8-K
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
  
FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
Date of report (date of earliest event reported):
January 26, 2016
  
GERMAN AMERICAN BANCORP, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
  
Indiana
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
  
001-15877
35-1547518
(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)
711 Main Street
Box 810
Jasper, Indiana


47546
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(812) 482-1314
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
  
NOT APPLICABLE
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

  
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
  
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
  
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
  
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 8.01. Other Events.

At a special meeting held on January 26, 2016, the shareholders of River Valley Bancorp, an Indiana corporation (“River Valley”), approved the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization among River Valley, River Valley Financial Bank, an Indiana bank and a wholly-owned subsidiary of River Valley (“RVFB”), German American Bancorp, Inc., an Indiana corporation (“German American”) and German American Bancorp, an Indiana bank and a wholly-owned subsidiary of German American (“GAB”), dated October 26, 2015 (the “Merger Agreement”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, River Valley will merge with and into German American and, immediately thereafter, RVFB will merge with and into GAB.

The mergers are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2016, subject to the receipt of a regulatory waiver from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and satisfaction of customary closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This filing contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can often, but not always, be identified by the use of words like “believe”, “continue”, “pattern”, “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “expect” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will”, “would”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “can”, “may”, or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing and benefits of the merger between German American and River Valley, including future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, and accretion/dilution to reported earnings that may be realized from the merger, as well as other statements of expectations regarding the merger, and other statements of German American’s goals, intentions and expectations; statements regarding German American’s business plan and growth strategies; statements regarding the asset quality of German American’s loan and investment portfolios; and estimates of German American’s risks and future costs and benefits, whether with respect to the merger or otherwise.

These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements, including, among other things: the risk that the businesses of German American and River Valley will not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; expected revenue synergies and cost savings from the merger may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame; revenues following the merger may be lower than expected; customer and employee relationships and business operations may be disrupted by the merger; the ability to obtain required regulatory and shareholder approvals, and the ability to complete the merger on the expected timeframe; the costs and effects of litigation and the possible unexpected or adverse outcomes of such litigation; possible changes in economic and business conditions; the existence or exacerbation of general geopolitical instability and uncertainty; the ability of German American to complete integration and attract new customers; possible changes in monetary and fiscal policies, and laws and regulations; the effects of easing restrictions on participants in the financial services industry; the cost and other effects of legal and administrative cases; possible changes in the creditworthiness of customers and the possible impairment of collectability of loans; fluctuations in market rates of interest; competitive factors in the banking industry; changes in the banking legislation or regulatory requirements of federal and state agencies applicable to bank holding companies and banks like German American’s affiliate bank; continued availability of earnings and excess capital sufficient for the lawful and prudent declaration of dividends; changes in market, economic, operational, liquidity, credit and interest rate risks associated with German American’s business; and other risks and factors identified in each of German American’s and River Valley’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Neither German American nor River Valley undertakes any obligation


to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, relating to the matters discussed in this filing. In addition, German American’s and River Valley’s past results of operations do not necessarily indicate either of their anticipated future results, whether the merger is effectuated or not.



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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 
GERMAN AMERICAN BANCORP, INC.

 
By: /s/ Mark A. Schroeder
Mark A. Schroeder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
 
 

Dated: January 29, 2016