8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 3, 2021

BUSINESS FIRST BANCSHARES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(225) 248-7600

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ☐

On November 3, 2021, b1BANK issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, regarding the appointment of Ms. Strong as General Counsel for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (“Business First”) and b1BANK.

The information contained herein and the exhibit attached herewith shall be deemed furnished and not filed.

(d) Exhibits

99.1     Press Release of b1BANK, dated November 3, 2021, announcing Saundra Strong as General Counsel of Business First and b1BANK.

104      Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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.

Date: November 3, 2021

ex_302104.htm

Exhibit 99.1

b1BANK Names Saundra Strong as General Counsel

Baton Rouge, La. – Jude Melville, president and CEO of b1BANK, announced Saundra Strong as General Counsel for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFST) (Business First) and b1BANK. Strong will be the first in-house general counsel for the bank. She has over seventeen years of legal experience, most recently serving as senior vice president, assistant general counsel at BancorpSouth Bank (BancorpSouth), where she also assisted in creating their in-house legal department.

“As we’ve expanded our footprint across three states and multiple lines of business, we have established relationships with many good lawyers and firms that have provided us with invaluable legal advice.  Adding a general counsel to our team will help us oversee our diverse range of legal and regulatory activities and better manage these important partnerships,” said Melville. “I’m confident Saundra’s extensive experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, labor and employment laws, and the legal requirements of publicly traded companies will serve our bank well as we continue to grow its impact across the region.”

During Strong’s seven years at BancorpSouth, she managed and oversaw the bank’s Affirmative Action and Diversity and Inclusion Plan, conducted SOX-Whistleblower investigations, and oversaw various internal legal and regulatory matters. Prior to joining BancorpSouth in 2014, Saundra was an associate at Phelps Dunbar LLP.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to build the in-house legal department of b1BANK,” said Strong. “My previous experience working with internal and external legal partners will help me as we build a department that will benefit the bank in both legal and regulatory matters today and as we continue to grow.”

Strong holds a Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, Jackson Young Lawyers Association, Capital Area Human Resources Association, and Capital Area Bar Association.

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

Business First Bancshares, Inc., (Nasdaq: BFST) through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, has $4.4 billion in assets, $4.7 billion in assets under management through b1BANK’s affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (excludes $1.0 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates Banking Centers and Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and the Dallas, Texas area, providing commercial and personal banking products and services. Commercial banking services include commercial loans and letters of credit, working capital lines and equipment financing, and treasury management services. b1BANK was awarded #1 Best-In-State Bank, Louisiana, by Forbes and Statista, and is a three-time recipient of Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge.” Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release may not be based on historical facts and may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to future period(s) or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foresee,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “could” or “intend,” future or conditional verb tenses, and variations or negatives of such terms.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release.