This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed in connection with the completion (the “Closing”) on August 31, 2025 (the “Closing Date”) of the previously announced redomicile of SouthState Corporation, a South Carolina corporation (“Old SSB”), to the state of Florida, through the merger of Old SSB with and into SouthState Bank Corporation, a Florida corporation wholly owned by Old SSB prior to such merger (“New SSB”), pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 19, 2025 (the “Agreement”), by and between Old SSB and New SSB. The redomicile from South Carolina to Florida pursuant to the terms of the Agreement was approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of more than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Old SSB’s common stock, par value $2.50 per share (the “Old SSB Common Stock”), entitled to vote on the matter at Old SSB’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 23, 2025.
Pursuant to the Agreement, at 11:59pm ET on August 31, 2025 (the “Effective Time”), (i) each outstanding share of Old SSB Common Stock, was automatically converted into one outstanding share of New SSB common stock, par value $2.50 per share (“New SSB Common Stock”), with no further action required on the part of Old SSB’s shareholders, and (ii) each option, warrant, equity or equity-based award and other security or instrument of Old SSB granting the holder thereof the right to acquire Old SSB Common Stock (or other securities of Old SSB) outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “SSB Securities”) was automatically converted into a corresponding option, warrant, equity or equity-based award and other security or instrument of New SSB granting the holder thereof the right to acquire an equivalent number of shares of New SSB Common Stock (or other securities of New SSB) as the number of shares of Old SSB Common Stock underlying such Old SSB Securities. Following the Effective Date, the New SSB Common Stock continues to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol “SSB”.
Pursuant to the Agreement, the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of SouthState Bank Corporation, in each case, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, survived as the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, respectively, of SouthState Bank Corporation following the Effective Time. As a result of the redomicile, as of the Effective Time, the determination of the rights of Old SSB’s shareholders ceased to be governed by the South Carolina Business Corporation Act (the “SCBCA”) and began to be governed by the Florida Business Corporation Act (the “FBCA”). The key differences between the SCBCA and the FBCA were previously set forth by Old SSB in its Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2025.
The foregoing description of the redomicile, including the Agreement and the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of SouthState Bank Corporation, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Agreement and the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of SouthState Bank Corporation, as applicable, copies of which are filed hereto as Exhibit 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
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ITEM 1.01 | | | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
The information set forth in Item 2.03 with respect to SSB’s Indebtedness (as defined in Item 2.03) is incorporated herein by reference.
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ITEM 2.01 | | | Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. |
The information set forth in the Introduction is incorporated herein by reference.
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ITEM 2.03 | | | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. |
By operation of law, in connection with the redomicile, New SSB assumed all the rights and obligations outstanding under the Company’s senior revolving credit facility with U.S. Bank (the “U.S. Bank Facility”). Further, at the Effective Time, New SSB assumed Old SSB’s obligations in accordance with Old SSB’s underlying indentures and certain related agreements with respect to Old SSB’s outstanding trust preferred securities (the “Trust Preferred Securities”), which have an aggregate principal amount of $175.887 million. As of the Effective Time, New SSB also assumed all of the Company’s obligations with respect to (i) $350 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.00% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated debt due 2035 (the “2035 Notes”), (ii) $130 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% fixed-to-floating rate junior subordinated notes due 2030 (the “4.00% 2030 Notes”), and (iii) $175.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.375% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated debentures due August 15, 2034 (items (i) through (iii) being referred to collectively as the “Subordinated Notes” and together with the Trust Preferred Securities, the “Company’s Indebtedness”).