Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-11-06
Form Type: 424B3
Source: 0001193125-25-268801
Chunk: 21

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-11-06
Form: 424B3
Chunk 21
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 an opinion of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP, and First Savings must have                                                                                           
 received an opinion of Luse Gorman, PC, that for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Merger will be treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; |

| • |     | the Registration Statement on Form S-4, of which this proxy statement and                                                                                                                                                                    
 prospectus is a part, relating to the First Merchants shares to be issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, must have become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and no stop order suspending the 
 effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued or threatened by the SEC;                                                                                                                                                 |

| • |     | the shares of First Merchants common stock to be issued in the Merger shall have been listed for trading on the 
 Nasdaq Global Select Market (subject to official notice of issuance);                                           |

| • |     | there must be no order, decree, or injunction of a court or agency of competent jurisdiction which enjoins or 
 prohibits the consummation of the Merger or the Bank Merger; and                                              |

10

| • |     | other customary conditions and obligations of the parties set forth in the Merger Agreement, including among    
 other things, delivery by each party of an officers’ certificate in support of certain of the conditions above. |

Regulatory Approvals (page 60) The Merger cannot be completed until (i) First Merchants Bank receives the necessary approvals of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (the “Indiana DFI”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), and (ii) First Merchants receives the necessary approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) under the Bank Holding Company Act. The initial submission of the applications to the Indiana DFI and the FDIC occurred on or about October 3, 2025. There can be no assurances as to when or if such approvals will be obtained. The Federal Reserve has the discretion to waive its application requirement under the Bank Holding Company Act. If not waived, an application or notification and opportunity for public comment will be required. First Merchants has requested that the Federal Reserve waive its application requirement, but the Federal Reserve has not yet determined whether or not it will waive. Conduct of Business Pending Merger (page 69) Under the terms of the Merger Agreement,