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EXHIBIT 4.5




CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT




BY AND BETWEEN




BRIDGE BANCORP, INC.




AND




WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY




DATED AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2009




 









 





TABLE OF CONTENTS




	 	 	 	 	 
	ARTICLE I — DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
	 	 	1	 
	Section 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation
	 	 	1	 
	ARTICLE II — TRUST INDENTURE ACT
	 	 	4	 
	Section 2.1 [Reserved]
	 	 	4	 
	Section 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities
	 	 	4	 
	Section 2.3 [Reserved]
	 	 	5	 
	Section 2.4 [Reserved]
	 	 	5	 
	Section 2.5 [Reserved]
	 	 	5	 
	Section 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver
	 	 	5	 
	Section 2.7 Event of Default; Notice
	 	 	5	 
	Section 2.8 [Reserved]
	 	 	5	 
	ARTICLE III — POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
	 	 	6	 
	Section 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Guarantee Trustee
	 	 	6	 
	Section 3.2 Certain Rights of Guarantee Trustee
	 	 	7	 
	Section 3.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Guarantee
	 	 	9	 
	ARTICLE IV — GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
	 	 	9	 
	Section 4.1 Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
	 	 	9	 
	Section 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Guarantee Trustee
	 	 	9	 
	ARTICLE V — GUARANTEE
	 	 	10	 
	Section 5.1 Guarantee
	 	 	10	 
	Section 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand
	 	 	10	 
	Section 5.3 Obligations Not Affected
	 	 	11	 
	Section 5.4 Rights of Holders
	 	 	12	 
	Section 5.5 Guarantee of Payment
	 	 	12	 
	Section 5.6 Subrogation
	 	 	12	 
	Section 5.7 Independent Obligations
	 	 	12	 
	Section 5.8 Conversion
	 	 	12	 
	
ARTICLE VI — LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
	 	 	13	 
	Section 6.1 Limitation of Transactions
	 	 	13	 
	Section 6.2 Ranking
	 	 	13	 
	ARTICLE VII — TERMINATION
	 	 	13	 
	Section 7.1 Termination
	 	 	13	 
	ARTICLE VIII — INDEMNIFICATION
	 	 	13	 
	Section 8.1 Exculpation
	 	 	13	 
	Section 8.2 Indemnification
	 	 	14	 
	ARTICLE IX — MISCELLANEOUS
	 	 	14	 
	Section 9.1 Successors and Assigns
	 	 	14	 
	Section 9.2 Amendments
	 	 	15	 
	Section 9.3 Notices
	 	 	15	 
	Section 9.4 Benefit
	 	 	16	 
	Section 9.5 Governing Law
	 	 	16	 







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CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT




     THIS CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (this “Preferred Securities
Guarantee”), dated as of October 23, 2009, is executed and delivered by BRIDGE BANCORP, INC., a New
York corporation (the “Guarantor”), and WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, a banking corporation organized
under the laws of the State of Delaware, as trustee (the “Guarantee Trustee”), for the benefit of
the Holders (as defined herein) from time to time of the Preferred Securities (as defined herein)
of Bridge Statutory Capital Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”).



RECITALS




     WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Agreement (the Trust Agreement), dated as
of October 23, 2009, among the trustees of the Trust named therein, the Guarantor, as Depositor and
sponsor, and the holders from time to time of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the
Trust, the Trust is issuing on the date hereof up to 15,000 convertible preferred securities,
having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of up to $15,000,000 designated the 8.50% Cumulative
Convertible Trust Preferred Securities;



     WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Preferred Securities, the Guarantor
desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to the extent set forth in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, to pay to the Holders of the Preferred Securities the Guarantee Payments (as
defined herein) and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set forth herein.



     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each Holder of Preferred Securities, which
purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees shall benefit the Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and
delivers this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders.



ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION




Section 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation.




     In this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context otherwise requires:



     (a) capitalized terms used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee but not defined in the
preamble above have the respective meanings assigned to them in this Section 1.1;



     (b) terms defined in the Trust Agreement as at the date of execution of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee have the same meaning when used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless
otherwise defined in this Preferred Securities Guarantee;



     (c) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities Guarantee has the same meaning
throughout;



 









 





     (d) all references to the Preferred Securities Guarantee or this Preferred Securities
Guarantee are to this Preferred Securities Guarantee as modified, supplemented or amended from time
to time;



     (e) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee to Articles and Sections are to
Articles and Sections of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise specified;



     (f) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning when used in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise defined in this Preferred Securities Guarantee or unless the
context otherwise requires; and



     (g) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa.



     “Affiliate” has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or any successor rule thereto.



     “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, a day on which federal or state
banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, executive order or
regulation to close or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Guarantee Trustee is closed
for business.



     “Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate
trust business of the Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be principally administered,
which office at the date of execution of this Agreement is located at 1100 North Market Street,
Wilmington, Delaware 19890, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.



     “Covered Person” means any Holder or beneficial owner of Preferred Securities.



     “Debentures” means the 8.50% Convertible Subordinated Debentures due December 31, 2039, of the
Debenture Issuer held by the Property Trustee of the Trust.



     “Debenture Issuer” means Bridge Bancorp, Inc., issuer of the Debentures under the Indenture.



     “Event of Default” means a default by the Guarantor on any of its payment or other obligations
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.



     “Guarantee Payments” means the following payments or distributions, without duplication, with
respect to the Preferred Securities, to the extent not paid or made by the Trust: (i) any accrued
and unpaid Distributions that are required to be paid on such Preferred Securities, to the extent
the Trust shall have funds available therefor, (ii) the redemption price, including all accrued and
unpaid Distributions to the date of redemption (the “Redemption Price”), to the extent the Trust
has funds available therefor, with respect to any Preferred Securities called for redemption by the
Trust, and (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding-up or termination of the
Trust (other than in connection with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for
Preferred Securities as provided in the Trust Agreement), the lesser of



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(a) the aggregate of the Liquidation Amount and all accrued and unpaid Distributions on the
Preferred Securities to the date of payment, to the extent the Trust shall have funds available
therefor (the “Liquidation Distribution”), and (b) the amount of assets of the Trust remaining
available for distribution to Holders in liquidation of the Trust.



     “Guarantee Trustee” means Wilmington Trust Company, until a Successor Guarantee Trustee has
been appointed and has accepted such appointment pursuant to the terms of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee and thereafter means each such Successor Guarantee Trustee.



     “Guarantor” means Bridge Bancorp, Inc. a New York corporation.



     “Holder” shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and records of the Trust, of any
Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in determining whether the holders of the requisite
percentage of Preferred Securities have given any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder,
Holder shall not include the Guarantor, the Guarantee Trustee or any of their respective
Affiliates.



     “Indemnified Person” means the Guarantee Trustee, any Affiliate of the Guarantee Trustee, or
any officers, directors, shareholders, members, partners, employees, representatives, nominees,
custodians or agents of the Guarantee Trustee or Affiliate of the Guarantee Trustee.



     “Indenture” means the Indenture dated as of October 23, 2009, among the Debenture Issuer and
Wilmington Trust Company, as trustee, and any indenture supplemental thereto pursuant to which the
Debentures are to be issued to the Property Trustee of the Trust.



     “Liquidation Amount” means the stated value of $1,000 per Preferred Security.



     “Liquidation Distribution” has the meaning provided therefor in the definition of Guarantee
Payments.



     “List of Holders” has the meaning stated in Section 2.2.



     “Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities” means the holders of more than
50% of the Liquidation Amount of all of the Preferred Securities.



     “Officers’ Certificate” means, with respect to any Person, a certificate signed by two
authorized officers of such Person, at least one of whom shall be the principal executive officer,
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or any vice president of such
Person. Any Officers’ Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall include:



     (a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers’ Certificate has read the covenant or
condition and the definition relating thereto;



     (b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination or investigation undertaken
by each officer in rendering the Officers’ Certificate;



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     (c) a statement that each such officer has made such examination or investigation as, in such
officer’s opinion, is necessary to enable such officer to express an informed opinion as to whether
or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and



     (d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such officer, such condition or covenant
has been complied with.



     “Person” means a legal person, including any individual, corporation, estate, partnership,
joint venture, association, joint stock company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated
association, or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity of
whatever nature.



     “Preferred Securities” means the 8.50% Cumulative Convertible Trust Preferred Securities
representing undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust which rank pari passu with
Common Securities issued by the Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default, the rights of holders of Common Securities to payment in respect of distributions and
payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise are subordinated to the rights of holders of
Preferred Securities.



     “Redemption Price” has the meaning provided therefor in the definition of Guarantee Payments.



     “Responsible Officer” means, with respect to the Guarantee Trustee, any officer within the
corporate trust department of the Guarantee Trustee with direct responsibility for the
administration of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, including any vice-president, any assistant
vice-president, associate, any assistant secretary, assistant treasurer or other officer of the
Guarantee Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who
at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or, to whom any corporate trust matter is
referred because of that officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who
shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Guarantee Agreement.



     “Successor Guarantee Trustee” means a successor Guarantee Trustee possessing the
qualifications to act as Guarantee Trustee under Section 4.1 and that has accepted such appointment
pursuant to Section 4.2.



     “Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.



ARTICLE II — TRUST INDENTURE ACT




Section 2.1 Trust [Reserved].




Section 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities.




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     In the event the Guarantee Trustee is not also acting in the capacity of the Property Trustee
under the Trust Agreement, the Guarantor shall cause the Guarantee Trustee to be provided with a
list, in such form as the Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of
the Holders of the Preferred Securities (“List of Holders”) as of the date (i) within one Business
Day after March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, and (ii) at any other time within 30
days of receipt by the Guarantor of a written request for a List of Holders as of a date no more
than 15 days before such List of Holders is given to the Guarantee Trustee; provided, that the
Guarantor shall not be obligated to provide such List of Holders at any time the List of Holders
does not differ from the most recent List of Holders caused to have been given to the Guarantee
Trustee by the Guarantor. The Guarantee Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given to
it on receipt of a new List of Holders.



Section 2.3 [Reserved].




Section 2.4 [Reserved].




Section 2.5 [Reserved].




Section 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver.




     The Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities may, by vote, on
behalf of the Holders of all of the Preferred Securities, waive any past Event of Default and its
consequences. Upon such waiver, any such Event of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of
Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event
of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.



Section 2.7 Event of Default; Notice.




     (a) The Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default,
transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Holders of the Preferred Securities, notices
of all Events of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Guarantee Trustee, unless
such defaults have been cured before the giving of such notice; provided, that, except in the case
of a default by Guarantor on any of its payment obligations, the Guarantee Trustee shall be
protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Guarantee
Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the
Holders of the Preferred Securities.



     (b) The Guarantee Trustee shall be deemed not to have notice or knowledge of any default or
Event of Default unless the Guarantee Trustee shall have received written notice thereof,
referencing this Guarantee, or a Responsible Officer of the Guarantee Trustee charged with the
administration of the Trust Agreement shall have obtained actual knowledge thereof.



Section 2.8 [Reserved].




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ARTICLE III — POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF GUARANTEE TRUSTEE




Section 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Guarantee Trustee.




     (a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the Guarantee Trustee for the benefit
of the Holders of the Preferred Securities, and the Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this
Preferred Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder of Preferred Securities exercising his
or her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a Successor Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such
Successor Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Guarantee Trustee. The right,
title and interest of the Guarantee Trustee herein shall automatically cease as to such Guarantee
Trustee and vest in any Successor Guarantee Trustee, and such cessation and vesting of title shall
be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant to the
appointment of such Successor Guarantee Trustee.



     (b) If an Event of Default of which the Guarantee Trustee has actual knowledge as provided in
Section 2.7(b) has occurred and is continuing, the Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Preferred
Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.



     (c) The Guarantee Trustee, before the occurrence of any Event of Default and after the curing
of all Events of Default that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants shall be
read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Guarantee Trustee. In case an Event of
Default has occurred (that has not been cured or waived pursuant to Section 2.6) of which the
Guarantee Trustee has actual knowledge as provided in Section 2.7(b), the Guarantee Trustee shall
exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and use
the same degree of care and skill in its exercise thereof, as a prudent person would exercise or
use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.



     (d) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be construed to relieve the
Guarantee Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or
its own willful misconduct, except that:



          (i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all
such Events of Default that may have occurred:




               (A) the duties and obligations of the Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the
express provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and the Guarantee Trustee shall not be
liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in
this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into
this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Guarantee Trustee; and



               (B) the Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or



6









 







opinions furnished to the Guarantee Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any
provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Guarantee Trustee, the Guarantee
Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the
requirements of this Preferred Securities Guarantee;



          (ii) the Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by
a Responsible Officer of the Guarantee Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Guarantee
Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts upon which such judgment was made;




          (iii) the Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to
be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a
Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then Outstanding relating to the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Guarantee Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Guarantee Trustee under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee; and




          (iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall require the Guarantee Trustee
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance
of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if the Guarantee Trustee
shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or liability is not
reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or indemnity,
reasonably satisfactory to the Guarantee Trustee, against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.




Section 3.2 Certain Rights of Guarantee Trustee.




     (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:



          (i) the Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely, and shall be fully protected in acting or
refraining from acting upon, any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness
or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or presented
by the proper party or parties;




          (ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate;




          (iii) whenever, in the administration of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, the Guarantee
Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established before taking, suffering or
omitting any action hereunder, the Guarantee Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically
prescribed) may, request and conclusively rely upon an Officers’ Certificate which, upon receipt of
such request, shall be promptly delivered by the Guarantor;




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          (iv) the Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to see to any recording, filing or registration
of any instrument (or any rerecording, refiling or registration thereof);




          (v) the Guarantee Trustee may consult with counsel at the expense of the Guarantor, and the
written advice or opinion of such counsel with respect to legal matters shall be full and complete
authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in
good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion. Such counsel may be counsel to the
Guarantor or any of its Affiliates and may include any of its employees. The Guarantee Trustee
shall have the right at any time at the expense of the Guarantor to seek instructions concerning
the administration of this Preferred Securities Guarantee from any court of competent jurisdiction;




          (vi) the Guarantee Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or
powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of any
Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Guarantee Trustee such security and
indemnity, reasonably satisfactory to the Guarantee Trustee, against the costs, expenses (including
attorneys’ fees and expenses and the expenses of the Guarantee Trustee’s agents, nominees or
custodians) and liabilities that might be incurred by it in complying with such request or
direction, including such reasonable advances as may be requested by the Guarantee Trustee;
provided that, nothing contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi) shall be taken to relieve the Guarantee
Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, of its obligation to exercise the rights and
powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee;




          (vii) the Guarantee Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or
matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice,
request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other
paper or document, but the Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or
investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit;




          (viii) the Guarantee Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any
duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents, nominees, custodians or attorneys, and
the Guarantee Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any
agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;




          (ix) no third party shall be required to inquire as to the authority of the Guarantee Trustee
to so act or as to its compliance with any of the terms and provisions of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, both of which shall be conclusively evidenced by the Guarantee Trustee’s or its agent’s
taking such action;




          (x) whenever in the administration of this Preferred Securities Guarantee the Guarantee
Trustee shall deem it desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any remedy or
right or taking any other action hereunder, the Guarantee Trustee (i) may request instructions from
the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then Outstanding, (ii)
may refrain from enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until such instructions
are received, and (iii) shall be protected in conclusively relying on or acting in accordance with
such instructions.




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     (b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be deemed to impose any duty or
obligation on the Guarantee Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty
or obligation conferred or imposed on it in any jurisdiction in which it shall be illegal, or in
which the Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or incompetent in accordance with applicable law,
to perform any such act or acts or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No
permissive power or authority available to the Guarantee Trustee shall be construed to be a duty.



Section 3.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Guarantee.




     The Recitals contained in this Guarantee shall be taken as the statements of the Guarantor.
The Guarantee Trustee does not assume any responsibility for such Recitals, and makes no
representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.



ARTICLE IV — GUARANTEE TRUSTEE




Section 4.1 Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility.




     (a) There shall at all times be a Guarantee Trustee which shall:



          (i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and




          (ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of
America or any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or
Person permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an institutional trustee under
the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a
combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000, and subject to supervision or examination by
federal, state, territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes
reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the supervising
or examining authority referred to above, then, for the purposes of this Section 4.1(a)(ii), the
combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and
surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published.




     (b) If at any time the Guarantee Trustee shall cease to be eligible to so act under Section
4.1(a), the Guarantee Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in
Section 4.2(c).



     (c) Subject to Section 2.8, if the Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire any conflicting
interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Guarantee Trustee and
Guarantor shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.



Section 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Guarantee Trustee.




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     (a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Guarantee Trustee may on thirty (30) days notice, resign or
be appointed or removed without cause by the Guarantor.



     (b) The Guarantee Trustee shall not resign or be removed in accordance with Section 4.2(a)
until a Successor Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written
instrument executed by such Successor Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor and the
Guarantee Trustee that is resigning or being removed.



     (c) The Guarantee Trustee appointed to office shall hold office until a Successor Guarantee
Trustee shall have been appointed and has accepted such appointment pursuant to Section 4.2(b).
Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Guarantee Trustee may resign from office (without need for prior or
subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the Guarantee Trustee and delivered
to the Guarantor.



     (d) If a Successor Guarantee Trustee shall not have been appointed and accepted appointment as
provided in this Section 4.2 within 60 days after delivery to the Guarantor of an instrument of
resignation, the resigning Guarantee Trustee at the Guarantor’s expense may petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Guarantee Trustee. Such court may thereupon,
after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, appoint a Successor Guarantee
Trustee.



     (e) No Guarantee Trustee shall be liable for the acts or omissions to act of any Successor
Guarantee Trustee.



     (f) Upon termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or removal or resignation of the
Guarantee Trustee pursuant to this Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Guarantee Trustee
all fees and expenses accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation, to the
extent not previously paid.



ARTICLE V — GUARANTEE




Section 5.1 Guarantee.




     The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full to the Holders the
Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts theretofore paid by the Trust), as and when due,
regardless of any defense, right of set-off or counterclaim that the Trust may have or assert. The
Guarantor’s obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct payment of the
required amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing the Trust to pay such amounts to the
Holders.



Section 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand.




     The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Preferred Securities Guarantee and of
any liability to which it applies or may apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to
require a proceeding first against the Trust or any other Person before proceeding against the



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Guarantor, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all
other notices and demands.



Section 5.3 Obligations Not Affected.




     The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected or impaired by reason of the happening from time
to time of any of the following:



     (a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the performance or observance
by the Trust of any express or implied agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the
Preferred Securities to be performed or observed by the Trust;



     (b) the extension of time for the payment by the Trust of all or any portion of the
Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution or any other sums payable under the terms
of the Preferred Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any other obligation
under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Preferred Securities (other than an extension of
time for payment of Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable
that results from the extension of any interest payment period on the Debentures or any extension
of the maturity date of the Debentures permitted by the Indenture);



     (c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of the Holders to enforce,
assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the
terms of the Preferred Securities, or any action on the part of the Holders granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;



     (d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of any collateral,
receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization,
arrangement, composition or readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the
Trust or any of the assets of the Trust;



     (e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the Preferred Securities;



     (f) any failure or omission to receive any regulatory approval or consent required in
connection with the Preferred Securities (or the common equity securities issued by the Trust),
including the failure to receive any approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System required for the redemption of the Preferred Securities;



     (g) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed hereby or hereby incurred; or



     (h) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable
discharge or defense of a guarantor, it being the intent of this Section 5.3 that the obligations
of the Guarantor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances.



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     There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to, or obtain consent of, the
Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the foregoing.



Section 5.4 Rights of Holders.




     (a) Subject to Section 5.4(b), the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting of any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Guarantee Trustee under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee.



     (b) Any Holder of Preferred Securities may institute and prosecute a legal proceeding directly
against the Guarantor to enforce its rights under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, without
first instituting a legal proceeding against the Trust, the Guarantee Trustee or any other Person.



Section 5.5 Guarantee of Payment.




     This Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of payment and not of collection.



Section 5.6 Subrogation.




     The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of the Holders of Preferred
Securities against the Trust in respect of any amounts paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee; provided, however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the
extent required by mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right that
it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or other agreement, in all
cases as a result of payment under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of any such
payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Preferred Securities Guarantee. If any amount
shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold
such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.



Section 5.7 Independent Obligations.




     The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are independent of the obligations
of the Trust with respect to the Preferred Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as
principal and as debtor hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in
subsections (a) through (h), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.



Section 5.8 Conversion.




     The Guarantor acknowledges and agrees to honor and perform all of its obligations to issue and
deliver the common stock of the Guarantor upon the conversion of the Preferred



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Securities and the Debentures as provided in Article IV of the Trust Agreement and Article IV
of the Indenture.



ARTICLE VI — LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION




Section 6.1 Limitation of Transactions.




     So long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, if there shall have occurred an Event
of Default under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, an event of default under the Trust Agreement
or an Event of Default under the Indenture during an Extended Interest Payment Period (as defined
therein), then (a) the Guarantor shall not declare or pay any dividend on, make any distributions
with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of
its capital stock (other than as a result of a reclassification of its capital stock for another
class of its capital stock) and (b) the Guarantor shall not make any payment of interest or
principal on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities issued by the Guarantor which rank
pari passu with or junior to the Debentures, other than payments under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee.



Section 6.2 Ranking.




     This Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured obligation of the Guarantor
and will rank subordinate and junior in right of payment to all Senior Debt, Subordinated Debt and
Additional Senior Obligations, as defined in the Indenture, of the Guarantor, to the extent and in
the manner set forth in the Indenture, and the applicable provisions of the Indenture will apply,
in all relevant respects, to the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder.



ARTICLE VII — TERMINATION




Section 7.1 Termination.




     This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of: (i) full
payment of the Redemption Price of all Preferred Securities, (ii) full payment of the amounts
payable in accordance with the Trust Agreement upon liquidation of the Trust, or (iii) distribution
of all Outstanding Debentures to the Holders of all Outstanding Preferred Securities.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall continue to be effective
or shall be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder of Preferred Securities must
restore payment of any sums paid under the Preferred Securities or under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee.



ARTICLE VIII — INDEMNIFICATION




Section 8.1 Exculpation.




     (a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or accountable in damages or otherwise
to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for any loss, damage, claims, liability, penalty



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or expense of any kind or nature whatsoever incurred by reason of any act or omission
performed or omitted by such Indemnified Person in accordance with this Preferred Securities
Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be within the scope
of the authority conferred on such Indemnified Person by this Preferred Securities Guarantee or by
law, except that an Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage, claims,
liability, penalty or expense incurred by reason of such Indemnified Person’s negligence or willful
misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions.



     (b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying upon the records of the
Guarantor and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by
any Person as to matters the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other Person’s
professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of
the Guarantor, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of
the assets, liabilities, profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount
of assets from which Distributions to Holders of Preferred Securities might properly be paid.



Section 8.2 Indemnification.




     The Guarantor agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person for, and to hold each Indemnified
Person harmless against, any loss, damage, claims, liability, penalty or expense of any kind or
nature whatsoever incurred without gross negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the
costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees and expenses) of defending itself against, or
investigating, any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its
powers or duties hereunder. The Guarantor’s obligation to indemnify as set forth in this Section
8.2 shall survive the termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.



ARTICLE IX — MISCELLANEOUS




Section 9.1 Successors and Assigns.




     All guarantees and agreements contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall bind the
successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to
the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities then outstanding and each Indemnified
Person.



     Any corporation into which the Guarantee Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it
may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to
which the Guarantee Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially
all the corporate trust business or assets of the Guarantee Trustee, shall be the successor of the
Guarantee Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be qualified and eligible under
the provisions of Section 4.1, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on
the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.



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Section 9.2 Amendments.




     This Preferred Securities Guarantee may be amended only in writing signed by the parties.
Except with respect to any changes that do not materially adversely affect the rights of Holders as
determined by an opinion of counsel (which may be counsel for the Guarantor) at the Guarantor’s
expense, addressed to the Guarantee Trustee (in which case no consent of Holders will be required),
this Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the prior approval of the Holders of
at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities. No amendment that affects
the duties, obligations or protections of the Guarantee Trustee shall be made without the consent
of the Guarantee Trustee. The provisions of Article VI of the Trust Agreement with respect to
meetings of Holders of the Preferred Securities apply to the giving of such approval.



Section 9.3 Notices.




     All notices provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be in writing, duly
signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be delivered, telecopied or mailed by registered
or certified mail, as follows:



     (a) If given to the Guarantee Trustee, at the Guarantee Trustee’s mailing address set forth
below (or such other address as the Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Guarantor and the
Holders of the Preferred Securities):




	 	 	Wilmington Trust Company

1100 North Market Street

Wilmington, Delaware 19890

Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
	 
	 	 	With a copy to:
	 
	 	 	Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

One Rodney Square

920 North King Street

Wilmington, Delaware 19801

Attention: J. Weston Peterson





     (b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor’s mailing address set forth below (or such
other address as the Guarantor may give notice of to the Guarantee Trustee the Holders of the
Preferred Securities):




	 	 	Bridge Bancorp, Inc.

2200 Montauk Highway

Bridgehampton, New York 11932

Attention: Chief Executive Officer




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	 	 	With a copy to:
	 
	 	 	Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C.

5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 780

Washington, DC 20015

Attention: John J. Gorman





     (c) If given to any Holder of Preferred Securities, at the address set forth on the books and
records of the Trust.



     All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in person, telecopied with
receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice or other
document is refused delivery or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice
was given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date of such
refusal or inability to deliver.



Section 9.4 Benefit.




     Except as it applies to the Guarantee Trustee and any Indemnified Person, this Preferred
Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities and,
subject to Section 3.1(a), is not separately transferable from the Preferred Securities.



Section 9.5 Governing Law.




     THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.



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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Convertible Preferred Securities
Guarantee to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	BRIDGE BANCORP, INC.,

as Guarantor

 	 
	 	By:  	/s/ Kevin M. O’Connor
 	 
	 	 	Name:  	Kevin M. O’Connor 	 
	 	 	Title:  	President and Chief Executive Officer 	 
	 
	 	WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,

as Guarantee Trustee

 	 
	 	By:  	/s/ Joshua C. Jones
 	 
	 	 	Name:  	Joshua C. Jones 	 
	 	 	Title:  	Financial Services Officer 	 
	 




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