Seidman Lawrence B Form 4 Bankwell Financial / LAWRENCE B SEIDMAN ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

SEIDMAN LAWRENCE B

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

258 ELM STREET

(Street)

NEW CANAAN CT 06840

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. [ BWFG ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/14/2023

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	12/14/2023		P		532	A	$29.05	9,345	D
Common Stock								1,600	D(1)
Common Stock								1,200	D(2)
Common Stock								1,000	D(3)
Common Stock								173,910	I	By Seidman and Associates, L.L.C.
Common Stock								125,516	I	By Seidman Investment Partnership, L.P.
Common Stock								135,206	I	By Seidman Investment Partnership II, L.P.
Common Stock								30,761	I	By Seidman Investment Partnership III, L.P.
Common Stock								102,111	I	By LSBK06-08, L.L.C.
Common Stock								124,141	I	By Broad Park Investors, L.L.C.
Common Stock								19,023	I	By Chewy Gooey Cookies, L.P.

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. 1,600 shares of restricted stock granted on December 31, 2022, pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan and will vest in four equal annual installments of 25%, with the first installment to vest on January 2, 2024 and an additional 25% to vest on each annual anniversary of the vesting date thereafter.

2. 1,600 shares of restricted stock granted on December 31, 2021, pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan and will vest in four equal annual installments of 25%, with the first installment vesting on January 2, 2023 and an additional 25% to vest on each annual anniversary of the vesting date thereafter. As of the transaction date, 400 shares have vested.

3. 2,000 shares of restricted stock granted on December 8, 2020, pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan and will vest in four equal annual installments of 25%, with the first installment vesting on January 2, 2022 and an additional 25% to vest on each annual anniversary of the vesting date thereafter. As of the transaction date, 1,000 shares have vested.

Remarks:

	/s/ Courtney E. Sacchetti, Attorney-in-Fact for Lawrence B. Seidman	12/15/2023
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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