, including the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1 and the individual share limitations set forth in Section 6.2, shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee. In addition, the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock for which Awards are outstanding shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee so that the proportionate interest of the Grantee therein immediately following such event shall, to the extent practicable, be the same as immediately before such event. Any such adjustment in outstanding Options shall not change the aggregate Option Price payable with respect to shares that are subject to the unexercised portion of such outstanding Options but shall include a corresponding proportionate adjustment in the per share Option Price. The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as an increase in shares effected without receipt of consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of any distribution to the Company’s stockholders of securities of any other entity or other assets (including an extraordinary dividend, but excluding a non-extraordinary dividend, declared and paid by the Company) without receipt of consideration by the Company, the Board, or the Committee constituted pursuant to Section 3.1.2 shall, in such manner as the Board or the Committee deems appropriate, adjust (a) the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock subject to outstanding Awards and/or (b) the aggregate and per share Option Price of outstanding Options as required to reflect such distribution.

Subject to Section 16.3, if the Company shall be the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company with one or more other entities which does not constitute a Change in Control, any Award theretofore granted pursuant to the Plan shall pertain to and apply to the Capital Stock to which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Award would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the per share Option Price so that the aggregate Option Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Option Price of the shares of Stock remaining subject to the Option as in effect immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. Subject to any contrary language in an Award Agreement or in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, any restrictions applicable to such Award shall apply, as well to any replacement shares of Capital Stock subject to such Award, or received by the Grantee as a result of such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. In the event of any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company referred to in this Section 16.2, Performance-Based Awards shall be adjusted, including any adjustment to the performance conditions applicable to such Awards deemed appropriate by the Committee, and including any adjustment so as to apply to the Capital Stock that a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance-Based Awards would have been entitled to receive immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation.

Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, or Other Equity-Based Awards are not being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent not assumed or continued:

With respect to the Company’s establishment of an exercise window, (A) any exercise of an Option during the fifteen (15)-day period referred to above shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the applicable Change in Control and shall be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and (B) upon consummation of any Change in Control, the Plan and all outstanding but unexercised Options shall terminate. The Committee shall send notice of an event that shall result in such a termination to all natural persons and entities who hold Options not later than the time at which the Company gives notice thereof to its stockholders.

Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, or Other Equity-Based Awards are being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent assumed or continued:

The Plan and the Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any Change in Control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such Change in Control for the assumption or continuation of such Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards, or for the substitution for such Options, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards of new common stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, common stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based awards relating to the stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number of shares (disregarding any consideration that is not common stock) and option and stock appreciation rights exercise prices.

In the event a Grantee’s Award is assumed, continued, or substituted upon the consummation of any Change in Control and the Grantee’s employment is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate without Cause within one (1) year following the consummation of such Change in Control, the Grantee’s Award shall become fully vested as of such termination and may be exercised in full, to the extent applicable, beginning on the date of such termination and for the one (1)-year period immediately following such termination or for such longer period as the Committee shall determine (but in no event later than the original expiration date of the Award).

Adjustments under this Section 16 related to shares of Capital Stock or other securities of the Company shall be made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding, and conclusive. No fractional shares or other securities shall be issued pursuant to any such adjustment, and any fractions resulting from any such adjustment shall be eliminated in each case by rounding downward to the nearest whole share. The Committee may provide in the applicable Award Agreement as of the Grant Date, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing at any time thereafter with the consent of the Grantee, for different provisions to apply to an Award in place of those provided in Sections 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 16.4. This Section 16 shall not limit the Committee’s ability to provide for alternative treatment of Awards outstanding under the Plan in the event of a change in control event involving the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate that is not a Change in Control.

The making of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets (including all or any part of the business or assets of any Subsidiary or other Affiliate) or engage in any other transaction or activity.

No provision in the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement shall be construed to (a) confer upon any individual the right to remain in the Service of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, (b) interfere in any way with any contractual or other right or authority of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate either to increase or decrease the compensation or other payments to any Person at any time, or (c) terminate any Service or other relationship between any Person and the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate. In addition, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing, no Award granted under the Plan shall be affected by any change of duties or position of the Grantee thereof, so long as such Grantee continues to provide Service. The obligation of the Company to pay any benefits pursuant to the Plan shall be interpreted as a contractual obligation to pay only those amounts provided herein, in the manner and under the conditions prescribed herein. The Plan and Awards shall in no way be interpreted to require the Company to transfer any amounts to a third-party trustee or otherwise hold any amounts in trust or escrow for payment to any Grantee or beneficiary under the terms of the Plan.

Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations upon the right and authority of the Board or the Committee to adopt such other incentive compensation arrangements (which arrangements may be applicable either generally to a class or classes of individuals or specifically to a particular individual or particular individuals) as the Board or the Committee in their discretion determine desirable.

The Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, as the case may be, shall have the right to deduct from payments of any kind otherwise due to a Grantee any federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by Applicable Law to be withheld with respect to the vesting of or other lapse of restrictions applicable to an Award or upon the issuance of any shares of Stock upon the exercise of an Option or pursuant to any other Award. At the time of such vesting, lapse, or exercise, the Grantee shall pay in cash to the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, as the case may be, any amount that the Company, the Bank, or such Affiliate may reasonably determine to be necessary to satisfy such withholding obligation; provided, that if there is a same-day sale of shares of Stock subject to an Award, the Grantee shall pay such withholding obligation on the day on which such same-day sale is completed. Subject to the prior approval of the Company, the Bank, or an Affiliate, which may be withheld by the Company, the Bank, or such Affiliate, as the case may be, in its sole discretion, the Grantee may elect to satisfy such withholding obligation, in whole or in part, (a) by causing the Company, the Bank, or such Affiliate to withhold shares of Stock otherwise issuable to the Grantee or (b) by delivering to the Company, the Bank, or such Affiliate shares of Stock already owned by the Grantee. The shares of Stock so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to such withholding obligation. The Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock used to satisfy such withholding obligation shall be determined by the Company, the Bank, or such Affiliate as of the date on which the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. A Grantee who has made an election pursuant to this Section 17.3 may satisfy such Grantee’s withholding obligation only with shares of Stock that are not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting, or other similar requirements.

The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be withheld from any Award to satisfy any federal, state, or local tax withholding requirements upon the exercise, vesting, or lapse of restrictions applicable to any Award or payment of shares of Stock pursuant to such Award, as applicable, may not exceed such number of shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount required by the Company, the Bank, or the applicable Affiliate to be withheld and paid to any such federal, state, or local taxing authority with respect to such exercise, vesting, lapse of restrictions, or payment of shares of Stock; provided, however, for so long as Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 or a similar rule remains in effect, the Board or the Committee has full discretion to choose, or to allow a Grantee to elect, to withhold a number of shares of Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value that is greater than the applicable minimum required statutory withholding obligation (but such withholding may in no event be in excess of the maximum required statutory withholding amount(s) in such Grantee’s relevant tax jurisdictions).

The use of captions in the Plan or any Award Agreement is for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision of the Plan or such Award Agreement.

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in the Plan to “including” shall mean “including without limitation.”

Each Award granted under the Plan may contain such other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.

With respect to words used in the Plan, the singular form shall include the plural form, and the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, as the context requires.

If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other jurisdiction.

The validity and construction of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts other than any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards granted hereunder to the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.

The Plan is intended to comply with Code Section 409A to the extent subject thereto, and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Plan will be interpreted and administered to be in compliance with Code Section 409A. Any payments described in the Plan that are due within the Short-Term Deferral Period will not be treated as deferred compensation unless Applicable Laws require otherwise. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and tax penalties under Code Section 409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to the Plan during the six (6)-month period immediately following the Grantee’s Separation from Service will instead be paid on the first payroll date after the six (6)-month anniversary of the Grantee’s separation from service (or the Grantee’s death, if earlier).

Furthermore, notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, in the case of an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A, and pursuant to which settlement and delivery of the cash or shares of Stock subject to the Award is triggered based on a Change in Control, in no event will a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred for purposes of such settlement and delivery of cash or Stock if the transaction is not also a “change in the ownership or effective control of” the Company or “a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of” the Company as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). If an Award characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A is not settled and delivered on account of the provision of the preceding sentence, the settlement and delivery will occur on the next succeeding settlement and delivery triggering event that is a permissible triggering event under Code Section 409A. No provision of this paragraph will in any way affect the determination of a Change in Control for purposes of vesting in an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company, the Bank, any Affiliate nor the Committee will have any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any excise tax or penalty on any Grantee under Code Section 409A and neither the Company, the Bank, any Affiliate nor the Committee will have any liability to any Grantee for such tax or penalty.

*    *    *

To record adoption of the Plan by the Board as of November 24, 2020, and approval of the Plan by the stockholders on May 11, 2021, the Company has caused its authorized officer to execute the Plan. 

Signature Page to
Western New England Bancorp, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8

Exhibit 10.2 

Option No.: _______

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

Incentive Stock OPTION AGREEMENT
COVER SHEET

Western New England Bancorp, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants an option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Stock”), to the Optionee named below, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this cover sheet, in the attached Incentive Stock Option Agreement (together with the cover sheet, the “Agreement”), and in the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”). 

By your signature below, you agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the Agreement and in the Plan. You acknowledge that you have carefully reviewed the Plan and agree that the Plan will control in the event any provision of this Agreement should appear to be inconsistent with the Plan.

Attachment

This is not a share certificate or a negotiable instrument.

By signing this Agreement, you agree to all of the terms and conditions
described above and in the Plan.

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8

Exhibit 10.3

Option No.: _______

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
COVER SHEET

Western New England Bancorp, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants an option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Stock”), to the Optionee named below, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this cover sheet, in the attached Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (together with the cover sheet, the “Agreement”), and in the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”). 

By your signature below, you agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the Agreement and in the Plan. You acknowledge that you have carefully reviewed the Plan and agree that the Plan will control in the event any provision of this Agreement should appear to be inconsistent with the Plan.

Attachment

This is not a share certificate or a negotiable instrument.

By signing this Agreement, you agree to all of the terms and conditions
described above and in the Plan.

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8 

Exhibit 10.4 

Grant No.: _______

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

Director Incentive Award AGREEMENT
COVER SHEET

Western New England Bancorp, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants restricted shares (the “Restricted Stock”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Stock”), to the Grantee named below, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this cover sheet, in the attached Director Incentive Award Agreement (together with the cover sheet, the “Agreement”), and in the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”). 

By your signature below, you agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the Agreement and in the Plan. You acknowledge that you have carefully reviewed the Plan and agree that the Plan will control in the event any provision of this Agreement should appear to be inconsistent with the Plan.

Attachment

This is not a share certificate or a negotiable instrument.

By signing this Agreement, you agree to all of the terms and conditions 

described above and in the Plan.

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8

Exhibit 10.5

Grant No.: _______

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT
COVER SHEET

Western New England Bancorp, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants restricted shares (the “Restricted Stock”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Stock”), to the Grantee named below, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this cover sheet, in the attached Restricted Stock Agreement (together with the cover sheet, the “Agreement”), and in the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”). 

By your signature below, you agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the Agreement and in the Plan. You acknowledge that you have carefully reviewed the Plan and agree that the Plan will control in the event any provision of this Agreement should appear to be inconsistent with the Plan.

Attachment

This is not a share certificate or a negotiable instrument.

By signing this Agreement, you agree to all of the terms and conditions 

described above and in the Plan.

Western New England Bancorp, Inc. S-8

Exhibit 10.6 

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BANCORP, INC.

2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

Long-Term Incentive and Retention Equity Award Agreement
Cover Sheet

Western New England Bancorp, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Stock”), to the Grantee named below, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this cover sheet, in the attached Long-Term Incentive and Retention Equity Award Agreement (together with the cover sheet, the “Agreement”), and in the Company’s 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Plan”). 

By your signature below, you agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the Agreement and in the Plan. You acknowledge that you have carefully reviewed the Plan and agree that the Plan will control in the event any provision of this Agreement should appear to be inconsistent with the Plan.

Attachment

This is not a share certificate or a negotiable instrument.

By signing this Agreement, you agree to all of the terms and
conditions described in this Agreement and in the Plan.

Exhibit A

Long-Term Incentive and Retention Equity Award Agreement

Number and Vesting of Retention SHARES

The Retention Shares are subject to the Time-Based Vesting Requirements set forth below.

Time-Based Vesting Requirements:

Except as otherwise described in the Agreement, subject to your continued Service through each applicable Retention Vesting Date, your Retention Shares will vest as follows:

The resulting aggregate number of vested Retention Shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole number as to each Retention Vesting Date, and you cannot vest in more than the number of Retention Shares set forth on the cover sheet.

Exhibit B

LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AND RETENTION EQUITY AWARD AGREEMENT

Number and Vesting of Performance SHARES

The Performance Shares are subject to both the Performance-Based Vesting Requirements and Time-Based Vesting Requirements set forth below.

Performance-Based Vesting Requirements:

The Committee will determine the number of Performance Shares in which you will vest based on the Company’s achievement of Return on Equity (“ROE”) goals during the Performance Period set forth on the cover sheet. The Company’s ROE will be measured over [three] periods within the Performance Period, as follows:

Following the end of each of [Period 1, Period 2, and Period 3], but no later than March 15^th of the calendar year following the end of such period, the Committee will determine and certify the ROE for the Company based on data available to the public. Then, the Committee will multiply the ROE Performance Factor that corresponds to the level of ROE the Company has achieved, as determined under the table below, by [one-third] of the Target Number of Performance Shares (as set forth on the cover sheet), to determine the number of Performance Shares that will be earned for each of [Period 1, Period 2, and Period 3].

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement or this Exhibit B, no (0%) Performance Shares will be earned for a period if Threshold ROE is not attained. If the ROE for the any period falls between threshold and target performance levels, or between target and maximum performance levels, the ROE Performance Factor will be interpolated on a linear slope.

Following the end of the Performance Period, but no later than March 15^th of the calendar year following the end of the Performance Period, you will vest in the number of Performance Shares equal to the sum of the number of Performance Shares earned in each of [Period 1, Period 2, and Period 3]. In no event may you vest in a number of Performance Shares greater than [150%] of the Target Number of Performance Shares.

Time-Based Vesting Requirements:

In order to vest in the Performance Shares that you earn in accordance with this Exhibit B, you must remain in Service with the Company or an Affiliate through the end of the Performance Period.