Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-11-06
Form Type: 424B3
Source: 0001193125-25-268801
Chunk: 204

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-11-06
Form: 424B3
Chunk 204
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 . First Merchants and First Savings shall each pay their own expenses incidental to the transactions contemplated hereby.
It is understood that the fees of the investment bankers for the First Savings Fairness Opinion desired hereunder shall be borne by the engaging party whether or not the Merger is consummated. This provision shall survive the Effective Time or the
earlier termination of this Agreement.

13.10 .

(a) The parties intend that the Merger qualify as a nontaxable reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) and
related sections of the Code and that this Agreement constitute a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Section 1.368-2(g) of the income tax regulations promulgated under the Code.
From and after the date of this Agreement and until the Effective Time, each of First Savings and First Merchants shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Merger to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of
Section 368(a) of the Code, and will not knowingly take any action, cause any action to be taken, fail to take any action or cause any action to fail to be taken which action or failure to act could prevent the Merger from qualifying as a
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Following the Effective Time, neither First Merchants nor any affiliate of First Merchants shall knowingly take any action, cause any action to be taken, fail to take any action,
or cause any action to fail to be taken, which action or failure to act could prevent the Merger from qualifying as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

(b) As of the date hereof, First Savings does not know of any reason: (i) why it would not be able to deliver to counsel
to First Savings and counsel to First Merchants, at the date of the legal opinions referred to in Sections 9.2(a) and 9.3(a), certificates substantially in compliance with IRS published advance ruling guidelines, with reasonable or customary
exceptions and modifications thereto (the “IRS Guidelines”), to enable counsel to First Merchants and counsel to First Savings to deliver the legal opinions contemplated bySections 9.2(a) and 9.3(a), and First Savings
hereby agrees to deliver such certificates effective as of the date of such opinions; or (ii) why counsel to First Savings would not be able to deliver the opinion required by Section 9.2(a). First Savings