**Berkshire Hills Bancorp Announces Plans to Merge with Brookline Bancorp****

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Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) has entered into a significant Agreement and Plan of Merger with Brookline Bancorp, Inc. on December 16, 2024. This agreement outlines a strategic merger plan aimed at enhancing the overall positioning and scale of both entities. The merger involves a series of transactions, including the merging of Brookline with Berkshire and subsequent mergers of their subsidiaries.

The key highlights of this merger agreement include:

**Merger Consideration:**
Under the terms of the agreement, each share of Brookline Common Stock will be converted into 0.42 shares of Berkshire Common Stock. Additionally, fractional shares will be settled in cash.

**Treatment of Equity Awards:**
Equity awards of both Berkshire and Brookline will be affected, ensuring that outstanding stock awards and options align with the merger ratios and conditions.

**Assumption of Debt:**
Berkshire will undertake the outstanding debt obligations of Brookline as part of finalizing the merger.

**Board and Executive Leadership:**
Post-merger, the board of directors and executive leadership of both companies will experience changes to accommodate the combined entity’s governance requirements.

**Additional Terms and Conditions:**
The merger agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and conditions to complete the merger successfully. These include regulatory approvals, shareholder votes, and listing authorizations.

The proposed transaction aims to create a robust banking entity with combined assets of $24 billion and 148 branch locations, significantly increasing both scale and operational efficiency. The merger is anticipated to close in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

The strategic merger promises enhanced market presence, operational strengths, and a shared commitment to community-focused banking. Both Berkshire and Brookline express strong confidence in the benefits and synergies that this merger will bring to their respective stakeholders.

Investors and stakeholders are encouraged to closely monitor future filings and disclosures for more insights into the progress and execution of this transformative merger between Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Brookline Bancorp.

This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Berkshire Hills Bancorp’s 8K filing here.

About Berkshire Hills Bancorp

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Berkshire Bank that provides various banking products and services in the United States. The company provides various deposit accounts, including demand deposit, interest-bearing checking, regular savings, money market savings, time certificates of deposit, and retirement deposit accounts.