Beacon Financial (NYSE: BHLB) moves audit to KPMG after Brookline deal

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Beacon Financial Corporation, formerly Berkshire Hills Bancorp, reported that its audit committee dismissed Crowe LLP as its independent registered public accounting firm and appointed KPMG LLP following the completion of its previously announced merger of equals with Brookline Bancorp. The merger, completed on September 1, 2025, is accounted for as a reverse acquisition, with Beacon as the legal acquirer and Brookline as the accounting acquirer. Crowe’s audit reports on Beacon’s 2023 and 2024 financial statements contained no adverse opinions, disclaimers, or qualified modifications, and there were no disagreements or reportable events with Crowe through September 8, 2025. The company states it did not consult with KPMG on accounting or reporting matters during 2023, 2024, or through September 8, 2025 before this appointment.

8-K Event Classification

2 items: 4.01, 9.01

2 items

Item 4.01 Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant Governance

The company changed its independent auditing firm, which may involve disagreements on accounting matters.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Understanding 8-K Material Events →

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UNITED STATES 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Washington, D.C. 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): September 8, 2025

BEACON FINANCIAL CORPORATION 

(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-15781	04-3510455
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

131 Clarendon Street
Boston, Massachusetts	02116
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(617) 425-4600 

(Registrant’s telephone number)

(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 (See General Instruction A.2. below):

¨	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-4c)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value		BBT		New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 4.01 Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant

Dismissal of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

On September 1, 2025, Beacon Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation previously known as “Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.” (the “Company”), completed its previously announced merger of equals transaction with Brookline Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Brookline”), pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 16, 2024, by and among the Company, Commerce Acquisition Sub, Inc. and Brookline. On September 1, 2025, Commerce Acquisition Sub, Inc. merged with and into Brookline (the “Merger”), immediately followed by the merger of Brookline with and into the Company (the “Holdco Merger” and together with the Merger, the “Transaction”), with the Company as the resulting corporation. The Transaction was treated as a reverse acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting, with the Company treated as the legal acquirer and Brookline treated as the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes.

As a result of the Transaction, on September 8, 2025, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved (i) the dismissal of Crowe LLP (“Crowe”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and (ii) the appointment of KPMG LLP (“KPMG”), Brookline’s former independent registered public accounting firm, as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

The audit reports of Crowe on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 (“Fiscal 2024”) and December 31, 2023 (“Fiscal 2023”) did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, or were qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles. During Fiscal 2023 and Fiscal 2024, and subsequently through September 8, 2025, there were: (i) no disagreements on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreement, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Crowe, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with Crowe’s report; and (ii) no reportable events within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

The Company has provided a copy of the foregoing disclosures to Crowe and has requested that Crowe furnish a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether or not it agrees with the statements included in the immediately preceding paragraph. A copy of Crowe’s letter, dated September 10, 2025, is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

As noted above, on September 8, 2025, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company appointed KPMG as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

During Fiscal 2023 and Fiscal 2024, and through September 8, 2025, neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has consulted with KPMG regarding (i) application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements, and neither a written report nor oral advise was provided to the Company that KPMG concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; (ii) any matter that was the subject of a disagreement within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions; or (iii) any reportable event within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits.

16.1		Letter from Crowe LLP dated September 10, 2025*
104.1		Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL)

* Filed herewith

SIGNATURES

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.

		BEACON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
DATE: September 10, 2025	By:	/s/ Wm. Gordon Prescott
		Wm. Gordon Prescott
		General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

FAQ

Why did Beacon Financial Corporation (BHLB) change its independent auditor?

Beacon Financial Corporation changed its independent registered public accounting firm as a result of completing its previously announced merger of equals with Brookline Bancorp. After the transaction, the audit committee dismissed Crowe LLP and appointed KPMG LLP, which had been Brookline’s former independent registered public accounting firm.

Were there any disagreements between Beacon Financial Corporation (BHLB) and Crowe LLP?

The company reports that during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024, and through September 8, 2025, there were no disagreements with Crowe LLP on accounting principles, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, and no reportable events within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

What did Crowe LLP’s audit reports say about Beacon Financial Corporation’s 2023 and 2024 financial statements?

Crowe LLP’s audit reports on Beacon Financial Corporation’s consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.

Who is Beacon Financial Corporation’s new independent registered public accounting firm?

On September 8, 2025, the audit committee of Beacon Financial Corporation’s board of directors appointed KPMG LLP as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

Did Beacon Financial Corporation consult KPMG LLP on accounting matters before the appointment?

The company states that during fiscal 2023 and 2024 and through September 8, 2025, neither it nor anyone acting on its behalf consulted KPMG LLP on the application of accounting principles to specific transactions, the type of audit opinion that might be rendered, any disagreements, or any reportable events as defined in Regulation S-K.

How is the merger between Beacon Financial Corporation and Brookline Bancorp structured for accounting purposes?

The transaction is treated as a reverse acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting, with Beacon Financial Corporation as the legal acquirer and Brookline Bancorp as the accounting acquirer for financial reporting purposes.