Share Based Compensation (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Table Text Block]

Share-Based Compensation

The Park National Corporation 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2013 Incentive Plan") was adopted by the Board of Directors of Park on January 28, 2013 and was approved by Park's shareholders at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 22, 2013. The 2013 Incentive Plan replaces Park's 2005 Incentive Stock Option Plan (the "2005 Plan") and Park's Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors of Park National Corporation and Subsidiaries (the "Directors' Stock Plan") which were terminated immediately following the approval of the 2013 Incentive Plan. The 2013 Incentive Plan makes equity-based awards and cash-based awards available for grant to participants in the form of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted common shares, restricted stock unit awards that may be settled in common shares, cash or a combination of the two, unrestricted common shares and cash-based awards. Under the 2013 Incentive Plan, 600,000 common shares are authorized to be issued and delivered in connection with grants under the 2013 Incentive Plan. The common shares to be issued and delivered under the 2013 Incentive Plan may consist of either common shares currently held or common shares subsequently acquired by Park as treasury shares, including common shares purchased in the open market or in private transactions. No awards may be made under the 2013 Incentive Plan after April 22, 2023. At March 31, 2015, 534,250 common shares were available for future grants under the 2013 Incentive Plan.

On January 24, 2014, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Park granted awards of 21,975 performance-based restricted stock units (“PBRSUs”) to certain employees of Park, which grants were effective on January 24, 2014. On January 2, 2015, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Park granted awards of 23,025 PBRSUs to certain employees of Park, which grants were effective on January 2, 2015. The number of PBRSUs earned or settled will depend on certain performance conditions and are also subject to service-based vesting.

Share-based compensation expense of $259,000 and $103,000 was recognized for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Park expects to recognize additional share-based compensation expense of approximately $1.1 million through the first quarter of 2018 related to PBRSUs granted in 2014 and approximately $1.8 million through the first quarter of 2019 related to PBRSUs granted in 2015.