Sec Form 13D Filing - NORCROSS GEORGE E III @ REPUBLIC FIRST BANCORP INC

Sec Form 13D Filing - NORCROSS GEORGE E III filing for REPUBLIC FIRST BANCORP INC (FRBKQ) - 2023-04-25

Insider filing report for Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Schedule 13G & 13D forms are used to report a party's ownership of stock which exceeds 5% of a company's total stock issue.
Schedule 13G is a shorter version of Schedule 13D with fewer reporting requirements.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Schedule 13D/A

(Rule 13d-101)

Information to be Included in Statements Filed Pursuant to § 240.13d-1(a) and Amendments Thereto Filed

Pursuant to § 240.13d-2(a)

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 30)*

Republic First Bancorp, Inc.

(Name of Issuer)

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

760416107

(CUSIP Number)

George E. Norcross, III

218 Royal Palm Way, Suite 300

Palm Beach, Florida 33480

(561) 500-4600

With a Copy to:

H. Rodgin Cohen

Mitchell S. Eitel

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

125 Broad Street

New York, NY 10004

212-558-4000

(Name, address and telephone number of person authorized to receive notices and communications)

April 25, 2023

(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box ☐

Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See § 240.13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

*	The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 2 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons George E. Norcross, III
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) PF
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America

(1)

The Reporting Person is reporting on this Schedule 13D as a member of a “group” with the other Reporting Persons. The group beneficially owns 6,311,618 shares of Common Stock owned by all of the Reporting Persons in the aggregate, representing approximately 9.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. See Item 5.

(2)

For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership percentages in this statement on Schedule 13D, the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 13, 2023 is 63,863,592, as reported by the Issuer in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2023.


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 3 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Avery Conner Capital Trust
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) AF, WC
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization Florida

(3)	4,724,662 shares of Common Stock held by the Avery Conner Capital Trust, of which Philip A. Norcross, Susan D. Hudson, Geoffrey B. Hudson and Rose M. Guida serve as Trustees and may be deemed to have shared beneficial ownership as Trustees.


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 4 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Philip A. Norcross
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) PF, OO See Item 3
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 5 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Susan D. Hudson, in her capacity as a Trustee
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) OO See Item 3
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 6 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Geoffrey B. Hudson, in his capacity as a Trustee
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) OO See Item 3
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 7 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Rose M. Guida, in her capacity as a Trustee
2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) OO See Item 3
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 8 of 10


1		Names of Reporting Persons Gregory B. Braca
0; 2		Check the Appropriate Box If a Member of a Group (See Instructions) a. ☒ b. ☐
3		SEC Use Only
4		Source of Funds (See Instructions) PF
5		Check Box If Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) ☐
6		Citizenship or Place of Organization United States of America


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 9 of 10

This Amendment No. 30 (“Amendment No. 30”) amends the statement on Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 31, 2022, as amended prior to the date of this Amendment No. 30 (the “Original Schedule 13D”) as specifically set forth herein (as so amended, the “Schedule 13D”). Except as provided herein, each Item of the Original Schedule 13D remains unchanged.

Item 4.

Purpose of the Transaction.

Item 4 of the Original Schedule 13D is hereby amended to add the following immediately prior to the last paragraph of this item:

On April 21, 2023, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (Judge Djerassi) (the “Court”) entered an Order accepting the joint Stipulation and Proposed Order (the “Joint Stipulation”) submitted by George E. Norcross, III, Gregory B. Braca and Philip A. Norcross (the “Plaintiffs”) and the Issuer, Harry Madonna, Andrew B. Cohen, Lisa Jacobs, Harris Wildstein, Peter B. Bartholow and Benjamin C. Duster, IV (the “Defendants”) in connection with the Plaintiffs’ complaint in the Court against the Defendants, initially filed on November 22, 2022, regarding, among other things, the rejection of Philip A. Norcross’s nomination of Gregory B. Braca for election to the Board at the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders (“2022 Annual Meeting”) as a Class III director. The Joint Stipulation and the Order concern only the Plaintiffs’ claims related to the proposed nomination of Mr. Braca as a director candidate. In accordance with the Joint Stipulation requested by the Plaintiffs and the Defendants, and without admissions from any party, the Order states that: (i) the Issuer shall re-set the record date for not earlier than May 15, 2023 and reopen nominations for director candidates at the 2022 Annual Meeting for a period of not less than fifteen (15) days; (ii) the Plaintiffs (like any other shareholder) may make one or more nominations of director candidate(s) for Board seats up for election at the 2022 Annual Meeting and, assuming the nominations are submitted during the reopened nomination windows by a record owner at the time of the nomination and are otherwise made in accordance with the Issuer’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Defendants shall not object to the nomination of Gregory B. Braca and/or Philip A. Norcross by the Plaintiffs; and (iii) when the 2022 Annual Meeting is rescheduled, the 2022 Annual Meeting will not be scheduled for a date less than seven weeks from the time of the rescheduling announcement, and not less than five weeks from the closing of the window within which shareh olders may nominate director candidates. The Stipulation further states that the Plaintiffs are withdrawing their Motion for Preliminary Injunction, initially filed on December 5, 2022.


CUSIP No. 760416107		SCHEDULE 13D		Page 10 of 10

SIGNATURES

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: April 25, 2023


George E. Norcross, III

By:		/s/ George E. Norcross, III

Avery Conner Capital Trust

By:		/s/ Philip A. Norcross
Name:		Philip A. Norcross
Title:		Trustee

Philip A. Norcross

By:		/s/ Philip A. Norcross

Susan D. Hudson

By:		/s/ Susan D. Hudson

Geoffrey B. Hudson

By:		/s/ Geoffrey B. Hudson

Rose M. Guida

By:		/s/ Rose M. Guida

Gregory B. Braca

By:		/s/ Gregory B. Braca

Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned By

Each

Reporting

Person

With

Sole Voting Power

674,572

Shared Voting Power

0

Sole Dispositive Power

674,572

Shared Dispositive Power

0