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 FASB ASC No. 718 and 505. On May 4, 2012, the stockholders of the Company approved the Company’s 2012 Stock-Based Incentive Plan which supersedes the Bridge Bancorp, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan that was approved in 2006 (the “2006 Plan”). The plan provides for the grant of stock-based and other incentive awards to officers, employees and directors of the Company.

No new grants of stock options were awarded and no compensation expense was attributable to stock options for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 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 exercise or reporting date. The intrinsic value of options exercised during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 was $15,000 and $0, respectively. The intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable at March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 was $103,000 and $20,000, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s stock options as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 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, January 1, 2016		23,725		$	25.25
Granted		-			-
Exercised		(4,000	)	$	25.25
Forfeited		-			-
Expired		-			-
Outstanding, March 31, 2016		19,725		$	25.25		0.66 years	$	103
Vested and Exercisable, March 31, 2016		19,725		$	25.25		0.66 years	$	103

	Number of		Exercise
Range of Exercise Prices	Options		Price
		19,725	$	25.25
		19,725

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, restricted stock awards of 63,709 shares were granted. Of the 63,709 shares granted, 36,000 shares vest over seven years with a third vesting after years five, six and seven, 27,209 shares vest over five years with a third vesting after years three, four and five, and 500 shares vest ratably over three years. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, restricted stock awards of 55,437 shares were granted. Of the 55,437 shares granted, 30,625 shares vest over seven years with a third vesting after years five, six and seven and 24,812 shares vest over five years with a third vesting after years three, four and five. Compensation expense attributable to restricted stock awards was $351,000 and $302,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s unvested restricted stock as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 is as follows:

				Weighted
				Average Grant-Date
	Shares			Fair Value
Unvested, January 31, 2016		281,076		$	23.46
Granted		63,709		$	27.80
Vested		(34,927	)	$	21.70
Forfeited		(2,079	)	$	23.83
Unvested, March 31, 2016		307,779		$	24.55

Effective in 2015, the Board revised the design of the Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTI Plan”) for Named Executive Officers (“NEOs”) to include performance based awards. The LTI Plan includes 60% performance vested awards based on 3-year relative Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) to the proxy peer group and 40% time vested awards. The awards are in the form of restricted stock units and cliff vest after five years and require an additional two year holding period before the restricted stock units are delivered in shares of common stock. The Company recorded expense of approximately $40,000 and $14,000 in connection with these awards for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

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 $115,000 and $34,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.