SECURITY CAPITAL ATLANTIC INC
S-8, 1998-01-06
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
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<PAGE>
 
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 1998
                                                             File No. 333-
================================================================================
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     Under
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  ----------

                    SECURITY CAPITAL ATLANTIC INCORPORATED
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           MARYLAND                                     85-0415503
  (State or other jurisdiction              (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
of incorporation or organization)

         Six Piedmont Center                               30305
           Atlanta, Georgia                             (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)

              Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                (404) 237-9292

                    SECURITY CAPITAL ATLANTIC INCORPORATED
                         401(K) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
                           (Full title of the plan)

                               Jeffrey A. Klopf
                                   Secretary
                              Six Piedmont Center
                            Atlanta, Georgia 30305
                                (404) 237-9292
                              (Agent for Service)

                             ---------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                               CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
==================================================================================================
                                                 Proposed          Proposed
                                                  Maximum           Maximum
  Title of Securities to be    Amount to be    Offering Price      Aggregate          Amount of
         Registered             Registered       Per Share*     Offering Price*   Registration Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>              <C>              <C>               <C> 
  Common Stock, par value
  $.01 per share (including   115,000 Shares     $21.15625       $2,432,968.75        $717.73
  related preferred share
  purchase rights)
==================================================================================================
</TABLE>

 *  Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee on the
    basis of the average of the high and low prices for the Common Shares as
    reported on the New York Stock Exchange on December 29, 1997.

================================================================================
<PAGE>
 
                                    Part II


                            INFORMATION REQUIRED IN
                           THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of documents by reference.

The following documents, which have heretofore been filed by Security Capital
Atlantic Incorporated (the "Company" or "Registrant") with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (File No. 1-12303) are incorporated by reference herein and
shall be deemed to be a part hereof:

     (a)   Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996;

     (b)   Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
           1997, June 30, 1997 and September 30, 1997;

     (c)   Current Reports on Form 8-K filed January 27, 1997, March 26, 1997,
           September 9, 1997 and September 16, 1997; and

     (d)   The description of the Company's Common Shares (including the related
           preferred share purchase rights) contained in the Company's
           registration statement on Form 8-A, as amended;

All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all
securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated herein by
reference and shall be deemed a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

The validity of the issuance of the Common Shares registered hereunder will be
passed upon for the Company by the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt, Chicago,
Illinois. Mayer, Brown & Platt has represented and is currently representing the
Company and certain of its affiliates.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a
provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the
corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability
resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit of profit in money,
property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a
final judgment as being material to the cause of action.  The Registrant's
Charter contains such a provision which eliminates such liability to the maximum
extent permitted by Maryland law.

The Registrant's officers and Directors are and will be indemnified under the
Registrant's charter against certain liabilities.  The Registrant's charter
provides that the Registrant will, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland
law in effect from time to time, indemnify and pay or reimburse reasonable
expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual
who is a present or former Director or officer of the Registrant or (b) any
individual who, while a Director or officer of the Registrant and at the request
of Registrant, serves or has served

                                      II-1
<PAGE>
 
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee of such
corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise. The Registrant has the power, with the approval of the Registrant's
Board of Directors, to provide such indemnification and advancement of expenses
to a person who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities
described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Registrant or
its predecessors.

Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise,
which the Registrant's charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who
has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any
proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in
that capacity.  Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and
former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties,
fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in
connection with any proceeding to which they may be made a party by reason of
their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the
act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving
rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result
of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually
received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in
the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable
cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.  However, a Maryland
corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the
right of the corporation. Maryland law permits the Registrant to advance
reasonable expenses to a Director or officer upon the Registrant's receipt of
(a) a written affirmation by the Director or officer of his or her good faith
belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for
indemnification by the Registrant as authorized by the Registrant's Bylaws and
(b) a written statement by or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or
reimbursed by the Registrant if it shall ultimately be determined that the
standard of conduct was not met.

The Registrant has entered into indemnity agreements with each of its officers
and Directors which provide for reimbursement of all expenses and liabilities of
such officer or Director, arising out of any lawsuit or claim against such
officer or Director due to the fact that he or she was or is serving as an
officer or Director, except for such liabilities and expenses (a) the payment of
which is judicially determined to be unlawful, (b) relating to claims under
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or (c) relating to
judicially determined criminal violations.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

See Index to Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

A. Rule 415 Offering.
   ----------------- 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     1.    To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
           a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

           (i)   To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
                 Securities Act of 1933;

           (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
                 the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
                 recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,

                                      II-2
<PAGE>
 
                 individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
                 change in the information set forth in the registration
                 statement;

           (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan
                 of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
                 statement or any material change to such information in the
                 registration statement;

                 Provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) do
                 not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form
                 S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-
                 effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
                 periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to section
                 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated
                 by reference in the registration statement.

     2.    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
           Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
           deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
           offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
           shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     3.    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
           any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
           termination of the offering.

B.    Filings Incorporating Subsequent Exchange Act Documents by Reference.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's
annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act
(and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference
in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
      ----------------------------------------- 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the provisions of the registrant's charter or by-laws or
otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.

                                      II-3
<PAGE>
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Constance B.
Moore, James C. Potts, William Kell, Jeffrey A. Klopf and Ariel Amir, and each
of them singly, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and
stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, to sign a
registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933 and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and any
and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and things requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or his substitute or
nominee, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                      II-4
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on January 6, 1998.

                                      SECURITY CAPITAL ATLANTIC INCORPORATED

                                      By /s/ Constance B. Moore
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Constance B. Moore
                                         Co-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       Signature                             Title                            Date
       ---------                             -----                            ----
<S>                       <C>                                           <C>
/s/ JAMES C. POTTS        Co-Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and     January 6, 1998
- ------------------------  Director
     James C. Potts

/s/ CONSTANCE B. MOORE    Co-Chairman, Chief Operating Officer          January 6, 1998
- ------------------------  and Director
   Constance B. Moore

/s/ WILLIAM KELL          Vice President and Controller                 January 6, 1998
- ------------------------  (Principal Financial Officer)
      William Kell

/s/ ANN L. SCHUMACHER     Vice President (Principal                     January 6, 1998
- ------------------------  Accounting Officer)
    Ann L. Schumacher

/s/ M.A. GARCIA III       Director                                      January 6, 1998
- ------------------------
     M.A. Garcia III

/s/ NED S. HOLMES         Director                                      January 6, 1998
- ------------------------
     Ned S. Holmes

/s/ JOHN M. RICHMAN       Director                                      January 6, 1998
- ------------------------
    John M. Richman
</TABLE>

                                      II-5
<PAGE>
 
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                               -----------------
<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
Exhibit
Number    Description of Document
- ------    -----------------------
<S>       <C>     
4.1       Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of ATLANTIC
          (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to ATLANTIC's Form S-11
          Registration Statement (File No. 333-07071; the "ATLANTIC S-11"))

4.2       Articles of Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Articles of
          Incorporation of ATLANTIC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to
          the ATLANTIC S-11)

4.3       Articles of Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Articles of
          Incorporation of ATLANTIC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to
          the ATLANTIC S-11)

4.4       Articles Supplementary to Second Amended and Restated Articles of
          Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to ATLANTIC's
          Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996 (File No. 1-12303, the
          "ATLANTIC 10-K"))

4.5       Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of ATLANTIC (incorporated by 
          reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the ATLANTIC S-11)

4.6       Rights Agreement, dated as of March 12, 1996, between ATLANTIC and The
          First National Bank of Boston, as Rights Agent, including form of
          Rights Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the
          ATLANTIC S-11)

4.7       ATLANTIC's 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust

5         Opinion of Mayer, Brown & Platt

15        Letter regarding unaudited interim financial information

23.1      Consent of Mayer, Brown & Platt (included in its opinion filed as 
          Exhibit 5 hereto)

23.2      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

24.1      Power of Attorney (included on page II-4)
</TABLE> 

                                     II-6

<PAGE>
                                                                     Exhibit 4.7
 
                    SECURITY CAPITAL ATLANTIC INCORPORATED
                         401(K) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
<PAGE>
 
                                   PREAMBLE

The purpose of this Plan and Trust is to provide, in accordance with its
provisions, a defined contribution plan providing retirement and other related
benefits for those Employees of the Employer who are eligible to participate
hereunder.
 
It is intended that the Plan qualify for approval under Sections 401 and 410
through 417 of the Internal Revenue Code. It is intended that the Trust qualify
for approval under Section 501 of the Code. It is further intended that the Plan
comply with the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 (ERISA). In case of any ambiguity in the Plan's language, it will be
interpreted to accomplish the Plan's intent of qualifying under the Code and
complying with ERISA.
 
This Plan and Trust is exclusively for the benefit of the eligible Employees and
their Beneficiaries. Neither the Employer, the Plan Administrator nor the
Trustee will apply or interpret the terms of the Plan in any manner that permits
discrimination in favor of Highly Compensated Employees. All Employees under
similar circumstances will be treated alike.
 
The undersigned Employer and Trustee hereby adopt this Plan and Trust effective
as of January 1, 1998.
<PAGE>
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                            PAGE NO.
                                                         
ARTICLE 1  - DEFINITIONS                                       1-1
ARTICLE 2  - PARTICIPATION                                     2-1
ARTICLE 3  - PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS                              3-1
ARTICLE 4  - ACCOUNTING AND VALUATION                          4-1
ARTICLE 5  - RETIREMENT BENEFITS                               5-1
ARTICLE 6  - DEATH BENEFIT                                     6-1
ARTICLE 7  - LIMITATIONS ON BENEFITS                           7-1
ARTICLE 8  - MISCELLANEOUS                                     8-1
ARTICLE 9  - ADMINISTRATION                                    9-1
ARTICLE 10 - AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF PLAN                 10-1
ARTICLE 11 - TRUSTEE AND TRUST FUND                           11-1
<PAGE>
 
                                   ARTICLE 1

                                  DEFINITIONS

As used in this document, unless otherwise defined or required by the context,
the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Article 1. Some of the
terms used in this document are not defined in Article 1, but for convenience
are defined as they are introduced in the text.

1.01 Account

     Account means a separate account maintained for each Participant reflecting
     applicable contributions, applicable forfeitures, investment income (loss)
     allocated to the account and distributions.

1.02 Accounting Date, Valuation Date

     The term Accounting Date means the last day of each Accounting Period and
     any other days within the Accounting Period upon which, consistent with
     established methods and guidelines, the Plan Administrator applies the
     accounting procedures specified in Section 4.02. The term Valuation Date,
     unless otherwise specified, means any business day on which the New York
     Stock Exchange is open.

1.03 Accounting Period

     Accounting Period means each of the 3-month periods which end on March
     31st, June 30th, September 30th and December 31st.

1.04 Accrued Benefit

     A Participant's Accrued Benefit means the total value of his Accounts as of
     a given date. A Participant's Accrued Benefit will not be reduced solely on
     account of an amendment to the Plan.

     A Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit is equal to his Vested Percentage of
     that portion of his Accrued Benefit which is subject to the Vesting
     Schedule plus 100% of the remaining portion of his Accrued Benefit.

1.05 Beneficiary

     Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or other entity who is
     designated by a Participant, subject to the provisions of Article 6, to
     receive any amount payable upon the death of a Participant.

1.06 Cash-Out Distribution

     Cash-Out Distribution means, as described in Article 5, a distribution to a
     Participant upon termination of employment of his Vested Accrued Benefit.

1.07 Code and ERISA

     Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from
     time to time, and all regulations issued thereunder. Reference to a section
     of the Code includes that section and any comparable section or sections of
     any future legislation that amends, supplements or supersedes such section
     and any regulations issued thereunder.

     ERISA means Public Law No. 93-406, the Employee Retirement Income Security
     Act of 1974, as it may be amended from time to time, and all regulations
     issued thereunder. Reference to a section of ERISA includes that section
     and any comparable section or sections of any future legislation that
     amends, supplements or supersedes such section and any regulations issued
     thereunder.
<PAGE>
 
1.08 Compensation

     Except where otherwise specifically provided in this Plan, Compensation
     means Aggregate Compensation as defined in Section 7.03(a).

     For Plan Years beginning prior to January 1, 1998, Compensation also
     includes any amounts contributed by the Employer or any Related Employer on
     behalf of any Employee pursuant to a salary reduction agreement which are
     not includable in the gross income of the Employee due to Code Section 125,
     402(e)(3), 402(h), 402(k) or 403(b).

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, for all purposes under this Plan,
     Compensation in excess of the Statutory Compensation Limit will be
     disregarded.

     Statutory Compensation Limit means $150,000, as adjusted in accordance with
     Code Section 401(a)(17)(B).

1.09 Effective Date

     The Effective Date of the Plan is January 1, 1998.

1.10 Eligible Employee Classification

     An Eligible Employee Classification is a classification of Employees, the
     members of which are eligible to participate in the Plan. The Plan covers
     all employee classifications except Leased Employees, part time Employees
     who work less than 1,000 Hours of Service during an eligibility Computation
     Period (as defined in Section 2.01), and Employees covered by collective
     bargaining for whom retirement benefits have been the subject of good faith
     bargaining.

     Leased Employees and Individuals who are classified by the Employer as
     Independent Contractors are not eligible to participate in the Plan whether
     or not such individuals are classified as Employees of the Employer for
     purposes of the Internal Revenue Code.

1.11 Eligible Participant

     An Eligible Participant is a Participant who, in accordance with the
     provisions of Article 3, is eligible to share in the allocation of a
     contribution for a given Contribution Period.

1.12 Employee

     (a)  In General

          An Employee is any person who is employed by the Employer or a
          Participating Employer. An individual classified by the Employer as an
          Independent Contractor is not considered to be an Employee.

     (b)  Leased Employee

          A Leased Employee means any person who, pursuant to an agreement
          between the Employer or any Related Employer ("Recipient Employer")
          and any other person ("leasing organization"), has performed services
          for the Recipient Employer on a substantially full-time basis for a
          period of at least one year and such services are performed under the
          primary direction or control of the Recipient Employer.

          Any Leased Employee will be treated as an Employee of the Recipient
          Employer; however, contributions or benefits provided by the leasing
          organization which are attributable to the services performed for the
          Recipient Employer will be treated as provided by the Recipient
          Employer. If all Leased Employees constitute less than 20% of the
          Employer's non-highly-compensated work force within the meaning of
          Code Section 414(n)(1)(C)(ii),
<PAGE>
 
          then the preceding sentence will not apply to any Leased Employee if
          such Employee is covered by a money purchase pension plan ("Safe
          Harbor Plan") which provides: (1) a nonintegrated employer
          contribution rate of at least 10% of compensation, (2) immediate
          participation, and (3) full and immediate vesting.

          Years of Service for purposes of eligibility to participate in the
          Plan and Years of Service for purposes of determining a Participant's
          Vested Percentage include service by an Employee as a Leased Employee.

1.13  Employer and Plan Sponsor

     The Plan Sponsor is Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated. A Participating
     Employer is any other organization which has adopted this Plan and Trust in
     accordance with Section 8.07. The Plan Sponsor and any Participating
     Employers shall be referred to collectively as the Employers, and
     individually as the Employer.

     Predecessor Employer means SCGroup Incorporated. Service with a Predecessor
     Employer will be included as Service with the Employer for all purposes
     under this Plan.

1.14  Employment Commencement Date

     The date an Employee first performs an Hour of Service for the Employer is
     his Employment Commencement Date.

1.15  Entry Date

     Entry Date means the first day of the month which coincides with or next
     follows the date upon which the eligibility requirements are met.

1.16  Fiscal Year

     Fiscal Year means the taxable year of the Plan Sponsor. The Fiscal Year of
     the Plan Sponsor is the 12 month period beginning January 1 and ending
     December 31.

1.17  Forfeiture

     The term Forfeiture refers to that portion, if any, of a Participant's
     Accrued Benefit which is in excess of his Vested Accrued Benefit following
     the termination of the Participant's employment.

     A Forfeiture is considered to occur as of the earlier of (a) the date of
     the occurrence of the fifth of 5 consecutive One Year Breaks-in-Service or
     (b) the date a Cash-Out Distribution occurs in accordance with the
     provisions of Article 5.

1.18  Highly Compensated Definitions

     (a)  Compensation

          For purposes of this Section, Compensation means Aggregate
          Compensation as defined in Section 7.03(a) plus (for Plan Years
          beginning prior to January 1, 1998) amounts contributed by the
          Employer pursuant to a salary reduction agreement which are excludable
          from the gross income of the Employee under Code Section 125,
          402(e)(3), 402(h), 402(k) or 403(b). Compensation in excess of the
          Statutory Compensation Limit will be disregarded.

     (b)  Determination Year

          Determination Year means the Plan Year for which the determination of
          who is Highly Compensated is being made.

     (c)  Reserved
<PAGE>
 
     (d)  Highly Compensated Employee

          Highly Compensated Employee means any individual who is a Highly
          Compensated Active Employee or a Highly Compensated Former Employee
          within the meaning of Code Section 414(q) and the regulations
          thereunder.

     (e)  Highly Compensated Active Employee

          Highly Compensated Active Employee means any individual who:

          (1)  During the Determination Year or the Lookback Year was at any
               time a 5-percent Owner (within the meaning of Code Section
               416(i)) of the Employer or any Related Employer; or

          (2)  During the Lookback Year (i) received Compensation from the
               Employer and all Related Employers in excess of $80,000 (or any
               greater amount determined by regulations issued by the Secretary
               of the Treasury under Code Section 415(d)); and (ii), if the Plan
               Sponsor elects the application of this clause for such Lookback
               Year, was in the Top-paid Group for such Lookback Year.

     (f)  Highly Compensated Former Employee

          Highly Compensated Former Employee means any Former Employee who had a
          Separation Year (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section
          1.414(q)-1T Q&A-5) and was a Highly Compensated Active Employee for
          either the Separation Year or any Determination Year ending on or
          after the Employee's 55th birthday.

     (g)  Highly Compensated Group

          Highly Compensated Group means all Highly Compensated Employees.

     (h)  Lookback Year

          Lookback Year means the 12-month period immediately preceding the
          Determination Year.

     (i)  Non-Highly Compensated Employee

          Non-Highly Compensated Employee means an Employee who is not a Highly
          Compensated Employee.

     (j)  Non-Highly Compensated Group

          Non-Highly Compensated Group means all Non-Highly Compensated
          Employees.

     (k)  Top-Paid Group

          Top-Paid Group means those individuals who are among the top 20
          percent of Employees of the Employer and all Related Employers when
          ranked on the basis of Compensation received during the year. In
          determining the number of individuals in the Top-Paid Group (but not
          the identity of those individuals), the following individuals may be
          excluded:

          (1)  Employees who have not completed 6 months of Service by the end
               of the year. For this purpose, an Employee who has completed One
               Hour of Service in any calendar month will be credited with one
               month of Service;

          (2)  Employees who normally work fewer than 17 1/2 hours per week;

          (3)  Employees who normally work fewer than 6 months during any year.
               For this purpose, an Employee who has worked on one day of a
               month is treated as having worked for the whole month;
<PAGE>
 
          (4)  Employees who have not reached age 21 by the end of the year;

          (5)  Nonresident aliens who received no earned income (which
               constitutes income from sources within the United States) within
               the year from the Employer or any Related Employer; and

          (6)  Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement negotiated
               in good faith between the employee representatives and the
               Employer or a group of employers of which the Employer is a
               member if (i) 90% or more of all employees of the Employer and
               all Related Employers are covered by collective bargaining
               agreements, and (ii) this Plan covers only Employees who are not
               covered under a collective bargaining agreement.

1.19  Hour of Service

     An Hour of Service means:

     (a)  Each hour for which an Employee is paid, or entitled to payment, for
          the performance of duties for the Employer. These hours will be
          credited to the Employee for the computation period in which the
          duties are performed;

     (b)  Each hour for which an Employee is paid, or entitled to payment, by
          the Employer on account of a period of time during which no duties are
          performed (irrespective of whether the employment relationship has
          terminated) due to vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity (including
          disability), layoff, jury duty, military duty or leave of absence. No
          more than 501 Hours of Service will be credited under this paragraph
          for any 12-month period. Hours under this paragraph will be calculated
          and credited pursuant to Section 2530.200b-2 of the Department of
          Labor Regulations which are incorporated herein by this reference; and

     (c)  Each hour for which back pay, irrespective of mitigation of damages,
          is either awarded or agreed to by the Employer. The same Hours of
          Service will not be credited both under paragraphs (a) or (b), as the
          case may be, and under this paragraph (c). These hours will be
          credited to the Employee for the computation period or periods to
          which the award or agreement pertains rather than the computation
          period in which the award, agreement or payment is made.

     Hours of Service for all Employees will be determined on the basis of
     actual hours for which an Employee is paid or is entitled to payment. Hours
     of Service will be credited for employment with any Related Employer or any
     Predecessor Employer. Hours of Service will be credited for any individual
     considered an employee under Code Section 414(n) or 414(o) and the
     regulations thereunder.

     Solely for purposes of determining whether a One Year Break-in-Service has
     occurred, a Participant who is absent from work on an authorized Leave of
     Absence or by reason of the Participant's pregnancy, birth of the
     Participant's child, placement of a child with the Participant in
     connection with the adoption of such child, or for the purpose of caring
     for such child for a period immediately following such birth or placement,
     will receive credit for the Hours of Service which otherwise would have
     been credited to the Participant but for such absence. The Hours of Service
     credited under this paragraph will be credited in the Plan Year in which
     the absence begins if such crediting is necessary to prevent a One Year
     Break-in-Service in such Plan Year; otherwise, such Hours of Service will
     be credited in the following Plan Year. The Hours of Service credited under
     this paragraph are those which would normally have been credited but for
     such absence; in any case in which the Plan Administrator is unable to
     determine such hours normally credited, 8 Hours of Service per day will be
<PAGE>
 
     credited. No more than 501 Hours of Service will be credited under this
     paragraph for any 12-month period. The Date of Severance is the second
     anniversary of the date on which the absence begins. The period between the
     initial date of absence and the first anniversary of the initial date of
     absence is deemed to be a period of Service. The period between the first
     and second anniversaries of the initial date of absence is neither a period
     of service nor a period of severance.

1.20  Investment Fund

     An Investment Fund means any portion of the assets of the Trust Fund which
     the Plan Administrator designates as an Investment Fund and for which the
     Plan Administrator maintains a set of accounts separate from the remaining
     assets of the Trust Fund.

     (a)  Specific Investment Fund means an Investment Fund which is designated
          as a Specific Investment Fund by the Plan Administrator in a manner
          and form acceptable to the Trustee.

     (b)  General Investment Fund means all assets of the Trust Fund excluding
          the assets of any Specific Investment Funds.

1.21  Leave of Absence

     An authorized Leave of Absence means a period of time of one year or less
     granted to an Employee by the Employer due to illness, injury, temporary
     reduction in work force, or other appropriate cause or due to military
     service during which the Employee's reemployment rights are protected by
     law, provided the Employee returns to the service of the Employer on or
     before the expiration of such leave, or in the case of military service,
     within the time his reemployment rights are so protected or within 60 days
     of his discharge from military service if no federal law is applicable. All
     authorized Leaves of Absence are granted or denied by the Employer in a
     uniform and nondiscriminatory manner, treating Employees in similar
     circumstances in a like manner.

     If the Participant does not return to active service with the Employer on
     or prior to the expiration of his authorized Leave of Absence he will be
     considered to have had a Date of Severance as of the earlier of the date on
     which his authorized Leave of Absence expired, the first anniversary of the
     last date he worked at least one hour as an Active Participant, or the date
     on which he resigned or was discharged.

1.22  Reserved

1.23  Normal Retirement Age

     A Participant's Normal Retirement Age is age 65.

1.24  Normal Retirement Date

     A Participant's Normal Retirement Date is the date on which the Participant
     attains Normal Retirement Age.

1.25  One Year Break-in-Service

     One Year Break-in-Service means any 365-day period following a
     Participant's Date of Termination in which an Employee does not complete at
     least one Hour of Service.

1.26  Participant

     The term Participant means an Employee or former Employee who is eligible
     to participate in this Plan and who is or who may become eligible to
     receive a benefit of any type from this Plan or whose Beneficiary may be
     eligible to receive any such benefit.
<PAGE>
 
     (a)  Active Participant means a Participant who is currently an Employee in
          an Eligible Employee Classification.

     (b)  Disabled Participant means a Participant who has terminated his
          employment with the Employer due to his Disability and who is
          receiving or is entitled to receive benefits from the Plan.

     (c)  Retired Participant means a Participant who has terminated his
          employment with the Employer after meeting the requirements for his
          Normal Retirement Date and who is receiving or is entitled to receive
          benefits from the Plan.

     (d)  Vested Terminated Participant means a Participant who has terminated
          his employment with the Employer and who has a nonforfeitable right to
          all or a portion of his or her Accrued Benefit and who has not
          received a distribution of the value of his or her Vested Accrued
          Benefit.

     (e)  Inactive Participant means a Participant who has (i) interrupted his
          status as an Active Participant without becoming a Disabled, Retired
          or Vested Terminated Participant and (ii) has a non-forfeitable right
          to all or a portion of his Accrued Benefit and has not received a
          complete distribution of his benefit.

     (f)  Former Participant means a Participant who has terminated his
          employment with the Employer and who currently has no nonforfeitable
          right to any portion of his or her Accrued Benefit.

1.27  Payroll Withholding Agreement

     If a written Payroll Withholding Agreement is required pursuant to the
     provisions of Article 3, then each Participant who elects to participate in
     the Plan will file such agreement on or before the first day of the payroll
     period for which the agreement is applicable (or at some other time as
     specified by the Plan Administrator). Such agreement will be effective for
     each payroll period thereafter until modified or amended.

     The terms of such agreement will provide that the Participant agrees to
     have the Employer withhold, each payroll period, any whole percentage of
     his Compensation (or such other amount as allowed by the Plan Administrator
     under rules applied on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis), not to
     exceed the limitations of Article 7. In consideration of such agreement,
     the Employer periodically will make a contribution to the Participant's
     proper Account(s) in an amount equal to the total amount by which the
     Participant's Compensation from the Employer was reduced during applicable
     payroll periods pursuant to the Payroll Withholding Agreement.

     Notwithstanding the above, Payroll Withholding Agreements will be governed
     by the following general guidelines:

     (a)  A Payroll Withholding Agreement will apply to each payroll period
          during which an effective agreement is on file with the Employer. Upon
          termination of employment, such agreement will become void.

     (b)  The Plan Administrator will establish and apply guidelines concerning
          the frequency and timing of amendments or changes to Payroll
          Withholding Agreements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant
          may revoke his Payroll Withholding Agreement at any time and
          discontinue all future withholding.

     (c)  The Plan Administrator may amend or revoke its Payroll Withholding
          Agreement with any
<PAGE>
 
          Participant at any time, if the Employer determines that such
          revocation or amendment is necessary to insure that a Participant's
          Annual Additions for any Plan Year will not exceed the limitations of
          Article 7 or to insure that the requirements of Sections 401(k) and
          401(m) of the Code have been satisfied with respect to the amount
          which may be withheld and contributed on behalf of the Highly
          Compensated Group.

     (d)  Except as provided above, a Payroll Withholding Agreement may not be
          revoked or amended by the Participant or the Employer.

1.28  Plan, Plan and Trust, Trust

     The terms Plan, Plan and Trust and Trust mean Security Capital Atlantic
     Incorporated 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust. The Plan Identification Number
     is 001. The Plan is a profit sharing plan.

     The term Predecessor Plan means any qualified plan previously established
     and maintained by the Employer and to which this Plan is the successor.

1.29  Plan Administrator

     The Plan Administrator is Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated. unless
     the Plan Sponsor designates one or more individuals to serve as Plan
     Administrator pursuant to Section 9.01.

1.30  Plan Year

     The Plan Year is the 12 month period beginning January 1 and ending
     December 31. The Limitation Year coincides with the Plan Year.

1.31  Reserved

1.32  Qualified Annuity Definitions

     (a)  Annuity Starting Date

          Annuity Starting Date means (i) the first day of the first period for
          which an amount is payable as an annuity, or (ii) in the case of a
          benefit not payable in the form of an annuity, the first day on which
          all events have occurred which entitled the Participant to such
          benefit.

     (b)  Qualified Election

          (1)  In General

               Qualified Election means a written waiver of a Qualified Joint
               and Survivor Annuity or a Qualified Survivor Annuity. If the
               provisions of Section 5.05(b) apply, the waiver must be consented
               to by the Participant's spouse with such written consent
               witnessed by a representative of the Plan Administrator or a
               notary public. The spouse's consent must include the designation
               of a specific Beneficiary and the form of payment which cannot be
               changed without the consent of the spouse. Such consent will not
               be required if the Participant establishes to the satisfaction of
               the Plan Administrator that such written consent may not be
               obtained because there is no spouse, the spouse cannot be located
               or other circumstances that may be prescribed by Treasury
               Regulations. Any consent which is required under this Section
               will be valid only with respect to the spouse who signs the
               consent (or in the event of a deemed Qualified Election, the
               designated spouse). Additionally, any revocation of a prior
               waiver may be made by a Participant without the consent of the
               spouse at any time before the Annuity Starting Date; however, any
               waiver of a Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity or a Qualified
               Survivor Annuity which follows such revocation must be in writing
               and
<PAGE>
 
               must be consented to by the Participant's spouse. The number of
               waivers or revocations of such waivers will not be limited.

          (2)  Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity Notices

               If the provisions of Section 5.05(b) apply, not more than 90 days
               nor less than 30 days before the Participant's Annuity Starting
               Date, the Plan Administrator will provide the Participant a
               written explanation of:

                    .  the terms and conditions of a Qualified Joint and
                       Survivor Annuity;

                    .  the Participant's right to make and the effect of a
                       Qualified Election to waive the Qualified Joint and
                       Survivor Annuity form of benefit;

                    .  a general description of the eligibility conditions and
                       other material features of the optional forms of benefit
                       and sufficient additional information to explain the
                       relative values of the optional forms of benefit
                       available;

                    .  the rights of the Participant's spouse; and

                    .  the right to make, and the effect of, a revocation of a
                       previous Qualified Election to waive the Qualified Joint
                       and Survivor Annuity.

          (3)  Qualified Survivor Annuity Notices

               If the provisions of Section 5.05(b) apply, the election period
               to waive the Qualified Survivor Annuity begins on the first day
               of the Plan Year in which the Participant attains age 35 and ends
               on the date of the Participant's death. If a Vested Terminated
               Participant separates from service before the beginning of the
               election period, the election period begins on the date of
               separation from service.

               The Plan Administrator will, within the applicable notice period,
               provide each Participant a written explanation of the Qualified
               Survivor Annuity containing comparable information to that
               required under the provisions of Section 1.32(b)(2). For purposes
               of this paragraph, the term "applicable notice period" means
               whichever of the following periods ends last:

                    .  the period beginning with the first day of the Plan Year
                       in which the Participant attains age 32 and ending with
                       the close of the Plan Year preceding the Plan Year in
                       which the Participant attains age 35;

                    .  the period beginning two years before and ending 12
                       months after the individual becomes a Participant;

                    .  the period beginning two years before and ending 12
                       months after the joint and survivor rules become
                       effective for the Participant; or

                    .  the period beginning one year before and ending 12 months
                       after the Participant separates from service before
                       attaining age 35.

               A Participant who will not have attained age 35 as of the end of
               any current Plan Year may make a special Qualified Election to
               waive the Qualified Survivor Annuity for the period beginning on
               the date of the election and ending on the first day of the Plan
               Year in which the Participant attains age 35. The Election will
               not be valid unless the Participant receives a written
               explanation of the Qualified Survivor Annuity in
<PAGE>
 
               terms comparable to the explanation required above. Qualified
               Survivor Annuity coverage will automatically resume as of the
               first day of the Plan Year in which the Participant attains age
               35. Any new waiver on or after that date will be subject to the
               full requirements of this Section 1.32(b).

          (c)  Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity

               A Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity means an annuity which is
               purchased from an Insurer and which is payable for the life of
               the Participant with a survivor annuity for the life of his
               Surviving Spouse in an amount which is 50% of the amount payable
               during the joint lives of the Participant and his spouse. The
               amount of the Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity will be the
               amount of benefit which can be purchased from an Insurer with the
               Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit.

          (d)  Qualified Life Annuity

               A Qualified Life Annuity means an annuity which is purchased from
               an Insurer and which is payable for the lifetime of the
               Participant with payments terminating upon the death of the
               Participant. The amount of the Qualified Life Annuity will be the
               amount of benefit which can be purchased from an Insurer with the
               Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit.

          (e)  Qualified Survivor Annuity

               A Qualified Survivor Annuity which a Surviving Spouse will be
               eligible to receive under the provisions of Section 6.02 means a
               monthly benefit payable for the remaining lifetime of the
               Surviving Spouse. The amount of the Qualified Survivor Annuity
               benefit will be the amount of benefit which can be purchased from
               an Insurer with the Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit

               If the Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit is $3,500 or less,
               such Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit shall be payable to the
               Surviving Spouse in a lump sum of the entire amount of the
               Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit. If the Participant's Vested
               Accrued Benefit at the time of any distribution exceeds $3,500,
               the Vested Accrued Benefit at any later time will be deemed to
               exceed $3,500. If the Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit
               exceeds $3,500, the Surviving Spouse may elect to receive the
               Qualified Survivor Annuity as a lump sum.

1.33  Related Employer

     The terms Related Employer and Affiliated Employer are used interchangeably
     and mean any other corporation, association, company or entity on or after
     the Effective Date which is, along with the Employer, a member of a
     controlled group of corporations (as defined in Code Section 414(b)), a
     group of trades or businesses which are under common control (as defined in
     Code Section 414(c)), an affiliated service group (as defined in Code
     Section 414(m)), or any organization or arrangement required to be
     aggregated with the Employer by Treasury Regulations issued under Code
     Section 414(o).

1.34  Required Beginning Date

     The Required Beginning Date for the commencement of benefit payments from
     the Plan is the April 1 immediately following the calendar year in which he
     attains age 70-1/2 for a Participant who is a Five Percent Owner as defined
     in Section 1.36(d)(1) with respect to the Plan Year in which the
     Participant attains age 70-1/2.

     The Required Beginning Date for the commencement of benefit payments from
     the Plan for any other Participant is the April 1 immediately following the
     later of (i) the calendar year in which the Participant attains age 70-1/2,
     or (ii) the calendar year in which the Participant retires.
<PAGE>
 
1.35  Surviving Spouse

     Surviving Spouse means a deceased Participant's spouse who was married to
     the Participant on the Participant's date of death. The Plan Administrator
     and the Trustee may rely conclusively on a Participant's written statement
     of his marital status. Neither the Plan Administrator nor the Trustee is
     required at any time to inquire into the validity of any marriage, the
     effectiveness of a common-law relationship or the claim of any alleged
     spouse which is inconsistent with the Participant's report of his marital
     status and the identity of his spouse.

1.36  Top-Heavy Definitions

     (a)  Aggregate Account

          Aggregate Account means, with respect to each Participant, the value
          of all accounts maintained on behalf of the Participant, whether
          attributable to Employer or Employee contributions, used to determine
          Top-Heavy Plan status under the provisions of a defined contribution
          plan. A Participant's Aggregate Account as of the Determination Date
          will be the sum of:

               .  the balance of his Account(s) as of the most recent valuation
                  date occurring within a 12-month period ending on the
                  Determination Date (excluding any amounts attributable to
                  deductible voluntary employee contributions); plus

               .  contributions that would be allocated as of a date not later
                  than the Determination Date, even though those amounts are not
                  yet made or required to be made; plus

               .  any Plan Distributions made within the Plan Year that includes
                  the Determination Date or within the four preceding Plan
                  Years.

     (b)  Aggregation Group

          Aggregation Group means either a Required Aggregation Group or a
          Permissive Aggregation Group as hereinafter determined.

          (1)  Required Aggregation Group

               Each plan of the Employer in which a Key Employee is a
               Participant, and each other plan of the Employer which enables
               any plan in which a Key Employee participates to meet the
               requirements of Code Section 401(a)(4) or 410, will be aggregated
               and the resulting group will be known as a Required Aggregation
               Group.

               Each plan in the Required Aggregation Group will be considered a
               Top-Heavy Plan if the Required Aggregation Group is a Top-Heavy
               Group. No plan in the Required Aggregation Group will be
               considered a Top-Heavy Plan if the Required Aggregation Group is
               not a Top-Heavy Group.

          (2)  Permissive Aggregation Group

               The Employer may also include any other plan not required to be
               included in the Required Aggregation Group, provided the
               resulting group (to be known as a Permissive Aggregation Group),
               taken as a whole, would continue to satisfy the provisions of
               Code Sections 401(a)(4) and 410.

               Only a plan that is part of the Required Aggregation Group will
               be considered a Top-Heavy Plan if the Permissive Aggregation
               Group is a Top-Heavy Group. No plan in the Permissive Aggregation
               Group will be considered a Top-Heavy Plan if the Permissive
<PAGE>
 
               Aggregation Group is not a Top-Heavy Group.

               Only those plans of the Employer in which the Determination Dates
               fall within the same calendar year will be aggregated in order to
               determine whether the plans are Top-Heavy Plans.

     (c)  Determination Date

          Determination Date means the last day of the preceding Plan Year, or,
          in the case of the first Plan Year, the last day of the first Plan
          Year.

     (d)  Key Employee

          Key Employee means any Employee or former Employee (and his
          Beneficiary) who, at any time during the Plan Year or any of the
          preceding four Plan Years, was :

          (1)  A "Five Percent Owner" of the Employer. "Five Percent Owner"
               means any person who owns (or is considered as owning within the
               meaning of Code Section 318) more than 5% of the value of the
               outstanding stock of the Employer or stock possessing more than
               5% of the total combined voting power of all stock of the
               Employer. If the Employer is not a corporation, Five Percent
               Owner means any person who owns more than 5% of the capital or
               profits interest in the Employer. In determining percentage
               ownership hereunder, Related Employers will be treated as
               separate Employers; or

          (2)  A "One Percent Owner" of the Employer having Compensation from
               the Employer of more than $150,000. "One Percent Owner" means any
               person who owns (or is considered as owning within the meaning of
               Code Section 318) more than 1% of the value of the outstanding
               stock of the Employer or stock possessing more than 1% of the
               total combined voting power of all stock of the Employer. If the
               Employer is not a corporation, One Percent Owner means any person
               who owns more than 1% of the capital or profits interest in the
               Employer. In determining percentage ownership hereunder, Related
               Employers will be treated as separate Employers. However, in
               determining whether an individual has Compensation of more than
               $150,000, Compensation from each Related Employer will be taken
               into account.

          (3)  One of the 10 Employees having Compensation not less than the
               Defined Contribution Dollar Limit (as defined in Section 7.03(j)
               for the Plan Year) who owns (or is considered as owning within
               the meaning of Code Section 318) both greater than 1/2% interest
               and the largest interests in all Employers required to be
               aggregated under Code Sections 414(b), (c), (m) and (o);

          (4)  An officer (within the meaning of the regulations under Code
               Section 416) of the Employer having Compensation greater than 50%
               of the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit as defined in Section 7.03(f)
               for the Plan Year;

          For purposes of this Section, Compensation means Aggregate
          Compensation as defined in Section 7.03(a) plus (for Plan Years
          beginning prior to January 1, 1998) any amounts contributed by the
          Employer pursuant to a salary reduction agreement which are excludable
          from the gross income of the Employee under Code Section 125,
          402(e)(3), 402(h), 402(k) or 403(b). Compensation in excess of the
          Statutory Compensation Limit is disregarded.

     (e)  Non-Key Employee

          Non-Key Employee means any Employee (and his Beneficiaries) who is not
          a Key Employee.

     (f)  Plan Distributions
<PAGE>
 
          Plan distributions include distributions made before January 1, 1984,
          and distributions under a terminated plan which, if it had not been
          terminated, would have been required to be included in an aggregation
          group. However, distributions made after the valuation date and before
          the Determination Date are not included to the extent that they are
          already included in the Participant's Single Sum Benefit as of the
          valuation date.

          With respect to "unrelated" rollovers and plan-to-plan transfers
          (those which are both initiated by an employee and made from a plan
          maintained by one employer to a plan maintained by another employer),
          if such a rollover or plan-to-plan transfer is made from this Plan, it
          will be considered as a distribution for purposes of this Section. If
          such a rollover or plan-to-plan transfer is made to this Plan, it will
          not be considered as part of the Participant's Single Sum Benefit.
          However, an unrelated rollover or plan-to-plan transfer accepted
          before January 1, 1984, will be considered as part of the
          Participant's Single Sum Benefit.

          With respect to "related" rollovers and plan-to-plan transfers (those
          which are either not initiated by an employee or are made from one
          plan to another plan maintained by the same employer), if such a
          rollover or plan-to-plan transfer is made from this Plan, it will not
          be considered as a distribution for purposes of this Section. If such
          a rollover or plan-to-plan transfer is made to this Plan, it will be
          considered as part of the Participant's Single Sum Benefit.

     (g)  Present Value of Accrued Benefit

          In the case of the defined benefit plan, a Participant's Present Value
          of Accrued Benefit, for Top-Heavy determination purposes, will be
          determined using the following rules:

          (1)  The Present Value of Accrued Benefit will be determined as of the
               most recent "valuation date" within a 12-month period ending on
               the Determination Date.

          (2)  For the first Plan Year, the Present Value of Accrued Benefit
               will be determined as if (A) the Participant terminated service
               as of the Determination Date; or (B) the Participant terminated
               service as of the valuation date, but taking into account the
               estimated Present Value of Accrued Benefits as of the
               Determination Date.

          (3)  For any other Plan Year, the Present Value of Accrued Benefit
               will be determined as if the Participant terminated service as of
               the valuation date.

          (4)  The valuation date must be the same date used for computing the
               defined benefit plan minimum funding costs, regardless of whether
               a calculation is performed that plan year.

          (5)  A Participant's Present Value of Accrued Benefit as of a
               Determination Date will be the sum of:

                    .  the present value of his Accrued Benefit determined   
                       using the actuarial assumptions which are specified   
                       below; plus                                           
                                                                             
                    .  any Plan Distributions made within the Plan Year that 
                       includes the Determination Date or within the four    
                       preceding Plan Years; plus                            
                                                                             
                    .  any employee contributions, whether voluntary or      
                       mandatory. However, amounts attributable to qualified 
                       voluntary employee contributions, as defined in Code  
                       Section 219(e)(2) will not be considered to be a part 
                       of the Participant's                                  

<PAGE>
 
                       Present Value of Accrued Benefit.

               For purposes of this Section, the present value of a
               Participant's Accrued Benefit will be equal to the greater of the
               present value determined using the actuarial assumptions which
               are specified for Actuarial Equivalent purposes or the present
               value determined using the "Applicable Interest Rate." The
               Applicable Interest Rate is the rate or rates that would be used
               by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for a trusteed 
               single-employer plan to value a Participant's or Beneficiary's
               benefit on the date of distribution (the "PBGC Rate"). If the
               present value using the PBGC Rate exceeds $25,000, the Applicable
               Interest Rate is 120% of the PBGC Rate. However, the use of 120%
               of the PBGC Rate will never result in a present value less than
               $25,000.

          (6)  Solely for the purpose of determining if this Plan (or any other
               plan included in a Required Aggregation Group of which this Plan
               is a part) is Top- Heavy, the Accrued Benefit of any Employee
               other than a Key Employee will be determined under

                    (A)  the method, if any, that uniformly applies for accrual
                         purposes under all plans maintained by the Employer or
                         any Related Employer, or

                    (B)  if there is no such method, as if the benefit accrued
                         no more rapidly than the slowest accrual rate permitted
                         under the fractional accrual rate of Code Section
                         411(b)(1)(C).

     (h)  Single Sum Benefit

          The Single Sum Benefit for any Participant in a defined benefit
          pension plan will be equal to his Present Value of Accrued Benefit.
          The Single Sum Benefit for any Participant in a defined contribution
          plan will be equal to his Aggregate Account.

     (i)  Top-Heavy Group

          Top-Heavy Group means an Aggregation Group in which, as of the
          Determination Date, the Single Sum Benefits of all Key Employees under
          all plans included in the group exceeds 60% of a similar sum
          determined for all Participants.

          Super Top-Heavy Group means an Aggregation Group in which, as of the
          Determination Date, the sum of (1) the Single Sum Benefits of all Key
          Employees under all defined benefit plans included in the group, plus
          (2) the Single Sum Benefit of all Key Employees under all defined
          contribution plans included in the group exceeds 90% of a similar sum
          determined for all Participants.

     (j)  Top-Heavy Plan

          This Plan will be a Top-Heavy Plan for any Plan Year beginning after
          December 31, 1983, in which, as of the Determination Date, the Single
          Sum Benefits of all Key Employees exceed 60% of the Single Sum
          Benefits of all Participants under this Plan.

          This Plan will be a Super Top-Heavy Plan for any Plan Year beginning
          after December 31, 1983, in which, as of the Determination Date, the
          Single Sum Benefits of all Key Employees exceed 90% of the Single Sum
          Benefits of all Participants under this Plan.

          If any Participant is a Non-Key Employee for a given Plan Year, but
          was a Key Employee for any prior Plan Year, the Participant's Single
          Sum Benefit will not be taken into account for purposes of determining
          whether this Plan is a Top-Heavy or Super Top-Heavy Plan (or whether
          any Aggregation Group which includes this Plan is a Top-Heavy or Super
          Top-Heavy


<PAGE>
 
          Group).

          If an individual has performed no services for the Employer at any
          time during the 5-year period ending on the Determination Date, any
          Single Sum Benefit of such individual will not be taken into account
          for purposes of determining whether this Plan is a Top-Heavy or Super
          Top-Heavy Plan (or whether any Aggregation Group which includes this
          Plan is a Top-Heavy Group or Super Top-Heavy Group).

     1.37 Trust Fund, Trust

          These terms mean the total cash, securities, real property, insurance
          contracts and any other property held by the Trustee.

     1.38 Trustee

          The Trustee is The Charles Schwab Trust Company or any successor
          Trustee.

     1.39 Vested Percentage

          A Participant's Vested Percentage as of a given date will be that
          percentage determined in accordance with the Vesting Schedule.
          Notwithstanding the preceding, a Participant will be 100% vested upon
          reaching the earlier of (a) his Normal Retirement Age or (b) the later
          of the date upon which the Participant attains age 65 or reaches the
          5th anniversary of the date he commenced participation in the Plan.

     1.40 Vesting Schedule

          A Participant's Vested Percentage will be determined in accordance
          with the following table:

                 Years of Vesting Service         Vested Percentage

                   Less than 1 Year                        0%
                     1 Year                               20%
                     2 Years                              40%
                     3 Years                              60%
                     4 Years                              80%
                     5 Years or more                     100%

     1.41 Written Resolution

          The terms Written Resolution and Written Consent are used
          interchangeably and reflect decisions, authorizations, etc. by the
          Employer. A Written Resolution will be evidenced by a resolution of
          the Board of Directors of the Employer, by a committee of such Board
          or by a person or persons authorized by such Board or such committee.

     1.42 Year of Service

     (a)  Crediting Years of Service

          Years of Service are determined under the Elapsed Time Method. Under
          the Elapsed Time Method, Years of Service are based upon an Employee's
          Elapsed Time of employment irrespective of the number of hours
          actually worked during such period; a Year of Service (including a
          fraction thereof) will be credited for each completed 365 days of
          Elapsed Time which need not be consecutive. The following terms are
          used in determining Years of Service under the Elapsed Time Method:

          (1)  Date of Severance (Termination) - means the earlier of (A) the
               actual date an Employee resigns, is discharged, dies or retires,
               or (B) the first anniversary of the date an Employee is absent
               from work (with or without pay) for any other reason, e.g.,


<PAGE>
 
               disability, vacation, leave of absence, layoff, etc.

          (2)  Exception for Leaves of Absence due to maternity or paternity
               reasons. Notwithstanding the above, if any Employee is absent due
               to maternity or paternity reasons (pregnancy or birth of a child
               of such individual or the adoption of a child by such individual
               or for purposes of caring for such child immediately after birth
               or adoption) the Date of Severance (Termination) shall be the
               first anniversary of the date such absence began and if the
               absence is for a period of more than 12 months, the 12-month
               period following the first anniversary of the date such absence
               began shall not be treated as a period of Service or a Period of
               Severance.

          (3)  Elapsed Time - means the total period of service which has
               elapsed between a Participant's Employment Commencement Date and
               Date of Termination including Periods of Severance where a One
               Year Break-in-Service does not occur.

          (4)  Employment Commencement Date - means the date an Employee first
               performs one Hour of Service for the Employer.

          (5)  One Year Break-in-Service - means any 365-day period following an
               Employee's Date of Termination as defined above in which the
               Employee does not complete at least one Hour of Service.

          (6)  Period of Severance - is the time between the actual Date of
               Severance as defined above and the subsequent date, if any, on
               which the Employee performs an Hour of Service.

          All periods of employment will be aggregated including Periods of
          Severance unless there is a One Year Break-in-Service.

          Years of Service for purposes of determining eligibility to
          participate in the Plan and Years of Vesting Service for purposes of
          determining a Participant's Vested Percentage includes service with
          any organization which is a Related Employer with respect to the
          Employer, and specifically includes all Hours of Service with SC Group
          Incorporated.

     (b)  For Vesting Purposes

          Years of Service for purposes of computing a Participant's Vested
          Percentage are referred to as Years of Vesting Service and are
          determined using the Elapsed Time Method.

          All of a Participant's Years of Vesting Service are taken into account
          in determining his Vested Percentage.




                                   ARTICLE 2

                                 PARTICIPATION

2.01 Participation

     An Employee who is a member of an Eligible Employee Classification will
     become eligible to participate in the Plan on the Entry Date coincident
     with or next following the completion of sixty days of service with the
     Employer and attaining age 21.
<PAGE>
 
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Employee who is classified by the
     Employer as a Part Time Employee will enter the Plan on the Entry Date
     which coincides with or next follows the attainment of age 21 and the
     completion of the first eligibility Computation Period during which the
     Employee completes at least 1,000 Hours of Service.

     The initial Computation Period is the 12 consecutive month period beginning
     with the Employee's Employment Commencement Date. Thereafter, the
     Computation Period is the Plan Year beginning with the Plan Year in which
     the initial Computation Period ends.

     An Employee who is eligible to participate as of the Effective Date or as
     of a given Entry Date will automatically become a Participant as of such
     date.

2.02 Participation After Reemployment 

     An Employee who has satisfied all of the eligibility requirements but
     terminates employment prior to his Entry Date will participate in the Plan
     immediately upon returning to the employ of the Employer.

     A Participant or Former Participant who has terminated employment will
     participate as an Active Participant in the Plan immediately upon returning
     to the employ of the Employer.

2.03 Change in Employment Classification

     In the event a Participant becomes ineligible to participate because he is
     no longer a member of an Eligible Employee Classification, the Participant
     will participate immediately upon his return to an Eligible Employee
     Classification.

     In the event an Employee who is not a member of an Eligible Employee
     Classification becomes a member of such a classification, such Employee
     will begin to participate immediately if he has satisfied the eligibility
     requirements which are specified in Section 2.01.





                             ARTICLE 3 PARTICIPANT
                                   ACCOUNTS

3.01 Employee Pre-tax Account

     Employee Pre-tax Account means the Account of a Participant reflecting
     applicable contributions, investment income or loss allocated thereto and
     distributions. A Participant's Employee Pre-tax Account is 100% vested at
     all times.

     (a)  Employee Pre-tax Contributions

          (1)  Amount of Contribution
               Each Participant may elect to make an Employee Pre-tax
               Contribution each Contribution Period not to exceed 20% of the
               Participant's Compensation. Such contribution will be designated
               as a whole percentage of Compensation or such other amount as
               allowed by the Plan Administrator.

          (2)  Payroll Withholding
               All Employee Pre-tax Contributions will be made pursuant
               to a Payroll Withholding
<PAGE>
 
               Agreement in accordance with Section 1.27.

          (3)  Nondiscrimination Requirements
               All Employee Pre-tax Contributions are Elective Contributions
               within the meaning of Section 4.05(a) and must satisfy the
               Nondiscrimination Requirements of Section 4.05.

          (4)  Excess Deferrals
               The maximum amount of Employee Pre-tax Contribution which can be
               made under the Plan on behalf of any Participant during any
               calendar year will be limited to that amount which would not
               constitute an Excess Deferral as defined in Section 4.05. The
               Plan Administrator will distribute any Excess Deferral, together
               with the income allocable to it, to the Participant no later than
               April 15 of the calendar year immediately following the year of
               the Excess Deferral. If a Participant notifies the Plan
               Administrator before March 1 of any calendar year that Excess
               Deferrals have been made on his account for the previous calendar
               year by reason of participation in a Cash or Deferred Arrangement
               maintained by another employer or employers, and if the
               Participant requests that the Plan Administrator distribute a
               specific amount to him on account of Excess Deferrals and
               certifies that the requested amount is an Excess Deferral, the
               Plan Administrator will designate the amount requested together
               with the income allocable to it as a distribution of Excess
               deferrals and distribute such amount no later than April 15 of
               that calendar year. The amount of Excess Deferrals to be
               distributed will be reduced by any Excess Contributions
               previously distributed or recharacterized with respect to the
               Plan Year beginning with or within the calendar year. The amount
               of income allocable to the Excess Deferral will be determined as
               described in Section 4.05.

          (5)  Timing of Deposits
               The Employer will deposit all Employee Pre-tax Contributions on
               the earliest date on which such contributions can reasonably be
               segregated from the Employer's general assets, but in no event
               later than 15 business days following the end of the month in
               which the amounts withheld would otherwise have been paid to the
               Participant in cash.

               The Contribution Period for Employee Pre-tax Contributions is
               each payroll period.

     (b)  Financial Hardship Withdrawals
          A Participant may file with the Plan Administrator a written request
          to withdraw, in order to avoid or alleviate a Financial Hardship, any
          amount not to exceed that portion of his Employee Pre-tax Account
          which represents his total Employee Pre-tax Contributions.

          The Plan Administrator will allow Financial Hardship withdrawals only
          if they are necessary to satisfy a Participant's immediate and heavy
          financial need.

          (1)  Immediate and Heavy Financial Need
               A withdrawal will be deemed to be made due to an immediate and
               heavy financial need of the Participant if it is made because of:

                       . Expenses for medical care described in Code Section
                         213(d) previously incurred by the Participant, his
                         spouse or any of his dependents (as defined in Code
                         Section 152) or necessary for these persons to obtain
                         medical care described in Code Section 213(d);

                       . Costs directly related to the purchase (excluding
                         mortgage payments) of a principal residence for the
                         Participant;
<PAGE>
 
                    .  Payment of tuition, room and board, or educational fees
                       for the next 12 months of post-secondary education for
                       the Participant, his spouse, children or dependents (as
                       defined in Code Section 152);

                    .  Prevention of the eviction of the Participant from his
                       principal residence or foreclosure on the mortgage of the
                       Participant's principal residence.

          (2)  Necessary To Satisfy Financial Need

               No withdrawal may exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the
               Participant's immediate and heavy financial need. However, the
               amount of an immediate and heavy financial need may include any
               amounts necessary to pay any federal, state or local income taxes
               or penalties reasonably anticipated to result from the
               distribution. The Plan Administrator will allow the withdrawal if
               it determines, after a full review of the Participant's written
               request and evidence presented by the Participant showing
               immediate and heavy financial need as well as the Participant's
               lack of other reasonably available resources, that the withdrawal
               is necessary to satisfy the need. No withdrawal will be treated
               as necessary to the extent it can be satisfied from other
               resources which are reasonably available to the Participant,
               including those of the Participant's spouse and minor children. A
               withdrawal will be treated as necessary to the extent the
               Participant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Plan
               Administrator that the need cannot be relieved by any of the
               following:

                    .  Reimbursement or compensation by insurance or
                       otherwise;

                    .  Reasonable liquidation of assets to the extent the
                       liquidation would not itself cause an immediate and heavy
                       financial need;

                    .  Cessation of Employee Pre-tax Contributions or Employee
                       After-tax Contributions (as defined in Section 4.05(a))
                       or both under any plan maintained by any employer;

                    .  Other distributions or nontaxable (at the time of the
                       loan) loans from plans maintained by any employer;

                    .  Borrowing from commercial sources on reasonable
                       commercial terms.

                    Unless the Plan Administrator has evidence to the contrary,
                    it may rely upon the Participant's written representation
                    that the need cannot be relieved by any of the foregoing.

          (3)  Safe Harbor

               The Plan Administrator will not allow any withdrawal until the
               Participant has obtained all distributions, other than hardship
               distributions, and all nontaxable loans currently available to
               the Participant under all plans maintained by the Employer. Upon
               the withdrawal of any portion of a Participant's Employee Pre-tax
               Account, the Participant will become ineligible for any Elective
               Contribution to this Plan or any other plan maintained by the
               Employer, or to make any contribution to this Plan or any other
               plan maintained by the Employer until the first day of the first
               payroll period which begins not less than 12 months following the
               date of withdrawal. For this purpose the phrase "any other plan
               maintained by the Employer" means all qualified and nonqualified
               plans of deferred compensation maintained by the Employer. The
               phrase includes stock option, stock purchase, or similar plans,
               or a cash or
<PAGE>
 
               deferred arrangement that is part of a cafeteria plan within the
               meaning of Code Section 125. It does not include the mandatory
               employee contribution portion of a defined benefit plan, nor does
               it include a health or welfare benefit plan (including one that
               is part of a cafeteria plan within the meaning of Code Section
               125). Furthermore, the maximum amount of Employee Pre-tax
               Contributions which can be made under the Plan on behalf of any
               Participant during the calendar year which follows the calendar
               year in which the withdrawal was made will be limited to the
               amount which would not be treated as an Excess Deferral for that
               year reduced by the amount of Employee Pre-tax Contributions made
               on behalf of the Participant in the calendar year of withdrawal.

     (c)  Distributions

          No distribution may be made from the Participant's Employee Pre-tax
          Account or any account comprised of Matching Contributions or
          Nonelective Contributions which are treated as Elective Contributions
          in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.05(h) except under one
          of the following circumstances:

               .  the Participant's retirement, death, disability or separation
                  from service within the meaning of Code Section 401(k)(2)(B);

               .  the Participant's attaining of age 59 1/2;

               .  the avoidance or alleviation of a Financial Hardship;

               .  the termination of this Plan without the establishment of a
                  successor plan within the meaning of Treasury Regulation
                  Section 1.401(k)-1(d)(3);

               .  the sale or other disposition by the Employer of at least 85
                  percent of the assets used by the Employer in a trade or
                  business to an unrelated corporation which does not maintain
                  the plan, but only if the Participant continues employment
                  with the corporation acquiring the assets and only if the
                  Employer continues to maintain this Plan; or

               .  the sale or other disposition by the Employer of its interest
                  in a subsidiary to an unrelated entity which does not maintain
                  the plan, but only if the Participant continues employment
                  with the subsidiary and only if the Employer continues to
                  maintain this Plan.

          This paragraph does not apply to distributions of Excess Deferrals,
          Excess Contributions, or excess Annual Additions.

3.02 Employer Discretionary Account

     Employer Discretionary Account means the Account of a Participant
     reflecting applicable contributions, forfeitures, investment income or loss
     allocated thereto and distributions. A Participant's Employer Discretionary
     Account is subject to the Vesting Schedule.

     (a)  Employer Discretionary Contributions
          Each Plan Year, the Employer may, within the time prescribed by law
          for making a deductible contribution, make an Employer Discretionary
          Contribution to the Trust.

          For a given Plan Year, the total Employer Discretionary Contribution,
          if any, made by the Employer will be an amount determined and
          authorized by the Employer for such Plan Year;
<PAGE>
 
          however, the Employer will not authorize Employer Discretionary
          Contributions at such times or in such amounts that the Plan, in
          operation, discriminates in favor of Highly Compensated Employees.

          The total Employer Discretionary Contribution made by the Employer
          will be allocated by the ratio which each Eligible Participant's
          Compensation bears to the total Compensation of all Eligible
          Participants.

          With respect to Employer Discretionary Contributions, if an Employee
          enters the Plan on an Entry Date other than the first day of a Plan
          Year, the Employee's Compensation which would otherwise be considered
          will be limited to the Compensation actually paid to the Employee
          while he is a Participant in the Plan.

     (b)  Contribution Period

          The Contribution Period for Employer Discretionary Contributions is
          each calendar year.

     (c)  Eligible Participant

          With respect to Employer Discretionary Contributions, Eligible
          Participant means any Participant who:

               . completes 1,000 Hours of Service during the Plan Year and is
                 actively employed on the last day of the Plan Year; or

               . retires, dies or becomes disabled during the Plan Year.

     (d)  Application of Forfeitures

          Forfeitures from a Participant's Employer Discretionary Account will
          be added to and allocated along with Employer Discretionary
          Contributions in the Plan Year in which the Forfeitures are determined
          to occur.

     (e)  Minimum Allocation for Top-Heavy Plan

          Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, for any
          Plan Year in which this Plan is determined to be Top-Heavy, a
          Participant (including any Employee who is excluded from the Plan
          because his Compensation is less than a stated amount) will be
          entitled to a minimum allocation of Employer Discretionary
          Contributions equal to 3% of the Participant's Aggregate Compensation
          received during the Plan Year. This minimum allocation will be
          provided to each Participant who is employed by the Employer on the
          last day of the Plan Year whether or not he or she is an otherwise
          Eligible Participant or fails to make any mandatory Employee
          contribution to the Plan.

          The percentage referred to in the preceding paragraph will not exceed
          the percentage of Aggregate Compensation at which Employer
          Discretionary Contributions are made or allocated to the Key Employee
          for whom such percentage is the largest; provided, however, this
          sentence will not apply if the Plan is required to be included in an
          Aggregation Group to meet the requirements of Code Sections 401(a)(4)
          or 410.

     (f)  Withdrawals

          A Participant may not withdraw any portion of his Employer
          Discretionary Account prior to the time when benefits otherwise become
          payable in accordance with the provisions of Article 5.

3.03 Employer Matching Account
<PAGE>
 
     Employer Matching Account means the Account of a Participant reflecting
     applicable contributions, forfeitures, investment income or loss allocated
     thereto and distributions. A Participant's Employer Matching Account is
     subject to the Vesting Schedule.

     A Participant's Employer Matching Account will be invested only in Common
     Stock of Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated (Employer Stock). Employer
     stock includes treasury stock which has been purchased by the Employer.

     (a)  Employer Matching Contributions

          Each Contribution Period, the Employer may, within the time prescribed
          by law for making a deductible contribution, make an Employer Matching
          Contribution to the Trust.

          For a given Contribution Period, the total Employer Matching
          Contribution, if any, made by the Employer will be an amount
          determined and authorized by the Employer for such Contribution
          Period; however, the Employer will not authorize Employer Matching
          Contributions at such times or in such amounts that the Plan, in
          operation, discriminates in favor of Highly Compensated Employees.

          The Employer may make an Employer Matching Contribution in cash which
          will be invested in Employer Stock, or the Employer may make all or a
          portion of an Employer Matching Contribution in Employer Stock of
          equivalent value.

          The target Employer Matching Contribution to be made to an Eligible
          Participant's Employer Matching Account is equal to 50% of that
          portion of the Participant's Employee Pre-tax Contribution which is
          not in excess of 6% of the Participant's Compensation.

          If the sum of the target Employer Matching Contributions to be made
          for all Participants is less than or greater than the total Employer
          Matching Contribution made by the Employer in accordance with the
          provisions of this Section, then the actual Employer Matching
          Contribution allocated to each Eligible Participant's Employer
          Matching Account will be adjusted proratably so that the sum of the
          actual Employer Matching Contributions made for all Participants is
          equal to the total Employer Matching Contribution made by the
          Employer.

          All Employer Matching Contributions are Matching Contributions within
          the meaning of Section 4.05(a) and must satisfy the Nondiscrimination
          Requirements of Section 4.05.

     (b)  Contribution Period

          The Contribution Period for Employer Matching Contributions is each
          payroll period.

     (c)  Eligible Participant

          With respect to Employer Matching Contributions, all Participants are
          Eligible Participants.

     (d)  Application of Forfeitures

          Forfeitures from a Participant's Employer Matching Account will be
          used to reduce Employer Matching Contributions in the Plan Year in
          which the Forfeitures are determined to occur.

     (e)  Withdrawals

          A Participant may not withdraw any portion of his Employer Matching
          Account prior to the time when benefits otherwise become payable in
          accordance with the provisions of Article 5.

<PAGE>
 
3.04 Rollover Account

     Rollover Account means the Account of a Participant reflecting applicable
     contributions, investment income or loss allocated thereto and
     distributions. A Participant's Rollover Account is 100% vested at all
     times.

     (a)  Rollover Contributions

          Rollover Contribution means a contribution to the Plan by a
          Participant where such contribution is the result of a prior
          distribution from an Individual Retirement Account, an Individual
          Retirement Annuity or another qualified plan. Such prior contribution
          must be a rollover amount described in Section 402(c)(4) of the Code
          or a contribution described in Section 408(d)(3) of the Code.

          Each Employee who is a member of an Eligible Employee Classification,
          regardless of whether he is a Participant in the Plan, will have the
          right to make a Rollover Contribution of cash (or other property of a
          form acceptable to the Plan Administrator and the Trustee) into the
          Plan from another qualified plan. If the Employee is not a Participant
          hereunder, his Rollover Account will constitute his entire interest in
          the Plan. In no event will the existence of a Rollover Account entitle
          the Employee to participate in any other benefit provided by the Plan.

          If specifically provided for in a Written Resolution, Rollover
          Contribution will also mean the amount of assets transferred, pursuant
          to Section 10.05, to this Plan from another plan which is qualified
          under Code Sections 401(a) and 501(a).

     (b)  Withdrawals

          A Participant may withdraw all or any portion of his Rollover Account
          at any time.




                                   ARTICLE 4

                           ACCOUNTING AND VALUATION

4.01 General Powers of the Plan Administrator

     The Plan Administrator will have the power to establish rules and
     guidelines, which will be applied on a uniform and non-discriminatory
     basis, as it deems necessary, desirable or appropriate with regard to
     accounting procedures and to the timing and method of contributions to
     and/or withdrawals from the Plan.

4.02 Valuation Procedure

     As of each Valuation Date, the Plan Administrator will determine from the
     Trustee the fair market value of each Specific Investment Fund and will,
     subject to the provisions of this Article, determine the allocation of such
     value among the Accounts of the Participants; in doing so, the Plan
     Administrator will in the following order:

     (a)  Credit or charge, as appropriate, to the proper Accounts all
          contributions, payments, transfers, forfeitures, withdrawals or other
          distributions made to or from such Accounts since the last preceding
          Valuation Date and that have not been previously credited or charged.
<PAGE>
 
     (b)  Credit or charge, as applicable, each Account with its pro rata
          portion of the appreciation or depreciation in the fair market value
          of each Specific Investment Fund since the prior Valuation Date. Such
          appreciation or depreciation will reflect investment income, realized
          and unrealized gains and losses, other investment transactions and
          expenses paid from each Specific Investment Fund.

4.03  Reserved

4.04  Participant Direction of Investment

     (a)  Application of this Section Subject to the provisions of this Section,
          each Participant will have the right to direct the investment of all
          of his Accounts except his Employer Matching Account among the
          Specific Investment Funds which are made available by the Plan
          Administrator.

     (b)  General Powers of the Plan Administrator The Plan Administrator will
          have the power to establish rules and guidelines as it deems
          necessary, desirable or appropriate with regard to the directed
          investment of contributions in accordance with this Section. Such
          rules and guidelines are intended to comply with Section 404(c) of
          ERISA and the regulations thereunder. Included in such powers, but not
          by way of limitation, are the following powers and rights.

          (1)  To direct the Trustee to temporarily invest those contributions
               which are pending directed investment in a Specific Investment
               Fund, in the General Investment Fund or in some other manner as
               determined by the Plan Administrator.

          (2)  To establish rules with regard to the transfer of all or any part
               of the balance of an Account or Accounts of a given Participant
               from one Investment Fund to another.

          (3)  To direct the Trustee to maintain any part of the assets of any
               Investment Fund in cash, or in demand or short-term time deposits
               bearing a reasonable rate of interest, or in a short-term
               investment fund that provides for the collective investment of
               cash balances or in other cash equivalents having ready
               marketability, including, but not limited to, U.S. Treasury
               Bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and similar
               types of short-term securities, as may be deemed necessary by the
               Trustee in its sole discretion.

          Neither the Trustee nor the Plan Administrator will be liable for any
          loss that results from a Participant's exercise of control over the
          investment of the Participant's Accounts. If the Participant fails to
          provide adequate directions, the Plan Administrator will direct the
          investment of the Participant's Account. The Trustee will have no duty
          to review or make recommendations regarding a Participant's investment
          directions.

     (c)  Accounting

          The Plan Administrator will maintain a set of accounts for each
          Investment Fund. The accounts of the Plan Administrator for each
          Investment Fund will indicate separately the dollar amounts of all
          contributions made to such Investment Fund by or on behalf of each
          Participant from time to time. The Plan Administrator will compute the
          net income from investments; net profits or losses arising from the
          sale, exchange, redemption, or other disposition of assets, and the
          prorata share attributable to each Investment Fund of the expenses of
          the administration of the Plan and Trust and will debit or credit, as
          the case may be, such income, profits or losses, and expenses to the
          unsegregated balance in each Investment Fund from time to time. To the
          extent that the expenses of the administration
<PAGE>
 
          of the Plan and Trust are not directly attributable to a given
          Investment Fund, such expenses, as of a given Valuation Date, will be
          prorated among each Investment Fund; such allocation of expenses will,
          in general, be performed in accordance with the guidelines which are
          specified in this Article.

     (d)  Future Contributions

          Each Participant who chooses to participate in the Plan will elect the
          percentage of those contributions (which are subject to Participant
          direction of investment) which is to be deposited to each available
          Investment Fund. Such election will be in effect until modified. If
          any Participant fails to make an election by the appropriate date, he
          will be deemed to have elected an Investment Fund(s) as determined by
          the Plan Administrator. Elections will be limited to multiples of one
          percent (or such other reasonable increments as determined by the Plan
          Administrator).

     (e)  Change in Investment of Past Contributions

          A Participant may file an election with the Plan Administrator to
          shift the aggregate amount or reasonable increments (as determined by
          the Plan Administrator) of the balance of his existing Account or
          Accounts which are subject to Participant direction of investment
          among the various Investment Funds. Elections will be limited to
          multiples of one percent (or such other reasonable increments as
          determined by the Plan Administrator).

     (f)  Changes in Investment Elections

          Elections with respect to future contributions and/or with respect to
          changes in the investment of past contributions will be in writing on
          a form provided by the Plan Administrator, except that each
          Participant may authorize the Plan Administrator in writing on an
          authorization form provided by the Plan Administrator to accept such
          directions as may be made by the Participant by use of a telephone
          voice response system maintained for such purpose.

          The Plan Administrator may establish additional rules and procedures
          with respect to investment election changes including, for example,
          the number of allowed changes per specified period, the amount of
          reasonable fee, if any, which will be charged to the Participant for
          making a change, specified dates or cutoff dates for making a change,
          etc.

     (g)  Addition and Deletion of Specific Investment Funds

          Specific Investment Funds may be made available from time to time at
          the direction of the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator will
          establish guidelines for the proper administration of affected
          Accounts when a Specific Investment Fund is added or deleted.

4.05  Nondiscrimination Requirements

     (a)  Definitions Applicable to the Nondiscrimination Requirements

          The following definitions apply to this Section:

          (1)  Aggregate Limit

               With respect to a given Plan Year, Aggregate Limit means the
               greater of the sum of [(A) + (B)] or the sum of [(C) + (D)]
               where:

                    (A)  is equal to 125% of the greater of DP or CP;

                    (B)  is equal to 2 percentage points plus the lesser of DP
                         or CP,
<PAGE>
 
                         not to exceed 2 times the lesser of DP or CP;

                    (C)  is equal to 125% of the lesser of DP or CP;

                    (D)  is equal to 2 percentage points plus the greater of DP
                         or CP, not to exceed 2 times the greater of DP or CP;

                    DP represents the Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly
                    Compensated Group eligible under the Cash or Deferred
                    Arrangement for the Plan Year; and

                    CP represents the Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly
                    Compensated Group eligible under the plan providing for the
                    Employee After-tax Contributions or Employer Matching
                    Contributions for the Plan Year beginning with or within the
                    Plan Year of the Cash or Deferred Arrangement.

          (2)  Cash or Deferred Arrangement (CODA)

               A Cash or Deferred Election is any election (or modification of
               an earlier election) by an Employee to have the Employer either:

                    .  provide an amount to the Employee in the form of cash or
                       some other taxable benefit that is not currently
                       available, or

                    .  contribute an amount to the Plan (or provide an accrual
                       or other benefit) thereby deferring receipt of
                       Compensation.

               A Cash or Deferred Election will only be made with respect to an
               amount that is not currently available to the Employee on the
               date of election. Further, a Cash or Deferred Election will only
               be made with respect to amounts that would have (but for the Cash
               or Deferred Election) become currently available after the later
               of the date on which the Employer adopts the Cash or Deferred
               Arrangement or the date on which the arrangement first becomes
               effective.

               A Cash or Deferred Election does not include a one-time
               irrevocable election upon the Employee's commencement of
               employment or first becoming an Eligible Employee.

          (3)  Compensation

               For purposes of this Section, Compensation means Compensation as
               defined in Section 1.08, subject to the limitations of this
               Section 4.05(a)(3).

               The period used to determine an Employee's Compensation for a
               Plan Year may be limited to that portion of the Plan Year in
               which the Employee was an Eligible Employee, provided that this
               method is applied uniformly to all Eligible Employees under the
               Plan for the Plan Year.

          (4)  Contribution Percentage

               Contribution Percentage means, for any specified group, the
               average of the ratios calculated (to the nearest one-hundredth of
               one percent) separately for each Participant in the group, of the
               amount of Employee After-tax Contributions and Matching
               Contributions which are made by or on behalf of each Participant
               for a Plan Year to each Participant's Compensation for the Plan
               Year.

               For purposes of determining the Contribution Percentage, each
               Employee who is eligible under the terms of the Plan to make or
               to have contributions made on his behalf is
<PAGE>
 
               treated as a Participant. The Contribution Percentage of an
               eligible Employee who makes no Employee After-tax Contribution
               and receives no Matching Contribution is zero.

               The Contribution Percentage of a Participant who is a Highly
               Compensated Employee for the Plan Year and who is eligible to
               make Employee After-tax Contributions or receive an allocation of
               Matching Contributions (including Elective Contributions and
               Nonelective Contributions which are treated as Employee or
               Matching Contributions for purposes of the Contribution
               Percentage Test) allocated to his accounts under two or more
               plans which are sponsored by the Employer will be determined as
               if the Employee After-tax and Matching Contributions were made
               under a single plan. For purposes of this paragraph, if a Highly
               Compensated Employee participates in two or more such plans which
               have different Plan Years, all plans ending with or within the
               same calendar year will be treated as a single plan.

          (5)  Contribution Percentage Test

               The Contribution Percentage Test is a test applied on a Plan Year
               basis to determine whether a plan meets the requirements of Code
               Section 401(m).

               In each of the following tests, the Contribution Percentage for
               the Highly Compensated Group for a Plan Year is compared with the
               Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly Compensated Group for
               the preceding Plan Year (or the current Plan Year if elected by
               the Employer; provided, however, that if such an election is
               made, it may not be changed except as provided by the Secretary
               of the Treasury).

               In the case of the first Plan Year of the Plan (if this is not a
               successor plan within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 
               1.401(k)-1(d)(3)), the Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly
               Compensated Group will be the Contribution Percentage for the 
               Non-highly Compensated Group for the first Plan Year or, if the
               Employer elects to use 3% as the Deferral Percentage for the
               first Plan Year, the Contribution Percentage that would result if
               the Deferral Percentage for each Non-highly Compensated
               Participant were 3%.

               The Contribution Percentage Test may be met by either satisfying
               the General Contribution Percentage Test or the Alternative
               Contribution Percentage Test.

               The General Contribution Percentage Test is satisfied if the
               Contribution Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               exceed 125% of the Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly
               Compensated Group.

               The Alternative Contribution Percentage Test is satisfied if the
               Contribution Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               exceed the lesser of:

                    .  the Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly
                       Compensated Group plus 2 percentage points, or

                    .  the Contribution Percentage for the Non-highly
                       Compensated Group multiplied by 2.0.

               If (i) one or more Highly Compensated Employees of the Employer
               or any Related Employer are eligible to participate in both a
               Cash or Deferred Arrangement and a plan which provides for
               Employee After-tax Contributions or Matching Contributions, (ii)
               the Deferral Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               satisfy the General
<PAGE>
 
               Deferral Percentage Test, and (iii) the Contribution Percentage
               for the Highly Compensated Group does not satisfy the General
               Contribution Percentage Test, then the Contribution Percentage
               Test will be deemed to be satisfied only if the sum of the
               Deferral Percentage and the Contribution Percentage for the
               Highly Compensated Group does not exceed the Aggregate Limit.

               The Plan will not fail to satisfy the Contribution Percentage
               test merely because all of the Eligible Employees under the Plan
               for a Plan Year are Highly Compensated Employees.

          (6)  Deferral Percentage

               Deferral Percentage means, for any specified group, the average
               of the ratios calculated (to the nearest one-hundredth of one
               percent) separately for each Participant in the group, of the
               amount of Elective Contributions which are made on behalf of each
               Participant for a Plan Year to each Participant's Compensation
               for the Plan Year.

               For purposes of determining the Deferral Percentage, each
               Employee who is eligible under the terms of the Plan to have
               contributions made on his behalf is treated as a Participant. The
               Deferral Percentage of an eligible Employee who makes no Elective
               Contribution is zero.

               The Deferral Percentage of a Participant who is a Highly
               Compensated Employee for the Plan Year and who is eligible to
               have Elective Contributions (including Nonelective Contributions
               or Matching Contributions which are treated as Elective
               Contributions for purposes of the Deferral Percentage Test)
               allocated to his accounts under two or more Cash or Deferred
               Arrangements which are maintained by the Employer will be
               determined as if the Elective Contributions were made under a
               single Arrangement. For purposes of this paragraph, if a Highly
               Compensated Employee participates in two or more Cash or Deferred
               Arrangements which have different Plan Years, all Cash or
               Deferred Arrangements ending with or within the same calendar
               year will be treated as a single Arrangement.

          (7)  Deferral Percentage Test

               The Deferral Percentage Test is a test applied on a Plan Year
               basis to determine whether a plan meets the requirements of Code
               Section 401(k).

               In each of the following tests, the Deferral Percentage for the
               Highly Compensated Group for a Plan Year is compared with the
               Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly Compensated Group for the
               preceding Plan Year (or the current Plan Year if elected by the
               Employer; provided, however, that if such an election is made, it
               may not be changed except as provided by the Secretary of the
               Treasury).

               In the case of the first Plan Year of the Plan (if this is not a
               successor plan within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 
               1.401(k)-1(d)(3)), the Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly
               Compensated Group will be 3%, or, if elected by the Employer, the
               actual Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly Compensated Group
               for the first Plan Year.

               The Deferral Percentage Test may be met by either satisfying the
               General Deferral Percentage Test or the Alternative Deferral
               Percentage Test.

               The General Deferral Percentage Test is satisfied if the Deferral
               Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not exceed 125%
               of the Deferral Percentage for the
<PAGE>
 

               Non-highly Compensated Group.

               The Alternative Deferral Percentage Test is satisfied if the
               Deferral Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               exceed the lesser of:

                    .  the Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly Compensated
                       Group plus 2 percentage points, or

                    .  the Deferral Percentage for the Non-highly Compensated
                       Group multiplied by 2.0.

               If (i) one or more Highly Compensated Employees of the Employer
               or any Related Employer are eligible to participate in both a
               Cash or Deferred Arrangement and a plan which provides for
               Employee After-tax Contributions or Matching Contributions, (ii)
               the Deferral Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               satisfy the General Deferral Percentage Test, and (iii) the
               Contribution Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not
               satisfy the General Contribution Percentage Test, then the
               Deferral Percentage Test will be deemed to be satisfied only if
               the sum of the Deferral Percentage and the Contribution
               Percentage for the Highly Compensated Group does not exceed the
               Aggregate Limit.

               The Plan will not fail to satisfy the Deferral Percentage test
               merely because all of the Eligible Employees under the Plan for a
               Plan Year are Highly Compensated Employees.

          (8)  Elective Contribution

               Elective Contribution means any contribution made by the Employer
               to a Cash or Deferred Arrangement on behalf of and at the
               election of an Employee. An Elective Contribution will be taken
               into account for a given Plan Year only if:

                    .  The Elective Contribution is allocated to the
                       Participant's Account as of a date within the Plan Year
                       to which it relates;

                    .  The allocation is not contingent upon the Employee's
                       participation in the Plan or performance of services on
                       any date after the allocation date;

                    .  The Elective Contribution is actually paid to the trust
                       no later than 12 months after the end of the Plan Year to
                       which the Elective Contribution relates; and

                    .  The Elective Contribution relates to Compensation which
                       either (i) but for the Participant's election to defer,
                       would have been received by the Participant in the Plan
                       Year or (ii) is attributable to services performed by the
                       Participant in the Plan Year and, but for the
                       Participant's election to defer, would have been received
                       by the Participant within two and one-half months after
                       the close of the Plan Year.

               Elective Contributions will be treated as Employer Contributions
               for purposes of Code Sections 401(a), 401(k), 402(a), 404, 409,
               411, 412, 415, 416, and 417.

          (9)  Elective Deferral
<PAGE>
 

               Elective Deferral means the sum of the following:

                    .  Any Elective Contribution to any Cash or Deferred
                       Arrangement to the extent it is not includable in the
                       Participant's gross income for the taxable year of
                       contribution;

                    .  Any employer contribution to a simplified employee
                       pension as defined in Code Section 408(k) to the extent
                       not includable in the Participant's gross income for the
                       taxable year of contribution;

                    .  Any employer contribution to an annuity contract under
                       Code Section 403(b) under a salary reduction agreement to
                       the extent not includable in the Participant's gross
                       income for the taxable year of contribution; plus

                    .  Any employee contribution designated as deductible under
                       a trust described in Code Section 501(c)(18) for the
                       taxable year of contribution.

          (10) Eligible Employee

               Eligible Employee means an Employee who is directly or indirectly
               eligible to make a Cash or Deferred Election under the Plan for
               all or a portion of the Plan Year. An Employee who is unable to
               make a Cash or Deferred Election because the Employee has not
               contributed to another plan is also an Eligible Employee. An
               Employee who would be eligible to make Elective Contributions but
               for a suspension due to a distribution or an election not to
               participate in the Plan, is treated as an Eligible Employee for
               purposes of Code Section 401(k)(3) and 401(m) for a Plan Year
               even though the Employee may not make a Cash or Deferred Election
               due to the suspension. Also, an Employee will not fail to be
               treated as an Eligible Employee merely because the employee may
               receive no additional Annual Additions because of Code Section
               415(c)(1) or 415(e).

          (11) Employee After-tax Contribution

               Employee After-tax Contribution means any contribution made by an
               Employee to any plan maintained by the Employer or any Related
               Employer which is other than an Elective Contribution and which
               is designated or treated at the time of contribution as an after-
               tax contribution. Employee After-tax Contributions include
               amounts attributable to Excess Contributions which are
               recharacterized as Employee After-tax Contributions.

          (12) Excess Contribution

               Excess Contribution means, for each member of the Highly
               Compensated Group, the amount of Elective Contribution (including
               any Qualified Nonelective Contributions and Qualified Matching
               Contributions which are treated as Elective Contributions) which
               exceeds the maximum contribution which could be made if the
               Deferral Percentage Test were to be satisfied.

          (13) Excess Aggregate Contribution

               Excess Aggregate Contribution means, for each member of the
               Highly Compensated Group, the amount of Employee After-tax and
               Matching Contributions (including any Qualified Nonelective
               Contributions and Elective Contributions which are treated as
               Matching Contributions) which exceeds the maximum contribution
               which could be made if the Contribution Percentage Test were to
               be satisfied.
<PAGE>
 

          (14) Excess Deferral

               Excess Deferral means, for a given calendar year, that amount by
               which each Participant's total Elective Deferrals under all plans
               of all employers exceed the dollar limit in effect under Code
               Section 402(g) for the calendar year.

          (15) Matching Contribution

               Matching Contribution means any contribution made by the Employer
               to any plan maintained by the Employer or any Related Employer
               which is based on an Elective Contribution or an Employee After-
               tax Contribution together with any forfeiture allocated to the
               Participant's Account on the basis of Elective Contributions,
               Employee After-tax Contributions or Matching Contributions. A
               Matching Contribution will be taken into account for a given Plan
               Year only if:

                    .  The Matching Contribution is allocated to a Participant's
                       Account as of a date within the Plan Year to which it
                       relates;

                    .  The allocation is not contingent upon the Employee's
                       participation in the Plan or performance of services on
                       any date after the allocation date;

                    .  The Matching Contribution is actually paid to the Trust
                       no later than 12 months after the end of the Plan Year to
                       which the Matching Contribution relates; and

                    .  The Matching Contribution is based on an Elective or
                       Employee After-tax Contribution for the Plan Year.

               Any contribution or allocation, other than a Qualified
               Nonelective Contribution, which is used to meet the minimum
               contribution or benefit requirement of Code Section 416 is not
               treated as being based on Elective Contributions or Employee
               After-tax Contributions and therefore is not treated as a
               Matching Contribution.

               Qualified Matching Contribution means a Matching Contribution
               which is 100% vested and may be withdrawn or distributed only
               under the conditions described in Treasury Regulation 
               1.401(k)-1(d).

          (16) Nonelective Contribution

               Nonelective Contribution means any Employer Contribution, other
               than a Matching Contribution, which meets all of the following
               requirements:

                    .  The Nonelective Contribution is allocated to a
                       Participant's Account as of a date within the Plan Year
                       to which it relates;

                    .  The allocation is not contingent upon the Employee's
                       participation in the Plan or performance of services on
                       any date after the allocation date;

                    .  The Nonelective Contribution is actually paid to the
                       Trust no later than 12 months after the end of the Plan
                       Year to which the Nonelective Contribution relates; and

                    .  The Employee may not elect to have the Nonelective
                       Contribution
<PAGE>
 

                       paid in cash in lieu of being contributed to the Plan.

               Qualified Nonelective Contribution means a Nonelective
               Contribution which is 100% vested and may be withdrawn or
               distributed only under the conditions described in Treasury
               Regulation 1.401(k)-1(d).

     (b)  Application of Deferral Percentage Test

          All Elective Contributions, including any Elective Contributions which
          are treated as Employee After-tax or Matching Contributions with
          respect to the Contribution Percentage Test, must satisfy the Deferral
          Percentage Test. Furthermore, any Elective Contributions which are not
          treated as Employee After-tax or Matching Contributions with respect
          to the Contribution Percentage Test must satisfy the Deferral
          Percentage Test. The Plan Administrator will determine as soon as
          administratively feasible after the end of the Plan Year whether the
          Deferral Percentage Test has been satisfied. If the Deferral
          Percentage Test is not satisfied, the Employer may elect to make an
          additional contribution to the Plan on account of the Non-highly
          Compensated Group. The additional contribution will be treated as a
          Nonelective Contribution.

          If the Deferral Percentage Test is not satisfied after any Nonelective
          Contributions, the Plan Administrator may, in its sole discretion,
          recharacterize all or any portion of the Excess Contribution of each
          Highly Compensated Employee as an Employee After-tax Contribution if
          Employee After-tax Contributions are otherwise allowed by the Plan. If
          so, the Plan Administrator will notify all affected Participants and
          the Internal Revenue Service of the amount recharacterized no later
          than the 15th day of the third month following the end of the Plan
          Year in which the Excess Contribution was made. Excess Contributions
          will be includable in the Participant's gross income on the earliest
          date any Elective Contribution made on behalf of the Participant
          during the Plan Year would have been received by the Participant had
          the Participant elected to receive the amount in cash. Recharacterized
          Excess Contributions will continue to be treated as Employer
          Contributions that are Elective Contributions for all other purposes
          under the Code, including Code Sections 401(a) (other than 401(a)(4)
          and 401(m)), 404, 409, 411, 412, 415, 416, 417 and 401(k)(2). With
          respect to the Plan Year for which the Excess Contribution was made,
          the Plan Administrator will treat the recharacterized amount as an
          Employee After-tax Contribution for purposes of the Deferral
          Percentage Test and the Contribution Percentage Test and for purposes
          of determining whether the Plan meets the requirements of Code Section
          401(a)(4), but not for any other purposes under this Plan. Therefore,
          recharacterized amounts will remain subject to the nonforfeiture
          requirements and distribution limitations which apply to Elective
          Contributions.

          If the Deferral Percentage Test is still not satisfied, then after the
          close of the Plan Year in which the Excess Contribution arose but
          within 12 months after the close of that Plan Year, the Plan
          Administrator will distribute the Excess Contributions, together with
          allocable income, to Participants of the Highly Compensated Group.
          Failure to do so will cause the Plan to not satisfy the requirements
          of Code Section 401(a)(4) for the Plan Year for which the Excess
          Contribution was made and for all subsequent Plan Years for which the
          Excess Contribution remains uncorrected.

          The amount of Excess Contribution to be distributed to a Highly
          Compensated Employee for a Plan Year will be reduced by any Excess
          Deferrals previously distributed to the Participant for the calendar
          year ending with or within the Plan Year in accordance with Code
          Section 402(g)(2).

          Excess Contributions will be treated as Employer Contributions for
          purposes of Code
<PAGE>
 

          Sections 404 and 415 even if distributed from the Plan.

     (c)  Application of Contribution Percentage Test

          Employee After-tax Contributions and Matching Contributions,
          disregarding any Matching Contributions which are treated as Elective
          Contributions with respect to the Deferral Percentage Test, must
          satisfy the Contribution Percentage Test. The Plan Administrator will
          determine as soon as administratively feasible after the end of the
          Plan Year whether the Contribution Test has been satisfied. If the
          Contribution Percentage Test is not satisfied, the Employer may elect
          to make an additional contribution to the Plan for the benefit of the
          Non-Highly Compensated Group. The additional contribution will be
          treated as a Nonelective Contribution.

          If the Contribution Percentage Test is still not satisfied, then after
          the close of the Plan Year in which the Excess Aggregate Contribution
          arose but within 12 months after the close of that Plan Year, the Plan
          Administrator will distribute (or forfeit, to the extent not vested)
          the Excess Aggregate Contributions, together with allocable income, to
          Participants of the Highly Compensated Group. Failure to do so will
          cause the Plan to not satisfy the requirements of Code Section
          401(a)(4) for the Plan Year for which the Excess Aggregate
          Contribution was made and for all subsequent Plan Years for which the
          Excess Aggregate Contribution remains uncorrected.

          The determination of any Excess Aggregate Contributions will be made
          after the recharacterization of any Excess Contributions as Employee
          After-tax Contributions.

          Excess Aggregate Contributions, including forfeited Matching
          Contributions, will be treated as Employer Contributions for purposes
          of Code Sections 404 and 415 even if they are distributed from the
          Plan.

          Forfeited Matching Contributions that are reallocated to the Accounts
          of other Participants are treated as Annual Additions under Code
          Section 415 for the Participant whose Accounts they are reallocated to
          and for the Participants from whose Accounts they are forfeited.

     (d)  Reserved

     (e)  Reduction of Excess Amounts

          For the purpose of determining the total amounts of Excess
          Contributions and/or Excess Aggregate Contributions to be
          recharacterized, returned to Participants or forfeited as the case may
          be, the total Excess Contribution or total Excess Aggregate
          Contribution will be reduced in a manner so that the Deferral
          Percentage or the Contribution Percentage (Relevant Percentage) of the
          affected Participant(s) with the highest Relevant Percentage will
          first be lowered to a point not less than the level of the affected
          Participant(s) with the next highest Relevant Percentage. If further
          overall reductions are required to satisfy the relevant test, each of
          the above Participants' (or groups of Participants') Relevant
          Percentage will be lowered to a point not less than the level of the
          affected Participant(s) with the next highest Relevant Percentage, and
          so on continuing until sufficient total reductions have occurred to
          achieve satisfaction of the relevant test.

          The total Excess Contributions or Excess Aggregate Contributions so
          determined shall then be recharacterized, returned to Participants or
          forfeited in such a manner that the amount of contribution allocated
          to the Highly Compensated Participant(s) by or for whom the highest
          amount of contributions have been made during the Plan Year will first
          be lowered to an amount not less that the amount made by or for the
          Highly Compensated Participant
<PAGE>
 

          with the next highest amount of contributions made during the Plan
          Year. If further reductions are required to reduce the accounts of
          Highly Compensated Participants by the total of all Excess
          Contributions or Excess Aggregate Contributions, each of the above
          Participant's contributions will be lowered to a point not less than
          the level of the Highly Compensated Participant with the next highest
          amount of contribution made during the Plan Year, an so on continuing
          until sufficient total reductions have been made to equal the total
          amount of Excess Contributions and/or Excess Aggregate Contributions
          as the case may be.

     (f)  Priority of Reductions

          The Plan Administrator will determine the method and order of
          correcting Excess Contributions and Excess Aggregate Contributions.
          The method of correcting Excess Contributions and Excess Aggregate
          Contributions must meet the requirements of Code Section 401(a)(4).
          The determination of whether a rate of Matching Contribution
          discriminates under Code Section 401(a)(4) will be made after making
          any corrective distributions of Excess Deferrals, Excess Contributions
          and Excess Aggregate Contributions.

          Excess Aggregate Contributions (and any attributable income) will be
          corrected first, by distributing any excess Employee After-tax
          Contributions (and any attributable income); then by distributing
          vested excess Matching Contributions (and any attributable income);
          and finally, by forfeiting or distributing non-vested Matching
          Contributions (and any attributable income). The Plan will not
          distribute Employee After-tax Contributions while the Matching
          Contributions based upon those Employee After-tax Contributions remain
          allocated.

     (g)  Income

          The income allocable to any Excess Contribution made to a given
          Account for a given Plan Year will be equal to the total income
          allocated to the Account for the Plan Year, multiplied by a fraction,
          the numerator of which is the amount of the Excess Contribution and
          the denominator of which is equal to the sum of the balance of the
          Account at the beginning of the Plan Year plus the Participant's
          Elective Contributions and amounts treated as Elective Contributions
          for the Plan Year.

          The income allocable to any Excess Aggregate Contribution made to a
          given Account for a given Plan Year will be equal to the total income
          allocated to the Account for the Plan Year, multiplied by a fraction,
          the numerator of which is the amount of the Excess Aggregate
          Contribution and the denominator of which is equal to the sum of the
          balance of the Account at the beginning of the Plan Year plus the
          Participant's Employee After-tax and Matching Contributions and
          amounts treated as Employee After-tax and Matching Contributions for
          the Plan Year.

          Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Plan may use any reasonable method
          for computing the income allocable to any Excess Contribution or
          Excess Aggregate Contribution provided the method does not violate
          Code Section 401(a)(4), is used consistently for all corrective
          distributions under the Plan for the Plan Year, and is used by the
          Plan for allocating income to the Participants' Accounts.

          Income includes all earnings and appreciation, including interest,
          dividends, rents, royalties, gains from the sale of property, and
          appreciation in the value of stocks, bonds, annuity and life insurance
          contracts and other property, regardless of whether the appreciation
          has been realized.
<PAGE>
 

     (h)  Treatment as Elective Contributions

          The Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, treat all or any
          portion of Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Qualified Matching
          Contributions or both, whether to this Plan or to any other qualified
          plan which has the same Plan Year and is maintained by the Employer or
          a Related Employer, as Elective Contributions for purposes of
          satisfying the Deferral Percentage Test if they meet all of the
          following requirements:

               .  All Nonelective Contributions, including the Qualified
                  Nonelective Contributions treated as Elective Contributions
                  for purposes of the Deferral Percentage Test, satisfy the
                  requirements of Code Section 401(a)(4);

               .  Any Nonelective Contributions which are not treated as
                  Elective Contributions for purposes of the Deferral Percentage
                  Test or as Matching Contributions for purposes of the
                  Contribution Percentage Test satisfy the requirements of Code
                  Section 401(a)(4);

               .  The Qualified Matching Contributions which are treated as
                  Elective Contributions for purposes of the Deferral Percentage
                  Test are not taken into account in determining whether any
                  Employee After-tax Contributions or other Matching
                  Contributions satisfy the Contribution Percentage Test;

               .  Any Matching Contributions which are not treated as Elective
                  Contributions for purposes of the Deferral Percentage Test
                  satisfy the requirements of Code Section 401(m); and

               .  The plan which includes the Cash or Deferred Arrangement and
                  the plan or plans to which the Qualified Nonelective
                  Contributions and Qualified Matching Contributions are made
                  could be aggregated for purposes of Code Section 410(b).

     (i)  Treatment as Matching Contributions

          The Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, treat all or any
          portion of Qualified Nonelective Contributions or Elective
          Contributions or both, whether to this Plan or to any other qualified
          plan which has the same Plan Year and is maintained by the Employer or
          a Related Employer, as Matching Contributions for purposes of
          satisfying the Contribution Percentage Test if they meet all of the
          following requirements:

               .  All Nonelective Contributions, including the Qualified
                  Nonelective Contributions treated as Matching Contributions
                  for purposes of the Contribution Percentage Test, satisfy the
                  requirements of Code Section 401(a)(4);

               .  Any Nonelective Contributions which are not treated as
                  Elective Contributions for purposes of the Deferral Percentage
                  Test or as Matching Contributions for purposes of the
                  Contribution Percentage Test satisfy the requirements of Code
                  Section 401(a)(4);

               .  The Elective Contributions which are treated as Matching
                  Contributions for purposes of the Contribution Percentage Test
                  are not taken into account in determining whether any other
                  Elective Contributions satisfy the Deferral Percentage Test;

               .  The Qualified Nonelective Contributions and Elective
                  Contributions which are treated as Matching Contributions for
                  purposes of the Contribution Percentage Test are not taken
                  into account in determining whether any other contributions or
                  benefits satisfy Code Section 401(a); and
<PAGE>
 

               .  All Elective Contributions, including those treated as
                  Matching Contributions for purposes of the Contribution
                  Percentage Test, satisfy the requirements of Code Section
                  401(k)(3); and

               .  The plan that takes Qualified Nonelective Contributions and
                  Elective Contributions into account in determining whether
                  Employee After-tax and Matching Contributions satisfy the
                  requirements of Code Section 401(m)(2)(A) and the plan or
                  plans to which the Qualified Nonelective Contributions and
                  Elective Contributions are made could be aggregated for
                  purposes of Code Section 410(b).

     (j)  Aggregation of Plans

          If the Employer or a Related Employer sponsors one or more other plans
          which include a Cash or Deferred Arrangement, the Employer may elect
          to treat any two or more of such plans as an aggregated single plan
          for purposes of satisfying Code Sections 401(a)(4), 401(k) and 410(b).
          The Cash of Deferred Arrangements included in such aggregated plans
          will be treated as a single Arrangement for purposes of this Section.
          However, only those plans that have the same plan year may be so
          aggregated.

          If the Employer or a Related Employer sponsors one or more other plans
          to which Employee After-tax Contributions or Matching Contributions
          are made, the Employer may elect to treat any two or more of such
          plans as an aggregated single plan for purposes of satisfying Code
          Sections 401(a)(4), 401(m) and 410(b). However, only those plans that
          have the same plan year may be so aggregated.

          Any such aggregation must be made in accordance with Treasury
          Regulation 1.401(k)-1(b)(3). For example, contributions and
          allocations under the portion of a plan described in Code Section
          4975(e)(7) (an ESOP) may not be aggregated with the portion of a plan
          not described in Code Section 4975(e)(7) (a non-ESOP) for purposes of
          determining whether the ESOP or non-ESOP satisfies the requirements of
          Code Sections 401(a)(4), 401(k), 401(m) and 410(b).

          Plans that could be aggregated under Code Section 410(b) but that are
          not actually aggregated for a Plan Year for purposes of Code Section
          410(b) may not be aggregated for purposes of Code Sections 401(k) and
          401(m).

                                   ARTICLE 5

                              RETIREMENT BENEFITS

5.01  Valuation of Accounts

     For purposes of this Article, the value of a Participant's Accrued Benefit
     will be determined as of the Valuation Date his Accounts are liquidated to
     effect his distribution.

5.02  Normal Retirement

     After an Active Participant reaches his Normal Retirement Date, he may
     elect to retire. Upon such retirement he will become a Retired Participant
     and his Accrued Benefit will become distributable to him. A Participant's
     Accrued Benefit will become nonforfeitable no later than the date upon
     which he attains his Normal Retirement Age. The form and timing of benefit
     payment will be governed by the provisions of Section 5.05.
<PAGE>
 

5.03  Disability Retirement

     In the event of a Participant's termination due to Disability, he will be
     entitled to begin to receive a distribution of his Accrued Benefit which
     will become nonforfeitable as of his date of termination. The form and
     timing of benefit payment will be governed by the provisions of Section
     5.05.

     Disability means the determination by the Plan Administrator that a
     Participant is unable by reason of any medically determinable physical or
     mental impairment to perform the usual duties of his employment or of any
     other employment for which he is reasonably qualified based upon his
     education, training and experience.

5.04  Termination of Employment

     (a)  In General

          If a Participant's employment terminates for any reason other than
          retirement, death, or disability, his Accrued Benefit will become
          distributable to him as of the last day of the month which coincides
          with or next follows the last date upon which any contributions on the
          Participant's behalf are made to the Trust following the Participant's
          date of termination of employment (or as of such earlier date as
          determined by the Plan Administrator in a uniform and
          nondiscriminatory manner). The form and timing of benefit payment will
          be governed by the provisions of Section 5.05.

     (b)  Cash-Out Distribution

          If a Participant terminates employment and receives a distribution
          equal to the Vested Percentage of his Accounts which are subject to
          the Vesting Schedule (such Accounts are hereinafter referred to as
          Employer Contribution Accounts), a Cash-Out Distribution will be
          deemed to have occurred if the following conditions are met:

          (1)  The Participant was less than 100% vested in his Employer
               Contribution Accounts; and

          (2)  The entire distribution is made before the last day of the second
               Plan Year following the Plan Year in which the Participant
               terminated employment.

     (c)  Restoration of Employer Contribution Accounts

          If, following the date of a Cash-Out Distribution, a Participant
          returns to an Eligible Employee Classification prior to incurring 5
          consecutive One Year Breaks-in-Service, then the Participant will have
          the right to repay to the Trustee, within 5 years after his return
          date, the portion of the Cash-Out Distribution which was attributable
          to his Employer Contribution Accounts which were less than 100% vested
          in order to restore such Accounts to their value as of the date of the
          Cash-Out Distribution.

          The Plan Administrator will restore an eligible Participant's Employer
          Contribution Accounts as of the Accounting Date coincident with or
          immediately following the complete repayment of the Cash-Out
          Distribution. To restore the Participant's Employer Contribution
          Accounts, the Plan Administrator, to the extent necessary, will, under
          rules and guidelines applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory
          manner, first allocate to the Participant's Employer Contribution
          Accounts the amount, if any, of Forfeitures which would otherwise be
          allocated under Article 3. To the extent such Forfeitures for a
          particular Accounting Period are insufficient to enable the Plan
          Administrator to make the required restoration, the Employer will
          contribute such additional amount as is necessary to enable the Plan
          Administrator to make the required restoration. The Plan Administrator
          will not take into account the allocation under this Section in
          applying the limitation on
<PAGE>
 

          allocations under Article 7.

     (d)  Non-Vested Participant

          If a Participant who is zero percent vested in his Employer
          Contribution Accounts terminates employment, a Cash-Out Distribution
          will be deemed to have occurred as of the Participant's date of
          termination of employment.

          If the Participant subsequently returns to an Eligible Employee
          Classification prior to incurring five consecutive One Year Breaks-in-
          Service, then the Participant will immediately become entitled to a
          complete restoration of his Employer Contribution Accounts as of the
          Accounting Date coincident with or next following his date of re-
          employment. Such restoration will be made in accordance with the
          provisions of Section 5.04(c).

5.05  Time and Manner of Payment

     (a)  Form of Benefit Payment

          Subject to the provisions of Sections 5.05(b) and 5.06 below,
          distributions of a Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit may be made in
          any of the following methods as the Participant selects:

          (1)  in a lump sum in cash or in kind;

          (2)  in a life annuity;

          (3)  in installments over a period not to exceed the life expectancy
               of the Participant or joint and last survivor expectancy of the
               Participant and designated Beneficiary as selected by the
               Participant.

     (b)  Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity

          This Section 5.05(b) shall apply only to a Participant in the Plan who
          has elected payment in the form of a life annuity, and with respect to
          the account of a Participant that is attributable to a direct or
          indirect transfer from a qualified plan which is subject to the
          survivor annuity requirements of Code Sections 401(a)(11) and 417. The
          Vested Accrued Benefit of a Participant which is subject to this
          Section 5.05(b) shall be payable as follows:

          (1)  a Participant who is not married on the date benefits are to
               commence will be provided a Qualified Life Annuity, unless a lump
               sum or installment payment is elected, under a Qualified
               Election, by the Participant within the 90-day period which ends
               on his benefit commencement date.

          (2)  a Participant who is married on the date benefits commence will
               be provided a Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity unless a lump
               sum payment, installment payment or life annuity is elected,
               under a Qualified Election, by the Participant within the 90-day
               period which ends on his benefit commencement date.

          Within the 90-day period which ends on a married Participant's
          expected benefit commencement date, the Plan Administrator will
          provide each Participant with a written explanation of:

          (1)  the terms and conditions of a Qualified Joint and Survivor
               Annuity;
<PAGE>
 
          (2)  the Participant's right to make and the effect of a Qualified
               Election to waive the Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity form
               of benefit;

          (3)  the rights of a Participant's spouse; and

          (4)  the right to make, and the effect of, a revocation of a previous
               Qualified Election to waive the Qualified Joint and Survivor
               Annuity.

     (c)  Account Balance not in Excess of $3,500

          Notwithstanding the above, if a terminated Participant's Vested
          Accrued Benefit is $3,500 or less, such Participant's Vested Accrued
          Benefit shall be payable in a lump sum of the entire amount of his
          Vested Accrued Benefit. If the value of his Vested Accrued Benefit at
          the time of any distribution exceeds $3,500, the value of his Vested
          Accrued Benefit at any later time will be deemed to also exceed
          $3,500.

     (d)  Installment Payment

          Upon request, the Participant may receive his benefit paid in a series
          of substantially equal annual or more frequent installments over a
          period certain not extending beyond the earliest of (a) the end of the
          period measured by the joint life and last survivor expectancy of the
          Participant and his spouse, or (b) twenty (20) years. The Plan
          Administrator and the Trustee will have the power to establish rules
          and guidelines as deemed necessary or appropriate with regard to the
          payment of benefits under the installment payment form.

5.06  Commencement of Benefit

     Subject to the provisions of this Article, commencement of a benefit will,
     unless the Participant elects otherwise in writing, begin not later than
     the 60th day after the later of the close of the Plan Year in which the
     Participant attains Normal Retirement Age or the close of the Plan Year
     which contains the date the Participant terminates his service with the
     Employer.

     Payment of a Participant's benefits must begin no later than his Required
     Beginning Date.

     All distributions required under this Section will be determined and made
     in accordance with the regulations issued under Code Section 401(a)(9),
     including those dealing with minimum distribution requirements.
     Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.05, an Active Participant who
     is a Five Percent Owner and who has reached his Required Beginning Date
     will receive an annual distribution of his Accrued Benefit equal to the
     minimum required distribution determined under Code Section 401(a)(9).

     For purposes of this Section, life expectancy and joint and last survivor
     expectancy are to be computed by the use of the return multiples contained
     in Section 1.72-9 of the Income Tax Regulations.

     If the Participant dies after distribution of his interest has begun, the
     remaining portion of the interest will continue to be distributed at least
     as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used before the
     Participant's death.

5.07  Directed Transfer of Eligible Rollover Distributions

     (a)  General

          This Section applies to distributions made on or after January 1,
          1993. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary that
          would otherwise limit a Distributee's
<PAGE>
 
          election under this Section, a Distributee may elect, at the time and
          in the manner prescribed by the Plan Administrator, 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 section 401(a)(9) of the Code; and
          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).

     (c)  Eligible Retirement Plan

          An Eligible Retirement Plan is an individual retirement account
          described in section 408(a) of the Code, an individual retirement
          annuity described in section 408(b) of the Code, or a qualified trust
          described in section 401(a) of the Code, that accepts the
          Distributee's Eligible Rollover Distribution. However, in the case of
          an Eligible Rollover Distribution to the surviving spouse, an Eligible
          Retirement Plan is an individual retirement account or individual
          retirement annuity.

     (d)  Distributee

          A Distributee includes an Employee or Former Employee. In addition,
          the Employee's or Former Employee's surviving spouse and the
          Employee's or Former Employee's spouse or former spouse who is the
          alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined
          in section 414(p) of the Code, are Distributees with regard to the
          interest of the spouse or former spouse.

     (e)  Direct Rollover

          A Direct Rollover is a payment by the Plan to the Eligible Retirement
          Plan specified by the Distributee.

     (f)  Waiver of 30-Day Notice

          If a distribution is one to which Code Sections 401(a)(11) and 417 do
          not apply, such distribution may commence less than 30 days after the
          notice required under Section 1.411(a)-11(c) of the Income Tax
          Regulations is given, provided that:

               .  the Plan Administrator clearly informs the Participant that
                  the Participant has a right to a period of at least 30 days
                  after receiving the notice to consider the decision of whether
                  or not to elect a distribution (and, if applicable, a
                  particular distribution option); and

               .  the Participant, after receiving the notice, affirmatively
                  elects to receive a distribution.
<PAGE>
 
                                   ARTICLE 6

                                 DEATH BENEFIT

6.01  Valuation of Accounts

     For purposes of this Article, the value of a Participant's Accrued Benefit
     will be determined as of the Valuation Date his Accounts are liquidated to
     effect his distribution.

6.02  Death Benefit

     In the event of the death of a Participant prior to the date on which he
     receives a complete distribution of his benefit under the Plan, the
     Participant's Beneficiary will be entitled to receive the value of the
     Participant's Accrued Benefit.

6.03  Designation of Beneficiary

     Each Participant will be given the opportunity to designate a Beneficiary
     or Beneficiaries, and from time to time the Participant may file with the
     Plan Administrator a new or revised designation on the form provided by the
     Plan Administrator. If a Participant is married, any designation of a
     Beneficiary other than the Participant's spouse must be consented to by the
     Participant's spouse pursuant to a Qualified Election.

     If a Participant dies without designating a Beneficiary, or if the
     Participant is predeceased by all designated Beneficiaries and contingent
     Beneficiaries, the Plan Administrator will distribute all benefits which
     are payable in the event of the Participant's death in the following manner
     and to the first of the following (who are listed in order of priority) who
     survive the Participant by at least 30 days:

          . All to the Participant's Surviving Spouse;

          . Equally among the then living children of the Participant
            (by birth or adoption);

          . Among the Participant's then living lineal descendants, by
            right of representation; or

          . The Participant's estate.




                                   ARTICLE 7

                            LIMITATIONS ON BENEFITS

7.01  Limitation on Annual Additions

     The amount of the Annual Addition which may be allocated under this Plan to
     any Participant's Account as of any Allocation Date will not exceed the
     Defined Contribution Limit (based upon his Aggregate Compensation up to
     such Valuation Date) reduced by the sum of any allocations of annual
     additions made to Participant's Accounts under this Plan as of any
     preceding Allocation Date within the Limitation Year.

     If the Annual Addition under this Plan on behalf of a Participant is to be
     reduced as of any Allocation Date as a result of the next preceding
     paragraph, the reduction will be, to the extent required, effected by first
     reducing Participant contributions (which increase the annual addition),
     then Forfeitures (if any), and then Employer contributions to be allocated
     under this Plan on behalf of the Participant as of the Allocation Date.

<PAGE>
 
     Any necessary reduction will be made as follows:

     (a)  The amount of the reduction consisting of nondeductible Participant
          contributions will be paid to the Participant as soon as
          administratively feasible.

     (b)  The amount of the reduction consisting of any other Participant
          contributions will be paid to the Participant as soon as
          administratively feasible.

     (c)  The amount of the reduction consisting of Forfeitures will be
          allocated and reallocated to other Accounts in accordance with the
          Plan formula for allocating Forfeitures to the extent that such
          allocations do not cause the additions to any other Participant's
          Accounts to exceed the lesser of the Defined Contribution Limit or any
          other limitation provided in the Plan.

     (d)  Reserved.

     (e)  To the extent that the reductions described in paragraph (c) cannot be
          allocated to other Participant's Accounts, the reductions, and any
          reductions of Employer contributions which cannot be allocated to a
          Participant's Accounts, will be allocated to a suspense account and
          held therein until the next succeeding Allocation Date on which they
          could be applied under the provisions of the Plan. All amounts held in
          a suspense account must be applied as Forfeitures before any
          additional contributions, which would constitute annual additions, may
          be made to the Plan. If the Plan terminates, the suspense account will
          revert to the Employer to the extent it may not be allocated to any
          Participant's Accounts.

     (f)  If a suspense account is in existence at any time during a Limitation
          Year pursuant to this Section, it will not participate in the
          allocation of the Trust Fund's investment gains and losses.

7.02  Where Employer Maintains Another Qualified Plan

     (a)  Where Employer Maintains Another Qualified Defined
          Contribution Plan

          If the Employer maintains this Plan and one or more other qualified
          defined contribution plans, one or more welfare benefit funds (as
          defined in Code Section 419(e)), or one or more individual medical
          accounts (as defined in Code Section 415(l)(2)), all of which are
          referred to in this Article 7 as "qualified defined contribution
          plans", the annual additions allocated under this Plan to any
          Participant's Accounts will be limited in accordance with the
          allocation provisions of this Section 7.02(a).

          The amount of the Annual Additions which may be allocated under this
          Plan to any Participant's Accounts as of any Allocation Date will not
          exceed the Defined Contribution Limit (based upon Aggregate
          Compensation up to the allocation date) reduced by the sum of any
          allocations of Annual Additions made to the Participant's Accounts
          under this Plan and any other qualified defined contribution plans
          maintained by the Employer as of any earlier Allocation Date within
          the Limitation Year.

          If an Allocation Date of this Plan coincides with an Allocation Date
          of any other plan described in the above paragraph, the amount of
          Annual Additions to be allocated on behalf of a Participant under this
          Plan as of such date will be an amount equal to the product of the
          amount described in the next preceding paragraph multiplied by a
          fraction (not to exceed 1.0), the numerator of which is the amount to
          be allocated under this Plan without

<PAGE>
 
          regard to this Article during the Limitation Year and the denominator
          of which is the amount that would otherwise be allocated on this
          Allocation Date under all plans without regard to this Article 7.

          If the Annual Addition under this Plan on behalf of a Participant is
          to be reduced as of any Allocation Date as a result of the next
          preceding two paragraphs, the reduction will be, to the extent
          required, effected by first reducing Participant contributions (which
          increase the annual addition), then Forfeitures (if any), and then any
          Employer contributions, to be allocated under this Plan on behalf of
          the Participant as of the Allocation Date.

          If as a result of the first four paragraphs of this Section 7.02 the
          allocation of additions is reduced, the reduction will be treated in
          the manner described in the third paragraph of Section 7.01.

     (b)  Where Employer Maintains a Qualified Defined Benefit Plan

          (1)  In General

               If the Employer maintains (or has ever maintained), in addition
               to this Plan, one or more qualified defined benefit plans, then
               for any Limitation Year, the sum of the Defined Benefit Plan
               Fraction and the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction will not
               exceed 1.0. If, in any Limitation Year, the sum of the Defined
               Benefit Plan Fraction and the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction
               for a Participant would exceed 1.0 without adjustment to the
               amount of the annual benefit that can be paid to the Participant
               under the defined benefit plan, then the amount of annual benefit
               that would otherwise be paid to the Participant under the defined
               benefit plan will be reduced to the extent necessary to reduce
               the sum of the Defined Benefit Plan Fraction and the Defined
               Contribution Plan Fraction for the Participant to 1.0.

          (2)  Transition Rule under TRA '86

               If a plan was in existence on May 6, 1986, the numerator of the
               Defined Contribution Plan Fraction will be reduced (to not less
               than zero) as prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury by
               subtracting the amount required to decrease the sum of the
               Defined Contribution Plan Fraction plus the Defined Benefit Plan
               Fraction to 1.0. Such amount is determined (as of the first day
               of the first Limitation Year beginning on or after January 1,
               1987) as the product of:

               (A)  The amount by which, without this adjustment, the sum of the
                    Defined Contribution Plan Fraction plus the Defined Benefit
                    Plan Fraction exceeds 1.0, multiplied by

               (B)  The denominator of the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction,
                    as computed through the last Limitation Year beginning
                    before January 1, 1987, disregarding any changes in the
                    terms and conditions of the plan after May 5, 1986.

               This subparagraph applies only if the defined benefit plans
               individually and in the aggregate satisfied the requirements of
               Code Section 415 for all Limitation Years beginning before
               January 1, 1987.

          (3)  Transition Rule under TEFRA

               In the case of a plan which met the limitation of Section 415 of
               the Code for the last Limitation Year beginning before January 1,
               1983, the numerator of the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction
               will be reduced (to not less than zero) as prescribed by the
               Secretary of the Treasury by subtracting the amount required to
               decrease the sum
<PAGE>
 
               of the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction plus the Defined
               Benefit Plan Fraction to 1.0. Such amount is determined (as of
               the first day of the first Limitation Year beginning on or after
               January 1, 1983) as the product of:

               (A)  The amount by which, without this adjustment, the sum of the
                    Defined Contribution Plan Fraction plus the Defined Benefit
                    Plan Fraction exceeds 1.0, multiplied by

               (B)  The denominator of the Defined Contribution Plan Fraction,
                    as computed through the last Limitation Year beginning
                    before January 1, 1983.

7.03 Definitions Applicable to Article 7

     (a)  Aggregate Compensation

          Aggregate Compensation means a Participant's earned income, wages,
          salaries, and fees for professional services, and other amounts
          received for personal services actually rendered in the course of
          employment with the employer maintaining the plan (including, but not
          limited to, commissions paid to salesmen, compensation for services on
          the basis of a percentage of profits, commissions on insurance
          premiums, tips and bonuses), and excluding the following:

               .  Employer contributions to a plan of deferred compensation
                  which are not included in the employee's gross income for the
                  taxable year in which contributed or employer contributions
                  under a simplified employee pension plan to the extent the
                  contributions are deductible by the employee, or any
                  distributions from a plan of deferred compensation;

               .  Amounts realized from the exercise of a nonqualified stock
                  option, or when restricted stock (or property) held by the
                  employee either becomes freely transferable or is no longer
                  subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture ;

               .  Amounts realized from the sale, exchange or other disposition
                  of stock acquired under a qualified stock option; and

               .  Other amounts which received special tax benefits, or
                  contributions made by the employer (whether or not under a
                  salary reduction agreement) toward the purchase of an annuity
                  described in Code Section 403(b) (whether or not the amounts
                  are actually excludable from the gross income of the
                  employee).

          For Plan Years beginning prior to January 1, 1998, Aggregate
          Compensation excludes any amounts contributed by the Employer or any
          Related Employer on behalf of any Employee pursuant to a salary
          reduction agreement which are not includable in the gross income of
          the Employee due to Code Section 125, 402(e)(3), 402(h), 402(k) or
          403(b).

          Notwithstanding the above, for Plan Years beginning on or after
          January 1, 1998, Aggregate Compensation includes any amounts
          contributed by the Employer or any Related Employer on behalf of any
          Employee pursuant to a salary reduction agreement which are not
          includable in the gross income of the Employee due to Code Section
          125, 402(e)(3), 402(h), 402(k) or 403(b).

          Aggregate Compensation in excess of the Statutory Compensation Limit
          is disregarded.

          Aggregate Compensation for any Limitation Year is the Aggregate
          Compensation actually paid or includable in gross income in such year.
<PAGE>
 
     (b)  Allocation Date

          Allocation Date means the date with respect to which all or a portion
          of employer contributions, employee contributions or forfeitures or
          both are allocated to participant accounts under a defined
          contribution plan.

     (c)  Annual Additions

          For Plan Years beginning after December 31, 1986, Annual Additions are
          the sum of the following amounts allocated to any defined contribution
          plan maintained by the Employer (including voluntary contributions to
          any defined benefit plan maintained by the Employer) on behalf of a
          Participant for a Limitation Year:

               .  All Employee and Employer contributions;

               .  All reallocated forfeitures;

               .  Amounts allocated after March 31, 1984, to an individual
                  medical account, as defined in Code Section 415(l)(2) which is
                  part of a pension or annuity plan maintained by the Employer,
                  and amounts derived from contributions paid or accrued after
                  December 31, 1985, in taxable years ending after that date,
                  which are attributable to post-retirement medical benefits
                  required by Code Section 401(h)(6) to be allocated to the
                  separate account of a Key Employee under a welfare benefit
                  plan (as defined in Code Section 419(e)) maintained by the
                  Employer.

          Contributions or forfeitures will be treated as Annual Additions
          regardless of whether they constitute Excess Deferrals, Excess
          Contributions or Excess Aggregate Contributions within the meaning of
          the regulations under Code Section 401(k) or 401(m) and regardless of
          whether they are corrected through distribution or recharacterization.
          Excess deferrals distributed in accordance with Treasury Regulation
          1.402(g)-1(e)(2) or (3) are not Annual Additions. The Annual Addition
          for any Limitation Year beginning before January 1, 1987, will not be
          recomputed to treat all Employee After-tax Contributions as Annual
          Additions.

     (d)  Annual Benefit

          Annual Benefit means a benefit payable annually in the form of a
          straight life annuity (with no ancillary benefits) under a plan to
          which employees do not contribute and under which no rollover
          contributions are made.

     (e)  Defined Benefit Compensation Limit

          The Defined Benefit Compensation Limit is equal to 100% of the
          Participant's average Aggregate Compensation for the three consecutive
          calendar years (or other twelve consecutive month periods adopted by
          the Employer pursuant to a Written Resolution and applied on a uniform
          and consistent basis) of service during which the Participant had the
          greatest Aggregate Compensation.

          Where the annual benefit is payable to a Participant in a form other
          than a straight life annuity or a Qualified Joint and Survivor
          Annuity, the Defined Benefit Compensation Limit will be the Actuarial
          Equivalent of a straight life annuity beginning at the same age. No
          adjustment is required for the following: pre-retirement disability
          benefits, pre-retirement death benefits and post-retirement medical
          benefits. For purposes of this paragraph, the interest rate used in
          adjusting the Defined Benefit Compensation Limit will be the greater
          of (1) 5%, or (2) the post-retirement interest rate specified in the
          plan for Actuarial Equivalent purposes.
<PAGE>
 
          Where the annual benefit is payable to a Participant who has fewer
          than 10 years of service with the Employer or any Related or
          Predecessor Employer, the Defined Benefit Compensation Limit will be
          multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Participant's
          number of years of service with the Employer or Related or Predecessor
          Employer, and the denominator of which is 10.

          With regard to a Participant who has separated from service with a
          nonforfeitable right to an Accrued Benefit, the Defined Benefit
          Compensation Limit will be adjusted effective January 1 of each
          Calendar year. For any Limitation Year beginning after the separation
          occurs, the Defined Benefit Compensation Limit will be equal to the
          Defined Benefit Compensation Limit which was applicable to the
          Participant in the Limitation Year in which he separated from service
          multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Defined
          Benefit Dollar Limit for the Limitation Year in which the Defined
          Benefit Compensation Limit is being adjusted and the denominator of
          which is the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit for the Limitation Year in
          which the Participant separated from service.

     (f)  Defined Benefit Dollar Limit

          The Defined Benefit Dollar Limit is equal to $90,000 for calendar
          years 1984 through 1987. As of January 1, 1988 and as of January 1 of
          each subsequent calendar year, the dollar limitation (described in
          Code Section 415(b)(1)(A)) as determined by the Secretary of the
          Treasury for that calendar year will become effective as the Defined
          Benefit Dollar Limit for the calendar year. For calendar years between
          1976 and 1983, the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit is $75,000 as adjusted
          by the Secretary of the Treasury under Code Section 415(d) for that
          calendar year. The Defined Benefit Dollar Limit for a calendar year
          applies to Limitation Years ending with or within that calendar year.

          Where the annual benefit is payable to a Participant in a form other
          than a straight life annuity or a Qualified Joint and Survivor
          Annuity, the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit will be the Actuarial
          Equivalent of a straight life annuity beginning at the same age. No
          adjustment is required for the following: pre-retirement disability
          benefits, pre-retirement death benefits, and post-retirement medical
          benefits. For purposes of this paragraph, the interest rate used for
          adjusting the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit will be the greater of (1)
          5%, or (2) the post-retirement interest rate specified for Actuarial
          Equivalent purposes.

          Where the annual benefit is payable to a Participant who has fewer
          than 10 years of participation in the Plan, the Defined Benefit Dollar
          Limit will be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
          Participant's number of years (or part thereof) of participation in
          the Plan, and the denominator of which is 10. To the extent provided
          by the Secretary of the Treasury, this paragraph will be applied to
          each change in the benefit structure of the Plan.

          For a benefit commencing before a Participant's Social Security
          Retirement Age but at or after age 62, the Defined Benefit Dollar
          Limit will be adjusted in a manner which is consistent with the
          reduction for old-age insurance benefits commencing before Social
          Security Retirement Age under the Social Security Act. The reduction
          will be 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months and 5/12 of 1% for
          each additional month (up to 24 months) by which benefits commence
          before the month of the Participant's Social Security Retirement Age.
          The Defined Benefit Dollar Limit for a benefit commencing before age
          62 will be adjusted to the Actuarial Equivalent of the Defined Benefit
          Dollar Limit for a benefit commencing at age 62 based on an interest
          rate equal to the greater of (1) 5%, or (2) the interest rate
          specified in the plan for determining actuarial equivalence for
<PAGE>
 
          early retirement.

          For a benefit commencing after a Participant's Social Security
          Retirement Age, the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit will be adjusted to
          the actuarial equivalent of the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit for a
          benefit commencing at the Participant's Social Security Retirement
          Age. For purposes of this paragraph, the interest rate used for
          adjusting the Defined Benefit Dollar Limit will be the lesser of (1)
          5%, or (2) the interest rate specified in the plan for determining
          actuarial equivalence for early retirement .

     (g)  Defined Benefit Limit

          The Defined Benefit Limit is the lesser of the Defined Benefit Dollar
          Limit or the Defined Benefit Compensation Limit.

     (h)  Defined Benefit Plan Fraction Denominator

          The Defined Benefit Plan Fraction Denominator with respect to any
          Participant is the lesser of (1) the product of the Defined Benefit
          Dollar Limit multiplied by 1.25, or (2) the product of the Defined
          Benefit Compensation Limit multiplied by 1.4. However, for purposes of
          determining the Defined Benefit Plan Fraction Denominator, "years of
          service with the Employer or any Related or Predecessor Employer" will
          be substituted for "years of participation in the Plan" wherever it
          appears in Section 7.03(f).

     (i)  Defined Benefit Plan Fraction

          The Defined Benefit Plan Fraction is a fraction determined as of the
          close of a Limitation Year, the numerator of which is the Projected
          Annual Benefit payable to a Participant under this Plan and the
          denominator of which is the Defined Benefit Fraction Denominator. If a
          Participant has participated in more than one defined benefit plan
          maintained by the Employer, the numerator of the Defined Benefit Plan
          Fraction is the sum of the projected annual benefits payable to the
          Participant under all of the defined benefit plans, whether or not
          terminated.

     (j)  Defined Contribution Limit

          The Defined Contribution Limit for a given Limitation Year is equal to
          the lesser of (1) the Defined Contribution Compensation Limit, which
          is 25% of Aggregate Compensation applicable to the Limitation Year, or
          (2) the Defined Contribution Dollar Limit, which, for calendar years
          after 1983 is the greater of $30,000 or one-fourth of the Defined
          Benefit Dollar Limit for the Limitation Year, and for calendar years
          between 1976 and 1983 is one-third of the Defined Benefit Dollar
          Limit. If a short Limitation Year is created because of an amendment
          changing the Limitation Year to a different 12 consecutive month
          period, the Defined Contribution Dollar Limit is multiplied by a
          fraction, the numerator of which is equal to the number of months in
          the short Limitation Year and the denominator of which is 12.

     (k)  Defined Contribution Plan Fraction

          The Defined Contribution Plan Fraction is a fraction determined as of
          the close of a Limitation Year, the numerator of which is the sum of
          the Annual Additions to the Participant's Accounts under all defined
          contribution plans of the Employer for the current and all prior
          Limitation Years and the denominator of which is the sum of the Annual
          Additions which would have been made for the Participant for the
          current and all prior Limitation Years (for all prior years of service
          with the Employer or any predecessor Employer) if in each Limitation
          year the Annual Additions equaled the lesser of (1) the product of the
          Defined Contribution Compensation Limit for the Limitation Year
          multiplied by 1.4, or (2) the product of the Defined Contribution
          Dollar Limit for the Limitation Year multiplied by 1.25. The aggregate
          amount in the numerator of this
<PAGE>
 
          fraction due to years beginning before January 1, 1976 may not exceed
          the aggregate amount in the denominator of this fraction for all such
          years.

          For purposes of this Section 7.03(k), the Annual Addition for any
          Limitation Year beginning before January 1, 1987 will not be
          recomputed to treat all Employee After-tax Contributions as Annual
          Additions.

     (l)  Employer

          The Employer is the Employer that adopts this Plan together with all
          Related Employers. For this purpose, the definition of Related
          Employer in Section 1.33 of this Plan is modified by Code Section
          415(h).

     (m)  Limitation Year

          The Limitation Year will be the 12 consecutive month period which is
          specified in Article 1 of this Plan and which is adopted for all
          qualified plans maintained by the Employer pursuant to a Written
          Resolution adopted by the Employer. In the event of a change in the
          Limitation Year, the additional limitations of Treasury Regulation
          Section 1.415-2(b)(4)(iii) will also apply.

     (n)  Projected Annual Benefit

          For purposes of this Section, a Participant's Projected Annual Benefit
          is equal to the annual benefit to which a Participant in a defined
          benefit Plan would be entitled under the terms of the plan based on
          the following assumptions:

               .  The Participant will continue employment until reaching normal
                  retirement age as determined under the terms of the plan (or
                  current age, if that is later);

               .  The Participant's compensation for the Limitation Year under
                  consideration will remain the same for all future years;

               .  All other relevant factors used to determine benefits under
                  the plan for the Limitation Year under consideration will
                  remain constant for all future Limitation Years; and

               .  The benefits resulting from any Participant Contributions or
                  Rollover Contributions are disregarded.

               .  Social Security Retirement Age

     (o)  Social Security Retirement Age means age 65 for a Participant born
          before January 1, 1938; age 66 for a Participant born after December
          31, 1937, but before January 1, 1955; and age 67 for a Participant
          born after December 31, 1954.

7.04 Effect of Top-Heavy Status

     (a)  General

          Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7.03, "1.0" will be
          substituted for "1.25" wherever it appears in Sections 7.03(h) and
          7.03(k) for any Limitation Year in which the Plan is found to be Top-
          Heavy for the Plan Year which coincides with or ends within such
          Limitation Year.

     (b)  Non-application

          Section 7.04(a) will not apply for any Limitation Year in which, for
          the Plan Year which coincides with or ends within such Limitation
          Year, (1) the Plan is not determined to be

<PAGE>
 
     Super Top-Heavy and (2) for any Non-Key Employee who is a Participant in
     both this Plan and a defined benefit plan maintained by the Employer or a
     Related Employer, the annual allocation of Employer contributions plus
     Forfeitures under this Plan is not less than 7.5% of the Non-Key Employee's
     Aggregate Compensation.




                                   ARTICLE 8

                                 MISCELLANEOUS

8.01 Employment Rights of Parties Not Restricted

     The adoption and maintenance of this Plan will not be deemed a contract
     between the Employer and any Employee. Nothing in this Plan will give any
     Employee or Participant the right to be retained in the employ of the
     Employer or to interfere with the right of the Employer to discharge any
     Employee or Participant at any time, nor will it give the Employer the
     right to require any Employee or Participant to remain in its employ, or to
     interfere with any Employee's or Participant's right to terminate his
     employment at any time.

8.02 Alienation

     (a)  General

          No person entitled to any benefit under this Plan will have any right
          to sell, assign, transfer, hypothecate, encumber, commute, pledge,
          anticipate or otherwise dispose of his interest in the benefit, and
          any attempt to do so will be void. No benefit under this Plan will be
          subject to any legal process, levy, execution, attachment or
          garnishment for the payment of any claim against such person.

     (b)  Exceptions

          Section 8.02(a) will not apply to the extent a Participant or
          Beneficiary is indebted to the Plan under the provisions of the Plan.
          At the time a distribution is to be made to or for a Participant's or
          Beneficiary's benefit, the portion of the amount distributed which
          equals the indebtedness will be withheld by the Trustee to apply
          against or discharge the indebtedness. Before making a payment,
          however, the Participant or Beneficiary must be given written notice
          by the Plan Administrator that the indebtedness is to be so paid in
          whole or part from his Participant's Accrued Benefit. If the
          Participant or Beneficiary does not agree that the indebtedness is a
          valid claim against his Vested Accrued Benefit, he will be entitled to
          a review of the validity of the claim in accordance with procedures
          established by the Plan Administrator.

          Section 8.02(a) will not apply to a qualified domestic relations order
          (QDRO) as defined in Code Section 414(p), and those other domestic
          relations orders permitted to be so treated by the Plan Administrator
          under the provisions of the Retirement Equity Act of 1984. The Plan
          Administrator will establish a written procedure to determine the
          qualified status of domestic relations orders and to administer
          distributions under such qualified orders. Further, to the extent
          provided under a QDRO, a former spouse of a Participant will be
          treated as the spouse or Surviving Spouse for all purposes under the
          Plan. Where, however, because of a QDRO, more than one individual is
          to be treated as a Surviving Spouse, the total amount to be paid may
          not exceed the amount that would be paid if there were only one
          Surviving Spouse. All rights and benefits, including elections,
          provided to a Participant under this Plan will be subject to the
          rights afforded to any alternate payee as such term is defined in Code
          Section 414(p).

<PAGE>
 
          This Plan specifically permits distribution to an alternate payee
          under a QDRO (without regard to whether the Participant has attained
          his or her earliest retirement age as that term is defined under Code
          Section 414(p)) in the same manner that is provided for a Vested
          Terminated Participant.

8.03 Qualification of Plan

     The Employer will have the sole responsibility for obtaining and retaining
     qualification of the Plan under the Code with respect to the Employer's
     individual circumstances.

8.04 Construction

     To the extent not preempted by ERISA, this Plan will be construed according
     to the laws of the state in which the Employer's principal place of
     business is located. Words used in the singular will include the plural,
     the masculine gender will include the feminine, and vice versa, whenever
     appropriate.

8.05 Named Fiduciaries

     (a)  Allocation of Functions

          The authority to control and manage the operation and administration
          of the Plan and Trust created by this instrument will be allocated
          between the Plan Sponsor, the Trustee, and the Plan Administrator, all
          of whom are designated as Named Fiduciaries with respect to the Plan
          and Trust as provided for by Section 402(a)(2) of ERISA. The Plan
          Sponsor reserves the right to allocate the various responsibilities
          for the present execution of the functions of the Plan, other than the
          Trustee's responsibilities, among its Named Fiduciaries. Any person or
          group of persons may serve in more than one fiduciary capacity with
          regard to the Plan.

     (b)  Responsibilities of the Plan Sponsor

          The Plan Sponsor, in its capacity as a Named Fiduciary, will have only
          the following authority and responsibility:

               .  To appoint or remove the Plan Administrator and furnish the
                  Trustee with certified copies of any resolutions of the Plan
                  Sponsor with regard thereto;

               .  To appoint and remove the Trustee;

               .  To appoint a successor Trustee or additional Trustees;

               .  To communicate information to the Plan Administrator and the
                  Trustee as needed for the proper performance of the duties of
                  each;

               .  To appoint an investment manager (or to refrain from such
                  appointment), to monitor the performance of the investment
                  manager so appointed, and to terminate such appointment (more
                  than one investment manger may be appointed and in office at
                  any time); and

               .  To establish and communicate to the Trustee a funding policy
                  for the Plan.

     (c)  Limitation on Obligations of Named Fiduciaries

          No Named Fiduciary will have authority or responsibility to deal with
          matters other than as delegated to it under this Plan or by operation
          of law. A Named Fiduciary will not in any event be liable for breach
          of fiduciary responsibility or obligation by another fiduciary
          (including Named Fiduciaries) if the responsibility or authority of
          the act or


<PAGE>
 
          omission deemed to be a breach was not within the scope of the Named
          Fiduciary's authority or delegated responsibility.

     (d)  Standard of Care and Skill

          The duties of each fiduciary will be performed with the care, skill,
          prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a
          prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such
          matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of like character
          and with like objectives.

8.06 Status of Insurer

     The term Insurer refers to any legal reserve life insurance company
     licensed to do business in the state within which the Employer maintains
     its principal office. The Insurer will file such returns, keep such
     records, make such reports and supply such information as required by
     applicable law or regulation.

8.07 Adoption and Withdrawal by Other Organizations

     (a)  Procedure for Adoption

          Subject to the provisions of this Section 8.07, any organization now
          in existence or hereafter formed or acquired, which is not already a
          Participating Employer under this Plan and which is otherwise legally
          eligible may, in the future, with the consent and approval of the Plan
          Sponsor, by formal Written Resolution (referred to in this Section as
          an Adoption Resolution), adopt the Plan and Trust hereby created for
          all or any classification of persons in its employment and thereby,
          from and after the specified effective date, become a Participating
          Employer under this Plan. Such consent will be effected by and
          evidenced by a formal Written Resolution of the Plan Sponsor. The
          Adoption Resolution may contain such specific changes and variations
          in Plan terms and provisions applicable to the adopting Participating
          Employer and its Employees as may be acceptable to the Plan Sponsor
          and the Trustee. However, the sole, exclusive right of any other
          amendment of whatever kind or extent to the Plan is reserved to the
          Plan Sponsor. The Adoption Resolution will become, as to the adopting
          organization and its Employees, a part of this Plan as then amended or
          thereafter amended. It will not be necessary for the adopting
          organization to sign or execute the original or then amended Plan and
          Trust Agreement or any future amendment to the Plan and Trust
          Agreement. The effective date of the Plan for the adopting
          organization will be that stated in the Adoption Resolution and from
          and after such effective date the adopting organization will assume
          all the rights, obligations and liabilities as a Participating
          Employer under this Plan. The administrative powers of and control by
          the Plan Sponsor as provided in the Plan, including the sole right of
          amendment or termination of the Plan, of appointment and removal of
          the Plan Administrator and the Trustee, and of appointment and removal
          of an investment manager will not be diminished by reason of the
          participation of the adopting organization in the Plan.

     (b)  Withdrawal

          Any Participating Employer may withdraw from the Plan at any time,
          without affecting the Plan Sponsor or other Participating Employers
          not withdrawing, by complying with the provisions of the Plan. A
          withdrawing Participating Employer may arrange for the continuation by
          itself or its successor of this Plan in separate forms for its own
          employees, with such amendments, if any, as it may deem proper, and
          may arrange for continuation of the Plan by merger with an existing
          plan and transfer of plan assets. The Plan Sponsor may, it its
          absolute discretion, terminate a Participating Employer's
          participation at any time when in its judgment the Participating
          Employer fails or refuses to discharge its obligations under the Plan.


<PAGE>
 
     (c)  Adoption Contingent Upon Initial and Continued Qualification

          The adoption of this Plan by an organization as provided is hereby
          made contingent and subject to the condition precedent that said
          adopting organization meets all the statutory requirements for
          qualified plans, including, but not limited to, Sections 401(a) and
          501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code for its Employees. If the Plan or
          the Trust, in its operation, becomes disqualified, for any reason, as
          to the adopting organization and its Employees, the portion of the
          Plan assets allocable to them will be segregated as soon as is
          administratively feasible, pending either the prompt (1)
          requalification of the Plan as to the organization and its employees
          to the satisfaction of the Internal Revenue Service so as not to
          affect the continued qualified status thereof as to other Employers,
          (2) withdrawal of the organization from this Plan and a continuation
          by itself or its successor of its plan separately from this Plan, or
          by merger with another existing plan, with a transfer of its said
          segregated portion of Plan assets, or (3) termination of the Plan as
          to itself and its Employees.

8.08 Employer Contributions

     Employer contributions made to the Plan and Trust are made and will be held
     for the sole purpose of providing benefits to Participants and their
     Beneficiaries.

     In no event will any contribution made by the Employer to the Plan and
     Trust or income therefrom revert to the Employer except as provided in
     Section 7.01(e) or as provided below.

     (a)  Any contribution made to the Plan and Trust by the Employer because of
          a mistake of fact may be returned to the Employer within one year of
          such contribution.

     (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan and Trust, if the
          Internal Revenue Service determines initially that the Plan, as
          adopted by the Employer, does not qualify under applicable sections of
          the Code and applicable Treasury Department Regulations, and the
          Employer does not wish to amend this Plan and Trust so that it does
          qualify, the value of all assets will be distributed by the Trustee to
          the Employer within one year after the date such initial qualification
          is denied. Thereafter, the Employer's participation in this Plan and
          Trust will be considered rescinded and of no force or effect.

     (c)  Any contribution made by the Employer will be conditioned on the
          deductibility of such contribution and may be refunded to the
          Employer, to the extent the contribution is determined not to be
          deductible, within one year after such determination is made.

8.09 Provisions Relating Employees in Qualified Military Service

     Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, contributions,
     benefits and service credit with respect to qualified military service will
     be provided in accordance with Section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code.

8.10 Unclaimed Benefits

     In the event of the failure of a Participant or Beneficiary to claim
     benefits payable under the Plan, and the inability of the Plan
     Administrator to find the Participant or Beneficiary after a good faith
     effort to do so, the benefits shall be allocated in the same manner as
     Forfeitures at the end of the applicable Plan Year. This provision shall be
     administered in a uniform and non-discriminatory manner. If a claim is
     later made by the Participant or his Beneficiary, the benefits, together
     with estimated earnings, will be reinstated from subsequent forfeitures and
     Employer contributions.
<PAGE>
 
                                   ARTICLE 9

                                ADMINISTRATION

9.01 Plan Administrator

     The Plan Administrator will have the responsibility for the general
     supervision and administration of the Plan and will be a fiduciary of the
     Plan. The Employer may, by Written Resolution, appoint one or more
     individuals to serve as Plan Administrator. If the Employer does not
     appoint an individual or individuals as Plan Administrator, the Employer
     will function as Plan Administrator. The Employer may at any time, with or
     without cause, remove an individual as Plan Administrator or substitute
     another individual therefor.

9.02 Powers and Duties of the Plan Administrator

     The Plan Administrator will be charged with and will have delegated to it
     the power, duty, authority and discretion to interpret and construe the
     provisions of this Plan, to determine its meaning and intent and to make
     application thereof to the facts of any individual case; to determine in
     its discretion the rights and benefits of Participants or the eligibility
     of Employees; to give necessary instructions and directions to the Trustee
     and the Insurer as herein provided or as may be requested by the Trustee
     and the Insurer from time to time; to resolve all questions of fact
     relating to any of the foregoing; and to generally direct the
     administration of the Plan according to its terms. All decisions of the
     Plan Administrator in matters properly coming before it according to the
     terms of this Plan, and all actions taken by the Plan Administrator in the
     proper exercise of its administrative powers, duties and responsibilities,
     will be final and binding upon all Employees, Participants and
     Beneficiaries and upon any person having or claiming any rights or interest
     in this Plan. The Employer and the Plan Administrator will make and receive
     any reports and information, and retain any records necessary or
     appropriate to the administration of this Plan or to the performance of
     duties hereunder or to satisfy any requirements imposed by law. In the
     performance of its duties, the Plan Administrator will be entitled to rely
     on information duly furnished by any Employee, Participant or Beneficiary
     or by the Employer or Trustee.

9.03 Actions of the Plan Administrator

     The Plan Administrator may adopt such rules as it deems necessary,
     desirable or appropriate with respect to the conduct of its affairs and the
     administration of the Plan. Whenever any action to be taken in accordance
     with the terms of the Plan requires the consent or approval of the Plan
     Administrator, or whenever an interpretation is to be made of the terms of
     the Plan, the Plan Administrator will act in a uniform and non-
     discriminatory manner, treating all Employees and Participants in similar
     circumstances in a like manner. If the Plan Administrator is a group of
     individuals, all of its decisions will be made by a majority vote. The Plan
     Administrator will have the authority to employ one or more persons to
     render advice or services with regard to the responsibilities of the Plan
     Administrator, including but not limited to attorneys, actuaries, and
     accountants. Any persons employed to render advice or services will have no
     fiduciary responsibility for any ministerial functions performed with
     respect to this Plan.

9.04 Reliance on Plan Administrator and Employer

     Until the Employer gives notice to the contrary, the Trustee and any
     persons employed to render advice or services will be entitled to rely on
     the designation of Plan Administrator that has been furnished to them. In
     addition, the Trustee and any persons employed to render advice or services
     will be fully protected in acting upon the written directions and
     instructions of the Plan Administrator made in accordance with the terms of
     this Plan. If the Plan Administrator is a group of individuals, unless
     otherwise specified, any one of such individuals will be authorized to sign
     documents on behalf of the Plan Administrator and such
<PAGE>
 
     authorized signatures will be recognized by all person dealing with the
     Plan Administrator.

     The Trustee and any persons employed to render advice or services may take
     cognizance of any rules established by the Plan Administrator and rely upon
     them until notified to the contrary. The Trustee and any persons employed
     to render advice or services will be fully protected in taking any action
     upon any paper or document believed to be genuine and to have been properly
     signed and presented by the Plan Administrator, Employer or any agent of
     the Plan Administrator acting on behalf of the Plan Administrator.

9.05 Reports to Participants

     The Plan Administrator will report in writing to a Participant his Accrued
     Benefit under the Plan and the Vested Percentage of such benefit when the
     Participant terminates his employment or requests such a report in writing
     from the Plan Administrator. To the extent required by law or regulation,
     the Plan Administrator will annually furnish to each Participant, and to
     each Beneficiary receiving benefits, a report which fairly summarizes the
     Plan's most recent report.

9.06 Bond

     The Plan Administrator and other fiduciaries of the Plan will be bonded to
     the extent required by ERISA or other applicable law. No additional bond or
     other security for the faithful performance of any duties under this Plan
     will be required.

9.07 Compensation of Plan Administrator

     The Compensation of the Plan Administrator will be left to the discretion
     of the Plan Sponsor; no person who is receiving full pay from the Employer
     will receive compensation for services as Plan Administrator. All
     reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the Plan Administrator in
     supervising and administering the Plan will be paid from the Plan assets by
     the Trustee at the direction of the Plan Administrator to the extent not
     paid by the Plan Sponsor.

9.08 Claims Procedure

     The Plan Administrator will make all determinations as to the rights of any
     Employee, Participant, Beneficiary or other person under the terms of this
     Plan. Any Employee, Participant or Beneficiary, or person claiming under
     them, may make claim for benefit under this Plan by filing written notice
     with the Plan Administrator setting forth the substance of the claim. If a
     claim is wholly or partially denied, the claimant will have the opportunity
     to appeal the denial upon filing with the Plan Administrator a written
     request for review within 60 days after receipt of notice of denial. In
     making an appeal the claimant may examine pertinent Plan documents and may
     submit issues and comments in writing. Denial of a claim or a decision on
     review will be made in writing by the Plan Administrator delivered to the
     claimant within 60 days after receipt of the claim or request for review,
     unless special circumstances require an extension of time for processing
     the claim or review, in which event the Plan Administrator's decision must
     be made as soon as possible thereafter but not beyond an additional 60
     days. If no action on an initial claim is taken within 120 days, the claims
     will be deemed denied for purposes of permitting the claimant to proceed to
     the review stage. The denial of a claim or the decision on review will
     specify the reasons for the denial or decision and will make reference to
     the pertinent Plan provisions upon which the denial or decision is based.
     The denial of a claim will also include a description of any additional
     material or information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and
     an explanation of the claim review procedure herein described. The Plan
     Administrator will serve as an agent for service of legal process with
     respect to the Plan unless the Employer, through written resolution,
     appoints another agent.
<PAGE>
 
     If a Participant or Beneficiary is entitled to a distribution from the
     Plan, the Participant or Beneficiary will be responsible for providing the
     Plan Administrator with his current address. If the Plan Administrator
     notifies the Participant or Beneficiary by registered mail (return receipt
     requested) at his last known address that he is entitled to a distribution
     and also notifies him of the provisions of this paragraph, and the
     Participant or Beneficiary fails to claim his benefits under the Plan or
     provide his current address to the Plan Administrator within one year after
     such notification, the distributable amount will be forfeited and used to
     reduce the cost of the Plan. If the Participant or Beneficiary is
     subsequently located, such benefit will be restored.

9.09 Liability of Fiduciaries

     Except for a breach of fiduciary responsibility due to gross negligence or
     willful misconduct, the Plan Administrator will not incur any individual
     liability for any decision, act, or failure to act hereunder. The Plan
     Administrator may engage agents to assist it and may engage legal counsel
     who may be counsel for the Employer. The Plan Administrator will not be
     responsible for any action taken or omitted to be taken on the advice of
     counsel.

     If there is more than one person serving as a fiduciary in any capacity
     (for example, co-Trustees), each will use reasonable care to prevent the
     other or others from committing a breach of this Plan. Nothing contained in
     this Section will preclude any agreement allocating specific
     responsibilities or obligations among the co-fiduciaries provided that the
     agreement does not violate any of the terms and provisions of this Plan. In
     those instances where any duties have been allocated between co-
     fiduciaries, a fiduciary will not be liable for any loss resulting to the
     Plan arising from any act or omission on the part of another co-fiduciary
     to whom responsibilities or obligations have been allocated except under
     the following circumstances:

          .  If he participates knowingly in, or knowingly undertakes to
             conceal, an act or omission of a co-fiduciary knowing the act or
             omission is a breach; or

          .  If by his failure to comply with his specific responsibilities
             which give rise to his status as a fiduciary, he has enabled the
             other fiduciary to commit a breach; or

          .  If he has knowledge of a breach by a co-fiduciary, unless he makes
             reasonable efforts under the circumstances to remedy the breach.

9.10 Expenses of Administration

     The Employer does not and will not guarantee the Plan assets against loss.
     The Employer may, in its sole discretion (but will not be obligated to),
     pay the costs and expenses of administering the Plan, the taxes imposed
     upon the Plan, if any, and the fees, charges or commissions with respect to
     the purchase and sale of Plan assets. Unless paid by the Employer, such
     costs and expenses, taxes (if any), and fees, charges and commissions will
     be a charge upon Plan assets and deducted by the Trustee to the extent
     permitted by applicable law.

9.11 Distribution Authority

     If any person entitled to receive payment under this Plan is a minor,
     declared incompetent or is under other legal disability, the Plan
     Administrator may, in its sole discretion, direct the Trustee to:

          .  Distribute directly to the person entitled to the payment;

          .  Distribute to the legal guardian or, if none, to a parent of the
             person entitled to
<PAGE>
 
             payment or to a responsible adult with whom the person entitled to
             payment maintains his residence;

          .  Distribute to a custodian for the person entitled to payment under
             the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act if permitted by the laws of the
             state in which the person entitled to payment resides; or

          .  Withhold distribution of the amount payable until a court of
             competent jurisdiction determines the rights of the parties thereto
             or appoints a guardian of the estate of the person entitled to
             payment.

     If there is any dispute, controversy or disagreement between any
     Beneficiary or person and any other person as to who is entitled to receive
     the benefits payable under this Plan, or if the Plan Administrator is
     uncertain as to who is entitled to receive benefits, or if the Plan
     Administrator is unable to locate the person who is entitled to benefits,
     the Plan Administrator may with acquittance interplead the funds into a
     court of competent jurisdiction in the judicial district in which the
     Employer maintains its principal place of business and, upon depositing the
     funds with the clerk of the court, be released from any further
     responsibility for the payment of the benefits. If it is necessary for the
     Plan Administrator to retain legal counsel or incur any expense in
     determining who is entitled to receive the benefits, whether or not it is
     necessary to institute court action, the Plan Administrator will be
     entitled to reimbursement from the benefits for the amount of its
     reasonable costs, expenses and attorneys' fees incurred, to the extent
     permitted by applicable law.


                                  ARTICLE 10

                       AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF PLAN


10.01 Right of Plan Sponsor to Amend or Terminate

     The Plan Sponsor reserves the right to alter, amend, revoke or terminate
     this Plan. No amendment will deprive any Participant or Beneficiary of any
     vested right nor will it reduce any Accrued Benefit to which he is then
     entitled with respect to Employer contributions previously made, except as
     may be required to maintain the Plan as a qualified plan under the Code. No
     amendment will change the duties or responsibilities of the Trustee without
     its express written consent thereto.

     A plan amendment which has the effect of (a) eliminating or reducing an
     early retirement benefit or a retirement-type subsidy, or (b) eliminating
     an optional benefit form, will, with respect to benefits attributable to
     service before the amendment be treated as reducing Accrued Benefits.

10.02 Allocation of Assets Upon Termination of Plan

     If this Plan is revoked or terminated (in whole or in part) or if
     contributions are completely discontinued the Accounts of all affected
     Participants will become non-forfeitable. The Employer will then arrange
     for allocation of all assets among Participants so affected by the total or
     partial termination in accordance with the requirements of all applicable
     law and the regulations and requirements of the Internal Revenue Service.
     All allocated amounts will be retained in the Plan to the credit of the
<PAGE>
 
     individual Participants until distribution as directed by the Employer.
     Distribution to Participants may be in the form of cash or other Plan
     assets or partly in each.

10.03 Exclusive Benefit

     At no time will any part of the principal or income of the Plan assets be
     used or diverted for purposes other than the exclusive benefit of
     Participants in the Plan and their Beneficiaries, nor may any portion of
     the Plan assets revert to the Employer except as provided in Sections
     7.01(e) and 8.08.

10.04 Failure to Qualify

     Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions, if this Plan, upon
     adoption by the Employer, is submitted to the Internal Revenue Service
     which then determines that the Plan as initially adopted by the Employer is
     not a qualified plan under the Code, the Employer may elect to terminate
     this Plan by giving written notice thereof. Such termination will have the
     same effect as if the Plan were never adopted, all policies and contracts
     will be cancelled, and all contributions, to the extent recoverable from
     the Trustee, will be returned to their source. If any amendment to this
     Plan is submitted to the Internal Revenue Service within the period allowed
     under Code Section 401(b) which then determines that the Plan as amended is
     not a qualified plan under the Code, the Employer may cancel or modify any
     or all provisions of the amendment retroactive to the effective date of the
     amendment in order to maintain the qualified status of the Plan, whereupon
     written notice thereof will be furnished to all affected Employees,
     Participants and Beneficiaries.

10.05 Mergers, Consolidations or Transfers of Plan Assets

     In the event this Plan is merged or consolidated with another plan which is
     qualified under Code Sections 401(a) (and 501(a) if applicable), or in the
     event of a transfer of the assets or liabilities of this Plan to another
     plan which is qualified under Code Sections 401(a) (and 501(a) if
     applicable), the benefit which each Participant would be entitled to
     receive under the successor plan or other plan if it were terminated
     immediately after the merger, consolidation or transfer will be equal to or
     greater than the benefit which the Participant would have received
     immediately before the merger, consolidation or transfer if this Plan had
     then terminated.

     Any transfer of assets and/or liabilities to (or from) this Plan from (or
     to) another plan qualified under Code Sections 401(a) (and 501(a) if
     applicable) will be evidenced by a Written Resolution by the Plan Sponsor
     of each affected plan which specifically authorizes such transfer of assets
     and/or liabilities.

10.06 Effect of Plan Amendment on Vesting Schedule

     No amendment to the Vesting Schedule will deprive a Participant of his
     nonforfeitable right to his Vested Accrued Benefit as of the date of the
     amendment. Further, if the Vesting Schedule of the Plan is amended, or if
     the Plan is amended in any way that directly or indirectly affects the
     computation of a Participant's non-forfeitable percentage, each Participant
     with at least 3 Years of Vesting Service as of the last day of the election
     period described below may elect, within a reasonable period after the
     adoption of the amendment, to have his Vested Percentage computed under the
     Plan without regard to such amendment. The period during which such
     election may be made will commence with the date the amendment is adopted
     and will end 60 days after the latest of:

     (a)  the date the amendment is adopted;

     (b)  the date the amendment becomes effective; or
<PAGE>
 
     (c)  the date the Participant is issued written notice of the amendment by
          the Employer.


                                  ARTICLE 11

                            TRUSTEE AND TRUST FUND

11.01  Acceptance of Trust

     The Trustee, by signing this Agreement, accepts this Trust and agrees to
     perform the duties of the Trustee in accordance with the terms and
     conditions set forth herein.

11.02  Trust Fund

     (a)  Purpose and Nature

          The Trustee will establish and maintain a Trust Fund for purposes of
          providing a means of accumulating the assets necessary to provide the
          benefits which become payable under the Plan. The Trustee will
          receive, hold and invest all contributions made by the Employer, any
          Participating Employers, and the Participants, including the
          investment earnings thereon. The Trust Fund arising from such
          contributions and earnings will consist of all assets held by the
          Trustee under the Plan and Trust. All benefits payable under the Plan
          will be paid by the Trustee from the Trust Fund.

          Any person having any claim under the Plan will look solely to the
          assets of the Trust Fund for satisfaction. In no event will the Plan
          Administrator, the Employer, any Employees, any officer of the
          Employer or any agents of the Employer or the Plan Administrator be
          liable in their individual capacities to any person whomsoever, under
          the provisions of this Plan and Trust, except as provided by law.

          The Trust Fund will be used and applied only in accordance with the
          provisions of the Plan and Trust, to provide the benefits thereof, and
          no part of the corpus or income of the Trust Fund will be used for, or
          diverted to, purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of the
          Participants or their Beneficiaries entitled to benefits under the
          Plan, except to the extent specifically provided elsewhere herein.

     (b)  Operation of the Trust Fund

          The Trust Fund will be maintained in accordance with the accounting
          requirements of the Plan. No Participant will have any right to any
          specific asset or any specific portion of the Trust Fund prior to
          distribution of benefits. Withdrawals from the Trust Fund will be made
          to provide benefits to Participants and Beneficiaries in the amounts
          specified by the Plan, and to pay expenses agreed to in writing by the
          Plan Administrator.

     (c)  Investments

          The Trustee will invest the Trust Fund in accordance with the proper
          directions of the Plan Administrator or Investment Manager. Except to
          the extent required by ERISA or otherwise provided in this Plan, the
          Trustee shall have no duty or responsibility to review, initiate
          action, or make recommendations regarding Trust assets and shall
          retain assets until directed by the Plan Administrator to dispose of
          them.

     (d)  Combined Trust Fund for Collective Investment Purposes

          If the Plan Sponsor creates or maintains one or more employee benefit
          plans qualified
<PAGE>
 
          under Code Section 401(a) in addition to this Plan, the Plan Sponsor
          may request the Trustee to hold the assets of the additional plan or
          plans in the Trust Fund. The Plan Administrator shall keep records
          showing the interest of the Plan and each additional plan in the Trust
          Fund unless the Trustee enters into an agreement with the Plan Sponsor
          to keep separate accounts for each such plan. The Plan Sponsor and the
          Plan Administrator shall not permit or cause the assets of one plan to
          be used to pay benefits or the administrative expenses of any other
          plan with assets in the Trust Fund.

11.03  Receipt of Contributions

     The Trustee will be accountable to the Employer for the funds contributed
     to it, but will have no duty to see that the contributions received comply
     with the provisions of the Plan. The Trustee will not be obligated to
     collect any contributions from the Employer or the Participants.

11.04  Powers of the Trustee

     Subject to the provisions and limitations contained elsewhere in this Plan,
     the Trustee will have full discretion and authority with regard to the
     investment of the Trust Fund. The Trustee is authorized and empowered, but
     not by way of limitation, with the following powers, rights and duties:

     (a)  To invest any part or all of the Trust Fund in any common or preferred
          stocks, open-end or closed-end mutual funds, United States retirement
          plan bonds, corporate bonds, debentures, convertible debentures,
          commercial paper, U.S. Treasury bills, book entry deposits with the
          United States Federal Reserve Bank or System, Master Notes or similar
          arrangements sponsored by the Trustee or any other financial
          institution as permitted by law, improved or unimproved real estate
          situated in the United States, mortgages, notes or other property of
          any kind, real or personal, as a prudent man would so invest under
          like circumstances with due regard for the purposes of this Plan;

     (b)  To maintain any part of the assets of the Trust Fund in cash, or in
          demand or short-term time deposits bearing a reasonable rate of
          interest (including demand or short-term time deposits of or with the
          Trustee), or in a short-term investment fund or in other cash
          equivalents having ready marketability, including, but not limited to,
          U.S. Treasury Bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit
          (including such certificates of deposit of or with the Trustee), and
          similar types of short-term securities, as may be deemed necessary by
          the Trustee in its sole discretion;

     (c)  To manage, sell, contract to sell, grant options to purchase, convey,
          exchange, transfer, abandon, improve, repair, insure, lease for any
          term even though commencing in the future or extending beyond the term
          of the Trust, and otherwise deal with all property, real or personal,
          in such manner, for such considerations and on such terms and
          conditions as the Trustee will decide;

     (d)  To credit and distribute the Trust as directed by the Plan
          Administrator or any agent of the Plan Administrator. The Trustee will
          not be obliged to inquire as to whether any payee or distributee is
          entitled to any payment or whether the distribution is proper or
          within the terms of the Plan, or as to the manner of making any
          payment or distribution. The Trustee will be accountable only to the
          Plan Administrator for any payment or distribution made by it in good
          faith on the order or direction of the Plan Administrator or any agent
          of the Plan Administrator;

     (e)  To borrow money, assume indebtedness, extend mortgages and encumber by
          mortgage or pledge;
<PAGE>
 
     (f)  To compromise, contest, arbitrate, or abandon claims and demands, in
          its discretion;

     (g)  To have with respect to the Trust all of the rights of an individual
          owner, including the power to give proxies, to participate in any
          voting trusts, mergers, consolidations or liquidations, and to
          exercise or sell stock subscriptions or conversion rights;

     (h)  To hold any securities or other property in the name of the Trustee or
          its nominee, or in another form as it may deem best, with or without
          disclosing the trust relationship;

     (i)  To perform any and all other acts in its judgment necessary or
          appropriate for the proper and advantageous management, investment and
          distribution of the Trust;

     (j)  To retain any funds or property subject to any dispute without
          liability for the payment of interest, and to decline to make payment
          or delivery of the funds or property until final adjudication is made
          by a court of competent jurisdiction;

     (k)  To file all tax forms or returns required of the Trustee;

     (l)  To begin, maintain or defend any litigation necessary in connection
          with the administration of the Plan, except that the Trustee will not
          be obligated to or required to do so unless indemnified to its
          satisfaction; and

     (m)  To keep any or all of the Trust property at any place or places within
          the United States or abroad, or with a depository or custodian at such
          place or places; provided, however, that the Trustee may not maintain
          the indicia of ownership of any assets of the Plan outside the
          jurisdiction of the District Courts of the United States, except as
          may be expressly authorized in U.S. Treasury or U.S. Department of
          Labor regulations.

11.05  Investment in Common or Collective Trust Funds

     Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11.04, the Plan Sponsor
     specifically authorizes the Trustee to invest all or any portion of the
     assets comprising the Trust Fund in any common or collective trust fund
     which at the time of the investment provides for the pooling of the assets
     of plans qualified under Code Section 401(a). The authorization applies
     only if such common or collective trust fund: (a) is exempt from taxation
     under Code Section 584 or 501(a); (b) if exempt under Code Section 501(a),
     expressly limits participation to pension and profit sharing trusts which
     are exempt under Code Section 501(a) by reason of qualifying under Code
     Section 401(a); (c) prohibits that part of its corpus or income which
     equitably belongs to any participating trust from being used for or
     diverted to any purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of the
     Employees or their Beneficiaries who are entitled to benefits under such
     participating trust; (d) prohibits assignment by participating trust of any
     part of its equity or interest in the group trust; and (e) the sponsor of
     the group trust created or organized the group trust in the United States
     and maintains the group trust at all times as a domestic trust in the
     United States. The provisions of the common or collective trust fund
     agreement, as amended by the Trustee from time to time, are by this
     reference incorporated within this Plan and Trust. The provisions of the
     common or collective trust fund will govern any investment of Plan assets
     in that fund. This provision constitutes the express permission required by
     Section 408(b)(8) of ERISA.

11.06  Investment in Insurance Company Contracts

     The Trustee may invest any portion of the Trust Fund in a deposit
     administration, guaranteed investment or similar type of investment
     contract (hereinafter referred to as Contract); provided, however, that no
     such Contract may provide for an optional form of benefit which
<PAGE>
 
     would not be provided for under the provisions hereof. The Trustee will be
     the complete and absolute owner of Contracts held in the Trust Fund.

     The Trustee may convert from one form to another any Contract held in the
     Trust Fund; designate any mode of settlement; sell or assign any Contract
     held in the Trust Fund; surrender for cash any Contract held in the Trust
     Fund; agree with the insurance company issuing any Contract to any release,
     reduction, modification or amendment thereof; and, without limitation of
     any of the foregoing, exercise any and all of the rights, options and
     privileges that belong to the absolute owner of any Contract held in the
     Trust Fund that are granted by the terms of any such Contract or by the
     terms of this Agreement.

     The Trustee will hold in the Trust Fund the proceeds of any sale,
     assignment or surrender of any Contract held in the Trust Fund and any and
     all dividends and other payments of any kind received in respect to any
     Contract held in the Trust Fund.

     No insurance company which may issue any Contract based upon the
     application of the Trustee will be responsible for the validity of this
     Plan, be required to look into the terms of this Plan, be required to
     question any act of the Plan Administrator or the Trustee hereunder or be
     required to verify that any action of the Trustee is authorized by this
     Plan. If a conflict should arise between the terms of the Plan and any such
     Contract, the terms of the Plan will govern.

11.07  Fees and Expenses from Fund

     The Trustee will be entitled to receive reasonable annual compensation as
     may be mutually agreed upon from time to time between the Plan Sponsor and
     the Trustee. The Trustee will pay all expenses reasonably incurred by it in
     its administration and investment of the Trust Fund from the Trust Fund
     unless the Plan Sponsor pays the expenses. No person who is receiving full
     pay from the Plan Sponsor will receive compensation for services as
     Trustee.

11.08  Records and Accounting

     The Trustee will keep full and complete records of the administration of
     the Trust Fund which the Employer and the Plan Administrator may examine at
     any reasonable time. As soon as practical after the end of each Plan Year
     and at such other reasonable times as the Employer may direct, the Trustee
     will prepare and deliver to the Employer and the Plan Administrator an
     accounting of the administration of the Trust, including a report on the
     fair market value of all assets of the Trust Fund.

11.09  Distribution Directions

     If no one claims a payment or distribution made from the Trust, the Trustee
     will notify the Plan Administrator and will dispose of the payment in
     accordance with the subsequent direction of the Plan Administrator.

11.10  Third Party

     No person dealing with the Trustee will be obliged to see to the proper
     application of any money paid or property delivered to the Trustee, or to
     inquire whether the Trustee has acted pursuant to any of the terms of the
     Plan. Each person dealing with the Trustee may act upon any notice, request
     or representation in writing by the Trustee, or by the Trustee's duly
     authorized agent, and will not be liable to any person whomsoever in so
     doing. The certification of the Trustee that it is acting in accordance
     with the Plan will be conclusive in favor of any person relying on the
     certification.

11.11  Professional Agents, Affiliates and Arbitration
<PAGE>
 
     (a)  Professional Agents

          The Trustee may employ and pay from the Trust Fund reasonable
          compensation to agents, attorneys, accountants and other persons to
          advise the Trustee as in its opinion may be necessary. The Trustee may
          delegate to any agent, attorney, accountant or other person selected
          by it any non-Trustee power or duty vested in it by the Plan; the
          Trustee may act or refrain from acting on the advice or opinion of any
          agent, attorney, accountant or other person so selected.

     (b)  Use of Affiliates

          (1)  Charles Schwab Trust Company (CSTC) is authorized to contract or
               make other arrangements with The Charles Schwab Corporation,
               Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., their affiliates and subsidiaries,
               successors and assigns (collectively referred to as Schwab), and
               any other organizations affiliated with or subsidiaries of CSTC
               or related entities, for the provision of services to the Trust
               Fund or Plan, except where such arrangements are prohibited by
               law or regulation. As used below, authorized person means any
               person whose authorization is required pursuant to the provision
               of any prohibited transaction exemption otherwise applicable.

          (2)  CSTC is authorized to place securities orders, settle securities
               trades, hold securities in custody and other related activities
               on behalf of the Trust Fund through or by Schwab whenever
               possible unless the authorized person specifically instructs the
               use of another Broker. Trades and related activities conducted
               through the Broker will be subject to fees and commissions
               established by the Broker, which may be paid from the Trust Fund
               or netted from the proceeds of trades.

          (3)  Trades will not be executed through Schwab unless the Plan
               Administrator and the authorized person have received disclosure
               concerning the relationship of Schwab to CSTC, and the fees and
               commissions which may be paid to Schwab, CSTC and any affiliate
               or subsidiary of any of them as a result of using Schwab to
               execute trades or for other services.

          (4)  CSTC is authorized to disclose such information as is necessary
               to the operation and administration of the Trust Fund to Schwab
               and to such other persons or organizations that CSTC determines
               have a legitimate business purpose for obtaining such
               information.

          (5)  At the direction of the authorized person, CSTC may purchase
               shares of regulated investment companies (or other investment
               vehicles) advised by Schwab or CSTC ("Schwab Funds"), except to
               the extent that such investment is prohibited by law or
               regulation. Schwab Fund shares may not be purchased for or held
               by the Trust Fund unless the Plan Administrator has received
               disclosure concerning the relationship of Schwab or CSTC to the
               Schwab Funds, and any fees which may be paid to such entities.

          (6)  To the extent permitted under applicable laws, CSTC may invest in
               deposits, long and short term debt instruments, stocks and other
               securities, including those of CSTC or Schwab.

          (7)  CSTC and Schwab are authorized to tape record conversations
               between CSTC or Schwab and persons acting on behalf of the Plan
               or a Participant in order to verify data on transactions.

     (c)  Arbitration
<PAGE>
 

          Any dispute between the Employer and the Trustee under this agreement
          will be resolved by submission of the issue to a member of the
          American Arbitration Association who is chosen by the Employer and the
          Trustee. If the Employer and the Trustee cannot agree on such a
          choice, each will nominate a member of the American Arbitration
          Association, and the two nominees will then select an arbitrator.
          Expenses of the arbitration will be paid as decided by the arbitrator.

11.12  Valuation of Trust

     The Trustee will value the Trust Fund as of the last day of each Plan Year
     to determine the fair market value of the Trust, and the Trustee will value
     the Trust Fund on such other date(s) as may be necessary to carry out the
     provisions of the Plan.

11.13  Liability of Trustee

     The Trustee will be liable only for the safeguarding and administration of
     the assets of this Trust Fund in accordance with the provisions hereof and
     any amendments hereto and no other duties or responsibilities will be
     implied. The Trustee will not be required to pay any interest on funds paid
     to or deposited with it or to its credit under the provisions of this
     Trust, unless pursuant to a written agreement between the Employer and the
     Trustee. The Trustee will not be responsible for the adequacy of the Trust
     Fund to meet and discharge any liabilities under the Plan and will not be
     required to make any payment of any nature except from funds actually
     received as Trustee. The Trustee may consult with legal counsel (who may be
     legal counsel for the Employer) selected by the Trustee and will be fully
     protected for any action taken, suffered or omitted in good faith in
     accordance with the opinion of said legal counsel. It will not be the duty
     of the Trustee to determine the identity or mailing address of any
     Participant or any other person entitled to benefits hereunder, such
     identity and mailing addresses to be furnished by the Employer, the Plan
     Administrator or an agent of the Plan Administrator. The Trustee will be
     under no liability in making payments in accordance with the terms of this
     Plan and the certification of the Plan Administrator or an agent of the
     Plan Administrator who has been granted such powers by the Plan
     Administrator.

     Except to the extent required by any applicable law, no bond or other
     security for the faithful performance of duty hereunder will be required of
     the Trustee.

11.14  Removal or Resignation and Successor Trustee

     A Trustee may resign at any time upon giving 30 days prior written notice
     to the Plan Sponsor or, with the consent of the Plan Sponsor, a Trustee may
     resign with less than 30 days prior written notice.

     The Plan Sponsor may remove a Trustee by giving at least 30 days prior
     written notice to the Trustee.

     Upon the removal or resignation of a Trustee, the Plan Sponsor will appoint
     and designate a successor Trustee which will be one or more individual
     successor Trustees or a corporate Trustee organized under the laws of the
     United States or of any state thereof with authority to accept and execute
     trusts. Any successor Trustee must accept and acknowledge in writing its
     appointment as a successor Trustee before it can act in such capacity.

     Title to all property and records or true copies of such records necessary
     to the current operation of the Trust Fund held by the Trustee hereunder
     will vest in any successor Trustee acting pursuant to the provisions
     hereof, without the execution or filing of any further instrument. Any
     resigning or removed Trustee will execute all instruments and do all acts
     necessary to vest such title in any successor Trustee of record. Each
     successor Trustee will have, exercise and enjoy all the powers, both
     discretionary and ministerial, herein conferred
<PAGE>
 

     upon his predecessor. No successor Trustee will be obligated to examine the
     accounts, records and acts of any previous Trustee or Trustees, and each
     successor Trustee in no way or manner will be responsible for any action or
     omission to act on the part of any previous Trustee.

     Any corporation which results from any merger, consolidation or purchase to
     which the Trustee may be a party, or which succeeds to the trust business
     of the Trustee, or to which substantially all the trust assets of the
     Trustee may be transferred, will be the successor to the Trustee hereunder
     without any further act or formality with like effect as if the successor
     Trustee had originally been named Trustee herein; and in any such event it
     will not be necessary for the Trustee or any successor Trustee to give
     notice thereof to any person, and any requirement, statutory or otherwise,
     that notice will be given is hereby waived.

11.15  Appointment of Investment Manager

     One or more Investment Managers may be appointed by the Plan Sponsor (or
     the Plan Administrator) to exercise full investment management authority
     with respect to all or a portion of the Trust assets. Authorized payment of
     the fees and expenses of the Investment Manager(s) may be made from the
     Trust assets. For purposes of this agreement, any Investment Manager so
     appointed will, during the period of his appointment, possess fully and
     absolutely those powers, rights and duties of the Trustee (to the extent
     delegated by the Plan Sponsor or the Plan Administrator) with respect to
     the investment or reinvestment of that portion of the Trust assets over
     which the Investment Manager has investment management authority. The
     Investment Manager must be one of the following:

          (a)  Registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisors
               Act of 1940;

          (b)  A bank, as defined in the Investment Advisors Act of 1940; or

          (c)  An insurance company qualified to manage, acquire, or dispose of
               such Plan assets under the laws of more than one state.

     Any Investment Manager will acknowledge in writing to the Plan Sponsor or
     the Plan Administrator and to the Trustee that he or it is a fiduciary with
     respect to the Plan. During any period of time when the Investment Manager
     is so appointed and serving, and with respect to those assets in the Plan
     over which the Investment Manager exercises investment management
     authority, the Trustee's responsibility will be limited to holding such
     assets as a custodian, providing accounting services, disbursing benefits
     as authorized, and executing such investment instructions only as directed
     by the Investment Manager. The Trustee will not be responsible for any acts
     or omissions of the Investment Manager. Any certificates or other
     instruments duly signed by the Investment Manager (or the authorized
     representative of the Investment Manager), purporting to evidence any
     instruction, direction or order of the Investment Manager with respect to
     the investment of those assets of the Plan over which the Investment
     Manager has investment management authority, will be accepted by the
     Trustee as conclusive proof thereof. The Trustee will also be fully
     protected in acting in good faith upon any notice, instruction, direction,
     order, certificate, opinion, letter, telegram or other document believed by
     the Trustee to be genuine and from the Investment Manager (or the
     authorized representative of the Investment Manager). The Trustee will not
     be liable for any action taken or omitted by the Investment Manager or for
     any mistakes of judgment or other action made, taken or omitted by the
     Trustee in good faith upon direction of the Investment Manager.

11.16  Loans to Participants

     The Plan Administrator may authorize the Trustee to lend on a
     nondiscriminatory basis to a
<PAGE>
 

     Participant an amount from the Plan as specified herein; provided, a
     reasonable rate of interest will be charged on the loan, the loan will be
     secured by 50% of the Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit in the Plan, and
     provision for repayment will be made. All loans will be subject to the
     approval of the Plan Administrator which will investigate each application
     for a loan. The Plan Administrator will prescribe such rules as may be
     necessary to provide guidelines as to under which circumstances and for
     what purpose loans will be permitted.

     The Plan Administrator will prescribe guidelines as to which Account or
     Accounts loans may be made from. Each loan made to a Participant will be
     made from the Participant's allowable Account or Accounts. All interest and
     principal repayments will be credited to the Participant's Account from
     which the loan was made.

     In addition to any additional rules and regulations as the Plan
     Administrator may adopt all loans will comply with the following terms and
     conditions:

          (a)  Only Active and Inactive Participants will be eligible to apply
               for a loan. Each application for a loan will be made in writing
               to the Plan Administrator, whose action thereon will be final.

          (b)  Each loan will be made against collateral being the assignment of
               50% of the borrower's entire right, title and interest in and to
               the Trust Fund, supported by the borrower's promissory note for
               the amount of the loan, including interest payable to the order
               to the Trustee, and any additional security deemed necessary to
               adequately secure the Loan. If a person fails to make a required
               payment within 90 days of the due date set forth in the loan
               agreement, the loan will be in default. There will be no
               foreclosure against a Participant's Accrued Benefit prior to his
               becoming entitled to a distribution of benefits in accordance
               with the terms of this Plan. All loans will become due and
               payable in full upon the termination of a Participant's
               employment. If a Participant with an outstanding loan terminates
               employment and becomes entitled to a distribution of benefits
               from the Plan, then the outstanding balance of the unpaid loan
               plus any accrued interest thereon will be deducted from the
               amount of otherwise distributable benefits and the Participant's
               promissory note will be distributed to the Participant.

          (c)  The principal repayment will be amortized over the fixed life of
               a loan with installments of principal and interest to be paid not
               less often than quarterly. The period of repayment for each loan
               will be arrived at by mutual agreement between the Plan
               Administrator and the borrower, but in no event will such period
               exceed a reasonable period of time. The period of repayment will
               in no event exceed 5 years unless the loan is to be used to
               acquire, construct, reconstruct or substantially rehabilitate any
               dwelling unit which, within a reasonable period of time, is to be
               used as a principal residence of the Participant.

          (d)  The minimum amount of any loan is equal to $1,000.

          (e)  The maximum amount of any loan is such that when the amount of
               the loan is added to the outstanding balance of all other loans
               made to the Participant from the Plan (and any other plans
               maintained by the Employer or any Related Employer) the total
               does not exceed the lesser of:

               (1)  50% of the Participant's Vested Accrued Benefit; or

               (2)  $50,000, reduced by the amount, if any, of the highest
                    balance of all outstanding loans to the Participant during
                    the one-year period ending on the day prior to the
<PAGE>
 

                    day on which the loan in question is made.

          (f)  Each loan will bear interest at a rate equal to the prime rate
               which is published in the Wall Street Journal as being
               representative of the base rate on corporate loans at large U.S.
               money center commercial banks on the first day of the month in
               which the loan is made, plus 1 percentage point.

          (g)  A Participant may have no more than three loans outstanding at
               any time.

          (h)  Each loan will require the Participant to consent to the loan and
               the possible reduction in the Participant's Accrued Benefit. Such
               consent must be made in writing within the 90-day period before
               the making of the loan.

          (i)  No loan will be permitted to a Participant in a year in which he
               is either an Owner-Employee or Shareholder-Employee as defined in
               Code Section 4975(d).

                                  ARTICLE 12

                     PROVISIONS RELATING TO EMPLOYER STOCK

12.01  Type of Employer Stock

     The Trustee will, to the extent directed by the Plan Administrator, invest
     Employer Matching Contributions in Common Stock of Security Capital
     Atlantic Incorporated (Employer Stock).

     If authorized by the Plan Administrator, the Trustee will, to the extent
     practical based on the Participant's election, invest that portion of the
     Trust fund subject to Participant direction in Employer Stock.

     Employer Stock includes treasury stock which has been purchased by the
     Employer.

12.02  Voting Rights

     (a)  In General

          Voting rights with respect to shares of Employer Stock held in the
          Trust Fund shall be voted by the Trustee in such manner as may be
          determined by the respective Participants, with respect to all matters
          requiring shareholder approval.

          With respect to shares of Employer Stock in the Trust Fund which are
          allocated to Participants who fail to give directions to the Trustee
          or which are held in a loan suspense account or forfeiture suspense
          account, such shares shall be voted by the Trustee based on the voting
          directions of those Participants who issued directions with respect to
          Employer Stock allocated to their Accounts. Persons for whom no
          directions were received shall be disregarded for this purpose. The
          number of non-voted shares to be voted in a particular manner shall be
          determined by multiplying the total number of such shares by a
          fraction, the numerator of which is the number of allocated shares
          directed to be voted in such manner, and the denominator of which is
          the total number of allocated shares directed to be voted in any
          manner with respect to the matter at issue. For shares of Employer
          Stock held in a loan suspense account or a forfeiture suspense
          account, the Plan Administrator shall, in its absolute and sole
          discretion then and then
<PAGE>
 

          alone, either (i) select an independent fiduciary to vote all such
          shares of Employer Stock in its sole discretion or (ii) vote all of
          such shares of Employer Stock. For purposes of this Section,
          Participants who direct the vote of Employer Stock allocated to their
          Accounts shall be considered named fiduciaries of the Plan within the
          meaning of ERISA Section 403(a)(1).

          The Plan Administrator may establish such rules and guidelines as it
          deems necessary to properly effect the provisions of this section.

     (b)  Tender Offers

          The Employer has the right to direct the Trustee with respect to the
          manner in which to respond to a tender or exchange offer with respect
          to shares of Employer Stock held in the Plan.

          If the Employer elects not to direct the Trustee, each Participant,
          or, in the event of his death, his Beneficiary, shall have the right,
          to the extent of the number of full shares of Employer Stock in his
          account, to direct the Trustee in writing as to the manner in which to
          respond to a tender or exchange offer with respect to shares of such
          Employer Stock.

          The Employer shall utilize its best efforts to timely distribute or
          cause to be distributed to each Participant (or Beneficiary) such
          information as will be distributed to shareholders of the Employer in
          connection with any such tender or exchange offer.

          The Trustee shall, with respect to Employer Stock held in the Trust
          Fund, accept or reject the terms of any tender offer and, accordingly,
          tender Employer Stock held by the Trustee in the Trust Fund in
          accordance with the terms and provisions of any tender offer, or not
          tender such Employer Stock, as directed by the Employer or by
          respective Participants (or Beneficiaries). If Participants fail or
          refuse to direct the Plan as to the manner in which to vote such
          shares, or if shares are held in a forfeiture suspense account, the
          Plan Administrator shall, in its sole and absolute discretion then and
          then alone, either (i) select an independent fiduciary to vote or
          tender all such shares of Employer Stock in its sole discretion or
          (ii) vote or tender all such shares of Employer Stock. For purposes of
          this Section, Participants who direct the vote or tender of Employer
          Stock allocated to their Accounts shall be considered named
          fiduciaries of the Plan within the meaning of ERISA Section 401(a)(1).

          The Plan Administrator may establish such rules and guidelines as it
          deems appropriate to properly effect the provisions of this Section.
<PAGE>
 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this instrument has been executed by the duly
authorized and empowered officers of the Employer, this ____ day of
_____________________, 19_____.


                                       Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated


                                       By:
                                           ----------------------------------


     The Trustee agrees to serve as Trustee under the terms of this instrument.


                                       The Charles Schwab Trust Company


                                       By:
                                           ----------------------------------

<PAGE>
 
                                                                       EXHIBIT 5



                                January 6, 1998



Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated
Six Piedmont Center
Atlanta, Georgia 30305

          Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8
               401(k) Savings Plan and Trust

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          We have acted as counsel to Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated, a
Maryland corporation ("ATLANTIC" or the "Company"), in connection with the
proceedings (the "Company Proceedings") taken and to be taken relating to the
registration by the Company of an aggregate of 115,000 of its common shares, par
value $.01 per share (the "Common Shares"), with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the Company's 401(k) Savings Plan and
Trust ("Plan").  We have also participated in the preparation and filing with
the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of a registration
statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the Common
Shares.

          As counsel to ATLANTIC, we have examined originals or copies certified
to our satisfaction of the Company's Second Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation, as amended, and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, resolution of
the Board of Directors and such other Company records, instruments, certificates
and documents and such questions of law as we considered necessary or
appropriate to enable us to express this opinion.  As to certain facts material
to our opinion, we have relied, to the extent we deem such reliance proper, upon
certificates of public officials and officers of ATLANTIC.  In rendering this
opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of
all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic
original documents of photostatic copies.

          Based upon and subject to the foregoing and to the assumptions,
limitations and conditions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that, upon
completion of the Company Proceedings, the Common Shares will have been validly
issued and delivered in accordance with the Company Proceedings and the Plan,
the Common Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

          We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement.

                                           Very truly yours,



                                           MAYER, BROWN & PLATT

<PAGE>
 
                                                                      Exhibit 15

December 23, 1997

Board of Directors and Shareholders
Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated

          We are aware of the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated
401(k) Savings Plan and Trust of our reports dated April 24, 1997, except for
Note 6, as to which the date is May 1, 1997, July 22, 1997, except for Notes 5
and 6 as to which the date is August 5, 1997 and November 7, 1997, relating to
the unaudited condensed interim financial statements of Security Capital
Atlantic Incorporated that are included in its Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended
March 31, 1997, June 30, 1997 and September 30, 1997.

          Pursuant to Rule 436(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, our reports are
not a part of the registration statement prepared or certified by accountants
within the meaning of Section 7 or 11 of the Securities Act of 1933.



                                              ERNST & YOUNG LLP

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    Exhibit 23.2

                        CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

          We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Security Capital Atlantic Incorporated
401(k) Savings Plan and Trust of our report dated February 3, 1997, with respect
to the financial statements at December 31, 1996 and 1995 and for each of the
three years in the period ended December 31, 1996 and schedule of Security
Capital Atlantic Incorporated included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the
year ended December 31, 1996, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



                                             ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Dallas, Texas
December 23, 1997


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