# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001413837
**File Stem:** 0000921895-23-000663
**Filing Date:** 2023-3
**Character Count:** 5975
**Document Hash:** 4887005b43865f7a0ed2ca2b80a7fda0
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0000921895-23-000663.hdr.sgml**: 20230308

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0000921895-23-000663

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: DFAN14A

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 2

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230308

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230308

**SUBJECT COMPANY**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** First Foundation Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001413837
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** STATE COMMERCIAL BANKS [6022]
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** CA
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** DFAN14A
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 001-36461
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23715561

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 18101 VON KARMAN AVE
- **STREET 2:** SUITE 700
- **CITY:** IRVINE
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 92612
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 949-222-2030

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 18101 VON KARMAN AVE
- **STREET 2:** SUITE 700
- **CITY:** IRVINE
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 92612

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** KELLER FINANCIAL GROUP
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20071001
**FILED BY**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Driver Management Co LLC
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001756372
- **IRS NUMBER:** 831994022
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** DFAN14A

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 250 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 7TH FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10177
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 212-572-4811

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 250 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 7TH FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10177

**UNITED STATES**

**SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION**

**Washington, D.C. 20549**

**SCHEDULE 14A**

(Rule 14a-101)

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.)

Filed by the Registrant ☐

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☒

Check the appropriate box:

☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement

☐ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

☐ Definitive Proxy Statement

☐ Definitive Additional Materials

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;☒ Soliciting Material Under § 240.14a-12

---

| |
|:---|
| FIRST FOUNDATION INC. |
| (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) |
| DRIVER MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC<br> DRIVER OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS I LP<br> J. ABBOTT R. COOPER<br> ALLISON BALL |
| (Name of Persons(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) |

---

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;☒ No fee required

☐ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials

☐ Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11

Driver Management Company LLC ("Driver Management"), together with the other participants named herein (collectively, "Driver"), has filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission to be used to solicit votes for the election of its highly-qualified director nominee at the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") of First Foundation, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company").

On March 7, 2023, Driver Opportunity Partners I LP filed a complaint (the "Complaint") in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against the Company and the Company's board of directors. A copy of the Complaint is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

**CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS**

Driver Management Company LLC, together with the other participants named herein (collectively, "Driver"), has filed a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to be used to solicit votes for the election of its highly-qualified director nominee at the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders of First Foundation Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company").

DRIVER STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT <u>HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV</u>. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE, WHEN AVAILABLE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR.

The participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be Driver Management Company LLC ("Driver Management"), Driver Opportunity Partners I LP ("Driver Opportunity"), J. Abbott R. Cooper, and Allison Ball.

As of the date hereof, the participants in the proxy solicitation beneficially own in the aggregate 327,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock"). As of the date hereof, Driver Opportunity directly beneficially owns 106,000 shares of Common Stock, including 1,000 shares held in record name. Driver Management, as the general partner of Driver Opportunity and investment manager to certain separately managed accounts (the "SMAs"), may be deemed to beneficially own the (i) 106,000 shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by Driver Opportunity and (ii) 221,000 shares of Common Stock held in the SMAs. Mr. Cooper, as the managing member of Driver Management, may be deemed to beneficially own the (i) 106,000 shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by Driver Opportunity and (ii) 221,000 shares of Common Stock held in the SMAs. As of the date hereof, Ms. Ball does not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company.

### Attached PDF Documents

**Attachment 1:** `ex991dfan14a12447008_030823.pdf`

_No text found in this document._