Exhibit 10.2


 


UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


1500 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW


Washington, D.C.
20220


 


 


March 6, 2009


 


Ladies and Gentlemen:


 


Reference
is made to that certain Letter Agreement incorporating the Securities Purchase
Agreement – Standard Terms dated of as of the date of this letter agreement
(the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) between
United States Department of Treasury (“Investor”) and
the company named on the signature page hereto (the “Company”).  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Securities Purchase Agreement.


 


The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as it may be amended from time
to time (the “Act”), includes
provisions relating to executive compensation and other matters that may be
inconsistent with the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Warrant and the
Certificate[s] of Designation (the “Transaction
Documents”).  Accordingly,
Investor and the Company desire to confirm their understanding as follows:


 


1.                                       Notwithstanding
anything in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, in the event that the
Act or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder are inconsistent
with any of the terms of the Transaction Documents, the Act and such rules and
regulations shall control.


 


2.                                       For
the avoidance of doubt (and without limiting the generality of Paragraph 1):


 


(a)                                  the
provisions of Section 111 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of
2008, as amended by the Act or otherwise from time to time (“EESA”), shall apply to the Company;


 


(b)                                 the
waiver to be delivered by each of the Company’s Senior Executive Officers
pursuant to Section 1.2(d)(v) of the Securities Purchase Agreement
shall, in addition, be delivered by any additional highly compensated employees
required by the Act or any rules or regulations thereunder;


 


(c)                                  the
Company’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer shall provide the
written certification of compliance by the Company with the requirements of Section 111
of EESA, as amended by the Act, in the manner specified by Section 111(b)(4) thereunder
or in any rules or regulations under EESA; and


 


(d)                                 the
Company shall be permitted to repay preferred shares, and when such preferred
shares are repaid, the Investor shall liquidate warrants associated with such
preferred shares, all in accordance with the Act and any rules and
regulations thereunder.


 

















 


From
and after the date hereof, each reference in the Securities Purchase Agreement
to “this Agreement” or “this Securities Purchase Agreement” or words of like
import shall mean and be a reference to the Agreement (as defined in the
Securities Purchase Agreement) as amended by this letter agreement.


 


This letter agreement will be governed by and
construed in accordance with the federal law of the United States if and to the
extent such law is applicable, and otherwise in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely
within such State.


 


This letter agreement, the Securities Purchase Agreement,
the Warrant, the Certificate[s] of Designation and any other documents executed
by the parties at the Closing constitute the entire agreement of the parties
with respect to the subject matter hereof.


 


Nothing in this letter
agreement shall be deemed an admission by Investor as to the necessity of
obtaining the consent of the Company in order to effect the changes to the
Transaction Documents contemplated by this letter agreement, nor shall anything
in this letter agreement be deemed to require Investor to obtain the consent of
any other TARP recipient (as defined in the Act) participating in the Capital
Purchase Program (the “CPP”) in
order to effect changes to their documentation under the CPP.


 


This
letter agreement may be executed in any number of separate counterparts, each
such counterpart being deemed to be an original instrument, and all such
counterparts will together constitute the same agreement.  Executed signature pages to this letter
agreement may be delivered by facsimile and such facsimiles will be deemed
sufficient as if actual signature pages had been delivered.


 


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left blank]


 

















 


In
witness whereof, the parties have duly executed this letter agreement as of the
date first written above.


 


	
   

  	
  UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  By:

  	
  /s/ Neel Kashkari

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Name: Neel Kashkari

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Title:   Interim Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  COMPANY:  FIRST FEDERAL BANCSHARES OF ARKANSAS, INC.

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  By:

  	
  /s/ Larry J. Brandt

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Name: Larry J. Brandt

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

  
				



 


SIGNATURE
PAGE TO LETTER AGREEMENT