STOCK BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

3. STOCK BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors determines stock options and restricted stock awarded under the Bridge Bancorp, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan (“Plan”) and the Company accounts for this Plan under the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”) No. 718 and 505.

No new grants of stock options were awarded during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011.  There was no compensation expense attributable to stock options for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011, because all stock options were vested.

The intrinsic value for stock options is calculated based on the exercise price of the underlying awards and the market price of our common stock as of the reporting date.  No stock options were exercised during the first quarter of 2012 and 2011. The intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable at March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011 was $12,000 and $14,000, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s stock options as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2012 is as follows:

				Weighted
		Weighted		Average
	Number	Average		Remaining	Aggregate
	of	Exercise		Contractual	Intrinsic
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)	Options	Price		Life	Value
Outstanding, December 31, 2011	54,223	$	25.05
Granted	—	—
Exercised	—	—
Forfeited	—	—
Expired	—	—
Outstanding, March 31, 2012	54,223	$	25.05	4.07 years	$	12
Vested and Exercisable, March 31, 2012	54,223	$	25.05	4.07 years	$	12

	Number of	Exercise
Range of Exercise Prices	Options	Price
	2,100	$	15.47
	5,359	$	24.00
	41,436	$	25.25
	3,000	$	26.55
	2,328	$	30.60
	54,223

During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, restricted stock awards of 21,993 and 13,188 shares were granted. These awards vest over approximately five years with a third vesting after years three, four and five. Compensation expense attributable to restricted stock awards was $327,000 and $227,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s unvested restricted stock as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2012 is as follows:

			Weighted
			Average Grant-Date
	Shares		Fair Value
Unvested, December 31, 2011	211,371		$	21.56
Granted	21,993		$	19.82
Vested	(30,100	)	$	21.44
Forfeited	(150	)	$	20.32
Unvested, March 31, 2012	203,114		$	21.39

In April 2009, the Company adopted a Directors Deferred Compensation Plan. Under the Plan, independent directors may elect to defer all or a portion of their annual retainer fee in the form of restricted stock units. In addition, Directors receive a non-election retainer in the form of restricted stock units.  These restricted stock units vest ratably over one year and have dividend rights but no voting rights. In connection with this Plan, the Company recorded expenses of approximately $39,000 and $32,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.