Exhibit (10) H (4)


 





	Name of Employee:  «FIRSTNAME» «LASTNAME»	No. of Shares:  «ISO»
	 	Exercise  Price: $


 


 


 


PEAPACK-GLADSTONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION


NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (“AGREEMENT”)


 


PEAPACK-GLADSTONE FINANCIAL
CORPORATION, a New Jersey corporation (“Company”), this __ day of ________,
____ (“Option Date”) hereby grants to «FIRSTNAME»
«LASTNAME» (“Employee”), an employee of the Company
or a subsidiary thereof, pursuant to the Company’s 2012 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (“Plan”), an option to
purchase shares of the Common Stock, no par value (“Common Stock”), of the Company in the amount and on the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth.


 


		1.	Incorporation by Reference of Plan. The provisions of the Plan, a copy of which is being
furnished herewith to the Employee, are incorporated by reference herein and shall govern as to all matters not expressly provided
for in this Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Plan. In the event of any conflict
between the terms of this Agreement and the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall govern.



 


		2.	Grant of Option. The Company hereby grants to the Employee the option (“Option”)
to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of «ISO» shares of
Common Stock (“Shares”) on the terms and conditions herein set forth. The Option is a “nonqualified” Option
and is not intended to be an incentive option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.



 


		3.	Purchase Price. The purchase price of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall
be $___ per share subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10 below.



 


		4.	Terms of Option. (a)  Vesting. This Option shall not be exercisable until the
dates shown below:



 


	Percentage	 	 
	of Shares Which	 	 
	May Be Purchased	First Date On Which Such	Last Date On Which Such
	Hereunder	Shares May be Purchased	Shares May be Purchased
	 	 	 
	XX%	X yr after Option Date	X yrs after Option Date
	XX%	X yrs after Option Date	X yrs after Option Date
	XX%	X yrs after Option Date	X yrs after Option Date
	XX%	X yrs after Option Date	X yrs after Option Date
	100%	X yrs after Option Date	X yrs after Option Date


 


 


Notwithstanding the foregoing vesting
schedule, upon the death, Disability or Retirement of the Employee, or upon a Change in Control, all options shall become immediately
exercisable as set forth in the Plan. The Plan defines Retirement as follows:


 


“Retirement”
means the retirement from active employment of an employee or officer, but only if such person meets all of the following requirements:
(i) he has a minimum combined total of years of service to the Company or any Subsidiary (excluding service to any acquired company)
and age equal to eighty (80), (ii) he is age sixty-two (62) or older, and (iii) he provides six (6) months prior written notice
to the Company of the retirement.


If the Employee retires but fails
to meet such conditions, he or she shall not be deemed to be within the definition of Retirement for any purpose under the Plan
and this Agreement.


 



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(b) Final
Termination. No Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years and one (1) day from the date hereof or
such shorter period as is prescribed in the Plan or in this Agreement.


 


		5.	Restrictions. This Option is subject to all the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan
including, but not limited to, the following:



 


		a.	This Option is not transferable, as provided in Section 6(c) of the Plan;



 


		b.	This Option may be exercised by the Employee or his or her legal representative for a period of
three (3) years after the Employee terminates employment due to death or Disability, as provided in Section 6(g)(1) of the Plan
(but in no event beyond the date determined under Section 4(b) above);



 


		c.	This Option lapses upon the termination of employment if the termination is by the Employee (other
than due to the Employee’s Retirement), as provided in Section 6(g)(2) of the Plan;



 


		d.	This Option may be exercised by the Employee or his or her legal representative for three (3) years
if the termination of employment is due to the Employee’s Retirement, as provided in Section 6(g)(3) of the Plan (but in
no event beyond the date determined under Section 4(b) above);



 


		e.	This Option (to the extent exercisable at the time of the Optionee’s termination of employment)
may be exercised by the Employee or his or her legal representative for ninety (90) days after the termination of the Employee’s
employment if the termination is for any reason other than death, Disability, termination by the Employee or Retirement except
that if the Employee’s termination of employment occurs within twelve (12) months of a Change in Control, the Option shall
be exercisable for three (3) years following the termination of employment as provided in Section 6(g)(4) of the Plan (but in no
event beyond the date determined under Section 4(b) above); and



 


		f.	This Option may be exercised by the designated beneficiaries of the Employee, as provided in Section
16(c) of the Plan.



 


		6.	Exercise. This Option shall be exercised by notice to the Company, accompanied by full payment
in cash, check or Shares or by having Shares that would otherwise have been delivered to the Employee upon exercise of the Option
withheld by the Company, as set forth in Section 6(e) of the Plan. A sample form to be used in exercising this Option is attached.



 


		7.	Tax Treatment Upon Exercise. Generally, the Employee will recognize ordinary income upon
the exercise of this Option equal to the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the stock on the date
of exercise, the tax on which is subject to withholding. The foregoing statement of tax consequences is intended only as a generalized
statement of current Federal tax law (as in existence on the date of this Agreement) and the Employee, at his or her expense, should
consult his or her tax consultant to determine the specific tax consequences of his or her exercise of this Option at the time
of such exercise. The Employee shall deliver to the Company any Federal, state and local tax withholding required by law in connection
herewith prior to exercise of this Option.



 


		8.	Securities Law Restrictions. The Company is under no obligation to file a registration statement
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Act”) with respect to the Shares to be received upon exercise of the
Option. As provided by Section 15(f) of the Plan, unless a registration statement under the Act has been filed and remains effective
with respect to the Shares, the Company shall require that the offer and sale of such Shares be exempt from the registration provisions
of the Act. As a condition of such exemption, the Company shall require a representation and undertaking, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Company, that the Employee is acquiring the Shares for his or her own account for investment and
not with a view to the distribution or resale thereof and shall otherwise require such representations and impose such conditions
as shall establish to the Company’s satisfaction that the offer and sale of the Shares issuable upon the exercise of the
Option will not constitute a violation of the Act or any similar state act affecting the offer and sale. If issued in an exempt
transaction, the Shares shall bear the following restrictive legend:



 



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“These shares have not been registered
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. No transfer of the shares may be effected without an opinion of counsel to the Company
stating that the transfer is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 and any applicable state securities laws
or that the transfer of the shares is covered by an effective registration statement with respect to the shares.”


 


		9.	Restrictions on Transfer. This Option shall not be transferred (other than by will or the
laws of descent and distribution), assigned, pledged or hypothecated and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar
process. In the event the terms of this paragraph are not complied with by the Employee, or if the Option is subject to execution,
attachment or similar process, this Option shall immediately become null and void.



 


		10.	Anti-Dilution Provisions. If prior to expiration of the Option there shall occur any change
in the outstanding Common Stock of the Company by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares,
merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization, subscription rights offering, or the like, and as often as the same shall
occur, then the kind and number of shares subject to the Option, or the purchase price per share of Common Stock, or both, shall
be adjusted by the Committee in such manner as it may deem equitable, the determination of which shall be binding and conclusive.
Failure of the Committee to provide for any such adjustment shall be conclusive evidence that no adjustment is required. The Company
shall have the right to engage a firm of independent certified public accountants, which may be the Company’s regular auditors,
to make any computation provided for in this Section, and a certificate of that firm showing the required adjustment shall be conclusive
and binding.



 


		11.	Acceptance of Provisions. The execution of this Agreement by the Employee shall constitute
the Employee’s acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement.



 


		12.	Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted under the Plan and this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given either by (i) personal delivery or regular mail, in each case against receipt,
or (ii) first class registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. Any such communication shall be deemed to have been
given (a) on the date of receipt in the cases referred to in clause (i) of the preceding sentence and (b) on the second day after
the date of mailing in the cases referred to in clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. All such communications to the Company shall
be addressed to it, to the attention of its Secretary, at its then principal office and to the Employee at his or her last address
appearing on the records of the Company or, in each case, to such other person or address as may be designated by like notice hereunder.
Notice may also be provided to the Secretary of the Company or to the Employee by facsimile or electronic mail, and any such communication
shall be deemed to be effective upon receipt, provided confirmation of transmission is electronically generated and kept on file
by the sending party.



 


		13.	Miscellaneous. This Agreement and the Plan contain a complete statement of all the arrangements
between the parties with respect to their subject matter, and this Agreement cannot be changed except by a writing executed by
both parties. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey applicable
to agreements made and to be performed exclusively in New Jersey. The headings in this Agreement are solely for convenience of
reference and shall not affect its meaning or interpretation.



 


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






	PEAPACK-GLADSTONE 	 	EMPLOYEE
	FINANCIAL CORPORATION	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 	 
	By:	 	 	By:	 
	 	 	 	 	Signature of Employee


  




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FORM FOR EXERCISING NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION


 


 


 Date: _________________, ____




 


 


Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation


500 Hills Drive


Bedminster, New Jersey 07921


Attention: Bridget J. Walsh


 


Ms. Walsh:


 


I am (check one (1))


 


___ an employee of Peapack-Gladstone Financial
Corporation and/or its subsidiaries (“Company”)


 


___ a former employee of the Company


 


___ the designated beneficiary of a deceased
employee of the Company


 


and, as such, I am entitled to exercise the
option (“Option”) granted pursuant to the attached Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation Nonqualified Stock Option
Agreement (“Agreement”).


 


I wish to exercise the Option to acquire _____
shares of the Company’s Common Stock (“Shares”) at the exercise price of $________, as set forth in the Agreement.
My total payment representing the exercise price and the withholding tax which I must pay to you in connection with the exercise
of the Option is enclosed.


 


(Check one (1) to indicate whether you are
paying in:)


 


___     Wire transfer or bank transfer


___     Check made payable to Peapack-Gladstone
Financial Corporation


___     Other shares of the Company’s
Common Stock (only with permission of the Committee appointed to administer the Plan under which the Option was granted)


___     By having shares of the Company’s
Common Stock that would otherwise have been delivered upon exercise of an Option withheld by the Company (only with permission
of the Committee appointed to administer the Plan under which the Option was granted)


 


If the Shares I acquire hereby have not been
registered for sale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (which the Company is under no obligation to do), I represent
to you that I am acquiring the Shares for my own account for investment purposes only and not with a view to distribution or resale
and I authorize you to place an appropriate restrictive legend on the certificates representing the Shares.


 


Please make a notation on the Agreement to
evidence my exercise of the Option as set forth and return the Agreement (if any Options remain thereunder) to me at the address
below.


 


	 	 
	SIGNATURE	 
	 	 
	 	 
	 	 
	(PRINT NAME)	 
	 	 
	 	 
	 	 
	(PRINT ADDRESS)	 


 


 


 


 



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