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Exhibit 4.1
FIRST MIDWEST BANCORP, INC.
Description of Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

The following description of the securities of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (“First Midwest”) is a summary, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to First Midwest’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and as supplemented by certificates of designations establishing the terms of First Midwest’s preferred stock (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”), copies of which are incorporated by reference as Exhibits 3.1 through 3.7 to First Midwest’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 to which this Exhibit 4.1 is attached. For a complete description, refer to the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws and applicable provisions of relevant law, including applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and federal law governing bank holding companies.

Pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, First Midwest is authorized to issue two hundred fifty million (250,000,000) shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and one million (1,000,000) shares of preferred stock, without par value. As of December 31, 2020, First Midwest had three classes of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: (1) its common stock; (2) its Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of 7.000% Fixed Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A; and (3) its Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of 7.000% Fixed Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C. 

Because First Midwest is a holding company, the rights of First Midwest to participate in any distribution of assets of any subsidiary upon its liquidation or reorganization or otherwise (and thus the ability of First Midwest stockholders to benefit indirectly from such distribution) would be subject to the prior claims of creditors of that subsidiary, except to the extent that First Midwest itself may be a creditor of that subsidiary with recognized claims. Claims on First Midwest’s subsidiaries by creditors other than First Midwest will include substantial obligations with respect to deposit liabilities and purchased funds.

COMMON STOCK

Dividends

Subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock authorized by First Midwest’s board of directors as provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, holders of common stock are entitled to dividends as and when declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends.

Voting Rights

Each holder of First Midwest common stock has one vote for each share held on matters presented for consideration by the stockholders. Except as otherwise required by law or provided in any resolution adopted by First Midwest’s board of directors with respect to any series of preferred stock, the holders of common stock possess all voting power. The Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors.

Preemptive and Conversion Rights

Holders of First Midwest common stock have no preemptive rights and no right to convert their stock into any other securities.

Redemption and Sinking Fund

There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to First Midwest common stock. Holders of the common stock will have no liability for further calls or assessments and will not be personally liable for the payment of First Midwest’s debts except as they may be liable by reason of their own conduct or acts.

Issuance of Stock

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The Certificate of Incorporation authorizes First Midwest’s board of directors to authorize the issuance of shares of common stock without stockholder approval. However, the common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, which requires stockholder approval of the issuance of additional shares of common stock under certain circumstances.

Liquidation Rights

In the event of liquidation or dissolution, subject to the rights of any outstanding series of preferred stock and creditors of First Midwest, holders of First Midwest common stock are entitled to share in all assets remaining for distribution to holders of common stock according to their interests therein.

Listing

First Midwest’s common stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “FMBI.”

PREFERRED STOCK

The Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the First Midwest board of directors to authorize the issuance of shares of First Midwest preferred stock without stockholder approval. The First Midwest board of directors is authorized to divide the preferred stock into series and, subject to applicable law, to fix for any series of preferred stock the number of shares of such series and the voting powers (if any), designations and preferences, priorities, qualifications, privileges, limitations, restrictions, options, conversion rights, dividend features, retirement features, liquidation features, redemption features and any other special or relative rights that may be desired for any such series. As of December 31, 2020, First Midwest had two series of preferred stock outstanding, its 7.000% Fixed Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A and its 7.000% Fixed Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C. A description of these series of preferred stock is provided below. Additionally, if and when any additional First Midwest preferred stock is issued, the holders of such First Midwest preferred stock may have a preference over holders of First Midwest common stock in the payment of dividends, upon liquidation of First Midwest, in respect of voting rights and in the redemption of the capital stock of First Midwest. Similarly, such First Midwest preferred stock may be on a parity with or, subject to required consents of the Series A and Series C preferred stock, senior to the Series A and Series C preferred stock in the payment of dividends, upon liquidation of First Midwest, in respect of voting rights and in the redemption of the capital stock of First Midwest.

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DEPOSITARY SHARE, EACH REPRESENTING A 1/40TH INTEREST 
IN A SHARE OF 7.000% FIXED RATE NON-CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES A

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED STOCK

General

The Series A Preferred Stock is a single series of First Midwest’s authorized preferred stock. The depositary is the sole holder of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, and all references herein to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall mean the depositary. The holders of depositary shares are entitled through the depositary to exercise their proportional rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock, as described below under "Description of the Depositary Shares".

The Series A Preferred Stock is not convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of First Midwest’s common stock or any other class or series of other securities of First Midwest. The Series A Preferred Stock has no stated maturity and is not subject to any sinking fund or other obligation of First Midwest to redeem, retire or repurchase the Series A Preferred Stock.

Ranking

With respect to the payment of dividends by, and distributions of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of, First Midwest, the Series A Preferred Stock will rank:

•senior to First Midwest’s common stock and any class or series of stock that ranks junior to the Series A Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets upon First Midwest’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up ("junior stock");

•senior to or on a parity with each other series of First Midwest’s preferred stock First Midwest may issue (except for any senior series that may be issued upon the requisite vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock at the time outstanding and entitled to vote, voting together as a single class with any other series of preferred stock entitled to vote thereon (to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock)), as provided in the certificate of designations relating to such preferred stock or otherwise; and

•junior to all existing and future indebtedness and other non-equity claims on First Midwest.

Dividends

Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock are not cumulative or mandatory. If First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, does not declare a dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock in respect of a dividend period, then no dividend shall be deemed to be payable for such dividend period, or be cumulative, and First Midwest will have no obligation to pay any dividend for that dividend period, whether or not First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, declares a dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock or any other class or series of capital stock for any future dividend period. A "dividend period" is the period from and including a dividend payment date to but excluding the next dividend payment date.

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, only out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, non-cumulative cash dividends payable on the stated amount of $1,000 per share at a rate of 7.000% per annum, and no more, payable quarterly in arrears on February 20, May 20, August 20 and November 20 of each year (each such date, a "dividend payment date"), with respect to the dividend period (or portion thereof) ending on the day preceding such respective dividend payment date. In the event that First Midwest issues additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock after the original issue date, those shares will be entitled to dividends that are declared on or after the date they are issued.

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If any dividend payment date is not a business day, then the applicable dividend will be paid on the next business day without any adjustment to, or interest on, the amount of dividends paid. First Midwest will not pay interest or any sum of money instead of interest on any dividend, or in lieu of dividends not declared. A business day means any weekday that is not a legal holiday in New York, New York, and is not a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or Chicago, Illinois, are closed.

Dividends will be payable to holders of record of Series A Preferred Stock as they appear on First Midwest’s stock register on the applicable record date, which is the 15th calendar day before the applicable dividend payment date, or such other record date, not exceeding 30 days nor less than 10 days before the applicable dividend payment date, as shall be fixed by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, in advance of payment of each particular dividend. The corresponding record dates for the depositary shares will be the same as the record dates for the Series A Preferred Stock.

Dividends payable on the Series A Preferred Stock are calculated for each dividend period (or portion thereof) on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dollar amounts resulting from that calculation are rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will cease to accrue on the redemption date, if any, as described below under "—Redemption," unless First Midwest defaults in the payment of the redemption price of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock called for redemption.

Restrictions on Dividends, Redemptions and Repurchases

First Midwest’s ability to pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock depends on the ability of the First Midwest Bank (the “Bank”) to pay dividends to First Midwest. The ability of First Midwest and the Bank to pay dividends in the future is subject to bank regulatory requirements and capital guidelines and policies established by the Federal Reserve.

So long as any share of Series A Preferred Stock remains outstanding, unless dividends on all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock for the most recently completed dividend period have been paid in full or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside for payment:

•no dividend shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment and no distribution shall be declared or made or set aside for payment on any junior stock (other than (i) a dividend payable solely in junior stock or (ii) any dividend in connection with the implementation of a stockholders' rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase of any rights under any such plan);

•no monies may be paid or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption or retirement of any junior stock nor shall any shares of junior stock be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by First Midwest, directly or indirectly, during a dividend period (other than (i) as a result of a reclassification of junior stock for or into other junior stock, (ii) the exchange or conversion of one share of junior stock for or into another share of junior stock, (iii) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of junior stock, (iv) purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of the junior stock in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of employees, officers, directors or consultants, (v) purchases of shares of junior stock pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy junior stock existing prior to or during the most recently completed preceding dividend period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of junior stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged, (vii) purchases by any of First Midwest’s broker-dealer subsidiaries of First Midwest’s capital stock for resale pursuant to an offering by First Midwest of such capital stock underwritten by such broker-dealer subsidiary or (viii) the acquisition by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries of record ownership in junior stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than for the beneficial ownership by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries, including as trustees or custodians), nor shall any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such securities by First Midwest; and

•no monies may be paid or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption or retirement of any parity stock nor shall any shares of parity stock, if any, be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by First Midwest, directly or indirectly, during a dividend period (other than (i) any purchase or other acquisition of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and parity stock in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as 
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determined by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof), to all holders of such shares on such terms as First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof), after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes, (ii) as a result of a reclassification of parity stock for or into other parity stock, (iii) the exchange or conversion of parity stock for or into other parity stock or junior stock, (iv) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of parity stock, (v) purchases of shares of parity stock pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy parity stock existing prior to or during the preceding dividend period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of parity stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged, (vii) purchases by any of First Midwest’s broker-dealer subsidiaries of First Midwest’s capital stock for resale pursuant to an offering by First Midwest of such capital stock underwritten by such broker-dealer subsidiary or (viii) the acquisition by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries of record ownership in parity stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than for the beneficial ownership by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries, including as trustees or custodians).

If First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) elects to declare only partial instead of full dividends for a dividend payment date and the related dividend period on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock or any class or series of First Midwest’s stock that ranks on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in the payment of current dividends, then, to the extent permitted by the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock and each outstanding series of dividend parity stock, such partial dividends shall be declared on shares of Series A Preferred Stock and dividend parity stock, and dividends so declared shall be paid, as to any such dividend payment date and related dividend period in amounts such that the ratio of the partial dividends declared and paid on each such series to full dividends on each such series is the same. As used in this paragraph, "full dividends" means, as to any dividend parity stock that bears dividends on a cumulative basis, the amount of dividends that would need to be declared and paid to bring such dividend parity stock current in dividends, including undeclared dividends for past dividend periods. To the extent a dividend period with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock or any series of dividend parity stock (in either case, the "first series") coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to another series as applicable (in either case, a "second series"), then, for purposes of this paragraph, First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may, to the extent permitted by the terms of each affected series, treat such dividend period for the first series as two or more consecutive dividend periods, none of which coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to the second series, or may treat such dividend period(s) with respect to any dividend parity stock and dividend period(s) with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock in any other manner that it deems to be fair and equitable in order to achieve ratable payments of dividends on such dividend parity stock and the Series A Preferred Stock.

As used in this description of the Series A Preferred Stock, "parity stock" means any other class or series of stock of First Midwest that ranks on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends and in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest. 

As used in this description of the Series A Preferred Stock, "dividend parity stock" means any class or series of First Midwest’s stock that ranks on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in the payment of current dividends.

As used in this description of the Series A Preferred Stock, "senior stock" means any other class or series of stock of First Midwest ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to payment of dividends or the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest.

Subject to the considerations described above, and not otherwise, dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), as may be determined by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, may be declared and paid on First Midwest’s common stock and any other junior stock from time to time out of any assets legally available for such payment, and the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividend. 

Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will not be declared, paid or set aside for payment to the extent such act would cause First Midwest to fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including applicable capital adequacy rules.

Redemption

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Optional Redemption

The Series A Preferred Stock is perpetual and has no maturity date. The Series A Preferred Stock is not subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. Neither the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock nor the holders of the related depositary shares have the right to require the redemption or repurchase of the Series A Preferred Stock.
First Midwest may redeem the Series A Preferred Stock at First Midwest’s option, in whole or in part, from time to time, on any dividend payment date on or after August 20, 2025, at a redemption price equal to the stated amount of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together (except as otherwise provided herein) with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date. Neither the holders of Series A Preferred Stock nor holders of depositary shares will have the right to require the redemption or repurchase of the Series A Preferred Stock, and should not expect such redemption or repurchase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, First Midwest may not redeem shares of the Series A Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the "appropriate federal banking agency" with respect to First Midwest, as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or any successor provision (the "appropriate federal banking agency"), if then required under capital rules applicable to First Midwest. First Midwest’s appropriate federal banking agency is the Federal Reserve.

Redemption Following a Regulatory Capital Treatment Event

First Midwest may redeem shares of the Series A Preferred Stock at any time within 90 days following a regulatory capital treatment event, in whole but not in part, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together (except as otherwise provided herein) with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date. Such redemption shall be subject to prior approval of the Federal Reserve, if the Series A Preferred Stock is capital for bank regulatory purposes or such approval is otherwise required.

A "regulatory capital treatment event" means the good faith determination by First Midwest that, as a result of (i) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of or in the United States that is enacted or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of Series A Preferred Stock; (ii) any proposed change in those laws or regulations that is announced or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of Series A Preferred Stock; or (iii) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws or regulations that is announced after the initial issuance of any share of Series A Preferred Stock, there is more than an insubstantial risk that First Midwest will not be entitled to treat the full stated amount of $1,000 per share of Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding as Tier 1 Capital (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy rules of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy rules or regulations of any successor appropriate federal banking agency), as then in effect and applicable, for as long as any share of Series A Preferred Stock is outstanding. Dividends will cease to accrue on those shares on the redemption date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, First Midwest may not redeem shares of the Series A Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the appropriate federal banking agency, if then required under capital rules applicable to First Midwest.

Redemption Procedures

If shares of the Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the notice of redemption shall be given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on First Midwest’s books, mailed not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof (provided that, if the Series A Preferred Stock or any depositary shares representing interests in the Preferred Stock are held in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, First Midwest may give such notice at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility). Any notice mailed in this manner shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Each notice of redemption will include a statement setting forth:

•the redemption date;

•the number of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by the holder are to be redeemed, the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed from the holder;

•the redemption price;
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•the place or places where the certificates evidencing shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; and

•that dividends on such shares will cease to accrue on the redemption date.

If notice of redemption of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock has been duly given and if on or before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for such redemption have been irrevocably set aside by First Midwest separate and apart from First Midwest’s other assets, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the holders of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption so as to be and continue to be available therefor, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been surrendered for cancellation in the case that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are issued in certificated form, on and after the redemption date, unless we default in the payment of the redemption price of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock called for redemption, dividends will cease to accrue on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption, and all such shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares with respect to such shares will terminate, including rights described under "—Voting Rights" below, except the right to receive the amount payable on such redemption, without interest. Any funds unclaimed at the end of two years from the redemption date, to the extent permitted by law, shall be released from the trust so established and may be commingled with First Midwest’s other funds, and after that time the holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to First Midwest for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

The redemption price for any shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be payable on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the certificate(s) evidencing such shares to First Midwest or First Midwest’s agent, if the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are issued in certificated form. Any declared but unpaid dividends payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the applicable record date for a dividend period shall not be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such record date relating to the applicable dividend payment date.

In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected pro rata or by lot. Subject to the provisions described above, First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time. If First Midwest shall have issued certificates for the Series A Preferred Stock and fewer than all shares represented by any certificates are redeemed, new certificates shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holders thereof.

Under the Federal Reserve's current capital regulations applicable to bank holding companies, any redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock is subject to prior approval by the Federal Reserve and the Company must either replace the shares to be redeemed with an equal amount of Tier 1 Capital or additional Tier 1 Capital or demonstrate to the Federal Reserve that the Company will continue to hold capital commensurate with its risk. Any redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock is subject to First Midwest’s receipt of any required prior approval by the Federal Reserve and to the satisfaction of any conditions set forth by the Federal Reserve applicable to redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock.

Liquidation Rights

In the event First Midwest liquidates, dissolves or winds-up its business and affairs, either voluntarily or involuntarily, before any distribution or payment out of First Midwest’s assets may be made to or set aside for the holders of any junior stock, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to receive out of First Midwest’s assets legally available for distribution to First Midwest’s stockholders (i.e., after satisfaction of all of First Midwest’s liabilities to creditors, if any) an amount equal to the stated amount of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the date of such payment (the "liquidation preference"). Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from First Midwest after they have received their full liquidating distribution.

In any such distribution, if the assets of First Midwest are not sufficient to pay the liquidation preference in full to all holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and all holders of any class or series of our stock that ranks on parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in the distribution of assets on liquidation ("liquidation preference parity stock"), the amounts paid to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock and to the holders of all liquidation preference parity stock will be paid pro rata in accordance with the respective aggregate liquidation preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock and all such liquidation preference parity stock. In 
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any such distribution, the "liquidation preference" of any holder of First Midwest’s stock other than the Series A Preferred Stock means the amount otherwise payable to such holder in such distribution (assuming no limitation on First Midwest’s assets available for such distribution), including an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends in the case of any holder or stock on which dividends accrue on a noncumulative basis and, in the case of any holder of stock on which dividends accrue on a cumulative basis, an amount equal to any unpaid, accrued, cumulative dividends, whether or not earned or declared, as applicable. If the liquidation preference has been paid in full to all holders of Series A Preferred Stock and all holders of any liquidation preference parity stock, the holders of our junior stock will be entitled to receive all remaining assets of First Midwest according to their respective rights and preferences.

For these purposes, the merger, consolidation or other business combination of First Midwest with any other entity, including a transaction in which the holders of Series A Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or property for their shares, or the sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or exchange of all or substantially all of First Midwest’s assets for cash, securities or other property, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest.

Because First Midwest is a holding company, First Midwest’s rights and the rights of its creditors and its stockholders, including the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, to participate in the distribution of assets of any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries upon that subsidiary's liquidation or recapitalization may be subject to the prior claims of that subsidiary's creditors, except to the extent that First Midwest is a creditor with recognized claims against the subsidiary.

Voting Rights

Except as provided below or otherwise required by law, the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock have no voting rights.

Right to Elect Two Directors upon Nonpayment of Dividends

If and whenever dividends payable on Series A Preferred Stock or any class or series of parity stock having voting rights equivalent to those described in this paragraph ("voting parity stock") have not been declared and paid (or, in the case of voting parity stock bearing dividends on a cumulative basis, shall be in arrears) in an aggregate amount equal to full dividends for at least six quarterly dividend periods or their equivalent, whether or not consecutive (a "nonpayment event"), the number of directors on First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall automatically be increased by two and the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, together with the holders of any outstanding voting parity stock then entitled to vote for additional directors, voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts, shall be entitled to elect the two additional directors (the "preferred stock directors"); provided that the election of any such directors shall not cause First Midwest to violate the corporate governance requirements of NASDAQ (or any other exchange on which First Midwest’s securities may be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors and provided further that First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall at no time include more than two preferred stock directors (including, for purposes of this limitation, all directors that the holders of any series of voting preferred stock are entitled to elect pursuant to like voting rights).

In the event that the holders of Series A Preferred Stock and such other holders of voting parity stock shall be entitled to vote for the election of the preferred stock directors following a nonpayment event, such directors shall be initially elected following such nonpayment event only at a special meeting called at the request of the holders of record of at least 20% of the stated amount of the Series A Preferred Stock and each other series of voting parity stock then outstanding (unless such request for a special meeting is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of First Midwest’s stockholders, in which event such election shall be held only at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders), and at each subsequent annual meeting of First Midwest’s stockholders. Such request to call a special meeting for the initial election of the preferred stock directors after a nonpayment event shall be made by written notice, signed by the requisite holders of Series A Preferred Stock or voting parity stock, and delivered to First Midwest’s Corporate Secretary in such manner as provided for in the Certificate of Designations, or as may otherwise be required or permitted by applicable law. If First Midwest’s Corporate Secretary fails to call a special meeting for the election of the preferred stock directors within 20 days of receiving proper notice, any holder of Series A Preferred Stock or voting parity stock may call such a meeting at First Midwest’s expense solely for the election of the preferred stock directors, and for this purpose and no other (unless provided otherwise by applicable law) such Series A Preferred Stock holder shall have access to First Midwest’s stock ledger.

Any preferred stock director may be removed at any time without cause by the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and voting parity stock, voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts. The preferred stock directors elected at a special meeting shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders if such office shall not have previously terminated as described below. In case any vacancy shall occur among the 
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preferred stock directors, a successor shall be elected by First Midwest’s Board of Directors to serve until the next annual meeting of the stockholders on the nomination of the then remaining preferred stock director or, if no preferred stock director remains in office, by the vote of the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and such voting parity stock for which dividends have not been paid, voting as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts, provided that the election of any such directors shall not cause First Midwest to violate the corporate governance requirement of NASDAQ (or any other exchange on which First Midwest’s securities may be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors. The preferred stock directors shall each be entitled to one vote per director on any matter that shall come before First Midwest’s Board of Directors for a vote.

When (i) dividends have been paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set aside) in full on the Series A Preferred Stock on four consecutive dividend payment dates following a nonpayment event and (ii) the rights of holders of any voting parity stock to participate in electing the preferred stock directors shall have ceased, the right of holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to participate in the election of preferred stock directors shall cease (but subject always to the revesting of such voting rights in the case of any future nonpayment event), the terms of office of all the preferred stock directors shall immediately terminate, and the number of directors constituting First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall automatically be reduced accordingly. In determining whether dividends have been paid for at least four consecutive quarterly dividend periods following a nonpayment event, First Midwest may take account of any dividend it elects to pay for any dividend period after the regular dividend payment date for that period has passed.

In addition, if and when the rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock terminate for any reason, including under circumstances described above under "—Redemption," such voting rights shall terminate along with the other rights (except, if applicable, the right to receive the redemption price, together with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date) and the terms of any additional directors elected by the holders of Series A Preferred Stock and any voting parity stock shall terminate automatically and the number of directors reduced by two, assuming that the rights of holders of voting parity stock have similarly terminated.

Under regulations adopted by the Federal Reserve, if the holders of any series of preferred stock (including the Series A Preferred Stock) are or become entitled to vote for the election of directors, such series, along with any other holders of stock that are entitled to vote for the election of directors with that series, will be deemed a class of voting securities. A company holding 25% or more of that class, or less if it otherwise exercises a "controlling influence" over First Midwest, will be subject to regulation as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "BHC Act"). In addition, at the time the series is deemed a class of voting securities, any other bank holding company will be required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve under the BHC Act to acquire or retain more than 5% of that class. Any other person (other than a bank holding company) will be required to obtain the non-objection of the Federal Reserve under the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended, to acquire or retain 10% or more of that class.

Other Voting Rights

So long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock remain outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of all outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, voting together with any other series of preferred stock that would be adversely affected in substantially the same manner and entitled to vote as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts (to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock), given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting or by vote at any meeting called for the purpose, will be necessary to:

•amend or alter the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize or increase the authorized amount of, or issue shares of, any class or series of First Midwest’s capital stock ranking prior to the Series A Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest, or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase any such shares;

•amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation so as to materially and adversely affect the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of the Series A Preferred Stock, taken as a whole; provided, however, that any amendment to authorize or create, or increase the authorized amount of, any class or series of stock that does not rank senior to the Series A Preferred Stock in either payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) or in the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest will not be deemed to affect adversely the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of the Series A Preferred Stock; or

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•consummate (i) a binding share-exchange or reclassification involving the Series A Preferred Stock or (ii) a merger or consolidation of First Midwest with or into another entity (whether or not a corporation), unless in each case (A) the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which we are not the surviving or resulting entity, the Series A Preferred Stock is converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent and (B) such shares remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, taken as a whole, as are not materially less favorable to the holders thereof than the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and restrictions and limitations thereof, of the Series A Preferred Stock immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole.
       
If an amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation described above would adversely affect one or more but not all series of preferred stock (including the Series A Preferred Stock for this purpose), then only the series affected and entitled to vote shall vote to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock. If all series of preferred stock are not equally affected by the proposed amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation described above, there shall be required a two-thirds approval of each series that will have a diminished status.

Without the consent of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, so long as such action does not adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers of the Series A Preferred Stock, First Midwest may amend, alter, supplement or repeal any terms of the Series Preferred Stock:

•to cure any ambiguity, or to cure, correct or supplement any provision contained in the Certificate of Designations for the Series A Preferred Stock that may be defective or inconsistent; or

•to make any provision with respect to matters or questions arising with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock that is not inconsistent with the provisions of the Certificate of Designations.

The foregoing voting provisions will not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required shall be effected, all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption on proper notice and sufficient funds have been set aside by First Midwest for the benefit of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to effect the redemption.

Voting Rights under Delaware Law

Under current provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the holders of issued and outstanding preferred stock are entitled to vote as a class, with the consent of the majority of the class being required to approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that would increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of such class, increase or decrease the par value of the shares of such class, or alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely. If any such proposed amendment would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of one or more series of preferred stock so as to affect them adversely, but would not so affect the entire class of preferred stock, only the shares of the series so affected shall be considered a separate class for purposes of this vote on the amendment. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOSITARY SHARES

The following description summarizes specific terms and provisions of the depositary shares relating to the Series A Preferred Stock.

General

Each depositary share represents a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of Series A Preferred Stock and is evidenced by depositary receipts. The underlying shares of the Series A Preferred Stock have been deposited with a depositary pursuant to a deposit agreement among First Midwest, Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc., acting as joint depositary, and the holders from time to time of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares (the "Deposit Agreement"). Subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement, each holder of a depositary share is entitled, through the depositary, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock represented by such depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock represented thereby (including dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights).

In this description of the depositary shares, references to "holders" of depositary shares mean those who own depositary shares registered in their own names on the books that First Midwest or the depositary maintain for this purpose, and not indirect holders who own beneficial interests in depositary shares registered in street name or issued in book-entry form.

Dividends and Other Distributions

Each dividend payable on a depositary share will be in an amount equal to 1/40th of the dividend declared and payable on the related share of the Series A Preferred Stock.

The depositary will distribute any cash dividends or other cash distributions received in respect of the deposited Series A Preferred Stock to the record holders of depositary shares relating to the underlying Series A Preferred Stock in proportion to the number of depositary shares held by the holders. If First Midwest makes a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute any property received by it to the record holders of depositary shares entitled to those distributions, unless it determines that the distribution cannot be made proportionally among those holders or that it is not feasible to make a distribution. In that event, the depositary may, with First Midwest’s approval, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders of the depositary shares.

Record dates for the payment of dividends and other matters relating to the depositary shares will be the same as the corresponding record dates for the Series A Preferred Stock.

The amounts distributed to holders of depositary shares will be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by the depositary or by First Midwest on account of taxes or other governmental charges. The depositary may refuse to make any payment or distribution, or any transfer, exchange or withdrawal of any depositary shares or the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock until such taxes or other governmental charges are paid.

Redemption of Depositary Shares

If First Midwest redeems the Series A Preferred Stock represented by the depositary shares, the depositary shares will be redeemed from the proceeds received by the depositary resulting from the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock held by the depositary. The redemption price per depositary share is expected to be equal to 1/40th of the redemption price per share payable with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock (or $25 per depositary share), plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to, but excluding, the redemption date, on the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock.

Whenever First Midwest redeems shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem, as of the same redemption date, the number of depositary shares representing shares of Series A Preferred Stock so redeemed. If fewer than all of the outstanding depositary shares are redeemed, the depositary will select the depositary shares to be redeemed pro rata or by lot. In any case, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares only in increments of 40 depositary shares and any integral multiple thereof. The depositary will provide notice of redemption to record holders of the depositary receipts not less than 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock and the related depositary shares.
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Voting of the Preferred Stock

Because each depositary share represents a 1/40th interest in a share of the Series A Preferred Stock, holders of depositary receipts will be entitled to 1/40th of a vote per depositary share under those limited circumstances in which holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to a vote, as described above in "Description of Preferred Stock—Voting Rights."

When the depositary receives notice of any meeting at which the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail (or otherwise transmit by an authorized method) the information contained in the notice to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to the Series A Preferred Stock. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date, which will be the same date as the record date for the Series A Preferred Stock, may instruct the depositary to vote the amount of the Series A Preferred Stock represented by the holder's depositary shares. To the extent possible, the depositary will vote the amount of the Series A Preferred Stock represented by depositary shares in accordance with the instructions it receives. First Midwest has agreed to take all reasonable actions that the depositary determines are necessary to enable the depositary to vote as instructed. If the depositary does not receive specific instructions from the holders of any depositary shares representing the Series A Preferred Stock, it will vote all depositary shares held by it proportionately with instructions received.

Form of Series A Preferred Stock and Depositary Shares

The depositary shares are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company. The Series A Preferred Stock is issued in registered form to the depositary.

Listing of Depositary Shares

The depositary shares are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol "FMBIP." 
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DEPOSITARY SHARES, EACH REPRESENTING A 1/40TH INTEREST 
IN A SHARE OF 7.000% FIXED RATE NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES C

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED STOCK

General

The Series C Preferred Stock is a single series of the First Midwest’s authorized preferred stock. The depositary is the sole holder of shares of the Series C Preferred Stock, and all references herein to the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock shall mean the depositary. The holders of depositary shares are entitled through the depositary to exercise their proportional rights and preferences of the Series C Preferred Stock, as described below under "Description of the Depositary Shares".

The Series C Preferred Stock is not convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of First Midwest’s common stock or any other class or series of other securities of First Midwest. The Series C Preferred Stock has no stated maturity and is not subject to any sinking fund or other obligation of First Midwest to redeem, retire or repurchase the Series C Preferred Stock.

Ranking

With respect to the payment of dividends by, and distributions of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of, First Midwest, the Series C Preferred Stock will rank:

•senior to First Midwest’s common stock and any class or series of stock that ranks junior to the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets upon First Midwest’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up ("junior stock");

•senior to or on a parity with each other series of First Midwest’s preferred stock First Midwest may issue (except for any senior series that may be issued upon the requisite vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding and entitled to vote, voting together as a single class with any other series of preferred stock entitled to vote thereon (to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock)), as provided in the certificate of designations relating to such preferred stock or otherwise; and

•junior to all existing and future indebtedness and other non-equity claims on First Midwest.

Dividends

Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock are not cumulative or mandatory. If First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, does not declare a dividend on the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of a dividend period, then no dividend shall be deemed to be payable for such dividend period, or be cumulative, and First Midwest will have no obligation to pay any dividend for that dividend period, whether or not First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, declares a dividend on the Series C Preferred Stock or any other class or series of capital stock for any future dividend period. A "dividend period" is the period from and including a dividend payment date to but excluding the next dividend payment date.

Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, only out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, non-cumulative cash dividends payable on the stated amount of $1,000 per share at a rate of 7.000% per annum, and no more, payable quarterly in arrears on February 20, May 20, August 20 and November 20 of each year (each such date, a "dividend payment date"), with respect to the dividend period (or portion thereof) ending on the day preceding such respective dividend payment date. In the event that First Midwest issues additional shares of Series C Preferred Stock after the original issue date, those shares will be entitled to dividends that are declared on or after the date they are issued.

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If any dividend payment date is not a business day, then the applicable dividend will be paid on the next business day without any adjustment to, or interest on, the amount of dividends paid. First Midwest will not pay interest or any sum of money instead of interest on any dividend, or in lieu of dividends not declared. A business day means any weekday that is not a legal holiday in New York, New York, and is not a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or Chicago, Illinois, are closed.

Dividends will be payable to holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock as they appear on First Midwest’s stock register on the applicable record date, which is the 15th calendar day before the applicable dividend payment date, or such other record date, not exceeding 30 days nor less than 10 days before the applicable dividend payment date, as shall be fixed by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, in advance of payment of each particular dividend. The corresponding record dates for the depositary shares will be the same as the record dates for the Series C Preferred Stock.

Dividends payable on the Series C Preferred Stock are calculated for each dividend period (or portion thereof) on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dollar amounts resulting from that calculation are rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward. Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will cease to accrue on the redemption date, if any, as described below under "—Redemption," unless First Midwest defaults in the payment of the redemption price of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption.

Restrictions on Dividends, Redemptions and Repurchases

First Midwest’s ability to pay dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock depends on the ability of the First Midwest Bank (the “Bank”) to pay dividends to First Midwest. The ability of First Midwest and the Bank to pay dividends in the future is subject to bank regulatory requirements and capital guidelines and policies established by the Federal Reserve.

So long as any share of Series C Preferred Stock remains outstanding, unless dividends on all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock for the most recently completed dividend period have been paid in full or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside for payment:

•no dividend shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment and no distribution shall be declared or made or set aside for payment on any junior stock (other than (i) a dividend payable solely in junior stock or (ii) any dividend in connection with the implementation of a stockholders' rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase of any rights under any such plan);

•no monies may be paid or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption or retirement of any junior stock nor shall any shares of junior stock be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by First Midwest, directly or indirectly, during a dividend period (other than (i) as a result of a reclassification of junior stock for or into other junior stock, (ii) the exchange or conversion of one share of junior stock for or into another share of junior stock, (iii) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of junior stock, (iv) purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of the junior stock in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of employees, officers, directors or consultants, (v) purchases of shares of junior stock pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy junior stock existing prior to or during the most recently completed preceding dividend period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of junior stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged, (vii) purchases by any of First Midwest’s broker-dealer subsidiaries of First Midwest’s capital stock for resale pursuant to an offering by First Midwest of such capital stock underwritten by such broker-dealer subsidiary or (viii) the acquisition by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries of record ownership in junior stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than for the beneficial ownership by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries, including as trustees or custodians), nor shall any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such securities by First Midwest; and

•no monies may be paid or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption or retirement of any parity stock nor shall any shares of parity stock, if any, be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by First Midwest, directly or indirectly, during a dividend period (other than (i) any purchase or other acquisition of shares of Series C Preferred Stock and parity stock in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as 
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determined by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof), to all holders of such shares on such terms as First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof), after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes, (ii) as a result of a reclassification of parity stock for or into other parity stock, (iii) the exchange or conversion of parity stock for or into other parity stock or junior stock, (iv) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of parity stock, (v) purchases of shares of parity stock pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy parity stock existing prior to or during the preceding dividend period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of parity stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged, (vii) purchases by any of First Midwest’s broker-dealer subsidiaries of First Midwest’s capital stock for resale pursuant to an offering by First Midwest of such capital stock underwritten by such broker-dealer subsidiary or (viii) the acquisition by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries of record ownership in parity stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than for the beneficial ownership by First Midwest or any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries, including as trustees or custodians).

If First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) elects to declare only partial instead of full dividends for a dividend payment date and the related dividend period on the shares of Series C Preferred Stock or any class or series of First Midwest’s stock that ranks on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of current dividends, then, to the extent permitted by the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock and each outstanding series of dividend parity stock, such partial dividends shall be declared on shares of Series C Preferred Stock and dividend parity stock, and dividends so declared shall be paid, as to any such dividend payment date and related dividend period in amounts such that the ratio of the partial dividends declared and paid on each such series to full dividends on each such series is the same. As used in this paragraph, "full dividends" means, as to any dividend parity stock that bears dividends on a cumulative basis, the amount of dividends that would need to be declared and paid to bring such dividend parity stock current in dividends, including undeclared dividends for past dividend periods. To the extent a dividend period with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock or any series of dividend parity stock (in either case, the "first series") coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to another series as applicable (in either case, a "second series"), then, for purposes of this paragraph, First Midwest’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may, to the extent permitted by the terms of each affected series, treat such dividend period for the first series as two or more consecutive dividend periods, none of which coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to the second series, or may treat such dividend period(s) with respect to any dividend parity stock and dividend period(s) with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock in any other manner that it deems to be fair and equitable in order to achieve ratable payments of dividends on such dividend parity stock and the Series C Preferred Stock.

As used in this description of the Series C Preferred Stock, "parity stock" means any other class or series of stock of First Midwest that ranks on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends and in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest. 

As used in this description of the Series C Preferred Stock, "dividend parity stock" means any class or series of First Midwest’s stock that ranks on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of current dividends.

As used in this description of the Series C Preferred Stock, "senior stock" means any other class or series of stock of First Midwest ranking senior to the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to payment of dividends or the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest.

Subject to the considerations described above, and not otherwise, dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), as may be determined by First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, may be declared and paid on First Midwest’s common stock and any other junior stock from time to time out of any assets legally available for such payment, and the holders of Series C Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividend. 

Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will not be declared, paid or set aside for payment to the extent such act would cause First Midwest to fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including applicable capital adequacy rules.

Redemption

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Optional Redemption

The Series C Preferred Stock is perpetual and has no maturity date. The Series C Preferred Stock is not subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. Neither the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock nor the holders of the related depositary shares have the right to require the redemption or repurchase of the Series C Preferred Stock.
First Midwest may redeem the Series C Preferred Stock at First Midwest’s option, in whole or in part, from time to time, on any dividend payment date on or after August 20, 2025, at a redemption price equal to the stated amount of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together (except as otherwise provided herein) with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date. Neither the holders of Series C Preferred Stock nor holders of depositary shares will have the right to require the redemption or repurchase of the Series C Preferred Stock, and should not expect such redemption or repurchase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, First Midwest may not redeem shares of the Series C Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the "appropriate federal banking agency" with respect to First Midwest, as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or any successor provision (the "appropriate federal banking agency"), if then required under capital rules applicable to First Midwest. First Midwest’s appropriate federal banking agency is the Federal Reserve.

Redemption Following a Regulatory Capital Treatment Event

First Midwest may redeem shares of the Series C Preferred Stock at any time within 90 days following a regulatory capital treatment event, in whole but not in part, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together (except as otherwise provided herein) with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date. Such redemption shall be subject to prior approval of the Federal Reserve, if the Series C Preferred Stock is capital for bank regulatory purposes or such approval is otherwise required.

A "regulatory capital treatment event" means the good faith determination by First Midwest that, as a result of (i) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of or in the United States that is enacted or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock; (ii) any proposed change in those laws or regulations that is announced or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock; or (iii) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws or regulations that is announced after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock, there is more than an insubstantial risk that First Midwest will not be entitled to treat the full stated amount of $1,000 per share of Series C Preferred Stock then outstanding as Tier 1 Capital (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy rules of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy rules or regulations of any successor appropriate federal banking agency), as then in effect and applicable, for as long as any share of Series C Preferred Stock is outstanding. Dividends will cease to accrue on those shares on the redemption date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, First Midwest may not redeem shares of the Series C Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the appropriate federal banking agency, if then required under capital rules applicable to First Midwest.

Redemption Procedures

If shares of the Series C Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the notice of redemption shall be given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on First Midwest’s books, mailed not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof (provided that, if the Series C Preferred Stock or any depositary shares representing interests in the Preferred Stock are held in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, First Midwest may give such notice at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility). Any notice mailed in this manner shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of shares of Series C Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Series C Preferred Stock. Each notice of redemption will include a statement setting forth:

•the redemption date;

•the number of shares of the Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by the holder are to be redeemed, the number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed from the holder;

•the redemption price;
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•the place or places where the certificates evidencing shares of Series C Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; and

•that dividends on such shares will cease to accrue on the redemption date.

If notice of redemption of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock has been duly given and if on or before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for such redemption have been irrevocably set aside by First Midwest separate and apart from First Midwest’s other assets, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the holders of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock so called for redemption so as to be and continue to be available therefor, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been surrendered for cancellation in the case that the shares of Series C Preferred Stock are issued in certificated form, on and after the redemption date, unless we default in the payment of the redemption price of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption, dividends will cease to accrue on all shares of Series C Preferred Stock so called for redemption, and all such shares of Series C Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares with respect to such shares will terminate, including rights described under "—Voting Rights" below, except the right to receive the amount payable on such redemption, without interest. Any funds unclaimed at the end of two years from the redemption date, to the extent permitted by law, shall be released from the trust so established and may be commingled with First Midwest’s other funds, and after that time the holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to First Midwest for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

The redemption price for any shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be payable on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the certificate(s) evidencing such shares to First Midwest or First Midwest’s agent, if the shares of Series C Preferred Stock are issued in certificated form. Any declared but unpaid dividends payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the applicable record date for a dividend period shall not be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such record date relating to the applicable dividend payment date.

In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected pro rata or by lot. Subject to the provisions described above, First Midwest’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time. If First Midwest shall have issued certificates for the Series C Preferred Stock and fewer than all shares represented by any certificates are redeemed, new certificates shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holders thereof.

Under the Federal Reserve's current capital regulations applicable to bank holding companies, any redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to prior approval by the Federal Reserve and the Company must either replace the shares to be redeemed with an equal amount of Tier 1 Capital or additional Tier 1 Capital or demonstrate to the Federal Reserve that the Company will continue to hold capital commensurate with its risk. Any redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to First Midwest’s receipt of any required prior approval by the Federal Reserve and to the satisfaction of any conditions set forth by the Federal Reserve applicable to redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock.

Liquidation Rights

In the event First Midwest liquidates, dissolves or winds-up its business and affairs, either voluntarily or involuntarily, before any distribution or payment out of First Midwest’s assets may be made to or set aside for the holders of any junior stock, holders of the Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to receive out of First Midwest’s assets legally available for distribution to First Midwest’s stockholders (i.e., after satisfaction of all of First Midwest’s liabilities to creditors, if any) an amount equal to the stated amount of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per depositary share), together with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the date of such payment (the "liquidation preference"). Holders of the Series C Preferred Stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from First Midwest after they have received their full liquidating distribution.

In any such distribution, if the assets of First Midwest are not sufficient to pay the liquidation preference in full to all holders of the Series C Preferred Stock and all holders of any class or series of our stock that ranks on parity with the Series C Preferred Stock in the distribution of assets on liquidation ("liquidation preference parity stock"), the amounts paid to the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and to the holders of all liquidation preference parity stock will be paid pro rata in accordance with the respective aggregate liquidation preferences of the Series C Preferred Stock and all such liquidation preference parity stock. In 
    -17-

any such distribution, the "liquidation preference" of any holder of First Midwest’s stock other than the Series C Preferred Stock means the amount otherwise payable to such holder in such distribution (assuming no limitation on First Midwest’s assets available for such distribution), including an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends in the case of any holder or stock on which dividends accrue on a noncumulative basis and, in the case of any holder of stock on which dividends accrue on a cumulative basis, an amount equal to any unpaid, accrued, cumulative dividends, whether or not earned or declared, as applicable. If the liquidation preference has been paid in full to all holders of Series C Preferred Stock and all holders of any liquidation preference parity stock, the holders of our junior stock will be entitled to receive all remaining assets of First Midwest according to their respective rights and preferences.

For these purposes, the merger, consolidation or other business combination of First Midwest with any other entity, including a transaction in which the holders of Series C Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or property for their shares, or the sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or exchange of all or substantially all of First Midwest’s assets for cash, securities or other property, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest.

Because First Midwest is a holding company, First Midwest’s rights and the rights of its creditors and its stockholders, including the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock, to participate in the distribution of assets of any of First Midwest’s subsidiaries upon that subsidiary's liquidation or recapitalization may be subject to the prior claims of that subsidiary's creditors, except to the extent that First Midwest is a creditor with recognized claims against the subsidiary.

Voting Rights

Except as provided below or otherwise required by law, the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock have no voting rights.

Right to Elect Two Directors upon Nonpayment of Dividends

If and whenever dividends payable on Series C Preferred Stock or any class or series of parity stock having voting rights equivalent to those described in this paragraph ("voting parity stock") have not been declared and paid (or, in the case of voting parity stock bearing dividends on a cumulative basis, shall be in arrears) in an aggregate amount equal to full dividends for at least six quarterly dividend periods or their equivalent, whether or not consecutive (a "nonpayment event"), the number of directors on First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall automatically be increased by two and the holders of Series C Preferred Stock, together with the holders of any outstanding voting parity stock then entitled to vote for additional directors, voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts, shall be entitled to elect the two additional directors (the "preferred stock directors"); provided that the election of any such directors shall not cause First Midwest to violate the corporate governance requirements of NASDAQ (or any other exchange on which First Midwest’s securities may be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors and provided further that First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall at no time include more than two preferred stock directors (including, for purposes of this limitation, all directors that the holders of any series of voting preferred stock are entitled to elect pursuant to like voting rights).

In the event that the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and such other holders of voting parity stock shall be entitled to vote for the election of the preferred stock directors following a nonpayment event, such directors shall be initially elected following such nonpayment event only at a special meeting called at the request of the holders of record of at least 20% of the stated amount of the Series C Preferred Stock and each other series of voting parity stock then outstanding (unless such request for a special meeting is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of First Midwest’s stockholders, in which event such election shall be held only at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders), and at each subsequent annual meeting of First Midwest’s stockholders. Such request to call a special meeting for the initial election of the preferred stock directors after a nonpayment event shall be made by written notice, signed by the requisite holders of Series C Preferred Stock or voting parity stock, and delivered to First Midwest’s Corporate Secretary in such manner as provided for in the Certificate of Designations, or as may otherwise be required or permitted by applicable law. If First Midwest’s Corporate Secretary fails to call a special meeting for the election of the preferred stock directors within 20 days of receiving proper notice, any holder of Series C Preferred Stock or voting parity stock may call such a meeting at First Midwest’s expense solely for the election of the preferred stock directors, and for this purpose and no other (unless provided otherwise by applicable law) such Series C Preferred Stock holder shall have access to First Midwest’s stock ledger.

Any preferred stock director may be removed at any time without cause by the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock and voting parity stock, voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts. The preferred stock directors elected at a special meeting shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders if such office shall not have previously terminated as described below. In case any vacancy shall occur among the 
    -18-

preferred stock directors, a successor shall be elected by First Midwest’s Board of Directors to serve until the next annual meeting of the stockholders on the nomination of the then remaining preferred stock director or, if no preferred stock director remains in office, by the vote of the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock and such voting parity stock for which dividends have not been paid, voting as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts, provided that the election of any such directors shall not cause First Midwest to violate the corporate governance requirement of NASDAQ (or any other exchange on which First Midwest’s securities may be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors. The preferred stock directors shall each be entitled to one vote per director on any matter that shall come before First Midwest’s Board of Directors for a vote.

When (i) dividends have been paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set aside) in full on the Series C Preferred Stock on four consecutive dividend payment dates following a nonpayment event and (ii) the rights of holders of any voting parity stock to participate in electing the preferred stock directors shall have ceased, the right of holders of the Series C Preferred Stock to participate in the election of preferred stock directors shall cease (but subject always to the revesting of such voting rights in the case of any future nonpayment event), the terms of office of all the preferred stock directors shall immediately terminate, and the number of directors constituting First Midwest’s Board of Directors shall automatically be reduced accordingly. In determining whether dividends have been paid for at least four consecutive quarterly dividend periods following a nonpayment event, First Midwest may take account of any dividend it elects to pay for any dividend period after the regular dividend payment date for that period has passed.

In addition, if and when the rights of holders of Series C Preferred Stock terminate for any reason, including under circumstances described above under "—Redemption," such voting rights shall terminate along with the other rights (except, if applicable, the right to receive the redemption price, together with any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date) and the terms of any additional directors elected by the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and any voting parity stock shall terminate automatically and the number of directors reduced by two, assuming that the rights of holders of voting parity stock have similarly terminated.

Under regulations adopted by the Federal Reserve, if the holders of any series of preferred stock (including the Series C Preferred Stock) are or become entitled to vote for the election of directors, such series, along with any other holders of stock that are entitled to vote for the election of directors with that series, will be deemed a class of voting securities. A company holding 25% or more of that class, or less if it otherwise exercises a "controlling influence" over First Midwest, will be subject to regulation as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "BHC Act"). In addition, at the time the series is deemed a class of voting securities, any other bank holding company will be required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve under the BHC Act to acquire or retain more than 5% of that class. Any other person (other than a bank holding company) will be required to obtain the non-objection of the Federal Reserve under the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended, to acquire or retain 10% or more of that class.

Other Voting Rights

So long as any shares of Series C Preferred Stock remain outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of all outstanding shares of the Series C Preferred Stock, voting together with any other series of preferred stock that would be adversely affected in substantially the same manner and entitled to vote as a single class in proportion to their respective stated amounts (to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock), given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting or by vote at any meeting called for the purpose, will be necessary to:

•amend or alter the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize or increase the authorized amount of, or issue shares of, any class or series of First Midwest’s capital stock ranking prior to the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest, or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase any such shares;

•amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation so as to materially and adversely affect the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of the Series C Preferred Stock, taken as a whole; provided, however, that any amendment to authorize or create, or increase the authorized amount of, any class or series of stock that does not rank senior to the Series C Preferred Stock in either payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) or in the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of First Midwest will not be deemed to affect adversely the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of the Series C Preferred Stock; or

    -19-

•consummate (i) a binding share-exchange or reclassification involving the Series C Preferred Stock or (ii) a merger or consolidation of First Midwest with or into another entity (whether or not a corporation), unless in each case (A) the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which we are not the surviving or resulting entity, the Series C Preferred Stock is converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent and (B) such shares remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, taken as a whole, as are not materially less favorable to the holders thereof than the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and restrictions and limitations thereof, of the Series C Preferred Stock immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole.
       
If an amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation described above would adversely affect one or more but not all series of preferred stock (including the Series C Preferred Stock for this purpose), then only the series affected and entitled to vote shall vote to the exclusion of all other series of preferred stock. If all series of preferred stock are not equally affected by the proposed amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation described above, there shall be required a two-thirds approval of each series that will have a diminished status.

Without the consent of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock, so long as such action does not adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers of the Series C Preferred Stock, First Midwest may amend, alter, supplement or repeal any terms of the Series Preferred Stock:

•to cure any ambiguity, or to cure, correct or supplement any provision contained in the Certificate of Designations for the Series C Preferred Stock that may be defective or inconsistent; or

•to make any provision with respect to matters or questions arising with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock that is not inconsistent with the provisions of the Certificate of Designations.

The foregoing voting provisions will not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required shall be effected, all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption on proper notice and sufficient funds have been set aside by First Midwest for the benefit of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock to effect the redemption.

Voting Rights under Delaware Law

Under current provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the holders of issued and outstanding preferred stock are entitled to vote as a class, with the consent of the majority of the class being required to approve an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that would increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of such class, increase or decrease the par value of the shares of such class, or alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely. If any such proposed amendment would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of one or more series of preferred stock so as to affect them adversely, but would not so affect the entire class of preferred stock, only the shares of the series so affected shall be considered a separate class for purposes of this vote on the amendment. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation.

    -20-

DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOSITARY SHARES

The following description summarizes specific terms and provisions of the depositary shares relating to the Series C Preferred Stock.

General

Each depositary share represents a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of Series C Preferred Stock and is evidenced by depositary receipts. The underlying shares of the Series C Preferred Stock have been deposited with a depositary pursuant to a deposit agreement among First Midwest, Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc., acting as joint depositary, and the holders from time to time of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares (the "Deposit Agreement"). Subject to the terms of the Deposit Agreement, each holder of a depositary share is entitled, through the depositary, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of Series C Preferred Stock represented by such depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the Series C Preferred Stock represented thereby (including dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights).

In this description of the depositary shares, references to "holders" of depositary shares mean those who own depositary shares registered in their own names on the books that First Midwest or the depositary maintain for this purpose, and not indirect holders who own beneficial interests in depositary shares registered in street name or issued in book-entry form.

Dividends and Other Distributions

Each dividend payable on a depositary share will be in an amount equal to 1/40th of the dividend declared and payable on the related share of the Series C Preferred Stock.

The depositary will distribute any cash dividends or other cash distributions received in respect of the deposited Series C Preferred Stock to the record holders of depositary shares relating to the underlying Series C Preferred Stock in proportion to the number of depositary shares held by the holders. If First Midwest makes a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute any property received by it to the record holders of depositary shares entitled to those distributions, unless it determines that the distribution cannot be made proportionally among those holders or that it is not feasible to make a distribution. In that event, the depositary may, with First Midwest’s approval, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders of the depositary shares.

Record dates for the payment of dividends and other matters relating to the depositary shares will be the same as the corresponding record dates for the Series C Preferred Stock.

The amounts distributed to holders of depositary shares will be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by the depositary or by First Midwest on account of taxes or other governmental charges. The depositary may refuse to make any payment or distribution, or any transfer, exchange or withdrawal of any depositary shares or the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock until such taxes or other governmental charges are paid.

Redemption of Depositary Shares

If First Midwest redeems the Series C Preferred Stock represented by the depositary shares, the depositary shares will be redeemed from the proceeds received by the depositary resulting from the redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock held by the depositary. The redemption price per depositary share is expected to be equal to 1/40th of the redemption price per share payable with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock (or $25 per depositary share), plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to any undeclared dividends, to, but excluding, the redemption date, on the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock.

Whenever First Midwest redeems shares of Series C Preferred Stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem, as of the same redemption date, the number of depositary shares representing shares of Series C Preferred Stock so redeemed. If fewer than all of the outstanding depositary shares are redeemed, the depositary will select the depositary shares to be redeemed pro rata or by lot. In any case, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares only in increments of 40 depositary shares and any integral multiple thereof. The depositary will provide notice of redemption to record holders of the depositary receipts not less than 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock and the related depositary shares.
    -21-

Voting of the Preferred Stock

Because each depositary share represents a 1/40th interest in a share of the Series C Preferred Stock, holders of depositary receipts will be entitled to 1/40th of a vote per depositary share under those limited circumstances in which holders of the Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to a vote, as described above in "Description of Preferred Stock—Voting Rights."

When the depositary receives notice of any meeting at which the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail (or otherwise transmit by an authorized method) the information contained in the notice to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to the Series C Preferred Stock. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date, which will be the same date as the record date for the Series C Preferred Stock, may instruct the depositary to vote the amount of the Series C Preferred Stock represented by the holder's depositary shares. To the extent possible, the depositary will vote the amount of the Series C Preferred Stock represented by depositary shares in accordance with the instructions it receives. First Midwest has agreed to take all reasonable actions that the depositary determines are necessary to enable the depositary to vote as instructed. If the depositary does not receive specific instructions from the holders of any depositary shares representing the Series C Preferred Stock, it will vote all depositary shares held by it proportionately with instructions received.

Form of Series C Preferred Stock and Depositary Shares

The depositary shares are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company. The Series C Preferred Stock is issued in registered form to the depositary.

Listing of Depositary Shares

The depositary shares are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol "FMBIO."

    -22-

CERTAIN ANTI-TAKEOVER MATTERS

The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with the board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the following:

Filling Vacancies on Board of Directors

Under the Certificate of Incorporation, any vacancy occurring in First Midwest’s board of directors will be filled by a majority vote of the remaining directors.

Advance Notice Requirements

The Certificate of Incorporation establishes procedures that stockholders must follow to nominate persons for election to First Midwest’s board of directors or make other proposals. Generally, the stockholder making the nomination or proposal must deliver a written notice to First Midwest’s secretary not less than 120 nor more than 180 days prior to the date of the meeting. The notice must contain certain information specified in the Bylaws.

Limitation on Ability of Stockholders to Call Special Meetings

The Certificate of Incorporation provides that special meetings of the stockholders may only be called by the board of directors, the chairman of the board or the president of First Midwest; provided that, a special meeting may be called by the holders of at least 51% of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of First Midwest entitled to vote generally in the election of directors solely for the purpose of removing a director or directors for cause.

Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

The Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote is required to alter, amend or repeal most provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however, if any proposal to alter, amend or repeal any such provision is approved by 80% of the board of directors, then in such case only the affirmative vote as is required by law or as may otherwise be required by the Certificate of Incorporation of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote is required to alter, amend or repeal such provision. The Bylaws may be amended only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the directors or upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 67% of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote.

Higher Vote for Certain Business Combinations

The Certificate of Incorporation also contains an “affiliated transaction provision.” The affiliated transaction provision provides that, notwithstanding any vote required by law or if no vote is required by law, a supermajority of at least 80% of all the votes that the holders of capital stock are entitled to cast shall be required for the approval of such transactions. Such supermajority approval would be required for:

•a merger or consolidation involving any “Interested Stockholder” (as defined below);
•a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition of assets to or with an Interested Stockholder having an aggregate fair market value of $5 million or more; and
•certain transactions, including certain sales of securities to any Interested Stockholder, a plan of liquidation proposed by an Interested Stockholder or a reclassification of securities, recapitalization or other transaction that has the effect of increasing the proportionate holding of an Interested Stockholder.

For the purpose of the affiliated transaction provision, an “Interested Stockholder” includes any person or entity who directly or indirectly owns or controls 5% or more of First Midwest’s voting power. The supermajority approval requirement does not apply to any transaction that is either approved by a majority of disinterested directors or if certain pricing and procedural requirements are met.

    -23-

Considerations for Board of Directors in Evaluation of Certain Acquisition Proposals

Pursuant to an offer to tender or exchange any First Midwest capital stock or enter into any agreement to merge or consolidate First Midwest or any of its subsidiaries with another person, in connection with the exercise of the board of directors’ judgment in determining First Midwest’s best interests and the best interests of its stockholders, the Certificate of Incorporation requires the board of directors to consider, in addition to the adequacy of the amount to be paid in connection with any such transaction, the following factors and any other factors it deems relevant:

•the social and economic effects of the transaction on First Midwest and its subsidiaries, including First Midwest’s employees, depositors, loan and other customers and creditors and those of its subsidiaries and the communities in which First Midwest and its subsidiaries operate or are located; and
•the business and financial condition and the earning prospects of any prospective acquiring person and the possible effect of such conditions on First Midwest and its subsidiaries and the communities in which First Midwest and its subsidiaries operate or are located; and
•the competence, experience, and integrity of any prospective acquiring person and its management.

Issuance of Preferred Stock to Deter Takeover Attempts

The Certificate of Incorporation provides the board of directors with as much flexibility as possible in using such shares for corporate purposes. However, these additional shares may also be used by the board of directors to deter future attempts to gain control of First Midwest. The board of directors has sole authority to determine the terms of any series of preferred stock, including voting rights, conversion rates and liquidation preferences. As a result of the ability to fix voting rights for a series of preferred stock, the board of directors has the power to issue a series of preferred stock to persons friendly to management. Such an issuance could be used by the board of directors in an attempt to block a post-tender offer merger or other transaction by which a third party seeks a change in control of First Midwest.
    -24-Document

Exhibit 10.10

FIRST MIDWEST BANCORP, INC.
SAVINGS AND PROFIT SHARING PLAN
In accordance with the authorizations and directions of the Board of Directors of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc., the attached First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. Savings and Profit Sharing Plan, As Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2021, except as expressly provided otherwise, is hereby adopted effective as of such date by the undersigned duly authorized officer.
FIRST MIDWEST BANCORP, INC.

By:  /s/ NICHOLAS J. CHULOS                            
Nicholas J. Chulos
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

ATTEST:

 /s/ STEVEN C. BABINSKI                      
Senior Vice President, Senior Assistant 
General Counsel and Assistant Corporate 
Secretary

    

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
						
	ARTICLE 1 GENERAL
	1

	1.1    Purpose
	1

	1.2    Source of Funds
	1

	1.3    Effective Date
	1

	1.4    Definitions
	1

	ARTICLE 2 ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
	12

	2.1    Eligibility Requirements
	12

	2.2    Leaves of Absence
	12

	2.3    Years of Service to be Credited
	12

	2.4    Years of Service to be Disregarded
	13

	2.5    Leased Employees
	13

	2.6    Qualified Military Service
	13

	2.7    Mergers and Acquisitions
	14

	ARTICLE 3 CONTRIBUTIONS BY EMPLOYER AND ROLLOVER CONTRIBUTIONS
	15

	3.1    Contributions to the Plan
	15

	3.2    Before-Tax and Catch-Up Contributions
	15

	3.3    Limitations on Before-Tax Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions
	16

	3.4    Employer Contribution
	18

	3.5    Matching Employer Contribution
	18

	3.6    Rollover Contributions
	19

	3.7    Automatic Contribution
	19

	3.8    Transition Contribution
	19

	ARTICLE 4 ACCOUNTING PROVISIONS AND ALLOCATIONS
	20

	4.1    Participant’s Accounts
	20

	4.2    Common Fund
	20

	4.3    Allocation Procedure
	21

	4.4    Determination of Value of Trust Fund and of Net Earnings or Losses
	21

	4.5    Allocation of Net Earnings or Losses
	21

	4.6    Eligibility to Share in the Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions
	22

	4.7    Allocation of Before-Tax Contributions, Roth Contributions and Catch-Up Contributions
	23

	4.8    Allocation of Matching Employer Contributions
	23

	4.9    Allocation of Employer Contribution and Automatic Contribution
	23

	4.10    Limitation on Annual Additions
	24

	4.11    Allocation of Transition Contribution
	24

	ARTICLE 5 AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS
	25

    1
Error! Unknown document property name.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page

						
	5.1    General Rule
	25

	5.2    Normal Retirement
	25

	5.3    Death
	25

	5.4    Disability
	26

	5.5    Vesting
	26

	5.6    Resignation or Dismissal Prior to January 1, 2021
	26

	5.7    Treatment of Previous Forfeitures
	26

	ARTICLE 6 DISTRIBUTIONS
	28

	6.1    Commencement of Distributions
	28

	6.2    Form of Distributions
	28

	6.3    Distributions to Beneficiaries
	29

	6.4    Beneficiaries
	29

	6.5    Form of Elections and Applications for Benefits
	30

	6.6    Unclaimed Distributions
	30

	6.7    Loans
	30

	6.8    Hardship Distributions
	31

	6.9    Facility of Payment
	33

	6.10    Claims Procedure
	33

	6.11    Eligible Rollover Distributions
	35

	6.12    Minimum Required Distributions
	36

	6.13    Automatic Rollover
	40

	6.14    Withdrawals After Age 59
	40

	6.15    Withdrawal of Rollover Contributions Prior to Termination of Employment
	40

	ARTICLE 7 TOP-HEAVY PLAN REQUIREMENTS
	41

	7.1    Definition of Top-Heavy Plan
	41

	7.2    Top-Heavy Plan Requirements
	41

	7.3    Definitions
	41

	7.4    Cessation of Top-Heavy Requirements
	42

	7.5    EGTRRA Top-Heavy Provisions
	42

	ARTICLE 8 POWERS AND DUTIES OF PLAN COMMITTEE
	44

	8.1    Appointment of Plan Committee
	44

	8.2    Powers and Duties of Committee
	44

	8.3    Committee Procedures
	45

	8.4    Consultation with Advisors
	45

	8.5    Committee Members as Participants
	45

	8.6    Records and Reports
	45

	8.7    Investment Policy
	45

	8.8    Designation of Other Fiduciaries
	46

	8.9    Obligations of Committee
	46

	8.10    Indemnification of Committee
	47

		
		

    2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page

						
	ARTICLE 9 TRUSTEE AND TRUST FUND
	48

	9.1    Trust Fund
	48

	9.2    Payments to Trust Fund and Expenses
	48

	9.3    Trustee’s Responsibilities
	48

	9.4    Reversion to the Employer
	48

	9.5    Investment Options
	48

	9.6    Rollover from Prior Plan
	49

	ARTICLE 10 AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION
	51

	10.1    Amendment
	51

	10.2    Termination
	51

	10.3    Form of Amendment, Discontinuance of Employer Contributions, and Termination
	51

	10.4    Limitations on Amendments
	51

	10.5    Level of Benefits upon Merger
	51

	10.6    Vesting upon Termination or Discontinuance of Employer Contributions; Liquidation of Trust.
	52

	ARTICLE 11 ADOPTION BY AFFILIATES
	53

	11.1    Adoption of Plan
	53

	11.2    The Company as Agent for Employer
	53

	11.3    Adoption of Amendments
	53

	11.4    Termination
	53

	11.5    Data to be Furnished by Employers
	53

	11.6    Joint Employees
	53

	11.7    Expenses
	53

	11.8    Withdrawal
	54

	11.9    Prior Plans
	54

	11.10    Merger of the Heritage Plan into the Plan
	54

	ARTICLE 12 MISCELLANEOUS
	55

	12.1    No Guarantee of Employment, etc.
	55

	12.2    Rights of Participants and Others
	55

	12.3    Qualified Domestic Relations Order
	55

	12.4    Controlling Law
	55

	12.5    Severability
	55

	12.6    Notification of Addresses
	55

	12.7    Gender and Number
	56

	ARTICLE 13 ESOP PROVISIONS
	57

	13.1    General
	57

	13.2    Treatment of the ESOP Fund
	57

		
		
		

    3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page

						
	13.3    Allocation of Employer Contribution
	57

	13.4    Allocation of Net Earnings and Losses and Dividends
	57

	13.5    ESOP Provisions
	58

	ARTICLE 14 ROTH CONTRIBUTIONS
	61

	14.1    General Application
	61

	14.2    Separate Accounting
	61

	14.3    Direct Rollovers
	62

	14.4    Correction of Excess Contributions
	62

	14.5    Definition
	62

    4

ARTICLE 1
GENERAL
1.1    Purpose. It is the intention of the Company to continue to provide for the administration of the First Midwest Bancorp Savings and Profit Sharing Plan and a Trust Fund in conjunction therewith for the benefit of Eligible Employees of the Employers, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 401 and 501 of the Code and in accordance with other provisions of law relating to defined contribution plans.  Except as provided in this Plan or the Trust, upon the transfer by the Employer of any funds to the Trust Fund in accordance with the provisions of this Plan, all interest of the Employer therein shall cease and terminate, and no part of the Trust Fund shall be used for, or diverted to, purposes other than the exclusive benefit of Participants and their beneficiaries.
1.2    Source of Funds.  The Trust Fund shall be created, funded and maintained by contributions of the Employers, by contributions of Participants, and by such net earnings as are obtained from the investment of the funds of the Trust Fund.
1.3    Effective Date.  The provisions of the Plan as herein restated shall be effective as of January 1, 2021, except as expressly provided otherwise.  Except as may be required by ERISA or the Code, the rights of any person whose status as an employee of the Employer and all Affiliates has terminated shall be determined pursuant to the Plan as in effect on the date such employment terminated, unless a subsequently adopted provision of the Plan is made specifically applicable to such person.
1.4    Definitions.  Certain terms are capitalized and have the respective meanings set forth in the Plan.
Account or Accounts.  “Account” or “Accounts” shall mean the individual accounts established pursuant to Section 4.1 representing a Participant’s allocable share of the Trust Fund.  Such Accounts may include:
(a)    An “Employer Contribution Account” maintained to record the amount of Employer Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions or forfeitures thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(b)    A “Vested Employer Account” maintained to record the amount of Employer Contributions, if any, made on behalf of a Participant prior to January 1, 1998 which were, under the terms of the Plan in effect at such time, immediately nonforfeitable when contributed, and adjustments for net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions or forfeitures thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(c)     A “Before-Tax Account” maintained to record the amount of Before Tax Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(d)    A “Matching Account” maintained to record the amount of Matching Employer Contributions and forfeitures, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
    

(e)    A “Prior Plan Account” maintained to record the balance of any account under a Prior Plan, including, effective January 1, 2014, the McHenry Plan and the Heritage Plan, attributable to amounts other than after-tax contributions which is transferred to the Trust Fund, adjustments for net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(f)    An “After-Tax Account” maintained to record the balance of any account under a Prior Plan attributable to after-tax contributions which is transferred to the Trust Fund, adjustments for net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(g)    A “Rollover Account” maintained to record the balance of any Rollover Contribution pursuant to Section 3.6, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.  To the extent applicable to any Rollover Account, an after-tax sub-account shall be maintained as part of the Participant’s Rollover Account to record the balance of any account under a Prior Plan or Rollover Contribution attributable to after-tax contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(h)    A “Catch-Up Contribution Account,” maintained to record the amount of Catch-Up Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
(i)    A “Roth Contribution Account” maintained to maintained to record the amount of Roth Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 14.
(j)    An “Automatic Contribution Account” maintained to record the amount of Automatic Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions or forfeitures thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4, which account may be maintained as a subaccount of the Employer Contribution Account.
(k)    A “Retirement Contribution Account” maintained to record the amount of Retirement Contributions, any net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund thereon and any distributions thereof allocated to a Participant in accordance with Article 4.
Active Participant.  “Active Participant” means a Participant who, on a given date, is employed by the Employer as an Eligible Employee.
Actual Deferral Percentage and Actual Deferral Percentage Test.  “Actual Deferral Percentage” and “Actual Deferral Percentage Test” are described in Section 3.3.
Affiliate.  “Affiliate” means any corporation or enterprise, other than the Company, which, as of a given date, is a member of the same controlled group of corporations, the same group of trades or businesses under common control or the same affiliated service group, determined in accordance with Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code, as is the Company.  
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For purposes of applying the limitations of Section 415 of the Code set forth in Article 4, “Affiliate” shall include any corporation or enterprise, other than the Company, which, as of a given date, is a member of the same controlled group of corporations or the same group of trades or businesses under common control, determined in accordance with Sections 414(b) or (c) of the Code as modified by Section 415(h) thereof, as is the Company.
Annual Addition.  “Annual Addition” means for any Limitation Year, the sum of (a) all Before-Tax Contributions, Roth Contributions, Matching Employer Contributions, Employer Contributions, Automatic Contributions, Transition Contributions, forfeitures and after-tax contributions allocated to the accounts of the Participant under this Plan; (b) any employer contributions, forfeitures and employee after-tax contributions allocated to such Participant under any other defined contribution plan maintained by an Employer or Affiliate; and (c) amounts allocated to an individual medical account as defined in Code Section 415(1)(2) and amounts attributable to post-retirement medical benefits allocated to an account described in Code Section 419A(d)(2) maintained by the Employer or an Affiliate.
Automatic Contributions.  “Automatic Contributions” means the contributions referred to in Section 3.7.
Before-Tax Contributions.  “Before-Tax Contributions” mean, with respect to a Participant, the contributions made on behalf of such Participant by the Employer as described in Section 3.2(a) and, with respect to the Employer, the sum of all such contributions made on behalf of all Participants.
Board of Directors.  “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
Business Day.  “Business Day” means each day on which the Federal Reserve, the New York Stock Exchange and the Trustee are open for business, or if different and to the extent applicable, each day as of which trades are recognized under the rules governing an investment fund of the Plan.
Catch-Up Contributions.  “Catch-Up Contributions” means the contributions described in subsection 3.2(c).
Code.  “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as from time to time amended.
Committee.  “Committee” means the plan administrator and named fiduciary appointed pursuant to Section 8.1.
Company.  The “Company” means First Midwest Bancorp, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
Considered Compensation.  A Participant’s “Considered Compensation” for any Plan Year is their Total Compensation received from an Employer during such Plan Year paid while they were a Participant, but excluding any reimbursements or other expense allowances, fringe benefits (cash and non-cash, including service awards), moving expenses, deferred 
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compensation, and welfare benefits; provided, however, Considered Compensation or Total Compensation shall not include any amount in excess of $290,000, as adjusted for increases in the cost of living in accordance with Code Section 401(a)(17)(B).  Moreover, such dollar limitation shall be prorated for any short Plan Year of less than twelve (12) full months determined by multiplying such dollar limitation by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months in a Plan Year (including any partial month) and the denominator of which is twelve (12).
Defined Contribution Dollar Limitation.  The “Defined Contribution Dollar Limitation” shall, for any Limitation Year, be equal to $58,000, as adjusted by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Code Section 415(d) (prorated for any Limitation Year of less than 12 months).
Determination Date.  A Participant’s Determination Date is the Valuation Date coinciding with their termination of employment.
Early Retirement Date.  A Participant’s “Early Retirement Date” is the date on which they have completed at least 15 Years of Service and attained age 55.  For purposes of Section 4.6, “Early Retirement Date” also includes a retirement date designated by an Employer in connection with the Participant’s election to participate in a voluntary retirement program offered by the Participant’s Employer.  Retirement shall be considered as commencing on the day immediately following a Participant’s last day of employment (or Authorized Leave of Absence, if later).
Eligible Employee.  An “Eligible Employee” is any employee of the Employer or an Affiliate but excluding any employee who is: (1) a Member of a Collective Bargaining Unit, (2) an individual providing services to the Employer in the capacity of, or who is or was designated by the Employer as, a Leased Employee or an independent contractor, or (3) reasonably expected to be a continuous employee for no longer than thirteen weeks, with such expectation based on (A) the fact that the employee is providing services during a break period from a post-secondary education institution at which the employee is enrolled or is expected to be enrolled or (B) such other facts that indicate such a limited continuous employment relationship.
Eligible Participant.  An “Eligible Participant” is a Participant as defined in Section 4.6.
Employer.  “Employer” means the Company or any such Affiliate thereof which adopts the Plan in accordance with Article 11.
Employer Contribution.  “Employer Contribution” is the contribution referred to in Section 3.4.
Employment Commencement Date.  An individual’s “Employment Commencement Date” is the first date on which they perform duties for the Employer or an Affiliate as an employee; provided that in the case of an employee who returns to service following their Severance Date, the employee’s “Employment Commencement Date” is the first date on which 
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they perform duties for the Employer or an Affiliate as an employee following such Severance Date.
Entry Date.  Every day of each Plan Year shall be an “Entry Date.”
ERISA.  “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as from time to time amended.
Five-Percent Owner.  “Five-Percent Owner” means a five-percent owner of the Employer or an Affiliate within the meaning of Section 414(i)(1) of the Code.
Heritage Fund.  “Heritage Fund” means the Fund established and maintained under Section 9.5(a)(iv) of the Plan.
Heritage Plan.  “Heritage Plan” means the Heritage Financial Services Profit Sharing Plan as in effect on September 30, 1998, which was merged into this Plan effective October 1, 1998.
Highly Compensated Employee.  “Highly Compensated Employee” means an employee of the Employer or an Affiliate who was a Participant eligible during the Plan Year to make Before-Tax Contributions and who:
(a)    was a Five-Percent Owner at any time during the Plan Year; or
(b)    received Total Compensation in excess of $130,000 (as adjusted for increases in the cost of living by the Secretary of the Treasury) during the preceding Plan Year and was among the top 20% of the employees (disregarding those employees excludable under Code Section 415(q)(5)) when ranked on the basis of Total Compensation paid for that year.
To the extent required by Code Section 414(q)(6), a former employee who was a Highly Compensated Employee when they separated from service with the Employer and all Affiliates or at any time after attaining age 55 shall be treated as a Highly Compensated Employee.
Hour of Service.  An “Hour of Service” is:
(a)    each hour for which an employee is paid or entitled to payment for the performance of duties for the Employer or an Affiliate;
(b)    each hour for which back pay, irrespective of mitigation of damages, is either awarded or agreed to by the Employer or an Affiliate; and
(c)    each hour for which an employee is paid or entitled to payment for a period during which no duties are performed (irrespective of whether the employment relationship has terminated) due to vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity, layoff, jury duty, military duty, or leave of absence.  In crediting Hours of Service pursuant to this subparagraph (c), all payments made or due shall be taken into account, whether such payments are made directly by the Employer or an Affiliate or 
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indirectly (e.g., through a trust fund or insurer to which the Employer or an Affiliate makes payments, or otherwise), except that:
(i)    no more than 501 such Hours of Service shall be credited for any continuous period during which the employee performs no duties;
(ii)    no such Hours of Service shall be credited if payments are made or due under a plan maintained solely for the purpose of complying with any workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation or disability insurance laws; and
(iii)    no such Hours of Service shall be credited for payments which are made solely to reimburse the employee for medical or medically related expenses.
The Hours of Service, if any, for which an employee is credited for a period in which they perform no duties shall be computed and credited to computation periods in accordance with 29 C.F.R. 2530.200b-2 and other applicable regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor.  For purposes of computing the Hours of Service to be credited to an employee for whom a record of hours worked is not maintained, an employee shall be credited with 45 Hours of Service for each week in which they complete at least one Hour of Service.  In addition, an employee shall be credited with Hours of Service for each week the employee is on a leave of absence in accordance with Section 2.2.
Individual Beneficiary.  “Individual Beneficiary” means a natural person designated by the Participant in accordance with Section 6.4 to receive all or any portion of the amounts remaining in the Participant’s Accounts at the time of the Participant’s death.  “Individual Beneficiary” also means a natural person who is a beneficiary of a trust designated by the Participant in accordance with Section 6.4 to receive all or a portion of such amount, provided the trust requires that such amounts be paid to the beneficiary in the time and manner that this Plan would require that direct payments be made to an Individual Beneficiary.
Investment Options.  “Investment Options” mean the investment options to be maintained as set forth in Article 9.
Leased Employee.  “Leased Employee” means any individual who is not an employee of the Employer or an Affiliate and who provides services for the Employer or an Affiliate if:
(a)    such services are provided pursuant to an agreement between the Employer or an Affiliate and any other person;
(b)    such individual has performed such services for the Employer or an Affiliate (or a related person within the meaning of Section 144(a)(3) of the Code) on a substantially full-time basis for a period of at least one year; and
(c)    such services have been performed under the primary direction or control of the Employer or an Affiliate.
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Contributions or benefits provided a Leased Employee by the leasing organization which are attributable to services performed for the Employer shall be treated as provided by the Employer.  To the extent and for purposes required by Code Sections 414(n) and (o), a Leased Employee shall be deemed to be an Employee of the Employer, unless: (i) they are covered by a money purchase pension plan providing (1) a nonintegrated employer contribution rate of at least 10 percent of compensation, as defined in Code Section 415(c)(3), but including amounts contributed pursuant to a salary reduction agreement which are excludable from the Employee’s gross income under Code Sections 125, 132(0(4), 401(e)(3), 402(h) or 403(b), (2) immediate participation, and (3) full and immediate vesting; and (ii) Leased Employees do not constitute more than 20 percent of the Employer’s nonhighly compensated workforce.
Limitation Year.  “Limitation Year” means a 12-month period beginning January 1 and ending December 31.
Limited Participant.  A “Limited Participant” is a current employee of the Employer or an Affiliate who has become eligible to participate in the Plan on a limited basis pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b)(i).
Matching Employer Contributions.  “Matching Employer Contributions” means the contributions described in Section 3.5.
McHenry Plan.  “McHenry Plan” means the McHenry State Bank Profit Sharing and Savings Plan & Trust, as in effect prior to its merger with this Plan effective December 31, 1997.
Member of a Collective Bargaining Unit.  “Member of a Collective Bargaining Unit” means any employee who is included in a collective bargaining unit and whose terms and conditions of employment are covered by a collective bargaining agreement if there is evidence that retirement benefits were the subject of good-faith bargaining between representatives of such employee and the Employer, unless such collective bargaining agreement makes this Plan applicable to such employee.
Non-Highly Compensated Employee.  “Non-Highly Compensated Employee” means, for any Plan Year, any employee of the Employer or Affiliate who (a) at any time during the Plan Year was a Participant and (b) was not a Highly Compensated Employee for such Plan Year.
Normal Retirement Date.  A Participant’s “Normal Retirement Date” shall be their 65th birthday.
One-Year Break in Service.  A “One-Year Break in Service” is a one-year period, commencing on an employee’s Severance Date, during which such employee does not perform duties for an Employer or an Affiliate.  Solely for purposes of determining whether a One-Year Break in Service has occurred, absences shall be disregarded if the employee otherwise would normally have been credited with Hours of Service but for the employee’s absence because of a maternity or paternity absence.  No more than one year of absence on a single maternity or paternity absence shall be so disregarded.  A maternity or paternity absence is an absence from work:
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(a)    by reason of the pregnancy of the employee;
(b)    by reason of the birth of a child of the employee;
(c)    by reason of the placement of a child with the employee in connection with the adoption of such child by the employee; or
(d)    for purposes of caring for such child for a period beginning immediately following such birth or placement.
Any employee requesting such credit shall promptly furnish the Committee such information as the Committee requires to show that the absence from work is a maternity or paternity absence and the number of days for which there was such an absence.  No more than 501 hours shall be credited for a maternity or paternity absence.  All such hours shall be credited in the Plan Year in which the absence begins if necessary to prevent a One-Year Break in Service in such Plan Year.  If such hours are not necessary to prevent a One-Year Break in Service in such Plan Year, the hours shall be credited in the succeeding Plan Year if necessary to prevent a One-Year Break in Service in such Plan Year.  In the event the Committee is unable to determine the hours which otherwise would normally have been credited for such absence, the employee shall be credited with 8 hours per day.
Participant.  A “Participant” is (a) a current employee of the Employer or an Affiliate who has become eligible to participate in the Plan pursuant to Section 2.1(b)(ii) or (b) a former employee for whose benefit an Account in the Trust Fund is maintained.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Eligible Employee who is not otherwise a Participant and who (i) makes a Rollover Contribution to the Plan pursuant to Section 3.6 and/or (ii) makes a Before-Tax Contribution to the Plan pursuant to Limited Participant status per Subsection 2.1(b)(i) shall also be treated as a Participant solely to the extent of such Rollover Contribution and/or Before-Tax Contribution until such time as the Eligible Employee has become eligible to participate in the Plan pursuant to Section 2.1(b)(ii).
Plan.  “Plan” means the First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. Savings and Profit Sharing Plan as set forth herein and as from time to time amended.
Plan Year.  A “Plan Year” is a 12-month period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31.  References to specific Plan Years are made herein by reference to the calendar year in which the Plan Year began.  For example, the “2021 Plan Year” is the Plan Year beginning January 1, 2021.
Prior Plan.  “Prior Plan” means a defined contribution plan maintained or previously maintained by an Employer from which accounts held for the benefit of individuals who have become Participants hereunder have been transferred to this Plan for the benefit of such Participants.
Qualified Military Service.  “Qualified Military Service” means the performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in the Uniformed Services of the United States by an Eligible 
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Employee provided they are reemployed by the Employer or an Affiliate within the applicable time period specified in Chapter 43 of Title 38 of the United States Code (Employment and Reemployment Rights of Members of the Uniformed Services) and the total length of all such absences does not exceed the maximum specified by law for the retention of reemployment rights.  The term “Uniformed Services of the United States” means the Armed Forces, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, or full-time National Guard duty, or full-time duty in the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.
Required Beginning Date.  “Required Beginning Date” means:
(a)    For a Participant whose 70th birthday occurs prior to July 1, 1998, and who is not a Five-Percent Owner as defined in Code Section 416(i)(1), the April 1 following the calendar year in which the Participant attains age 701⁄2;
(b)    For a Participant whose 70th birthday occurs on or after July 1, 1998, and who is not a Five Percent Owner as defined in Code Section 416(i)(1), the April 1 following the later of the calendar year in which the Participant attains age 701⁄2 or the calendar year in which the Participant terminates employment; or
(c)    For a Participant who is a Five-Percent Owner with respect to the Plan Year in which they attain age 701⁄2, the April 1 following the calendar year in which they attained age 701⁄2.
Rollover Contribution.  A “Rollover Contribution” is (a) all or a portion of a distribution received by an Eligible Employee from a qualified plan described in Code Section 401(a) or 403(a), an annuity contract described in Code Section 403(b), or an eligible plan under Code Section 457(b) which is maintained by a state, political subsidiary of a state, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state, which is eligible for tax-free rollover to a qualified plan and which is transferred by the Eligible Employee to this Plan within 60 days following their receipt thereof; (b) amounts transferred to this Plan from a conduit individual retirement account which has no assets other than assets (and the earnings thereon) which were (i) previously distributed to the Eligible Employee by another qualified plan as a rollover distribution, (ii) eligible for tax-free rollover to a qualified plan and (iii) deposited in such conduit individual retirement account within 60 days of receipt thereof; (c) amounts distributed to the Eligible Employee from a conduit individual retirement account meeting the requirements of the preceding clause (ii), and transferred by the Eligible Employee to this Plan within 60 days of receipt thereof; and (d) a direct rollover within the meaning of Code Section 401(a)(31) or all or a portion of an Eligible Rollover Distribution to this Plan by the trustee of another qualified plan rollover (including a segregated loan account if such account is rolled over directly to this Plan in accordance with Section 6.7(f) in connection with a business merger or acquisition). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, to the extent permitted by the Committee, the Plan shall accept shares of Employer Securities distributed to an Eligible Employee by another qualified plan as a rollover distribution, which shares shall be credited to the ESOP Fund.
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Roth Contributions.  “Roth Contributions” mean, with respect to a Participant, the contributions made on behalf of such Participant by the Employer as described in Article 14 and, with respect to the Employer, the sum of all such contributions made on behalf of all Participants.
Severance Date.  An employee’s “Severance Date” is the earlier of:
(a)    the date on which they quit, retire, die or are discharged; or
(b)    the first day following any one-year period during which they performed no duties for the Employer or an Affiliate, other than a period which is a period of a leave of absence described in Section 2.2.
Total Compensation.  A Participant’s “Total Compensation” for a period is the Participant’s wages, salaries, fees, vacation pay, amounts excluded from the Participant’s income for the period under Code Section 125, 132(f)(4), 402(g)(3) or 457, and other amounts paid to them for personal services actually rendered in the course of employment with the Company and all Affiliates, including, but not limited to, commissions, compensation for services on the basis of a percentage of profits, tips bonuses, and overtime and (in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury) excluding:
(a)    Contributions (other than the Before-Tax Contributions and Catch-Up Contributions) made by the Employer to a plan of deferred compensation to the extent that such are not included in the gross income of the Participant in the year made; Employer contributions to simplified employee pension plans which are excluded from compensation by the Participant; and any distribution from any such plan other than an unfunded non-qualified plan;
(b)    Amounts realized from the exercise of a non-qualified stock option or when restricted stock either becomes freely transferable or free from a substantial risk of forfeiture;
(c)    Amounts realized from the disposition of stock acquired under a qualified stock option; and
(d)    Other amounts which receive special tax benefits.
For Plan Years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, payments made after severance from employment (within the meaning of Code Section 401(k)(2)(B)(i)(I)) and by the later of (A) 2-1/2 months after such severance or (B) the last day of the Plan Year in which such severance occurs, will be Total Compensation if such payments are: (i) payments that, absent a severance from employment, would have been paid to the Participant while the Participant continued in employment with the Employer and such amounts are regular compensation for services rendered during the Participant’s regular working hours, compensation for services outside the Participant’s regular working hours (such as overtime or shift differential), commissions, bonuses, or other similar compensation or (ii) payments attributable to unused accrued vacation the Participant would have been able to use if employment had continued.  Any payments not described above are not considered Total Compensation if paid after severance 
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from employment, even if paid during the Plan Year or within 2-1/2 months following severance from employment, except for payments to a Participant who does not currently perform services for the Employer by reason of Qualified Military Service to the extent the payments do not exceed the amounts the Participant would have received if the Participant had continued to perform services for the Employer rather than entering Qualified Military Service.
Effective January 1, 2009, any differential wage payment paid to a Participant, during a period of Qualified Military Service while on active duty for a period of more than 30 days (within the meaning of Code Section 3401(h)(2)), shall be deemed paid prior to a severance from employment and shall be included in the Total Compensation of the Participant.
Transition Contributions.  “Transition Contributions” means the contributions described in Section 3.8.
Trust.  “Trust” or “Trust Fund” means the First Midwest Bancorp Savings and Profit Sharing Trust established in accordance with Article 9.
Trustee.  “Trustee” means the Trustee or Trustees under the Trust referred to in Article 9.
Valuation Date.  “Valuation Date” means any Business Day, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (g) of Section 13.5 of the Plan. Notwithstanding any provision contained in the Plan or Trust to the contrary, the term Valuation Date shall mean the date of the transaction for purposes of any transaction between the Plan and a disqualified person (as defined in Code section 4975(e)(2)) involving the purchase or sale of Employer Securities, or, if the Employer Securities cease to be Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market the term Valuation Date shall mean the last day of the Plan Year or any other date selected by the Committee.
Year of Service.  A “Year of Service” is a unit of service credited to an employee pursuant to Sections 2.3 and 2.4, for purposes of determining the percentage of the balance in a Participant’s Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account which is nonforfeitable.  An employee who is reemployed shall retain service credited to them in their previous employment with the Employer or an Affiliate, except as otherwise provided in the Plan.

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ARTICLE 2
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
2.1    Eligibility Requirements
(a)    Every Participant on the effective date of the Plan as herein restated shall continue as such subject to the provisions of the Plan.
(b)    Every other Eligible Employee shall be eligible to participate as follows: 
(i)    As of their Employment Commencement Date for the limited purpose of making Before-Tax Contributions, Roth Contributions, and receiving Matching Employer Contributions (as described in Section 3.2, Section 3.5, and Article 14, respectively) and not for receiving Employer Contributions, Automatic Contributions or Transition Contributions (as described in Sections 3.4, 3.7 and 3.8 respectively).  An Eligible Employee who may participate in the Plan on such a limited basis shall be referred to as a “Limited Participant.”
(ii)    As of the Entry Date coinciding with or next following the one-year anniversary of the Eligible Employee’s Employment Commencement Date, an Eligible Employee may participate in all features of the Plan as applicable to such Eligible Employee.
(c)    Any former employee of the Employer or an Affiliate who was a Participant or could have become a Participant under subsection (b) above had they been employed on a prior Entry Date, and are reemployed by the Employer as an Eligible Employee shall be eligible to participate immediately upon reemployment.
(d)    Notwithstanding any provisions of this Plan to the contrary, any individual who was providing services to the Employer in the capacity of, or who was designated by the Employer as, an independent contractor or a Leased Employee, and who is subsequently reclassified as an Eligible Employee for the purposes of this Plan (regardless of whether such reclassification is retrospective or prospective), shall be eligible to participate in the Plan on a prospective basis only from the date of the re-classification and shall not have any retroactive claim for benefits.
2.2    Leaves of Absence.  During the period that any Participant is granted a leave of absence, they shall share in Matching Employer Contributions, Employer Contributions, Automatic Contributions, Transition Contributions, forfeitures, and net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as if they were not on leave of absence.  Any leave of absence under this Section 2.2 must be granted in writing and pursuant to the Employer’s established leave policy, which shall be administered in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner to similarly situated employees.
2.3    Years of Service to be Credited.
(a)    Every employee on the effective date of the Plan as restated herein shall retain their Years of Service credited prior to January 1, 2021.
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(b)    An employee shall be credited with One Year of Service for each full year in the period commencing on their Employment Commencement Date and ending on their Severance Date.  An employee shall also be credited with 1/12 of a Year of Service for each full calendar month in such period for which they did not receive credit pursuant to the preceding sentence, including, if applicable, 1/12 of a Year of Service for the partial calendar month in which the employee’s Employment Commencement Date and in which the employee’s Severance Date occurred.
(c)    An employee reemployed after their Severance Date but prior to a One-Year Break in Service shall be credited with 1/12 of a Year of Service for each calendar month or partial calendar month during the period from their Severance Date to the date of reemployment not otherwise credited pursuant to paragraph (a) above.
2.4    Years of Service to be Disregarded.  A Participant shall be credited with all Years of Service, except that the following shall be disregarded:
(a)    Years of Service for an Employer or Affiliate prior to the Employer’s adoption of the Plan, except to the extent otherwise provided by the Employer when adopting the Plan;
(b)    Years of Service prior to a One-Year Break in Service if the Employee fails to complete one Year of Service after such-One-Year Break in Service;
(c)    In the case of an employee whose nonforfeitable percentage of the balance of their Employer Contribution Account is 0%, the number of years and portions thereof in the period after the employee’s Severance Date but before they next perform duties for the Employer or an Affiliate equals or exceeds the greater of 5 or the aggregate number of Years of Service and portions thereof before such One-Year Break in Service (excluding any years of Service previously disregarded); or
(d)    In the case of an employee whose nonforfeitable percentage of the balance of their Employer Contribution Account is 0%, and who terminated their employment with the Employer and all Affiliates because of a maternity or paternity absence defined in Section 1.4, the number of years and portions thereof in the period after the employee’s Severance Date but before they next perform duties for the Employer or an Affiliate equals or exceeds the greater of six or one plus the aggregate number of Years of Service and portions thereof before such One-Year Break in Service (excluding any Years of Service previously disregarded).
2.5    Leased Employees.  To the extent required by Section 414(n) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, a Leased Employee shall be treated as an employee of the Employer or an Affiliate but shall not be eligible for any benefit under the Plan.
2.6    Qualified Military Service.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, effective December 12, 1994, contributions, benefits and service credit with respect to Qualified Military Service will be provided in accordance with Code Section 414(u).  Without limiting the foregoing provision of this Section 2.6, in the case of any Participant who dies while performing Qualified Military Service, the beneficiary of the Participant under the Plan shall be entitled to such benefits (other than an accrual of benefits relating to the period of the Participant’s Qualified Military 
    13

Service) under the Plan as would have been provided had the Participant resumed employment and then promptly thereafter terminated employment on account of the Participant’s death.
2.7    Mergers and Acquisitions.  For purposes of determining eligibility to participate under Section 2.1 and Years of Service under Sections 2.3 and 2.4 for an Eligible Employee who becomes employed by an Employer in connection with the Employer’s merger with, or acquisition of the assets or stock of, such Eligible Employee’s prior employer, such Eligible Employee’s continuous employment, Hours of Service and Years of Service shall include service with such prior employer to the extent provided in the applicable merger or acquisition agreement approved by the Board of Directors.

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ARTICLE 3
CONTRIBUTIONS BY EMPLOYER AND ROLLOVER CONTRIBUTIONS
3.1    Contributions to the Plan.  Subject to the right reserved to the Company to alter, amend or discontinue this Plan and Trust, the Employer shall for each Plan Year contribute to the Plan for its eligible Participants an amount equal to the sum of:
(a)    the Employer Contribution;
(b)    the Before Tax Contribution;
(c)    the Matching Employer Contribution;
(d)    the Automatic Contribution;
(e)    the Transition Contribution; and
(f)    Catch-Up Contributions, as described in subsection 3.2(c) below.
In no event shall the Employer contributions for a Plan Year exceed the amount deductible by the Employer for said year for federal income tax purposes.
3.2    Before-Tax and Catch-Up Contributions.
(a)    Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.1 and 3.3, each Participant may for each Plan Year elect to have the Employer make a Before-Tax Contribution on their behalf in an amount equal to not less than one percent (1%) and not more one hundred percent (100%) (rounded to the nearest dollar) of their Considered Compensation.  Such elections shall be made in whole percentages only (e.g., 5%, 20%) and are subject to change in accordance with procedures established by the Committee from time to time.
(b)    The amount of the Before-Tax and Catch-Up Contributions to be made pursuant to a Participant’s election shall reduce the compensation otherwise payable to them by the Employer.
(c)    All employees who are eligible to make elective deferrals under this Plan and who have attained age 50 before the close of a Plan Year shall be eligible to make catch-up contributions in accordance with, and subject to the limitations of, Code Section 414(v), herein referred to as “Catch-Up Contributions.” Such Catch-Up Contributions shall not be taken into account for purposes of the provisions of the Plan implementing the required limitations of Code Sections 402(g) and 415.  The Plan shall not be treated as failing to satisfy the provisions of the Plan implementing the requirements of Code Sections 401(k)(3), 401(k)(11), 401(k)(12), 410(b), or 416, as applicable, by reason of any such Catch-Up Contributions.  Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, Catch Up Contributions shall be taken into account for purposes of Matching Employer Contributions under Section 3.5.
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3.3    Limitations on Before-Tax Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions.
(a)    In no event shall a Participant’s Before-Tax and/or Roth Contributions during any calendar year exceed the dollar limitation in effect under Code Section 402(g) at the beginning of such calendar year.  If a Participant’s Before-Tax and/or Roth Contributions, together with any additional employer contributions to a qualified cash or deferred arrangement, any elective deferrals under a tax-sheltered annuity program or a simplified employee pension plan, exceed such dollar limitation for any calendar year, the Participant shall notify the Committee of the amount of such excess allocable to this Plan by March 1 of the following year, and such excess, and any earnings allocable thereto, may be distributed to the Participant by April 15 of such following year; provided, that, if such excess contributions were made to a plan or arrangement not maintained by the Employer or an Affiliate, the Participant must first notify the Committee of the amount of such excess allocable to this Plan by March 1 of the following year.
(b)    This Plan is intended to satisfy one of the alternative methods of meeting the nondiscrimination requirements of Code Section 401((k)(12) and 401(m)(11).  To the extent the nondiscrimination tests under Code Section 401(k)(3)(ii) are required with respect to Limited Participants, notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Before-Tax Contributions, Roth Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions for the Limited Participants who are Highly Compensated Employees for the Plan Year shall be reduced in accordance with the following provisions:
(i)    The Before-Tax Contributions and/or Roth Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions of the Highly Compensated Employees shall be reduced if neither of the Actual Deferral Percentage tests set forth in (A) or (B) below is satisfied after taking into account the provisions of subsection (f):
(A)    The 1.25 Test.  The Actual Deferral Percentage of the Highly Compensated Employees is not more than the Actual Deferral Percentage of all other eligible Participants multiplied by 1.25.
(B)    The 2.0 Test.  The Actual Deferral Percentage of the Highly Compensated Employees is not more than 2 percentage points greater than the Actual Deferral Percentage of all other eligible Participants, and the Actual Deferral Percentage of the Highly Compensated Employees is not more than the Actual Deferral Percentage of all other eligible Participants multiplied by 2.0.
(ii)    (A)    As used in this subsection, “Actual Deferral Percentage” means:
(1)    With respect to Non-Highly Compensated Employees, the average of-the ratios of each Non-Highly Compensated Employee’s Before-Tax and Roth Contributions and share of the Matching Employer Contributions with respect to the prior Plan Year to each such Participant’s Considered Compensation for such Plan Year (prior or current, as appropriate); and
    16

(2)    With respect to Highly Compensated Employees, the average of the ratios of each Highly Compensated Employee’s Before-Tax and Roth Contributions and share of the Matching Employer Contribution with respect to the current Plan Year, to each such Participant’s Considered Compensation for such Plan Year.
(iii)    All Before-Tax and Roth Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions made under this Plan and all before-tax and matching contributions made under any other plan that is aggregated with this Plan for purposes of Code Sections 401(a)(4) and 410(b) shall be treated as made under a single plan.  If any plan is permissively aggregated with this Plan for purposes of Code Section 401(k), the aggregated plans must also satisfy Code Sections 401(a)(4) and 410(b) as though they were a single plan.  The Actual Deferral Percentage ratios of any Highly Compensated Employee will be determined by treating all plans subject to Code Section 401(k) under which the Highly Compensated Employee is eligible as a single plan.
(iv)    The sequence for determining the amount of such reductions shall begin with Highly Compensated Employees who elected to defer the greatest percentage of Considered Compensation, then the second greatest percentage amount, continuing until either Actual Deferral Percentage Test is satisfied.  This process shall continue through the Before-Tax Contributions and Matching Employer Contributions until either Actual Deferral Percentage Test is satisfied.
(v)    Once the total amount of reductions has been determined under 3.3(b)(iv) above, the Committee shall direct the Trustee to distribute as a refund to the appropriate Highly Compensated Employees an allocable portion of such reduction attributable to excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions and to treat as forfeitures the appropriate amount of Matching Employer Contributions, together with the net earnings or losses allocable thereto.  The sequence for determining and refunding a Highly Compensated Employee’s allocable portion of excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions shall begin with the Highly Compensated Employee who elected to defer the greatest dollar amount of Before-Tax or Roth Contributions.  The Before-Tax or Roth Contributions of such Participant shall be reduced by the amount required to cause that Participant’s Before-Tax and Roth Contributions to equal the dollar amount of the Before-Tax and Roth Contributions of the Highly Compensated Employee with the next highest dollar amount of Before-Tax Contributions.  If the total amount distributed is less than the total excess contributions, this process shall continue until all excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions are distributed and excess Matching Employer Contributions are forfeited.  However, notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, if a lesser reduction, when added to the total dollar amount previously reduced, would equal the total excess contributions, such lesser reduction shall be utilized.  The Committee shall designate such distribution and forfeiture as a distribution of excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions and forfeiture of excess Matching Employer Contributions, determine the amount of the allocable net earnings or losses to be distributed and forfeited in accordance with subsections 3.3(c) and 3.3(d) below, and cause such distributions and forfeitures to occur prior to the end of the Plan Year following the Plan 
    17

Year in which the excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions and Excess Matching Employer Contributions were made.
(c)    Net earnings or losses to be refunded with the excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions shall be equal to the net earnings or losses on such contributions for the Plan Year in which the contributions were made.  The net earnings or losses allocable to excess Before-Tax or Roth Contributions for the Plan Year shall be determined in the manner set forth in Article 4 and in all events in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.401(k)-2(b)(2).
(d)    Net earnings or losses to be treated as forfeitures together with the Matching Employer Contributions shall be equal to the net earnings or losses on such contributions for the Plan Year in which the contributions were made.  Net earnings or loses on Matching Employer Contributions shall be determined in the same manner as in subsection (c) above.
(e)    Any Matching Employer Contribution treated as a forfeiture pursuant to subsection (b) above shall be used to reduce the Matching Employer Contribution in Section 3.5.
(f)    For the purpose of avoiding the necessity of adjustments pursuant to this Section or Section 4.10, or to comply with any applicable law or regulation:
(i)    The Committee may adopt such rules as it deems necessary or desirable to impose limitations during a Plan Year on the percentage of Before-Tax or Roth Contributions elected by Participants pursuant to Sections 3.2 and 14.1 respectively; or
(ii)    The Employer may at its sole discretion make fully vested contributions to the Plan which will be allocated to the Before-Tax Accounts of one or more Participants who are Non-Highly Compensated Employees in such amounts as the Employer directs for the purpose of complying with the applicable limits on Before-Tax Contributions in the Code.  Such contributions will not be taken into account in the allocation of Matching Employer Contributions.
(g)    The amount of each eligible Participant’s Before-Tax Contribution as determined under this Section 3.3 is subject to the provisions of Section 4.10.
3.4    Employer Contribution.  Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.1 and 4.10, each Employer shall pay to the Trustee for each Plan Year with respect to its Participants who are eligible Participants for purposes of the allocation of the Employer Contribution pursuant to Section 4.9, such amount as may be determined by its board of directors, based on guidelines established by the Board of Directors.  The amount so determined shall be no greater than 15% of such eligible Participants’ Considered Compensation.  Such amount paid to the Trustee pursuant to this Section 3.4 is known as the “Employer Contribution.”
3.5    Matching Employer Contribution
.
    18

(a)    Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.1 and 4.10, each Employer shall pay to the Trustee for credit to the Matching Contribution Account of each eligible Participant employed by it an amount which shall be equal to $1 for each $1 of Before-Tax or Roth Contributions made on behalf of each Participant employed by such Employer up to 3% of their Considered Compensation and $.50 for each $1 of the next 2% of Before-Tax or Roth Contributions.
(b)    The Employer contributions made pursuant to this Section 3.5 shall be known as the “Matching Employer Contributions.” The Matching Contribution is intended to be an annual contribution, based on the sum of each Participant’s Before-Tax or Roth Contributions for the Plan Year.  The Employer, in its discretion, may make Matching Employer Contributions during the Plan Year based on the Before-Tax or Roth Contributions made by Participants with respect to payroll periods ending prior to the date of such Matching Employer Contribution.  As of the end of each Plan Year the Employer shall make such additional Matching Employer Contributions, if any, as may be necessary to ‘true up’ the total annual Matching Employer Contribution.
3.6    Rollover Contributions.  A Participant or Eligible Employee may with the written consent of the Committee make a Rollover Contribution to the Trust Fund.  The Committee may adopt such rules and limitations as it deems necessary or appropriate with respect to the approval of Rollover Contributions, including but not limited to the time period or periods during which such requests may be made and the frequency of such requests.
3.7    Automatic Contribution.  Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.1 and 4.10, each Employer shall pay to the Trustee for each Plan Year with respect to its Participants who are eligible Participants for purposes of the allocation of the Automatic Contribution pursuant to Section 4.9, an amount equal to 2% of each eligible Participant’s Considered Compensation.  The Employer contributions made pursuant to this Section 3.7 shall be known as “Automatic Contributions.”
3.8    Transition Contribution.
(a)    Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.1 and 4.10, for the 2014 and 2015 Plan Years, each Employer contributed to the Trustee with respect to its Eligible Employees who were active participants in the First Midwest Bancorp Consolidated Pension Plan on December 31, 2013, a contribution equal to a percentage of each such eligible Participant’s Considered Compensation during the Plan Year, based on such eligible Participant’s attained age (as of December 31 of such Plan Year) as follows:
						
	Age	Contribution Percentage
	40 to 49	2%
	50 to 59	3%
	60 +	4%

The Employer contributions made pursuant to this Section 3.8 are known as “Transition Contributions.”
(b)    A Participant eligible to receive Transition Contributions pursuant to Section 3.8(a) shall receive Transition Contributions for a Plan Year only if they are employed by the Employer as an Eligible Employee as of the last day of such Plan Year.
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ARTICLE 4
ACCOUNTING PROVISIONS AND ALLOCATIONS
4.1    Participant’s Accounts.
(a)    For each Participant and each Beneficiary of a deceased Participant there shall be maintained as appropriate a separate Employer Contribution Account, Vested Employer Account, Before-Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account, Matching Account, Prior Plan Account, Heritage Plan Account, McHenry Plan Account, After-Tax Account, Rollover Account, Trustee Transfer Account, Automatic Contribution Account, Transition Contribution Account, and Catch-Up Contribution Account.  Each account shall be credited with the amount of contributions, interest and earnings of the Trust Fund allocated to such Account and shall be charged with all distributions, withdrawals, losses and expenses of the Trust Fund allocated to such Account.
4.2    Common Fund.
(a)    The Trust Fund shall be a common fund divided into separate investment funds (“Funds”) as provided in Section 9.5.  Each Fund as may from time to time be established shall be a common fund in which each Participant and Beneficiary shall have an undivided interest in the respective assets of the Fund, provided that all Accounts segregated and all loans made pursuant to Section 6.7 shall together with the net earnings or losses of such Accounts or loans be accounted for separately and will not be included in any of the adjustments resulting from the application of this Section 4.2.  Except as otherwise provided, the value of each Participant’s Accounts in each Fund shall be measured by the proportion that the net credits to their Accounts bear to the total net credits to all Accounts as of the date such share is being determined.  For purposes of allocation of the net earnings and losses and for the valuation of the Trust Fund, each Fund shall be considered separately.  No Fund shall share in the net earnings or losses of any other, and no Fund shall be valued by taking into account any assets or distributions for any other.
(b)    Each loan made pursuant to Section 6.7 shall be valued as of each Valuation Date.  Any changes in value resulting from such valuation, together with any income or expenses attributable thereto, shall be credited or charged as of such Valuation Date to the Accounts of the Participant from which such loan was made.
(c)    Except as provided in Section 4.5 below, the interest of each Participant and Beneficiary in the net earnings and losses and of the valuation of one or more of the Funds may be measured by the value of the shares or units of such Fund credited to the Participant’s or Beneficiary’s Accounts as of the date that such valuation is being determined.  The value of a unit in each such Fund on any Valuation Date shall be the quotient obtained by dividing the sum of (i) the cash and (ii) the fair market value of all securities or property allocated to such Fund, less any charges and expenses accrued and properly chargeable to such Fund as of said Valuation Date, by the aggregate number of units credited to all Accounts with respect to such Fund.  The Trustee will furnish to the Committee a report with respect to the fair market value of all securities and property held in any Fund at least quarterly.  To the extent that any assets of a Fund have been invested in one or more separate investment trusts, mutual funds, investment contracts or similar investment media, the net earnings and losses and valuation 
    20

attributable to such investments shall be determined in accordance with the procedures of such investment media.
4.3    Allocation Procedure.  As of each Valuation Date, the Committee shall, with respect to each Account:
(a)    First, charge each Account for any withdrawals, loans or distributions made therefrom since the immediately preceding Valuation Date.
(b)    Second, credit each Before-Tax Account pursuant to Section 4.7.
(c)    Third, credit each Roth Contributions Account pursuant to Section 4.7.
(d)    Fourth, credit each Catch-Up Contribution Account pursuant to Section 4.7.
(e)    Fifth, credit each Rollover Contribution Account with the amount of any Rollover Contributions since the immediately preceding Valuation Date.
(f)    Sixth, credit any Accounts segregated pursuant to Article 6 with the amount of any loan repayments made since the immediately preceding Valuation Date.
(g)    Seventh, credit or charge the respective Accounts with the net earnings or losses of each Fund allocable thereto in accordance with Section 4.5, or, in the case of Accounts segregated in accordance with Article 6, the net earnings or losses allocable thereto in accordance with Article 6.
(h)    Eighth, credit each Matching Employer Contribution Account pursuant to Section 4.8.
(i)    Ninth, if the Valuation Date is the last day of a Plan Year, credit each Transition Contribution account pursuant to Section 4.11.
(j)    Tenth, if the Valuation Date is the last day of the Plan Year, credit each Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account pursuant to Section 4.9.
4.4    Determination of Value of Trust Fund and of Net Earnings or Losses.  As of each Valuation Date the Trustee shall determine for the period then ended the sum of the net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund (excluding any gains and losses attributable to the Accounts and loans to Participants segregated pursuant to Article 6), which shall reflect accrued but unpaid interest, gains or losses realized from the sale, exchange or collection of assets, other income received, appreciation or depreciation in the fair market value of assets, administration expenses, taxes and other expenses paid and, subject to Section 4.2, dividends.  Gains or losses realized and adjustments for appreciation or depreciation in fair market value shall be computed with respect to the difference between such value as of the date of purchase and the date of disposition.
4.5    Allocation of Net Earnings or Losses.
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(a)    As of each Valuation Date, the net earnings or losses of the Trust Fund or of each Fund established under Section 4.2 shall be allocated to the Accounts (excluding Accounts and loans to Participants segregated pursuant to Section 6.7) of all Participants (or beneficiaries of deceased Participants or an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order) having credits in the Trust Fund or Fund on the Valuation Date.  Such allocation shall be in the ratio that (i) the net credits to each Account of each Participant on the preceding Valuation Date bears to (ii) the total net credits to all such Accounts of all Participants on the preceding Valuation Date.
(b)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, reasonable Plan expenses shall be allocated to the Accounts of all Participants (or beneficiaries of deceased Participants or an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order) from time to time, but no less frequently than quarterly, as reasonably determined by the Committee.  When allocating expenses among Accounts, the Committee may allocate such expenses using any reasonable method that does not violate applicable Department of Labor rules and regulations and does not discriminate in favor of Highly Compensated Employees.  Such methods may include, but not be limited to: (i) allocating specific expenses to individual Participant accounts, including but not limited to expenses for distributions, loans, hardship withdrawal, rollovers, account maintenance and QDROs; (ii) allocating expenses using a per capita or pro rata method; (ii) allocating expenses only to current or former Employee-Participants; and (iii) any combination of the foregoing.
4.6    Eligibility to Share in the Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions.
(a)    An Active Participant shall be eligible to share in Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions for the Plan Year as of the last day of which such Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions are being allocated if they are then employed by the Employer as an Eligible Employee.  A Participant who, during a Plan Year, (i) retires on or after their Normal Retirement Date or Early Retirement Date, (ii) dies, (iii) is initially deemed totally and permanently disabled, or (iv) as expressly provided in the terms of an agreement approved or a resolution adopted by the board of directors of an Employer in connection with the termination of the Employer’s participation in the Plan during the Plan Year, provided such agreement or resolution was authorized by the Board of Directors, shall also be eligible to share in the Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions for said Plan Year.  A Participant who is eligible to share in the Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions shall be known as an “Eligible Participant.”
(b)    Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, if the Plan would otherwise fail to meet the requirements of Code Section 410(b) and the regulations thereunder because Employer Contributions, Transition Contributions and Automatic Contributions have not been allocated to a sufficient number or percentage of Participants for a Plan Year, then the following rules will apply:
(i)    The group of Participants eligible to share in the Employer Contribution and Automatic Contribution for the Plan Year will be expanded to include the minimum number of Participants who would not otherwise be eligible as are necessary to satisfy the applicable test specified above.  The specific Participants who will become eligible under the terms of this paragraph will be those who are actively employed on the last day of the Plan Year and, when compared to similarly situated Participants, have completed the greatest number of Hours of Service in the Plan Year.
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(ii)    If after application of the previous paragraph, the applicable test is still not satisfied, then the group of Participants eligible to share in the Employer Contribution and Automatic Contribution for the Plan Year will be further expanded to include the minimum number of former Participants who are (A) not employed on the last day of the Plan Year, (B) Non-Highly Compensated Employees and (C) are vested or partially vested in their Accounts, as are necessary to satisfy the applicable test.  The specific former Participants who will become eligible under the terms of this paragraph will be those former Participants, when compared to similarly situated former Participants, who have completed the greatest number of Hours of Service in the Plan Year before terminating employment.
(iii)    Nothing in this Section will permit the reduction of a Participant’s benefit.  Therefore any amounts that have previously been allocated to Participants may not be reallocated to satisfy these requirements.  In the event allocations to additional Participants or former Participants are required, the Employer will make an additional contribution equal to the amount such persons would have received had they been included in the allocations, even if it exceeds the amount which would be deductible under Code Section 404.  Any adjustment to the allocations pursuant to this Section will be made by the 15th day of the tenth month after the end of the Plan Year and will be considered a retroactive amendment adopted by the last day of the Plan Year.
4.7    Allocation of Before-Tax Contributions, Roth Contributions and Catch-Up Contributions.
(a)    As of each Valuation Date, the Before-Tax Contributions made on behalf of each Participant since the prior Valuation Date shall be allocated to such Participant’s Before-Tax Account.
(b)    As of each Valuation Date, the Roth Contributions made on behalf of each Participant since the prior Valuation Date shall be allocated to such Participant’s Roth Contribution Account.
(c)    As of each Valuation Date, any Catch-Up Contributions made on behalf of each Participant since the prior Valuation Date shall be allocated to such Participant’s Catch-Up Contribution Account.
4.8    Allocation of Matching Employer Contributions.  As of each Valuation Date, the Matching Employer Contributions made on behalf of each Participant in accordance with Section 3.5 since the prior Valuation Date shall be allocated to such Participant’s Matching Employer Contribution Account.
4.9    Allocation of Employer Contribution and Automatic Contribution.  As of the last day of each Plan Year, the Employer Contribution shall be allocated among the Employer Contribution Accounts of all Eligible Participants in the ratio that each such Participant’s Considered Compensation for the Plan Year from that Employer bears to the total Considered Compensation of all such Eligible Participants from that Employer for the Plan Year.  As of the last day of each Plan Year, the Automatic 
    23

Contributions made on behalf of an Eligible Participant in accordance with Section 3.7 of the Plan shall be allocated to the Automatic Contribution Account of each such Participant.
4.10    Limitation on Annual Additions.  In addition to any other limits set forth in the Plan, and notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in no event shall the Annual Addition with respect to a Participant’s Accounts exceed the maximum annual amount permitted by Section 415 of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder.  Notwithstanding any provisions in the Plan to the contrary, if the limitation of this Section 4.10 is exceeded for any Participant, then the Plan may only correct such excess in accordance with the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”) as set forth in Revenue Procedure 2019-19 or any superseding guidance, including but not limited to, the preamble to the final Treasury Regulations issued under Section 415 of the Code.
4.11    Allocation of Transition Contribution.  As of the last day of the 2014 and 2015 Plan Years, the Transition Contributions made on behalf of eligible Participant in accordance with Section 3.8 of the Plan shall be allocated to the Transition Contribution Account of each such Participant.

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ARTICLE 5
AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS
5.1    General Rule.  Upon the retirement, disability, resignation or dismissal of a Participant, they, or in the event of their death, their beneficiary, shall be entitled to receive from their respective Accounts in the Trust Fund as of their Determination Date:
(a)    An amount equal to the Participant’s Before-Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account, Matching Account, Catch-Up Contribution Account (if applicable), and Transition Contribution Account plus any of the Participant’s contributions made to the Trust Fund but not allocated to the Participant’s Before-Tax Account or Catch-Up Contribution Account as of their Determination Date; and
(b)    An amount equal to their Prior Plan Account and After-Tax Account;
(c)    An amount equal to their Rollover Account;
(d)    An amount equal to their Vested Employer Account; and
(e)    The nonforfeitable portion of the Participant’s Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account, determined as hereafter set forth.
All rights of Participants or of any other person or persons shall be subject to the provisions of Article 6 concerning the time and manner of making distributions.
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, the nonforfeitable portion of the Employer Contribution Account of any Participant whose employment terminates pursuant to the Participant’s participation in a voluntary retirement program applicable to such Participant shall be equal to the greater of such percentage determined on the basis of the Participant’s age and Years of Service as of the date of termination, or such percentage determined on the basis of the Participant’s age as of the date of termination and Years of Service as of the date of termination increased by the number of additional years of Credited Service (as defined in the First Midwest Bancorp Consolidated Pension Plan), if any, with which such Participant is credited under the Pension Plan as a result of their participation in the voluntary retirement program
5.2    Normal Retirement.  Any Participant may retire on or after their Normal Retirement Date.  If the retirement of a Participant is deferred beyond their Normal Retirement Date, they shall continue in full participation in the Plan and Trust Fund.
5.3    Death.  As of the date any Participant shall die while in the employ of the Employer or an Affiliate, the forfeitable portion, if any, of their Employer Contribution Account, and Automatic Contribution Account shall become nonforfeitable, including forfeitures eligible to be restored pursuant to Section 5.7(c).
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5.4    Disability.  As of the date any Participant shall be determined by the Social Security Administration to have become totally and permanently disabled because of physical or mental infirmity while in the employ of the Employer or an Affiliate and their employment shall have terminated, the forfeitable portion, if any, of their Employer Contribution Account, and Automatic Contribution Account shall become nonforfeitable, including forfeitures eligible to be restored pursuant to Section 5.7(c).
5.5    Vesting.  All Active Participants on January 1, 2021 shall be immediately vested in all Accounts, including such Accounts that prior to January 1, 2021 remained all, or partially forfeitable. Accordingly, a Participant’s interest in their Before-Tax Account, Catch-Up Contribution Account, Matching Account, Vested Employer Account, Transition Contribution Account, Prior Plan Account, After-Tax Account, Employer Contribution Account, Automatic Contribution Account, Heritage Plan Account and McHenry Plan Account shall be nonforfeitable at all times.  
5.6    Resignation or Dismissal Prior to January 1, 2021
.
(a)    If prior to January 1, 2021 any Participant incurred a Severance Date, other than by reason of death or disability or on or after their Normal Retirement Date or Early Retirement Date, there shall become nonforfeitable none, a portion, or all of their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account computed as of their Determination Date in accordance with the following schedule, subject to Sections 2.3 and 2.4:
						
	If Their Years 
of Service 
Shall Have Been
	The Nonforfeitable 
Percentage of Their Employer Contribution Account and “Automatic Contribution Account Shall Be

	Less than 2	0%
	2 but less than 3	20%
	3 but less than 4	40%
	4 but less than 5	60%
	5 but less than 6	80%
	6 or more	100%

Any part of the Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account of such Participant which does not become nonforfeitable shall be treated as a forfeiture pursuant to Section 5.7.
(b)    If a Participant is employed at a Company branch located in Streator, Illinois and incurs their Severance Date on the day of the Company’s sale of the Streator branches, then 100% of their Employer Contribution Account computed as of their Determination Date shall be nonforfeitable.
5.7    Treatment of Previous Forfeitures
    26

.
(a)    Prior to January 1, 2021, upon termination of a Participant’s employment with the Employer and all Affiliates, the nonvested portion of their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account became a forfeiture as of the end of the Plan Year in which the termination of employment occurred if the Participant was not then reemployed by the Employer or an Affiliate.  Forfeitures were used to reduce the Employer Contributions and Automatic Contributions that would otherwise be paid by the Employer to the Plan pursuant to Sections 3.4 and 3.7.
(b)    If a Participant who experienced a forfeiture prior to January 1, 2021 is reemployed by the Employer or an Affiliate without incurring 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service, and before distribution of the nonforfeitable portion of their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account, the amount of the forfeiture shall be restored to their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account, as appropriate, and such Participant shall become immediately vested in their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account as of the date of their reemployment.
(c)    If the Participant who experienced a forfeiture prior to January 1, 2021 is reemployed by the Employer or an Affiliate without incurring 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service but after distribution of the nonforfeitable portion of their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account, and if the Participant repays, the amount of the Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account distributed to them before the earlier of (i) the date which is 5 years after the first date on which the Participant is reemployed by the Employer or an Affiliate, or (ii) the date on which they incur 5 consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service, then the amount of the forfeiture shall be restored to their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account, as appropriate, and such Participant shall become immediately vested in their Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account as of that date.
(d)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant terminated their employment with the Employer and all Affiliates because of a maternity or paternity absence as defined in Section 1.4, then this Section 5.7 shall be read by substituting the word “six” for the number “five” as it appears in Subsections (b) and (c) above.
(e)    Amounts restored to a Participant’s Employer Contribution Account and Automatic Contribution Account pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) above shall be deducted from the forfeitures which otherwise would be allocable for the Plan Year in which such reemployment or repayment occurs or, to the extent such forfeitures are insufficient, shall require a supplemental contribution from the Employer.

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ARTICLE 6
DISTRIBUTIONS
6.1    Commencement of Distributions.
(a)    (i)    Distribution of a Participant’s Accounts in the Trust Fund shall commence or be made on or as soon as practicable after their 65th birthday or, if later, the Participant’s termination of employment with the Employer and all Affiliates and, unless a Participant and their spouse (if applicable) otherwise request in writing, distributions shall commence no later than the 60th day after the close of the Plan Year in which the later of such events occurs.
(ii)    In all events, distribution shall commence no later than the Required Beginning Date, and subsequent distributions required to be made each year for compliance with Code Section 401(a)(9) and the regulations promulgated thereunder shall be made no later than December 31 of such year.
(b)    Notwithstanding anything in this Section 6.1 to the contrary, if any further amount becomes due from a Participant’s Accounts after a distribution has occurred, a payment retroactive to such distribution date shall be made no later than 60 days after the earliest date on which such amount can be ascertained.
(c)    Notwithstanding anything in this Article 6 to the contrary, the Committee shall direct the Trustee to distribute to the Participant the distributable balance of their Accounts in a lump sum payment at any time after their Determination Date without their written consent to such distribution if, at the time of the distribution, the value of the nonforfeitable portion of the Participant’s Accounts does not exceed $5,000.  The $5,000 cashout amount shall apply at the time a distribution is made, regardless of whether the Participant’s vested Account balances exceeded $5,000 at the time of any prior distribution.  The value of a Participant’s nonforfeitable accrued benefit may be determined without regard to the portion of the benefit that is attributable to Rollover Contributions (and any earnings allocable to the rollover contributions).  Rollover Contributions are defined as any rollover contribution under Code Sections 402(c), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), 408(d)(3)(A)(ii) and 457(e)(16).
(d)    Any distribution made in accordance with this Article 6 shall, to the extent required by law, be eligible to be distributed in a direct rollover as an Eligible Rollover Distribution in accordance with Section 6.11.
6.2    Form of Distributions.
(a)    The Accounts in the Trust Fund distributable to any Participant shall be distributed in one lump payment.
(b)    Effective for lump sum distributions made with respect to any Determination Date which occurs on or after December 31, 1999, notwithstanding any other Plan provision, shares of Company common stock held in the Funds described in Sections 9.5(a)(ii) and 9.5(a)(iv), which are allocated to a Participant’s Account hereunder may be distributed in-kind to the extent the Participant or, 
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if applicable, the Participant’s designated beneficiary elects a lump sum in-kind form of distribution; provided, however, any fractional shares shall be distributed in the form of cash.
6.3    Distributions to Beneficiaries.  The balance of a deceased Participant’s Accounts which is distributable to a beneficiary shall be distributed in one lump sum as soon as practicable (but in no event later than the December 31 of the calendar year in which the fifth anniversary of the Participant’s death occurs) after the Valuation Date immediately following the Participant’s death, based on the value of the Participant’s accounts as of such Valuation Date.
6.4    Beneficiaries.
(a)    Except as otherwise provided in this Section 6.4, the distributable balance of a deceased Participant’s Accounts shall be paid to their surviving spouse.
(b)    The balance of a deceased Participant’s Accounts shall be distributed to the persons effectively designated by the Participant as their beneficiaries.  To be effective, the designation shall be filed with the Committee in such written form as the Committee requires and may include contingent or successive beneficiaries; provided that any designation by a Participant who is married at the time of their death which fails to name their surviving spouse as the sole primary beneficiary shall not be effective unless such surviving spouse has consented to the designation in writing, witnessed by a Plan representative or notary public, acknowledging the effect of the designation and the specific non-spouse beneficiary, including any class of beneficiaries or any contingent beneficiary.  Such consent shall not be required if, at the time of filing such designation, the Participant established to the satisfaction of the Committee that the consent of the Participant’s spouse could not be obtained because there is no spouse, the spouse could not be located or by reason of such other circumstances as may be prescribed by regulations.  Any consent (or establishment that the consent could not be obtained) shall be effective only with respect to such spouse.  Any Participant may change their beneficiary designation at any time by filing with the Committee a new beneficiary designation (with such spousal consent as may be required).
(c)    If a Participant dies, and to the knowledge of the Committee after reasonable inquiry leaves no surviving spouse, has not filed an effective beneficiary designation or has revoked all such designations, or has filed an effective designation but the beneficiary or beneficiaries predeceased them or the beneficiary dies before complete distribution of the Participant’s benefits, the distributable portion of the Participant’s Accounts shall be paid in accordance with the following order of priority:
(i)    to the Participant’s surviving spouse, or if there be none surviving,
(ii)    to the Participant’s children, in equal parts, or if there be none surviving,
(iii)    to the Participant’s father and mother, in equal parts, or if there be none surviving,
(iv)    to the executor or administrator of the Participant’s estate. 
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6.5    Form of Elections and Applications for Benefits.  Any election, revocation of an election or application for benefits pursuant to the Plan shall not be effective unless it is (a) made on such form, if any, as the Committee may prescribe for such purpose; (b) signed by the Participant and, if required under Section 6.4, by the Participant’s spouse; and (c) filed with the Committee.
6.6.    Unclaimed Distributions.  In the event any distribution cannot be made because the person entitled thereto cannot be located and the distribution remains unclaimed for 2 years after the distribution date established by the Committee, then such amount shall be treated as a forfeiture and allocated in accordance with Section 4.8.  In the event such person subsequently files a valid claim for such amount, such amount shall be restored to the Participant’s Accounts in a manner similar to the restoration of forfeitures under Section 5.7.
6.7    Loans.
(a)    Upon the request of a Participant, the Committee or its delegate shall authorize a loan to such Participant in accordance with this Section 6.7, provided that the Participant shall not have more than two loans outstanding at any time.  Loans shall not be available from a Participant’s Transition Contribution Account.
(b)    The amount of any loan shall not be less than $1,000, and shall not exceed, 50% of the amount which they would be entitled to receive from their Accounts (excluding their Transition Contribution Account) if they had resigned from the service of the Employer and all Affiliates and if their Determination Date was the Valuation Date next preceding the date of such loan request; provided, however, that the amount of such loan shall not exceed $50,000 reduced by the highest outstanding balance of loans from the Trust Fund during the one-year period ending on the day before the date on which such loan is made or modified.  Such loans shall be made available to all Participants on a reasonably equivalent basis.
(c)    Loans shall be made on such terms as the Committee may prescribe, provided that any such loan shall be evidenced by a note, shall bear a reasonable rate of interest on the unpaid principal thereof, and shall be secured by the Participant’s Accounts and such other security as the Committee in its discretion deems appropriate.
(d)    Loans shall be repaid by the Participant by payroll deductions or any other methods approved by the Committee which require level amortization of principal and repayments not less frequently than quarterly. Such loans shall be repaid over a period not to exceed 5 years (15 years for loans used to acquire a dwelling unit which within a reasonable time is to be used as the principal residence of the Participant as determined under the applicable Code provisions, to the extent permitted by the Committee on a uniform basis) in accordance with procedures established by the Committee from time to time.
(e)    Loans shall be deemed made from the Participant’s Accounts.  Amounts necessary to fund such loan shall be deducted from the Participant’s respective Accounts in accordance with the following order:
(i)    first, the After-Tax Account;
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(ii)    second, the Prior Plan Account;
(iii)    third, either the McHenry Plan Account or Heritage Plan Account, as applicable;
(iv)    fourth, the Vested Employer Account;
(v)    fifth, the Before-Tax Account;
(vi)    sixth, the Catch-Up Contribution Account;
(vii)    seventh, the Matching Account;
(viii)    eighth, the Employer Contribution Account; and
(ix)    ninth, the Automatic Contribution Account, with such deductions taken pro rata from each of the Participant’s Funds held in the respective Accounts.  Loans shall not be made from a Participant’s Transition Contribution Account.
The portion of each Account used to secure the loan shall be held for the benefit of the Participant and treated in the manner described in Section 4.2(b).  Loan repayments shall be credited to the Accounts in the manner described in Section 4.3 and invested in the separate Funds in accordance with the Participant’s investment directions applicable to contributions in effect under Section 9.5 at the time of the repayment.  Upon the occurrence of a Participant’s Determination Date, the unpaid balance of any loan shall be charged against the Accounts from which made to the extent not repaid before distribution to the Participant.
(f)    An individual who becomes an Eligible Employee following an Employer’s merger with, or acquisition of the assets or stock of, the individual’s prior employer may, in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, roll over directly to the Plan their non-defaulted participant loan note from the qualified retirement plan of such employer, if they also roll over the remainder of their account balance from such qualified retirement plan.
6.8    Hardship Distributions.
(a)    Subject to paragraph (b) below, a Participant who has not incurred a Severance Date may, upon the determination by the Committee or its delegate that they have incurred a financial hardship, make a withdrawal from their After Tax Account and, to the extent necessary, their Before Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account, and Catch Up Contribution Account (including, any earnings credited to such accounts). In any case where the Participant claims financial hardship, they shall submit a written request for such distribution in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Committee. The Committee shall determine whether the Participant has a “financial hardship” on the basis of such written request in accordance with this Section 6.8, and such determination shall be made in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner. The Committee shall only make a determination of “financial hardship” if the distribution to be made is made on account of (A) an immediate and heavy financial need of the Participant and (B) the amounts to be distributed from the Participant’s After Tax Account, Before-Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account and Catch Up Contribution Account (including, any earnings credited to such accounts) are necessary to satisfy the Participant’s need.
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(b)    The determination or whether a Participant has an immediate and heavy financial need is to be made by the Committee on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances.  A distribution will be deemed to be on account of an immediate and heavy financial need only if made on account of:
(i)    Medical expenses described in Section 213(d) of the Code incurred by the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, any dependents of the Participant (as defined in Code Section 152 and without regard to Section 152(d)(1)(B));
(ii)    The purchase (excluding mortgage payments) of a principal residence for the Participant;
(iii)    Payment of tuition, related educational fees, and room and board expenses for the next 12 months of post-secondary education for the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, children, or dependents;
(iv)    The need to prevent the eviction of the Participant from their principal residence or foreclosure on the mortgage of the Participant’s principal residence;
(v)    Payments relating to burial or funeral expenses for the Participant’s deceased parent, spouse, children, dependents (as defined in Code Section 152 and without regard to Section 152(d)(1)(B));
(vi)    Expenses for the repair of damage to the Participant’s principal residence that would qualify for the casualty deduction under Code Section 165 (determined without regard to section 165(h)(5) of the Code and whether the loss exceeds 10% of adjusted gross income); or
(vii)    Any other event or expense deemed an immediate and heavy financial need by the Committee or by the Department of the Treasury regulations.
1.The determination of whether a distribution is necessary to satisfy the immediate and heavy financial need of the Participant shall be made by the Committee or its delegate on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances, provided, however, that this requirement shall be met only if the Participant reasonably demonstrates that all of the following requirements are satisfied:
(i)    the distribution is not in excess of the amount of the immediate and heavy financial need of the Participant; and
(ii)    the Participant has obtained all distributions (other than hardship distributions) and all nontaxable loans currently available under the Plan; and
(iii)    the Participant will not make any Before-Tax or Roth Contributions or Catch-Up Contributions for six months after receiving the hardship distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, effective as of January 1, 2019, the Participant’s Before-Tax or Roth Contributions or Catch-Up Contributions shall not be suspended as provided in this paragraph.
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(d)    Any withdrawals under this Section shall not reduce the non-forfeitable portion of the Participant’s Account below the amount of the balance of any outstanding loan made pursuant to Section 6.7.  Withdrawals on account of hardship shall be further limited by paragraph (e) below.
(e)    Distributions from the Participant’s Before-Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account and/or Catch-Up Contribution Account on account of hardship pursuant to this Section 6.8 shall not exceed the lesser of:
(i)    the amount needed to relieve the immediate and heavy financial need;
(ii)    the sum of the balances of the Participant’s Before-Tax Account, Roth Contribution Account and Catch-Up Contribution Account at the time of the distribution; or
(iii)    (A) the sum of the balance of the Before-Tax Account as of December 31, 1988 plus the Participant’s Before-Tax Contributions and Roth Contributions made on or after January 1, 1989, reduced by (B) the aggregate amount distributed from the Participant’s Before-Tax Account on or after January 1, 1989.
6.9    Facility of Payment.  When, in the Committee’s opinion, a Participant or beneficiary is under a legal disability or is incapacitated in any way so as to be unable to manage their affairs, the Committee may direct the Trustee to make payments:
(a)    directly to the Participant or beneficiary;
(b)    to a duly appointed guardian or conservator of the Participant or beneficiary;
(c)    to a custodian for the Participant or beneficiary under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act;
(d)    to an adult relative of the Participant or beneficiary; or
(e)    directly for the benefit of the Participant or beneficiary.
Any such payment shall constitute a complete discharge therefore with respect to the Trustee and the Committee.
6.10    Claims Procedure.
(a)    Any person who believes that they are then entitled to receive a benefit under the Plan, including one greater than that initially determined by the Committee, may file a claim in writing with the Commitment.
(b)    The Committee shall within 90 days of the receipt of a claim either allow or deny the claim in writing.  If the claim requires a determination of disability the Committee shall within 45 days of receipt of a claim either allow or deny the claim in writing.  A denial of a claim shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant and shall include:
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(i)    he specific reason or reasons for the denial;
(ii)    specific references to pertinent Plan provisions on which the denial is based;
(iii)    a description of any additional material or information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary; and
(iv)    an explanation of the Plan’s claim review procedure.
(c)    A claimant whose claim is denied (or their duly authorized representative) may, within 60 days (180 days for disability claims) after receipt of denial of their claim:
(i)    submit a written request for review to the Committee;
(ii)    review pertinent documents; and
(iii)    submit issues and comments in writing.
(d)    The Committee shall notify the claimant of its decision on review within 60 days (45 days for disability claims) of receipt of a request for review.  The decision on review shall be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant and shall include specific reasons for the decision and specific references to the pertinent Plan provisions on which the decision is based.
(e)    The 90-day and 60-day periods described in subsections (b) and (d), respectively, may be extended at the discretion of the Committee for a second 90- or 60-day period.  The 45 day period described in subsection (b) may be extended at the discretion of the Committee for two separate 30 day periods.  The 45 day period described in subsection (d) may be extended for a period of 45 days at the Committee’s discretion.  If the Committee decides it needs an extension it will provide written notice of the extension to the claimant prior to the termination of the initial period, indicating the special circumstances requiring such extension of time and the date by which a final decision is expected.
(f)    Participants and beneficiaries shall not be entitled to challenge the Committee’s determinations in judicial or administrative proceedings without first complying with the procedures in this Article.  The Committee’s decisions made pursuant to this Section are intended to be final and binding on Participants, beneficiaries and others.
(g)    Any judicial or administrative challenge to the Committee’s final determination must be filed with the court or administrative agency within the two-year period immediately following the date benefits were denied by the Committee on review of its initial determination.

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6.11    Eligible Rollover Distributions.
(a)    Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary that would otherwise limit a distributee’s election under this Article 6, a distributee may elect, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Committee, to have any portion of an eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee in a direct rollover.
(b)    Eligible rollover distribution: An eligible rollover distribution is any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover distribution does not include: any distribution that is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually) made for the life (or life expectancy) of the distributee or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the distributee and the distributee’s designated beneficiary, or for a specified period of ten years or more; any distribution to the extent such distribution is required under Code Section 401(a)(9); the portion of any distribution that is not includible in gross income (determined without regard to the exclusion for net unrealized appreciation with respect to employer securities); and, any distribution that is a hardship distribution described in Code Section 401(k)(2)(B)(i)(IV).
(c)    Eligible retirement plan: An eligible retirement plan is an individual retirement account described in Code Section 408(a), an individual retirement account described in Code Section 408A, an individual retirement annuity described in Code Section 408(b), an annuity plan described in Code Section 403(a), or a qualified trust described in Code Section 401(a), that accepts the distributee’s eligible rollover distribution.  An eligible retirement plan shall also mean an annuity contract described in Section 403(b) of the Code and an eligible plan under Section 457(b) of the Code which is maintained by a state, political subdivision of a state, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state and which agrees to separately account for amounts transferred into such plan from this plan.  In addition, with respect to distributions made to a nonspouse beneficiary after December 31, 2006, an eligible retirement plan is an individual retirement account under Code Section 408(b) that is established in a manner that identifies it as an individual retirement account with respect to the deceased individual and also identifies the deceased individual and the beneficiary.
(d)    A portion of a distribution shall not fail to be an eligible rollover distribution merely because the portion consists of After-Tax Contributions which are not includible in gross income.  However, such portion may be transferred only to an individual retirement account or annuity described in section 408(a) or (b) of the Code, or to a qualified defined contribution plan described in section 401(a) or 403(a) of the Code, or, with respect to distributions made after December 31, 2006, to a tax sheltered annuity described in section 403(b) of the Code that agrees to separately account for amounts so transferred, including separately accounting for the portion of such distribution which is includible in gross income and the portion of such distribution which is not so includible.
(e)    Distributee: A distributee includes an employee or a former employee.  In addition, an employee’s or former employee’s surviving spouse and an employee’s or former employee’s spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Code Section 414(p), are distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse.  Effective for distributions made after December 31, 2006, a distributee shall also include 
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an individual who is a designated beneficiary (within the meaning of Code Section 401(a)(9)(E)) and who is not the surviving spouse of the employee or former employee.
(f)    Direct rollover: A direct rollover is a payment by the Plan to the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.
6.12    Minimum Required Distributions.
(a)    General Rules.
(i)    Effective Date.  The provisions of this Section 6.12 will apply for purposes of determining required minimum distributions for calendar years beginning with the 2003 calendar year.
(ii)    Precedence.  The requirements of this Section 6.12 will take precedence over any inconsistent provisions of the Plan.
(iii)    Requirements of Treasury Regulations Incorporated.  All distributions required under this Section 6.12 will be determined and made in accordance with the Treasury regulations under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code.
(iv)    Compliance Savings Provision.  As of the effective date of this Section 6.12, a Participant’s Accounts are distributable only in a single lump sum to the Participant or their beneficiaries.  The provisions of Sections 6.12(c) and Section 6.12(d) shall apply only to the extent that the Plan otherwise provides that any part of a Participant’s Accounts is distributable in a form other than a single lump sum.
(b)    Time and Manner of Distribution.
(i)    Required Beginning Date.  The Participant’s entire interest will be distributed to the Participant no later than the Participant’s Required Beginning Date.
i.Death of Participant Before Distributions Begin.  If the Participant dies before distributions begin, the Participant’s entire interest in the Plan will be distributed no later than as follows:
(A)    If a Participant’s surviving spouse is the Participant’s sole Designated Beneficiary, then, distributions to the surviving spouse will begin by December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the Participant died, or by December 31 of the calendar year in which the Participant would have attained age 70 1⁄2, if later.
(B)    If the Participant’s surviving spouse is not the Participant’s sole Designated Beneficiary, then distributions to the Designated Beneficiary will begin by December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the Participant died.
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(C)    If there is no Designated Beneficiary as of September 30 of the year following the year of the Participant’s death, the amount in the Participant’s Accounts will be distributed by December 31 of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the Participant’s death.
(D)    If the Participant’s surviving spouse is the Participant’s sole Designated Beneficiary and the surviving spouse dies after the Participant but before distributions to the surviving spouse begin, this subsection (b)(ii), other than subsection (b)(ii)(A), will apply as if the surviving spouse were the Participant.
For purposes of this subsection (b)(ii) and subsection (d), unless subsection (b)(ii)(D) applies, distributions are considered to begin on the Participant’s Required Beginning Date.  If subsection (b)(ii)(D) applies, distributions are considered to begin on the date distributions are required to begin to the surviving spouse under subsection (b)(ii)(A).
(iii)    Forms of Distribution.  Unless the amount in the Participant’s Accounts is distributed in a single sum on or before the Required Beginning Date, as of the first Distribution Calendar Year, distributions will be made in accordance with Sections 6.12(c) and 6.12(d).
(c)    Required Minimum Distributions During Participant’s Lifetime.
(i)    Amount of Required Minimum Distribution For Each Distribution Calendar Year.  Subject to Section 6.2, during the Participant’s lifetime, the minimum amount that will be distributed for each distribution calendar year is the lesser of:
(A)    the quotient obtained by dividing the Participant’s Account balance by the distribution period in the Uniform Lifetime Table set forth in Section 1.401(a)(9)-9 of the Treasury regulations, using the Participant’s age as of the Participant’s birthday in the distribution calendar year; or
(B)    if the Participant’s sole designated beneficiary for the distribution calendar year is the Participant’s spouse, the quotient obtained by dividing the Participant’s Account balance by the number in the Joint and Last Survivor Table set forth in Section 1.401(a)(9)-9 of the Treasury regulations, using the Participant’s and spouse’s attained ages as of the Participant’s and spouse’s birthdays in the distribution calendar year.
(ii)    Lifetime Required Minimum Distributions Continue Through Year of Participant’s Death.  Required minimum distributions will be determined under this Section 6.12(c) beginning with the first distribution calendar year and up to and including the distribution calendar year that includes the Participant’s date of death.
(d)    Required Minimum Distributions After Participant’s Death.
(i)    Death On or After Date Distributions Begin.
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(A)    Participant Survived by Designated Beneficiary: Subject to Section 6.3, if the Participant dies on or after the date distributions begin and there is a designated beneficiary, the minimum amount that will be distributed for each distribution calendar year after the year of the Participant’s death is the quotient obtained by dividing the Participant’s Account balance by the longer of the remaining life expectancy of the Participant or the remaining life expectancy of the Participant’s designated beneficiary, determined as follows:
(1)    The Participant’s remaining life expectancy is calculated using the age of the Participant in the year of death, reduced by one for each subsequent year.
(2)    If the Participant’s surviving spouse is the Participant’s sole designated beneficiary, the remaining life expectancy of the surviving spouse is calculated for each distribution calendar year after the year of the Participant’s death using the surviving spouse’s age as of the spouse’s birthday in that year.  For distribution calendar years after the year of the surviving spouse’s death, the remaining life expectancy of the surviving spouse is calculated using the age of the surviving spouse as of the spouse’s birthday in the calendar year of the spouse’s death, reduced by one for each subsequent calendar year.
(3)    If the Participant’s surviving spouse is not the Participant’s sole designated beneficiary, the designated beneficiary’s remaining life expectancy is calculated using the age of the beneficiary in the year following the year of the Participant’s death, reduced by one for each subsequent year.
(B)    No Designated Beneficiary: Subject to Section 6.4(c), if the Participant dies on or after the date distributions begin and there is no designated beneficiary as of September 30 of the year after the year of the Participant’s death, the minimum amount that will be distributed for each distribution calendar year after the year of the Participant’s death is the quotient obtained by dividing the Participant’s Account balance by the Participant’s remaining life expectancy calculated using the age of the Participant in the year of death, reduced by one for each subsequent year.
(ii)    Death Before Date Distributions Begin.
(A)    Participant Survived by Designated Beneficiary: If the Participant dies before the date distributions begin and there is a designated beneficiary, the Participant’s entire interest will be distributed to the designated by beneficiary by December 31 of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the participant’s death.
(B)    No Designated Beneficiary: If the Participant dies before the date distributions begin and there is no designated beneficiary as of September 30 of the year following the year of the Participant’s death, distribution of the Participant’s entire interest will be completed by December 31 of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the Participant’s death.
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(C)    Death of Surviving Spouse Before Distributions to Surviving Spouse Are Required to Begin: Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, if the Participant dies before the date distributions begin, the Participant’s surviving spouse is the Participant’s sole designated beneficiary, and the surviving spouse dies before distributions are required to begin to the surviving spouse under Section 6.12(b)(ii)(A), this Section 6.12(d)(ii) will apply as if the surviving spouse were the Participant.
(e)    Definitions.
(i)    Designated beneficiary.  The “designated beneficiary” means the individual who is designated as the beneficiary under Section 6.4 of the Plan and is the designated beneficiary under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code and Section 1.401(a)(9)-1, Q&A-4, of the Treasury regulations.
(ii)    Distribution calendar year.  The “distribution calendar year” means a calendar year for which a minimum distribution is required.  For distributions beginning before the Participant’s death, the first distribution calendar year is the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year which contains the Participant’s required beginning date.  For distributions beginning after the Participant’s death, the first distribution calendar year is the calendar year in which distributions are required to begin under Section 6.12(b)(ii).  The required minimum distribution for the Participant’s first distribution calendar year will be made on or before the Participant’s Required Beginning Date.  The required minimum distribution for other distribution calendar years, including the required minimum distribution for the distribution calendar year in which the Participant’s required beginning date occurs, will be made on or before December 31 of that distribution calendar year.
(iii)    Life expectancy.  “life expectancy” means the life expectancy as computed by use of the Single Life Table in Section 1.401(a)(9)-9 of the Treasury regulations.
(iv)    Participant’s account balance.  The “account balance” means the account balance as of the last Valuation Date in the calendar year immediately preceding the distribution calendar year (`valuation calendar year’) increased by the amount of any contributions made and allocated or forfeitures allocated to the account balance as of dates in the valuation calendar year after such Valuation Date and decreased by distributions made in the’ valuation calendar year after such Valuation Date.  The account balance for the valuation calendar year includes any amounts rolled over or transferred to the Plan either in the valuation calendar year or in the distribution calendar year if distributed or transferred in the valuation calendar year.
(v)    Required Beginning Date.  “Required Beginning Date” is defined at Section 1.4 of the Plan.
6.13    Automatic Rollover.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, in the event an amount greater than $1,000 is distributed pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1(c) above, if the Participant does not elect to have such distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified 
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by the Participant in a direct rollover or to receive the distribution directly in accordance with Section 6.11, then the Committee will pay the distribution in a direct rollover to an individual retirement plan designated by the Committee.
6.14    Withdrawals After Age 59 1⁄2.  A Participant who has attained age 591⁄2 may elect to make a withdrawal from their Accounts in accordance with such rules as the Committee shall prescribe; provided, however, that such withdrawals shall not reduce the nonforfeitable portion of the Participant’s Accounts below an amount equal to the amount of any unpaid loans made pursuant to Section 6.7.
6.15    Withdrawal of Rollover Contributions Prior to Termination of Employment.  Upon request of a Participant and subject to such rules as the Committee shall prescribe, the Committee shall direct payment to such Participant of all or part of their Rollover Account; provided, however, that such withdrawals shall not reduce the nonforfeitable portion of the Participant’s Accounts below an amount equal to the amount of any unpaid loans made pursuant to Section 6.7.

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ARTICLE 7
TOP-HEAVY PLAN REQUIREMENTS
7.1    Definition of Top-Heavy Plan.  The Plan shall be Top-Heavy with respect to a Plan Year if it is a member of a Required Aggregation Group and the present value of the accrued benefits for Key Employees under all plans in the Aggregation Group exceeds 60% of the present value of the accrued benefits for all employees under all plans in the Aggregation Group.  This ratio shall be computed as provided in Section 416(g) of the Code.  Such present values shall be determined as of the last day of the preceding Plan Year of each plan.  If all plans in the Aggregation Group do not have the same Plan Year, then such present values shall be determined as of the last day of each Plan Year ending in the same calendar year as the last day of the preceding Plan Year of this Plan.  Under a defined contribution plan, such present values shall be determined by aggregating the value of all accounts of all Key Employees and all employees respectively.  As used in this Section, the term “accounts” includes certain prior distributions, Employer contributions payable to the Plan, employee contributions, and rollover accounts, if any, all in accordance with Section 416(g) of the Code or regulations thereunder.
7.2    Top-Heavy Plan Requirements.  Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary but subject to the Company’s right to terminate the Plan, the following provisions shall apply with respect to any Plan Year in which the Plan is Top-Heavy.
(a)    Minimum Contribution.  All Participants who are Non-Key Employees participating in the Plan are also participants in a defined benefit plan maintained by the Employer.  Consequently, any minimum benefits required due to the top-heavy status of this Plan will be provided in such defined benefit plan.  If the defined benefit plan is terminated and if the Required Aggregation Group is top-heavy, the Employer shall make a supplemental contribution to the Vested Employer Accounts and Employer Contribution Account of any such Participant, in an amount sufficient for the total amount of Employer contributions allocated to accounts of such Participant to equal 5% of such Participant’s Total Compensation for such Plan Year.  For purposes of this subsection, the term “Participant” means a Participant who was employed by the Employer on the last day of a Plan Year in which the Plan is Top-Heavy.
7.3    Definitions.  For purposes of this Article:
(a)    A “Key Employee” is any employee or former employee (including any deceased employee) who at any time during the Plan Year that includes the determination date was an officer of the Employer having annual compensation greater than $170,000 (as adjusted under section 416(i)(1) of the Code), a 5-percent owner of the Employer, or a 1-percent owner of the Employer having annual compensation of more than $150,000.  For this purpose, annual compensation means compensation within the meaning of Section 415(c)-2(a) of the Code.
The determination of who is a Key Employee will be made in accordance with Code Section 416(i)(1) and the regulations thereunder.
(b)    A “Non-Key Employee” is an employee of the Employer other than a Key Employee.
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(c)    “Employer” means the Employer and all Affiliates.
(d)    “Aggregation Group” means a group of qualified plans consisting of this Plan and certain other defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans maintained by the Employer which are aggregated for purposes of determining whether the group as whole is Top-Heavy.  The Aggregation Group includes plans which must be aggregated for this purpose (the “Required Aggregation Group”) and other plans which are aggregated for this purpose (the “Permissive Aggregation Group”).
(e)    The “Required Aggregation Group” shall include:
(i)    each employee benefit plan of the Employer qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code in which a Key Employee is a participant; and
(ii)    each other qualified plan which enables any plan described in (i) to meet the anti-discrimination or coverage requirements of the Code.
(f)    The “Permissive Aggregation Group” includes such other qualified plan or plans of the Employer as the Committee may in its discretion elect, provided the inclusion of any such plan in the Aggregation Group does not cause it to fail to meet the anti-discrimination or coverage requirements of the Code.
7.4    Cessation of Top-Heavy Requirements.
(a)    Once the Plan has been Top-Heavy but is no longer Top-Heavy, this Article shall be inapplicable except as provided in this Section.
(b)    The Employer Contribution Account of any other Participant constituted as of the last day on which the Plan was Top-Heavy shall be separately accounted for as a subaccount until the nonforfeitable percentage of their Employer Contribution Account pursuant to Section 5.6 equals or exceeds the nonforfeitable percentage of their Employer Account on the last day on which the Plan was Top-Heavy.  In the event such Participant shall resign or be dismissed from the employ of the Employer while a subaccount is being maintained, their nonforfeitable interest in such subaccount shall be computed pursuant to Section 5.6 but using the same nonforfeitable percentage as was applicable to them on the last day on which the Plan was Top-Heavy.
7.5    EGTRRA Top-Heavy Provisions.
(a)    This Section 7.5 shall apply for purposes of determining the present values of accrued benefits and the amounts of account balances of employees as of the determination date.
(i)    Distributions during year ending on the determination date.  The present values of accrued benefits and the amounts of account balances of an employee as of the determination date shall be increased by the distributions made with respect to the employee under the Plan and any plan aggregated with the Plan under Section 416(g)(2) of the Code during the 1-year period ending on the determination date.  The preceding sentence shall also apply to distributions under a terminated plan which, had it not been terminated, would have been 
    42

aggregated with the Plan under Section 416(g)(2)(A)(i) of the Code.  In the case of a distribution made for a reason other than severance from employment, death, or disability, this provision shall be applied by substituting “5-year period” for “1-year period.”
(ii)    Employees not performing services during year ending on the determination date.  The accrued benefits and accounts of any individual who has not performed services for the employer during the 1-year period ending on the determination date shall not be taken into account.
(b)    Minimum Benefits.  For Plan Years beginning on or after January 1, 2002, Employer matching contributions shall be taken into account for purposes of satisfying the minimum contribution requirements of Section 416(c)(2) of the Code and the Plan.  The preceding sentence shall apply with respect to matching contributions under the Plan or, if the Plan provides that the minimum contribution requirement shall be met in another plan, such other plan.  Employer matching contributions that are used to satisfy the minimum contribution requirements shall be treated as matching contributions for purposes of the actual contribution percentage test and other requirements of Section 401(m) of the Code.

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ARTICLE 8
POWERS AND DUTIES OF PLAN COMMITTEE
8.1    Appointment of Plan Committee.
(a)    The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) shall name a Plan Committee (the “Committee”) to consist of not less than 3 persons to serve as administrator and named fiduciary of the Plan.  Any person, including directors, shareholders, officers and employees of the Company, shall be eligible to serve on the Committee.  Every person appointed a member of the Committee shall signify their acceptance in writing to the Board of Directors.
(b)    Members of the Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time with or without cause.  Any member of the Committee may resign by delivering their written resignation to the Board of Directors, and such resignation shall become effective at delivery or at any later date specified therein.  Vacancies in the Committee shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
(c)    Usual and reasonable expenses of the Committee shall be paid by the Trustee out of the principal or income of the Trust Fund.  The members of the Committee who are employees of an Employer or any Affiliate shall not receive any compensation for their services as such.
8.2    Powers and Duties of Committee.  The Company shall have final and binding authority to control and manage the operation and administration of the Plan, including all rights and powers necessary or convenient to the carrying out of its functions hereunder, whether or not such rights and powers are specifically enumerated herein.  The Committee shall have the specific delegated powers and duties described in this Article 8, and such further powers and duties as may be delegated to it by the Company.  In exercising its responsibilities hereunder, the Committee may manage and administer the Plan through the use of agents who may include employees of the Employer.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and in addition to the other powers set forth in this Article 8, the Committee shall have the following express authorities:
(a)    To construe and interpret the Plan, decide all questions of eligibility and determine the amount, manner and time of payment of any benefits hereunder.
(b)    To prescribe procedures to be followed by Participants or beneficiaries filing applications for benefits.
(c)    To prepare and distribute, in such manner as the Committee determines.to be appropriate, information explaining the Plan.
(d)    To receive from the Employers, Participants and others such information as shall be necessary for the proper administration of the Plan.
(e)    To furnish the Company upon request such annual and other reports with respect to the administration of the Plan as are reasonable and appropriate.
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(f)    To receive, review and maintain on file reports of the financial condition and of the receipts and disbursements of the Trust Fund from the Trustee.
8.3    Committee Procedures.
(a)    The Committee may adopt such bylaws and regulations as it deems desirable for the conduct of its affairs.
(b)    A majority of the members of the Committee at the time in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  All resolutions or other actions taken by the Committee at any meeting shall be by the vote of the majority of the members of the Committee present at the meeting.  The Committee may act without a meeting by written consent of a majority of its members.
(c)    The Committee may elect one of its members as chairman and may appoint a secretary, who may or may not be a Committee member, and shall advise the Trustee and the Employer of such actions in writing.  The secretary shall keep a record of all actions of the Committee and shall forward all necessary communications to the Employer or the Trustee.
(d)    Filing or delivery of any document with or to the secretary of the Committee in person or by registered or certified mail, addressed in care of the Employer, shall be deemed a filing with or delivery to the Committee.
8.4    Consultation with Advisors.  The Committee (or any fiduciary designated by the Committee pursuant to Section 8.8) may employ or consult with counsel, actuaries, accountants, physicians or other advisors (who may be counsel, actuaries, accountants, physicians or other advisors for the Employer).
8.5    Committee Members as Participants.  Any Committee member may also be a Participant, but no Committee member shall have power to take part in any discretionary decision or action affecting their own interest as a Participant under this Plan unless such decision or action is upon a matter which affects all other Participants similarly situated and confers no special right, benefit or privilege not simultaneously conferred upon all other such Participants.
8.6    Records and Reports.  The Committee shall take all such action as it deems necessary or appropriate to comply with governmental laws and regulations relating to the maintenance of records, notifications to Participants, registrations with the Internal Revenue Service, reports to the U.S. Department of Labor and all other requirements applicable to the Plan.
8.7    Investment Policy.
(a)    The Committee from time to time shall determine the short-term and long-term financial needs of the separate Funds comprising the Trust Fund and such needs shall be communicated from time to time to the Trustee, Investment Managers or others having responsibility and control of the Trust Fund.
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(b)    Subject to subsection (c) below, the Trustee shall have the exclusive authority and discretion to manage and control the assets of the respective Funds pursuant to the investment policy determined by the Committee.
(c)    The Committee may in its discretion:
(i)    appoint one or more Investment Managers to manage (including the power to direct the Trustee to acquire or dispose of) any assets of the Plan pursuant to the investment policy determined by the Committee, in which case the Trustee shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of any such Investment Manager or be under an obligation to invest or otherwise manage any asset of the Plan which is subject to the management of any such Investment Manager; and 
(ii)    direct the Trustee with respect to the investment of the assets of the Plan in any mutual fund, insurance company separate account or collective investment fund maintained by a bank or trust company (including but not limited to such funds maintained by the Trustee or any affiliate thereof), or similar pooled investment vehicle, pursuant to the investment policy of any Fund determined by the Committee.
(d)    For purposes of this Section 8.7, an Investment Manager shall mean (i) a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, (ii) a bank as defined in such Act, or (iii) an insurance company qualified under the laws of more than one state to manage, acquire and dispose of plan assets.  Any Investment Manager appointed by the Committee shall acknowledge in writing that it is a fiduciary with respect to the Plan.
8.8    Designation of Other Fiduciaries.  The Committee may designate in writing other persons to carry out a specified part or parts of its responsibilities hereunder (including the power to designate other persons to carry out a part of such designated responsibility), but not including the power to appoint Investment Managers.  Any such designation shall be accepted by the designated person, who shall acknowledge in writing that they are a fiduciary with respect to the Plan.
8.9    Obligations of Committee.
(a)    The Committee or its properly authorized delegate shall make such determinations as are necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Plan with respect to individual Participants or classes of such Participants.  The Employer shall notify the Committee of facts relevant to such determinations, including, without limitation, length of service, compensation for services, dates of death, permanent disability, granting or terminating of leaves of absence, ages, retirement and termination of service for any reason (but indicating such reason), and termination of participation.  The Employer shall also be responsible for notifying the Committee of any other facts which may be necessary for the Committee to discharge its responsibilities hereunder.
(b)    The Committee is hereby authorized to act solely upon the basis of such notifications from the Company and to rely upon any document or signature believed by the Committee to be genuine and shall be fully protected in so doing.  For the purpose of this Section, a letter or other written instrument signed in the name of the Company by any officer thereof shall constitute a 
    46

notification therefrom; except that any action by the Company or its Board of Directors with respect to the appointment or removal of a member of the Committee or the amendment of the Plan and Trust or the designation of a group of employees to which the Plan is applicable shall be evidenced by an instrument in writing, signed by a duly authorized officer or officers, certifying that said action has been authorized and directed by a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company.
(c)    The Committee shall notify the Trustee of its actions and determinations affecting the responsibilities of the Trustee and shall give the Trustee directions as to payments or other distributions from the Trust Fund to the extent they may be necessary for the Trustee to fulfill the terms of the Trust Agreement.
(d)    The Committee shall be under no obligation to enforce payment of contributions hereunder or to determine whether contributions delivered to the Trustee comply with the provisions hereof relating to contributions, and is obligated only to administer this Plan pursuant to the terms hereof.
8.10    Indemnification of Committee.  The Employers shall indemnify members of the Committee and its authorized delegates who are employees of the Employer for any liability or expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in the defense of any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding by reason of their status as members of the Committee or its authorized delegates, to the full extent permitted by the law of the Employer’s state of incorporation.

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ARTICLE 9
TRUSTEE AND TRUST FUND
9.1    Trust Fund.  A Trust Fund to be known as the First Midwest Bancorp Savings and Profit Sharing Trust (herein referred to as the “Trust” or the “Trust Fund”) has been established by the execution of a trust agreement with one or more Trustees and is maintained for the purposes of this Plan.  The assets of the Trust will be held, invested and disposed of by the Trustee, in accordance with the terms of the Trust, for the benefit of the Participants and their beneficiaries.
9.2    Payments to Trust Fund and Expenses.  All contributions hereunder will be paid into and credited to the Trust Fund and all benefits hereunder and reasonable expenses of the Plan will be paid from the Trust Fund and charged thereto.  The Committee and the Trustee may adopt written procedures for payment of the fees and expenses associated with the administration of the Plan and the Trust.  To the extent expenses properly chargeable to the Trust Fund are paid by the Employers, the Trust Fund shall reimburse the Employers for payment of such expenses.
9.3    Trustee’s Responsibilities.  The powers, duties and responsibilities of the Trustee shall be as set forth in the Trust Agreement and nothing contained in this Plan, either expressly or by implication, shall impose any additional powers, duties or responsibilities upon the Trustee.
9.4    Reversion to the Employer.  The Employer has no beneficial interest in the Trust Fund and no part of the Trust Fund shall ever revert or be repaid to the Employer, directly or indirectly, except that the Employer shall upon written request have a right to recover:
(a)    within one year of the date of payment of a contribution by the Employer, any amount (less any losses attributable thereto) contributed through a mistake of fact;
(b)    within one year of the date on which any deduction for a contribution by the Employer under Section 404 of the Code is disallowed, an amount equal to the amount disallowed (less any losses attributable thereto); and
(c)    at the termination of the Plan, any amounts remaining in the Excess Forfeiture Suspense Account.
9.5    Investment Options.  Each Participant shall direct the Trustee with respect to the Fund or Funds in which the Participant’s contributions and Accounts are to be invested.
(a)    Subject to the discretion of the Committee to establish additional Funds or to consolidate Funds, including, but not limited to, self-directed brokerage accounts, Funds shall be maintained as follows:
(i)    At least one Fund shall be established, maintained and invested with the objective of protection of principal and substantial liquidity, with a rate of return consistent with such objective.
(ii)    A second Fund shall be established, maintained and invested in common stock of the Company purchased (i) in the open market, (ii) by participation in a 
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dividend reinvestment or similar plan available to stockholders of the Company, or (iii) privately from the Company or any other person; provided that amounts allocated to this Fund may be invested in short-term interest bearing accounts to facilitate investments in common stock of the Company, transfers among Funds or distributions to Participants.
(iii)    At least two additional Funds shall be established, maintained and invested with objectives which, when combined with the other Funds, provide Participants with the opportunity to designate the investment of their Accounts among diversified Funds providing a range of risk and return consistent with the requirements of the regulations of the Department of Labor under Section 404(c) of ERISA, specifically regulations Section 2550.404c-1(b)(3).
(iv)    With respect to any Participant that participated in the Heritage Plan on September 30, 1998, a Fund holding Employer securities transferred to this Plan from the Heritage Plan as part of the merger of the Heritage Plan into this Plan effective October 1, 1998.
(v)    The Plan is intended to constitute a plan described in Section 404(c) of the ERISA and Department of Labor regulations section 2550.404c-1.  To the extent permitted by law, the fiduciary of the Plan shall be relieved of liability for any losses which are the direct and necessary result of investment instructions given by any Participant.
(b)    A Participant shall designate the Fund or Funds into which any contributions made to the Plan on behalf of the Participant shall be invested at the time of initial Participation in the Plan.  Thereafter, a Participant may change the mix of the investment of future contributions and may transfer existing Account balances among the Funds no less frequently than quarterly in accordance with procedures established by the Committee from time to time.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, a Participant may not direct that any contributions to the Plan be invested in, and no existing Account balances may be transferred to, the Heritage Fund.  However, existing Account balances invested in the Heritage Fund may be transferred from the Heritage Fund to any other Fund maintained under the Plan under such rules as may be established and uniformly applied by the Committee from time to time.
(c)    Designations under this Section 9.5 shall be made by filing with the Committee the appropriate written form required thereby, or by utilizing a voice system or any other system approved by the Committee, at such times and in accordance with such procedures and limitations as the Committee may from time to time establish.  The Trustee shall invest the assets of the Plan attributable to the Participant’s Accounts in accordance with such properly filed designations.
9.6    Rollover from Prior Plan.  Notwithstanding any other provision contained in this Plan, the Trustee, at the written direction of the Committee, may accept and hold for the account of a Participant, funds transferred from an Employer’s trust described in Section 401(a) of the Code, and which is exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of the Code, and which: (1) relates to the merger of the Heritage Plan into the Plan effective October 1, 1998; (2) relates to the merger of the McHenry Plan into the Plan effective December 31, 1997; or (3) is or was maintained by either the Continental Illinois Bank of Deerfield, N.A., or the Continental Bank of Buffalo Grove, N.A., so long as such transferred amount constitutes an eligible rollover distribution, within the meaning of Code Section 402(c)(4) or any corresponding predecessor Code Section, from the transferor plan.  In the event of such a transfer, the 
    49

Trustee shall establish and maintain a Prior Plan Account, consisting of any employer and rollover contributions to the Prior Plan and adjustments relating thereto, and an After-Tax Account, consisting of any after-tax contributions to the Prior Plan and adjustments relating thereto, in the name of the Participant, which Accounts shall not be forfeitable for any reason.  All funds or assets which are transferred to the Prior Plan Account and the After-Tax Account shall be invested and accounted for separately; provided that to the extent that any such balances have been generated by after-tax contributions of the Participant, such Participant and their spouse may withdraw such amounts to the extent of their after-tax contributions on request to the Committee in writing.  Assets in the Prior Plan Account and After-Tax Account shall be accounted for in such manner as shall be determined by the Trustee.

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ARTICLE 10
AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION
10.1    Amendment.  The Company reserves the right to amend this Plan at any time to take effect retroactively or otherwise, in any manner which it deems desirable including, but not by way of limitation, the right to increase or diminish contributions to be made by the Employer hereunder, to change or modify the method of allocation of its contributions, to change any provision relating to the distribution or payment, or both, of any assets of the Trust.
10.2    Termination.  The Company further reserves the right to terminate this Plan at any time.
10.3    Form of Amendment, Discontinuance of Employer Contributions, and Termination.  Any such amendment, discontinuance of Employer Contributions or termination shall be made only by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company.
10.4    Limitations on Amendments.  The provisions of this Article are subject to the following restrictions:
(a)    Except as provided in Section 9.4, no amendment shall operate either directly or indirectly to give the Employer any interest whatsoever in any funds or property held by the Trustee under the terms hereof, or to permit corpus or income of the Trust to be used for or diverted to purposes other than the exclusive benefit of the Participants and their beneficiaries.
(b)    Except to the extent necessary to conform to the laws and regulations or to the extent permitted by any applicable law or regulation, no amendment shall operate either directly or indirectly to deprive any Participant of their nonforfeitable beneficial interest in their Accounts as they are constituted at the time of the amendment.
(c)    No amendment shall change any vesting schedule unless each Participant who has completed 3 or more Years of Service is permitted to elect to have the nonforfeitable percentage of their Employer Account computed under the Plan without regard to such amendment.  The period for making such amendment shall expire no later than the latest of the following dates: (i) the date which is 60 days after the date the Plan amendment is adopted, (ii) the date which is 60 days after the date the Plan amendment becomes effective, or (iii) the date which is 60 days after the Participant is issued written notice of the Plan amendment by the Committee.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no election need be offered to a Participant whose nonforfeitable percentage of their Employer Contribution Account cannot at any time be lower than such percentage determined without regard to such amendment.
(d)    Except as permitted by applicable law, no amendment shall eliminate or reduce an early retirement benefit or a retirement-type subsidy or eliminate an optional form of benefit.
10.5    Level of Benefits upon Merger.  This Plan shall not merge or consolidate with, or transfer assets or liabilities to, any other plan, unless each Participant shall be entitled to receive a 
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benefit immediately after said merger, consolidation or transfer (if such other plan were then terminated) which shall be not less than the benefit they would have been entitled to receive immediately before said merger, consolidation or transfer (if this Plan were then terminated).
10.6    Vesting upon Termination or Discontinuance of Employer Contributions; Liquidation of Trust.
(a)    This Plan shall be deemed terminated if and only if the Plan terminates by operation of law or pursuant to Section 10.2.  In the event of any termination or partial termination within the meaning of the Code, or in the event the Employer permanently discontinues the making of contributions to the Plan, the Employer Contribution Account of each affected Participant who is employed by the Employer on the date of the occurrence of such event shall be nonforfeitable; provided, however, that in no event shall any Participant or beneficiary have recourse to other than the Trust Fund for the satisfaction of benefits hereunder.
(b)    In the event an Employer permanently discontinues the making of contributions to the Plan, the Trustee shall make or commence distribution to each Participant or their beneficiaries of the value of such Participant’s Accounts as provided herein within the time prescribed in Article 6.  However, if, after such discontinuance the Company shall determine it to be impracticable to continue the Trust any longer, the Company may, in its discretion, declare a date to be the Determination Date for all Participants whose Determination Date has not yet occurred, and the Trustee shall thereupon, as promptly as shall then be reasonable under the circumstances, liquidate the Trust assets and distribute to each such Participant their Accounts in the Trust Fund.  Such date shall also constitute the final distribution date for each Participant or beneficiary whose Accounts are being distributed in installments.  Upon completion of such liquidation and distribution, the Trust shall finally and completely terminate.
(c)    The liquidation of the Trust, if any, in connection with any Plan termination shall be accomplished by the Committee acting on behalf of the Company.  After directing that sufficient funds be set aside to provide for the payment of all expenses incurred in the administration of the Plan and the Trust, to the extent not paid or provided for by the Employer, the Committee shall, as promptly as shall then be reasonable under the circumstances, liquidate the Trust assets and distribute to each Participant their Accounts in the Trust Fund.  Upon completion of such liquidation and distribution, the Trust shall finally and completely terminate.  In the event the Committee is no longer in existence, the actions to be taken by the Committee pursuant to this Section shall be taken by the Trustee.

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ARTICLE 11
ADOPTION BY AFFILIATES
11.1    Adoption of Plan
.  Any Affiliate may adopt this Plan for the benefit of its eligible employees if authorized to do so by a resolution or the terms of an agreement approved by the Board of Directors of the Company.  Such adoption shall be by resolution of such Affiliate’s board of directors, a certified copy of which shall be filed with the Company, the Committees and the Trustee.  Upon such adoption, such Affiliate shall become an “Employer.”
11.2    The Company as Agent for Employer.  Each Employer which has adopted this Plan pursuant to Section 11.1 hereby irrevocably gives and grants to the Company full and exclusive power conferred upon it by the terms of the Plan and Trust to take or refrain from taking any and all action which such Employer might otherwise take or refrain from taking with respect to the Plan, including sole and exclusive power to exercise, enforce or waive any rights whatsoever which such Employer might otherwise have with respect to the Trust, and each such Employer, by adopting this Plan, irrevocably appoints the Company its agent for such purposes.  Neither the Trustee nor the Committee nor any other person shall have any obligation to account to any such Employer or to follow the instructions of or otherwise deal with any such Employer, the intention being that all persons shall deal solely with the Company as if it were the sole company which had adopted this Plan.  Each such Employer shall contribute such amounts as determined under Article 3.
11.3    Adoption of Amendments.  Any Employer which adopts this Plan pursuant to Section 11.1 may amend this Plan with respect to its own employees by resolution of its board of directors, if authorized to do so by the Board of Directors of the Company.
11.4    Termination.  Any Employer which adopts this Plan pursuant to Section 11.1 may terminate this Plan with respect to its own employees by resolution of its board of directors, if authorized to do so by the Board of Directors.
11.5    Data to be Furnished by Employers.  Each Employer which adopts this Plan pursuant to Section 11.1 shall furnish information and maintain such records with respect to its employee Participants as called for hereunder, and its determinations and notifications with respect thereto shall have the same force and effect as comparable determinations by the Company with respect to its employee Participants.
11.6     Joint Employees.  If a Participant receives Considered Compensation simultaneously from more than one Employer, the total amount of such Considered Compensation shall be considered for the purposes of the Plan, and the respective Employers shall share in contributions to the Plan on account of said Participant based on the Considered Compensation paid to such Participant by the Employer.
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11.7    Expenses.  To the extent that the Employers shall pay any of the necessary expenses incurred in the administration of the Plan or Trust pursuant to the Trust, then each Employer shall pay such portion thereof as the Company shall determine.
11.8    Withdrawal.  An Employer may withdraw from the Plan by giving 60 days’ written notice of its intention to the Company and the Trustee, unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Company.
11.9    Prior Plans.  If an Employer adopting the Plan already maintains a defined contribution plan covering employees who will be covered by this Plan, it may, with the consent of the Company, provide in its resolution adopting this Plan for the termination of its own Plan or for the merger, restatement and continuation, of its own plan by this Plan.  In either case, such Employer may, subject to the approval of the Company, provide in its resolution of adoption of this Plan for the transfer of the assets of such plan to the Trust for this Plan for the payment of benefits accrued under such other plan.  Any such plan is referred to herein as a “Prior Plan”.
11.10    Merger of the Heritage Plan into the Plan.  The Heritage Plan merged into this Plan October 1, 1998.  On and after January 1, 1999, the provisions of this Plan as amended from time to time, and without respect to the Heritage Plan, shall govern the terms, conditions and benefits of employees who previously participated in the Heritage Plan.

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ARTICLE 12
MISCELLANEOUS
12.1    No Guarantee of Employment, etc.  Neither the creation of the Plan nor anything contained in the Plan or Trust Agreement shall be construed as giving any Participant hereunder or other employee of the Employer any right to remain in the employ of the Employer, any equity or other interest in the assets, business or affairs of the Employer, or any right to complain about any action taken or any policy adopted or pursued by the Employer.
12.2    Rights of Participants and Others.
(a)    Except as provided in the Plan with respect to loans to a Participant, no Participant shall have any right to sell, assign, pledge, hypothecate, anticipate or in any way create a lien upon any part of the Trust Fund.  Except to the extent required by law or provided in the Plan, no interest in the Trust Fund, or any part thereof, shall be assignable in or by operation of law, or be subject to liability in any way for the debts or defaults of Participants, their beneficiaries, spouses or heirs-at-law, whether to the Employer or to others.
(b)    Prior to the time that distributions are to be made hereunder, the Participants, their spouses, beneficiaries, heirs-at-law or legal representatives shall have no right to receive cash or other things of value from the Employer or the Trustee from or as a result of the Plan and Trust.
12.3    Qualified Domestic Relations Order.  Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall distribute a Participant’s Accounts, or any portion thereof, in accordance with the terms of any domestic relations order entered on or after January 1, 1985, which the Committee determines to be a qualified domestic relations order described in Section 414(p) of the Code.  Further notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, such distribution of a Participant’s Accounts or any portion thereof, to an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order shall, unless such order otherwise provides, be made in one lump sum as soon as administratively practicable after the Committee has determined that a domestic relations order is a qualified domestic relations order described in Code Section 414(p).
12.4    Controlling Law.  To the extent not preempted by the laws of the United States of America, the laws of the State of Illinois shall be controlling state law in all matters relating to the Plan.
12.5    Severability.  If any provision of this Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this Plan, but this Plan shall be construed and enforced as if said illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein.
12.6    Notification of Addresses.  Each Participant and each beneficiary of a deceased Participant shall file with the Committee from time to time in writing their post-office address and each change of post-office address.  Any communication, statement or notice addressed to the last post-office address filed with the Committee, or if no such address was filed with the Committee, then to the last post-office address of the Participant or beneficiary as shown on the Employer’s records, will be binding 
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on the Participant and their beneficiary for all purposes of this Plan and neither the Committee nor the Employer shall be obliged to search for or ascertain the whereabouts of any Participant or beneficiary.
12.7    Gender and Number.  Whenever the context requires or permits, the gender and number of words shall be interchangeable.

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ARTICLE 13
ESOP PROVISIONS
13.1    General.  The provisions of this Article, together with other provisions of this Plan relating to the ESOP Fund, are intended to constitute an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) within the meaning of Code Section 4975(e)(7), and is designed to invest primarily in Employer Securities.  The provisions of this Article shall supersede contrary provisions of the Plan.
(a)    Establishment of the ESOP Fund.  The portion of the Plan represented by the portion of the Accounts invested in the Funds described in Section 9.5(a)(ii) and 9.5(a)(iv) of the Plan shall constitute the “ESOP Fund.”  The Plan may not obligate itself to acquire shares of Employer Securities at some indefinite period of time in the future, such as upon the death of a shareholder of the Company.  For purposes of the Plan, the term “Employer Securities” refers to common stock of the Company so long as such stock is Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market.  Otherwise, the term Employer Securities refers to common stock of the Company (or an Affiliate that is part of the Company’s controlled group of corporations within the meaning of section 409(1)(4) of the Code) that has a combination of voting power and dividend rights equal to or in excess of: (1) that class of common stock of the Company having the greatest voting power and (2) that class of common stock of the Company having the greatest dividend rights. The term “Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market” means that the stock is listed on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities Exchange Commission under Section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
13.2    Treatment of the ESOP Fund.  The ESOP Fund shall constitute an ESOP.  Amounts allocated to the ESOP shall be invested in Employer Securities, provided that amounts allocated to the ESOP Fund may be invested in short-term interest bearing accounts to facilitate investments in common stock of the Company, transfers from the ESOP Fund to other Funds or distributions to Participants.  The ESOP Fund shall be treated as a Fund for purposes of Sections 4.2 and Section 9.5(b), provided, that Participants shall not be permitted to direct any contributions into the ESOP Fund and no existing Account balances may be transferred to the ESOP Fund.  Account balances invested in the ESOP Fund may be transferred from the ESOP Fund to any other Fund maintained under the Plan in accordance with Section 9.5(b).
13.3    Allocation of Employer Contribution.  Such portion, as determined by the Board of Directors, if any, of the Employer Contribution and Automatic Contribution credited to the Employer Contribution Accounts and Automatic Contribution Accounts of Participants who are Eligible Participants for purposes of the allocation of such contributions pursuant to Section 4.9 shall be invested in the ESOP Fund. No Before-Tax Contributions or Matching Employer Contributions shall be credited to the ESOP Fund.
13.4    Allocation of Net Earnings and Losses and Dividends.  Net earnings and losses, and the valuation of the amounts credited to the ESOP Fund shall be determined in the manner described in Section 4.2, as applicable to a Fund invested primarily in common stock of the Company.  To the extent provided below, cash dividends paid on common stock of the Company allocated to Accounts invested in the ESOP Fund shall, at the election of the Participant:
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(a)    be paid in cash to the Participant as soon as practicable after the last day of the quarter during which such dividends are paid to the Plan, provided that in no event shall such cash dividends be paid later than 90 days after the close of the Plan Year during which such dividends were paid to the Plan, or
(b)    reinvested in shares of common stock of the Company and held in the ESOP Fund.
The election under this Section 13.4 shall not apply with respect cash dividends paid prior to January 1, 2002 or to any cash dividends attributable to the portion, if any, of a Participant’s Employer Contribution Account, Heritage Plan Account and McHenry Account which was not vested under Section 5.5 as of the last day of the Plan Year immediately preceding the Plan Year in which the dividend is paid to the Plan.  Cash dividends not subject to this election shall be reinvested in common stock of the Company.  The cash payment of dividends by the Plan under this Section 13.4 shall not be subject to the limitations or provisions of Article 6.  Elections pursuant to this Section 13.4 shall be made by filing with the Committee the appropriate written form (which may be filed electronically via the Internet or Company intranet, or via a voice response system) at such times and in accordance with such procedures and limitations which the Committee may from time to time establish.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the procedures established by the Committee shall provide a reasonable opportunity before a dividend is paid or distributed for Participants to make the election and to have a reasonable opportunity to change the election at least annually, shall establish a default election if a Participant fails to make an affirmative election within the time established for making elections, may provide that the election is applicable for a Plan Year and cannot be revoked with respect to such Plan Year, and shall otherwise be implemented in a manner such that the dividends paid or reinvested will constitute “applicable dividends” which may be deducted by the Company under Code Section 404(k) as amended by Section 662 of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. A Participant shall be fully vested in any dividend with respect to which the Participant is offered an election under this Section 13.4.
13.5    ESOP Provisions.  The following provisions shall apply to the ESOP Fund:
(a)    The ESOP Fund is intended to be invested primarily in shares of common stock of the Company which constitute “employer securities” as defined in Code Section 409(1).  in the event of any merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or similar transaction in which the common stock of the Company is converted into or exchanged for other stock or securities, the stock or securities received upon such conversion or exchange shall be deemed to be common stock of the Company for purposes of this Article 13.
(b)    Each Participant shall be entitled to direct the Trustee with respect to the voting or tendering of Employer Securities held in the ESOP Fund and allocated to such Participant’s accounts.  Such directions shall be provided in the manner set forth in the Trust Agreement.
(c)    A Participant, a Participant’s beneficiary or an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order shall be entitled to transfer amounts allocated to the ESOP Fund to the other Funds maintained under the Plan in the manner described in Section 9.5(b), regardless of whether 
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or not the Participant has attained the age of 55 and regardless of the Participant’s number of years of service.
(d)    A Participant or a Participant’s beneficiary may elect to receive that portion of their Accounts held in the ESOP Fund which has become distributable pursuant to Section 6.1 in cash or in shares of common stock of the Company in the manner described in Section 6.2(b).
(e)    Shares of Employer Securities distributed under the Plan that are not Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market shall be subject to a “put option,” whereby the stock may be sold to the Company or, if the Trustee is so directed by the Committee, the Trust.  The put option shall be exercisable only by the distributee (whether a Participant or a Beneficiary), any person to whom the Employer Securities has passed by gift from the distributee or any person (including an estate or the distributee from an estate) to whom the Employer Securities passed upon the death of the distributee (hereinafter referred to as the “holder”).  At the option of the Company (or the Committee if the Trust is the purchaser), the payment for shares of Employer Securities sold pursuant to a put option shall be made in either of the following forms:
(1)    If the Employer Securities was distributed as part of a total distribution (that is, a distribution of the entire balance of the Participant’s interest under the ESOP Fund), then payment may be made with a promissory note which provides for substantially equal monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual installments commencing with the 30 days from the date of the exercise of the put option and over a period not exceeding 5 years, with interest payable at a reasonable rate on any unpaid installment balance, with adequate security provided, and without penalty for prepayment of such installments; or
(2)    In a lump sum no later than 30 days after such Participant exercises the put option.
The amount paid for shares of Employer Securities pursuant to an exercised put option shall be determined under a fair valuation formula.  The put option must be exercised during the 60 day period beginning on the date the Employer Securities is first distributed, by the Plan, or during a 60 day period designated by the Committee during the Plan Year following the Plan Year in which the distribution occurred after a Valuation Date under paragraph (g) below.  To exercise the put option, the holder shall notify the Company in writing that the put option is being exercised.  The Trust is not bound to purchase Employer Securities pursuant to the put option, but the Committee may direct the Trustee to cause the Trust to assume the Company’s rights and obligations to acquire Employer Securities under the put option.
(f)    The put option provided under this Section shall continue in force even if this Plan ceases to contain the ESOP Fund to the extent required under applicable Code provisions.
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(g)    If the Employer Securities ceases to be Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market, the ESOP Fund will be valued at least once a year, on the Valuation Date and in accordance with a method consistently followed and uniformly applied in good faith.  In addition, all valuations of Employer Securities must be made by an independent appraiser who meets requirements similar to the requirements of the regulations prescribed under Code Section 170(a)(1).  Valuations of Employer Securities must be made in good faith and based on all relevant factors for determining the fair market value of securities.  In the case of a transaction between the Plan and a disqualified person within the meaning of Code Section 4975(e)(2), Employer Securities will be valued as of the date of the transaction.  For all other purposes, value must be determined as of the most recent Valuation Date under the Plan.  Earnings on Employer Securities allocated to the ESOP Fund will be allocated at least annually.
(h)    Notwithstanding any contrary Plan provision, shares of Employer Securities acquired with the proceeds of an “exempt loan” described in Treasury Regulation Section 54.4975-7(b)(1)(iii) shall be forfeited only after other Plan assets allocated to the Participant’s Accounts have been forfeited.  Also, if more than one class of Company Stock is allocated to a Participant’s Accounts, the number of shares forfeited will be in the same proportion from each class.
(i)    The Plan is not authorized to engage in an acquisition of Employer Securities intending to qualify the selling shareholder for capital gains nonrecognition under Code Section 1042, because the Employer Securities are Readily Tradable on an Established Securities Market.  Accordingly, the nonallocation rules under Code Section 409(n) are not applicable to the Plan.

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ARTICLE 14
ROTH CONTRIBUTIONS 
14.1    General Application.
(a)    To the extent permitted by the Committee in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner, a Participant may irrevocably designate in advance any elective deferral which would otherwise be treated as a Before-Tax Contribution as a Roth Contribution in accordance with Code Section 402A.  Such designation shall be made in the faint and manner prescribed by the Committee.
(b)    A Participant’s Roth Contributions shall be allocated to a separate account maintained for such deferrals, as described in Section 14.2.
(c)    Unless specifically stated otherwise, Roth Contributions shall be treated as if they were Before-Tax Contributions for all purposes of the Plan.
(d)    To the extent required under applicable Treasury Regulations, the Committee (or its delegate) shall keep track of the number of taxable years that have elapsed since a Participant first made Roth Contributions under the Plan and, upon request, provide this information to the Participant in connection with a distribution or a direct rollover to another qualified retirement plan.
14.2    Separate Accounting.
(a)    For each Participant there shall be maintained as appropriate a separate Roth Contribution Account, which shall be administered in accordance with Article 4.
(b)    As of each Valuation Date, the Roth Contributions made on behalf of each Participant since the prior Valuation Date shall be allocated to such Participant’s Roth Contribution Account.
(c)    As of each Valuation Date, net earnings or losses shall be separately allocated on a reasonable and consistent basis to each Participant’s Roth Contribution Account and other Accounts under the Plan.
(d)    No contributions other than Roth Contributions and properly attributable earnings will be credited to the Roth Contribution Account.
(e)    A Participant’s interest in their Roth Contribution Account shall be nonforfeitable at all times.
(f)    Any loan repayment attributable to a Roth Contribution Account must be allocated thereto, and no loan repayment attributable to a loan from any other Account may be allocated to a Roth Contribution Account.
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(g)    A Participant, or in the event of their death, the Participant’s beneficiary, shall be entitled to receive a distribution of their Roth Contribution Account in accordance with Articles 5 and 6.
14.3    Direct Rollovers.
(a)    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Plan will accept a Rollover Contribution to a Participant’s Roth Contribution Account only if it is a direct rollover from another designated Roth account maintained under an applicable retirement plan as described in Code Section 402A(e)(1) and only to the extent the rollover is permitted in accordance with applicable Treasury Regulations.
(b)    Notwithstanding Section 6.11, a direct rollover of a distribution from a Roth Contribution Account under the Plan will only be made to another Roth elective deferral account under an applicable retirement plan described in Code Section 402A(e)(1) or to a Roth IRA described in Code Section 408A, and only to the extent the rollover is permitted in accordance with applicable Treasury Regulations.
14.4    Correction of Excess Contributions.
(a)    In the case of a distribution of excess contributions pursuant to Section 3.3, a Highly Compensated Employee may designate the extent to which the excess amount is composed of Before-Tax Contributions and Roth Contributions but only to the extent such types of deferrals were made for the year.
(b)    If the Highly Compensated Employee does not designate which type of elective deferrals are to be distributed, the plan will distribute Before-Tax Contributions first.
14.5    Definition.  A ‘Roth Contribution’ is an elective deferral that is designated irrevocably by the Participant at the time of the cash or deferred election as being made in lieu of all or a portion of the Before-Tax Contributions the Participant is otherwise eligible to make under the Plan.  Roth Contributions are treated by the Employer as includible in the Participant’s income at the time the Participant would have received the amount in cash if the Participant had not made a deferral election.

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