SEC Form S-8 filed by First Bancshares Inc.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 12, 2024

File No. 333-________

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

THE FIRST BANCSHARES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

The First Bancshares, Inc. 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended

(Full title of the plan)

Donna T. (Dee Dee) Lowery

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

The First Bancshares, Inc.

6480 U.S. Highway 98 West

Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39402

Tel: (601) 268-8998

(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With a copy of all communications to:

Mark C. Kanaly

Alston & Bird LLP

One Atlantic Center

1201 W Peachtree St NE #4900

Atlanta, GA 30309

Tel: (404) 881-7000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.   ¨

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The First Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company” or the “Registrant”) has filed this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register (i) an additional 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (“Common Stock”), that may be issued under The First Bancshares, Inc. 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Plan”); and (ii) such additional shares that may become issuable in accordance with the adjustment and anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Items 1 and 2. Plan Information; Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

(a)        The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to participants in the Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the instructions of Part I of Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of Form S-8, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

(b)        Upon written or oral request, we will provide, without charge, the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement. The documents are incorporated by reference in the Section 10(a) prospectus. We will also provide, without charge, upon written or oral request, other documents required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b). Requests for the above-mentioned information should be directed to the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the address and telephone number on the cover of this Registration Statement.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this Registration Statement information we file with the SEC in other documents. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to another document we have filed with the SEC. The information relating to us contained in this Registration Statement should be read together with the information in the documents incorporated by reference.

We incorporate by reference, as of their respective dates of filing, the documents listed below (excluding any portions of such documents that have been “furnished” but not “filed” for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)):

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purpose of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated herein by reference modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such information so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Section 79-4-8.50 through 79-4-8.59 of the Mississippi Business Corporation Act (“MBCA”) provide the Company with broad powers and authority to indemnify its directors and officers and to purchase and maintain insurance for such purposes and mandate the indemnification of the Company’s directors under certain circumstances. The Company’s Bylaws also provide it with the power and authority, to the fullest extent legally permissible under the MBCA, to indemnify its directors and officers, persons serving at the request of the Company or for its benefit as directors or officers of another corporation, and persons serving as the Company’s representatives or agents in certain circumstances.

Under its Bylaws, the Company shall indemnify any person who becomes subject to a lawsuit or proceeding by reason of service as a director of the Company or any other corporation which the person served as a director at the request of the Company. Except as noted in the next paragraph, such persons are entitled to be indemnified against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, and reasonable expenses actually incurred in connection with the proceeding, provided the indemnified person acted in a manner he believed in good faith to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and in the case of any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such conduct was unlawful.

To the extent the Company has funds reasonably available to be used for this purpose, indemnified persons are entitled to have the Company advance expenses incurred prior to final disposition of the proceeding, upon delivery of (1) a written affirmation by such person of his good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met, and (2) a written undertaking to repay the amounts advanced if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct has not been met. The board of directors shall then make a determination that the facts then known would not preclude indemnification under the MBCA. Pursuant to such authority and the provisions of the Company’s Bylaws, the Company has purchased insurance against certain liabilities that may be incurred by it and its officers and directors.

Under the Bylaws, indemnification may not be authorized if it is established that the person appropriated, in violation of his or her duties, any business opportunity of the Company, engaged in acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, approved dividends or other distributions in violation of the MBCA, or engaged in any transaction in which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

In addition to the Bylaws of the Company, the MBCA requires that a corporation indemnify a director who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she was a party because he or she is or was a director of the corporation against reasonable expenses incurred by him or her in connection with the proceeding. The MBCA also provides that, upon application of a director, a court may order indemnification if it determines that the director is entitled to such indemnification under the applicable standard of the MBCA.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the Articles or Bylaws, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed. 

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

* Filed herewith.

Item 9. Undertakings.

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if this Registration Statement is on Form S-8, and information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement;

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, 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 Hattiesburg, State of Mississippi, on August 12, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the individuals whose signatures appear below constitute and appoint M. Ray (Hoppy) Cole, Jr. and Donna T. (Dee Dee) Lowery, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full and several power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including pre-effective and post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and several power of authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that said attorney-in-fact and agent or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement and Power of Attorney have been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on August 12, 2024.