425 1 ny20000977x6_425.htm 425
Filed by Umpqua Holdings Corporation
pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Subject Company:  Umpqua Holdings Corporation
Commission File No.:  001-34624
Date:  October 12, 2021

The following banner was posted on the website of Umpqua Holdings Corporation on October 12, 2021.


Exciting News! Umpqua Bank and Columbia Bank: Together for Better

Umpqua and Columbia Bank are combining to create the West Coast’s leading regional bank to better serve our customers and communities. Learn more


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
This communication may contain certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, certain plans, expectations, goals, projections, and statements about the benefits of the proposed transaction, the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (“Umpqua”) and Columbia Banking System, Inc. (“Columbia”), the expected timing of completion of the transaction, and other statements that are not historical facts.  Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties.  Statements that do not describe historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “target,” “goal,” or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “would,” “could,” or similar variations.  The forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, below are certain factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in the forward-looking statements:  changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions; the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and financial market conditions and our business, results of operations, and financial condition; uncertainty in U.S. fiscal and monetary policy, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board or the effects of any declines in housing and commercial real estate prices, high unemployment rates, or any slowdown in economic growth particularly in the western United States; volatility and disruptions in global capital and credit markets; movements in interest rates; reform of LIBOR; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success, impact, and timing of our business strategies, including market acceptance of any new products or services and our ability to successfully implement efficiency and operational excellence initiatives; the nature, extent, timing, and results of governmental actions, examinations, reviews, reforms, regulations, and interpretations; changes in laws or regulations; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement between Umpqua and Columbia; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Umpqua or Columbia; delays in completing the transaction; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the transaction); the failure to obtain shareholder approvals or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the transaction on a timely basis or at all; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where Umpqua and Columbia do business; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; the ability to complete the transaction and integration of Umpqua and Columbia successfully; the dilution caused by Columbia’s issuance of additional shares of its capital stock in connection with the transaction; and other factors that may affect the future results of Umpqua and Columbia.  Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Umpqua’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available on Umpqua’s investor relations website, www.umpquabank.com, under the heading “Financials,” and in other documents Umpqua files with the SEC, and in Columbia’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, which are on file with the SEC and available on Columbia’s website, www.columbiabank.com, under the heading “Financial Information” and in other documents Columbia files with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based on information available at that time.  Neither Umpqua nor Columbia assumes any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by federal securities laws.  As forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, caution should be exercised against placing undue reliance on such statements.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
 
In connection with the proposed transaction (the “Transaction”), Columbia will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will include a Joint Proxy Statement of Umpqua and Columbia and a Prospectus of Columbia, as well as other relevant documents concerning the Transaction.  The proposed transaction involving Umpqua and Columbia will be submitted to Columbia’s shareholders and Umpqua’s shareholders for their consideration.  This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.  INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE TRANSACTION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.  Shareholders will be able to obtain a free copy of the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Umpqua and Columbia, without charge, at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.  Copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference in the joint proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Umpqua Holdings Corporation, Attention: Andrew Ognall, One SW Columbia Street, Suite 1200, Portland, OR  97204, 503-727-4100 or to Columbia Banking System, Inc., Investor Relations,       P. O. Box 2156, MS 3100, Tacoma, WA 98401-2156, 253-471-4065.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION
 
Umpqua, Columbia, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Umpqua and Columbia in connection with the Transaction under the rules of the SEC.  Information regarding Umpqua’s directors and executive officers is available in its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 5, 2021, and other documents filed by Umpqua with the SEC.  Information regarding Columbia’s directors and executive officers is available in its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 12, 2021, and other documents filed by Columbia with the SEC.  Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Transaction.  Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.