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): May 5, 2020
Commission File Number 1-15202
W. R. BERKLEY CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware | | 22-1867895 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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475 Steamboat Road | | Greenwich | | Connecticut | | 06830 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | | | | | | (Zip Code) |
(203) 629-3000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
None
Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report.
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):
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Each Class | | Trading Symbol | | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Common Stock, par value $.20 per share | | WRB | | New York Stock Exchange |
5.625% Subordinated Debentures due 2053 | | WRB-PB | | New York Stock Exchange |
5.90% Subordinated Debentures due 2056 | | WRB-PC | | New York Stock Exchange |
5.75% Subordinated Debentures due 2056 | | WRB-PD | | New York Stock Exchange |
5.70% Subordinated Debentures due 2058 | | WRB-PE | | New York Stock Exchange |
5.10% Subordinated Debentures due 2059 | | WRB-PF | | New York Stock Exchange |
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. ☐
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| | W. R. Berkley Corporation | | 2 |
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On May 5, 2020, W. R. Berkley Corporation (the “Company”) agreed to sell $300 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.00% Senior Notes due 2050 (the “Notes”). The Notes were offered pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement dated May 5, 2020 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the Prospectus dated November 14, 2017, filed as part of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-221559) that became effective when filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2017. The offering is expected to close on May 12, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.
On May 5, 2020, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with BofA Securities, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as underwriters, with respect to the offer and sale of the Notes. A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is attached as Exhibit 1.1 hereto.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
The exhibit to this report is incorporated by reference into Registration Statement (No. 333-221559) filed by the Company.
(d) Exhibits
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| | 1.1 | | | Underwriting Agreement, dated as of May 5, 2020, between the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as underwriters. |
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| | 104 | | | The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL. |
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.
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W. R. BERKLEY CORPORATION |
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By: | | /s/ Richard M. Baio |
Name: | | Richard M. Baio |
Title: | | Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
Date: May 6, 2020
