First Foundation Inc. Announces Board Changes and New CFO

TL;DR

Board shakeup at First Foundation: DePillo out, Anderson takes Chairman role, DiMaria is new CFO.

AI Summary

On October 20, 2025, First Foundation Inc. filed an 8-K report detailing the departure of Director David DePillo and the appointment of new directors, including J. Scott Anderson and David L. Nelson. The filing also announced the election of J. Scott Anderson as Chairman of the Board and the appointment of Paul D. DiMaria as Chief Financial Officer.

Why It Matters

This filing indicates significant leadership transitions within First Foundation Inc., which could impact the company's strategic direction and financial management.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level: medium — Changes in key leadership positions like directors and CFO can introduce uncertainty and signal potential strategic shifts, warranting closer monitoring.

Key Players & Entities

• First Foundation Inc. (company) — Registrant
• David DePillo (person) — Departing Director
• J. Scott Anderson (person) — Appointed Director and Chairman of the Board
• David L. Nelson (person) — Appointed Director
• Paul D. DiMaria (person) — Appointed Chief Financial Officer
• October 20, 2025 (date) — Date of earliest event reported

FAQ

Key Financial Figures

• $400,000 — t will receive an annual base salary of $400,000, subject to increase at the discretion
• $100,000 — He will also receive a signing bonus of $100,000, which will be subject to recoupment on
• $450,000 — n will receive an annual base salary of $450,000, subject to increase at the discretion

Filing Documents

• tm2529011d1_8k.htm (8-K) — 37KB
• tm2529011d1_ex10-1.htm (EX-10.1) — 94KB
• tm2529011d1_ex10-2.htm (EX-10.2) — 93KB
• tm2529011d1_ex99-1.htm (EX-99.1) — 6KB
• 0001104659-25-101261.txt ( ) — 449KB
• ffwm-20251020.xsd (EX-101.SCH) — 3KB
• ffwm-20251020_lab.xml (EX-101.LAB) — 33KB
• ffwm-20251020_pre.xml (EX-101.PRE) — 22KB
• tm2529011d1_8k_htm.xml (XML) — 4KB

(a) of Regulation S-K

Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Employment Agreement of Stuart Bernstein As previously reported, the Bank appointed Stuart Bernstein as Chief Banking Officer, effective August 11, 2025. On October 21, 2025, the Bank entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Bernstein, with an initial term ending on December 31, 2027 (the "Bernstein Employment Agreement"). Pursuant to the Bernstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Bernstein will receive an annual base salary of $450,000, subject to increase at the discretion of the Board of Directors or its Compensation Committee, and may also receive a bonus of up to 100% of his annual base salary at the Bank's sole discretion. Mr. Bernstein will be able to participate in the other benefit programs of the Bank available to executive employees generally. If Mr. Bernstein's employment is terminated without cause or Mr. Bernstein terminates his employment for good reason (in each case, as defined in the Bernstein Employment Agreement), then he will be entitled to a lump sum payment equal to the lesser of (i) 12 months of his annual base salary and (ii) the aggregate base salary that would have been paid to him for the remainder of the term of the Bernstein Employment Agreement if such remaining term is shorter than 12 months. In the event of termination of Mr. Bernstein's employment due to his death, his beneficiaries will be paid an amount equal to 100% of his base annual salary at the rate in effect immediately prior to his death. If Mr. Bernstein's employment is terminated for cause or due to the expiration of the term of the Bernstein Employment Agreement, he will not be entitled to any severance compensation. -2- The foregoing descriptions of the Medhat Employment Agreement and the Bernstein Employment Agreement are not intended to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to such agreements, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

01 Regulation FD Disclosure

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure. On October 20, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Medhat as Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. The information in this Item 7.01 and Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration forth by specific reference in such filing.

01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits. Exhibit No. Description 10.1 Employment Agreement, dated October 21, 2025, by and between First Foundation Bank and Parham Medhat. 10.2 Employment Agreement, dated October 21, 2025, by and between First Foundation Bank and Stuart Bernstein. 10.3 Form of Director and Officer Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 17, 2025). 99.1 Press Release, dated October 20, 2025 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) -3-

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. FIRST FOUNDATION INC. Date: October 21 , 2025 By: /s/ JAMES BRITTON James Britton Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer -4-

View Full Filing

View this 8-K filing on SEC EDGAR