# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001505732
**File Stem:** 0001505732-26-000079
**Filing Date:** 2026-5
**Character Count:** 8415
**Document Hash:** b2de8cd288a47edcf466ce0e20416aa3
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001505732-26-000079.hdr.sgml**: 20260520

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001505732-26-000079

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 8-K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 11

**CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT**: 20260520

**ITEM INFORMATION**: Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20260520

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20260520

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001505732
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** STATE COMMERCIAL BANKS [6022]
- **ORGANIZATION NAME:** 02 Finance
- **EIN:** 208251355
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** CT
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 8-K
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 001-36448
- **FILM NUMBER:** 261002352

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 208 ELM STREET
- **CITY:** NEW CANAAN
- **STATE:** CT
- **ZIP:** 06840
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** (203) 972-3838

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 208 ELM STREET
- **CITY:** NEW CANAAN
- **STATE:** CT
- **ZIP:** 06840

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** BNC Financial Group, Inc.
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20101115

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'? bwfg-20260520

**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): May 20, 2026

**Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.**

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Connecticut 001-36448 20-8251355 <br> (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

258 Elm Street

New Canaan, Connecticut 06840

(203) 652-0166

(Address of Principal Executive Officers and Telephone Number)

N/A

(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:

☐ 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-4(c))

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

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of Each Exchange on Which<br>Registered |
| **Common Stock, no par value per**<br>**share** | **BWFG** | **NASDAQ Global Market** |

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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).

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| 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. | ☐ |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Item 5.07** | **Submission of Matter to a Vote of Security Holders** | |
|  | On May 20, 2026, Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq BWFG), (the "Company") held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting"). Of the 7,973,180 shares of the Company's common stock outstanding as of the record date for the Meeting, 6,640,905 shares were present or represented by proxy at the Meeting. | On May 20, 2026, Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq BWFG), (the "Company") held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting"). Of the 7,973,180 shares of the Company's common stock outstanding as of the record date for the Meeting, 6,640,905 shares were present or represented by proxy at the Meeting. |
|  | The voting results from the Meeting were as follows: | The voting results from the Meeting were as follows: |
| 1.Election of Directors for One-Year Terms (Proposal 1). | 1.Election of Directors for One-Year Terms (Proposal 1). |  |
| <u>Director</u> | <u>For</u> | <u>Withheld</u> |
| Eric J. Dale | 4,625,659 (89.73%) | 529,693 (10.27%) |
| Darryl M. Demos | 5,091,665 (98.76%) | 63,687 (1.24%) |
| Blake S. Drexler | 5,047,817 (97.91%) | 107,535 (2.09%) |
| Jeffery R. Dunne | 5,139,058 (99.68%) | 16,294 (0.32%) |
| Christopher R. Gruseke | 5,099,140 (98.91%) | 56,212 (1.09%) |
| Anahaita N. Kotval | 5,136,474 (99.63%) | 18,878 (0.37%) |
| Todd H. Lampert | 4,612,058 (89.46%) | 534,294 (10.54%) |
| Kevin D. Leitão | 4,632,707 (89.86%) | 522,645 (10.14%) |
| Carl M. Porto | 4,417,808 (85.69%) | 737,544 (14.31%) |
| Lawrence B. Seidman | 5,145,674 (99.81%) | 9,678 (0.19%) |
| There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. |
| 2.Approval on an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 2). | 2.Approval on an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 2). | 2.Approval on an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 2). |
| For | 4,868,485 (94.43%) |  |
| Against | 163,856 (3.18%) |  |
| Abstain | 123,011 (2.39%) |  |
| There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. |
| 3. To consider and approve an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the frequency of submission of the vote regarding the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 3). | 3. To consider and approve an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the frequency of submission of the vote regarding the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 3). | 3. To consider and approve an advisory (non-binding) proposal on the frequency of submission of the vote regarding the Company's executive compensation (Proposal 3). |
| For 1 Year | 4,515,990 (87.60%) |  |
| For 2 Year | 254 (0.00%) |  |
| For 3 Year | 502,038 (9.74%) |  |
| Abstain | 137,070 (2.66%) |  |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were 1,485,553 broker non-votes on the Proposal. |
| 4. To ratify the selection of RSM US LLP as the Company's independent registered public accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 (Proposal 4). | 4. To ratify the selection of RSM US LLP as the Company's independent registered public accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 (Proposal 4). |
| For | 6,565,637 (98.87%) |
| Against | 41,187 (0.62%) |
| Abstain | 34,081 (0.51%) |
| There were no broker non-votes on the Proposal. | There were no broker non-votes on the Proposal. |
| Accordingly, all Director nominees were elected, and the independent auditors were ratified. The advisory (non-binding) proposal on the Company's executive compensation was also approved and the shareholders approved holding the shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation annually, as recommended by the Board. | Accordingly, all Director nominees were elected, and the independent auditors were ratified. The advisory (non-binding) proposal on the Company's executive compensation was also approved and the shareholders approved holding the shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation annually, as recommended by the Board. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **SIGNATURES** | **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. | 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. |
|  | **BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.** |
|  | Registrant |
| May 20, 2026 | By: <u>/s/ Courtney E. Sacchetti</u> |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Courtney E. Sacchetti |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Executive Vice President |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and Chief Financial Officer |

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