Ameris Bancorp (Form: 8-K, Received: 03/13/2017 16:03:09)

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):

March 6, 2017

Ameris Bancorp

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Georgia	001-13901	58-1456434
(State or Other	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
Jurisdiction of		Identification No.)
Incorporation)

310 First Street, S.E., Moultrie, Georgia	31768
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(229) 890-1111

(Former Name or Former Address, 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))

Item 1.01

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

Underwriting Agreement

On March 7, 2017, Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (the “ Company ”), entered into an underwriting agreement (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”) with Stephens Inc., as representative of the several underwriters named therein (the “ Underwriters ”), relating to the offer and sale of an aggregate of $75,000,000 of the Company’s 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027 (the “ Notes ”), which closed on March 13, 2017. The Notes have been issued pursuant to a Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “ Base Indenture ”), by and between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture thereto, dated as of March 13, 2017, relating to the Notes between the Company and the Trustee (the “ Supplemental Indenture ” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “ Indenture ”).

The net proceeds of the offering to the Company were approximately $73.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses that are payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay existing indebtedness under its revolving credit agreement and for other general corporate purposes, which may include providing capital to support its growth organically or through strategic acquisitions, financing investments and capital expenditures, and for investments in its banking subsidiary, Ameris Bank, as regulatory capital.

The offer and sale of the Notes was registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-216254), which was filed on February 27, 2017 (the “ Registration Statement ”). The offer and sale of the Notes is described in the Company’s prospectus, constituting a part of the Registration Statement, as supplemented by a final prospectus supplement dated March 7, 2017.

The Underwriting Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants between the parties, including, indemnification obligations, that are customary for agreements of this nature. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Underwriting Agreement: (i) were made only for purposes of the Underwriting Agreement and as of specific dates; (ii) were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement; and (iii) are not representations of factual information to investors about the Company or its subsidiaries. The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K (the “ Report ”) and is incorporated herein by reference.

Indenture and Notes

The terms of the Notes are set forth in, and such Notes are governed by, the Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture. The Notes will mature on March 15, 2027. From and including March 13, 2017 to, but excluding, March 15, 2022, the Company will pay interest on the Notes semi-annually in arrears at a fixed annual interest rate equal to 5.75%. From and including March 15, 2022 to, but excluding, the stated maturity date or the date of earlier redemption, the interest rate will reset quarterly to an annual interest rate equal to the then-current three-month LIBOR rate plus a spread of 3.616% payable quarterly in arrears. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that three-month LIBOR is less than zero, three-month LIBOR will be deemed to be zero. Up to and including March 15, 2022, the Company will pay interest on the Notes on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on September 15, 2017. From and including June 15, 2022 through the stated maturity date or any earlier redemption date, the Company will pay interest on the Notes on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year.

The Company may, beginning with the interest payment date of March 15, 2022 and on any interest payment date thereafter, redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption. The Company may also redeem the Notes at any time, including prior to March 15, 2022, at the Company’s option, in whole but not in part, if: (i) a change or prospective change in law occurs that could prevent the Company from deducting interest payable on the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (ii) a subsequent event occurs that could preclude the Notes from being recognized as Tier 2 capital for regulatory capital purposes; or (iii) the Company is required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, in each case, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. There is no sinking fund for the benefit of the Notes, and the Notes are not convertible or exchangeable.

There is no right of acceleration of maturity of the Notes in the case of default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, the Notes or in the performance of any other obligation of the Company under the Notes or the Indenture. The Indenture provides that holders of the Notes may accelerate payment of indebtedness only upon certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency involving the Company or Ameris Bank.

The Notes are the unsecured, subordinated obligations of the Company and rank (i) junior in right of payment and upon the Company’s liquidation to any existing and all future senior indebtedness and general creditors of the Company, (ii) equal in right of payment and upon the Company’s liquidation with any of its existing and all future indebtedness of the Company the terms of which provide that such indebtedness ranks equally with the Notes and (iii) senior in right of payment and upon the Company’s liquidation to any indebtedness the terms of which provide that such indebtedness ranks junior in right of payment to note indebtedness such as the Notes. The Notes are effectively subordinated to the Company’s future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness and structurally subordinated to the existing and future indebtedness of the Company’s subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Ameris Bank’s depositors, liabilities to general creditors and liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business or otherwise.

The foregoing descriptions of the Base Indenture, the Supplemental Indenture and the Notes are not complete and are each qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the Base Indenture, the Supplemental Indenture and the form of the Note, copies of which are attached as Exhibits 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively, to this Report and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 2.03

Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

The information set forth in Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8.01

Other Events.

On March 6, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing the commencement of its offering of the Notes. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

On March 7, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of its offering of the Notes. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)

Exhibits.

	1.1	Underwriting Agreement, dated March 7, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Stephens Inc., as representative of the several underwriters named therein

	4.1	Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

	4.2	First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

	4.3	Form of 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Note due 2027 (included in Exhibit 4.2)

	5.1	Opinion of Rogers & Hardin LLP

	12.1	Statement re: Computation of Pro Forma Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

	23.1	Consent of Rogers & Hardin LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

	99.1	Press release dated March 6, 2017

	99.2	Press release dated March 7, 2017

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

	AMERIS BANCORP

	By:	/s/ Dennis J. Zember Jr.
		Dennis J. Zember Jr.
		Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 13, 2017

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.		Exhibit

1.1		Underwriting Agreement, dated March 7, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Stephens Inc., as representative of the several underwriters named therein

4.1		Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

4.2		First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017, by and between Ameris Bancorp and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

4.3		Form of 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Note due 2027 (included in Exhibit 4.2)

5.1		Opinion of Rogers & Hardin LLP

12.1		Statement re: Computation of Pro Forma Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

23.1		Consent of Rogers & Hardin LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

99.1		Press release dated March 6, 2017

99.2		Press release dated March 7, 2017

Exhibit 1.1

Ameris Bancorp

(a Georgia corporation)

$75,000,000

5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

March 7, 2017

Stephens Inc.

111 Center Street

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

as Representative of the Underwriters

named in Schedule A hereto

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (each, an “Underwriter” and, collectively, the “Underwriters”), for which Stephens Inc. is acting as representative (the “Representative”), an aggregate of $75,000,000 of the Company’s 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027 (the “Securities”). The Securities will be issued pursuant to the Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture thereto relating to the Securities, to be dated as of the Closing Time, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”).

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as it deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-216254), as defined in Rule 405 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act,” and such rules and regulations thereunder being referred to as the “1933 Act Regulations”) which includes the form of prospectus covering the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A and/or Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from the automatic shelf registration statement at the time it became effective but is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A or Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations is referred to as “Rule 430 Information.” Any prospectus that omitted, as applicable, the Rule 430 Information, that was used after such automatic shelf registration statement was filed and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” Such automatic shelf registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the exhibits and schedules thereto, if any, including Form T-1, and the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, at the time it became effective, and any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) containing Rule 430 Information, as applicable, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus, in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement and including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; and each supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is hereinafter called a “Prospectus Supplement,” and such final Prospectus Supplement as filed, along with the Base Prospectus, is herein after called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”). All references herein to any “preliminary prospectus” shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below)) and each “preliminary prospectus” included in the Registration Statement referred to above. Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that are incorporated therein by reference; and all references in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of a post-effective amendment, any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which is incorporated therein by reference, or form of prospectus.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties and Agreements .

(a) Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, as follows:

(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements . (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities, and (C) at the date hereof, the Company (i) was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”) and (ii) was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act as set forth in such form. The Registration Statement became effective automatically upon the filing thereof with the Commission under the 1933 Act on February 27, 2017. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any respective post-effective amendment thereto has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. The Registration Statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415 of the 1933 Act Regulations.

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time, the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act, and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time, included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Each preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) the Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Statutory Prospectus, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The Registration Statement relating to the Securities initially became effective within three years of the date hereof. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the Securities, any of the Securities remain unsold by any of the Underwriters, the Company will prior to that third anniversary file, if it has not already done so, a new registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after that third anniversary, and will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Securities shall include such new registration statement.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.

“Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus” means (i) the Term Sheet and (ii) any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that (A) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (B) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

“Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus.

“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the Base Prospectus and the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the offering of the Securities dated March 6, 2017, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters by the Company for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time.

“Term Sheet” means a pricing term sheet substantially in the form of Schedule C hereto.

Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any Prospectus Supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, which the parties acknowledge and agree consists only of the information contained in the first sentence under the caption “Underwriting - Price Stabilization, Short Positions” contained in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (the “Underwriter Information”).

(ii) Incorporated Documents . The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and, when read together with the other information in the General Disclosure Package, in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such incorporated documents were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(iii) Independent Accountants . Each of (A) Crowe Horwath LLP, the accounting firm that certified certain of the financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (B) Porter Keadle Moore, LLC, the accounting firm that certified certain of the financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. With respect to the Company, neither Crowe Horwath LLP nor Porter Keadle Moore LLC is or has been in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the related rules and regulations of the Commission.

(iv) Financial Statements . The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present, with respect to the financial statements, fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the books and records of the Company. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement. To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, as applicable. The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act and, during the last 12 months, has timely filed all reports required thereby. The Company meets the requirements under the 1933 Act specified in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Conduct Rule 5110(b)(7)(C)(i).

(v) Ordinary Course of Business . Except as disclosed in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since December 31, 2016, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses in all material respects in the ordinary course, consistent with prior practice, (ii) except for publicly disclosed ordinary stock dividends on the voting common stock, par value $1.00 per share (“Common Stock”) of the Company, the Company has not made or declared any distribution in cash or in kind to its shareholders, (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has issued any capital stock or securities issuable into capital stock except for securities issued pursuant to the Company’s existing shareholder approved equity incentive plans, except for publicly disclosed ordinary stock dividends on the Common Stock, (iv) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has incurred any liabilities or obligations of any nature (absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise) which are not fully reflected or reserved against in the financial statements described in Section 1(a)(iv), except for liabilities that have arisen since such date in the ordinary and usual course of business and consistent with past practice and (v) no event or events have occurred that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). As used in this paragraph, references to the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus exclude any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement.

(vi) No Material Adverse Change in Business . Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no Material Adverse Effect; (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to each of the Company and its subsidiaries, (C) except for regular dividends on the Common Stock in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock, (D) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liabilities, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that would have a Material Adverse Effect, or has entered into any transactions not in the ordinary course of business that are material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and (E) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or the Subsidiaries, or any payment of or declaration to pay any dividends or any other distribution with respect to the Company, other than cash or stock dividends in the normal course of business consistent with past practice. For purposes of this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” means any fact, change, occurrence, event or circumstance that, individually or together with any other facts, changes, occurrences, events or circumstances, has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, business prospects, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, or would prevent or impair the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(vii) Good Standing of the Company . The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(viii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries . Each significant subsidiary (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) of the Company (“Significant Subsidiary”) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, business trust, partnership or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, formation or organization, has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other business entity to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Significant Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary. Ameris Bank, a Georgia state chartered bank (the “Bank”) is the only Significant Subsidiary of the Company. A list of all subsidiaries of the Company is contained on Schedule D-1 hereto.

(ix) Capitalization . The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Prospectus). The shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

(x) Authorization of Agreement . This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(xi) Description of Securities . The Securities will conform, in all material respects, to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and the General Disclosure Package.

(xii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or any portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary. All consents, approvals, licenses, qualifications, authorizations or other orders of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental agency or body that are required for the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the issuance, sale, authentication and delivery of the Securities, have been obtained, except such consents, approvals authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the rules of Nasdaq (as defined below) or under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.

(xiii) Nasdaq Compliance . The Company is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) for continued listing of the Common Stock thereon. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of its Common Stock under the 1934 Act or the listing of its Common Stock on the Nasdaq, nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC or Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not contravene the rules and regulations of Nasdaq.

(xiv) Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xv) Absence of Proceedings . There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvi) Material Contracts . The material contracts to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company or its subsidiaries, as the case may be, and constitute the legal, valid and binding agreements of the Company or its subsidiaries, enforceable by and against it in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar laws relating to enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and general equitable principles relating to the availability of remedies, and subject to 12 U.S.C. § 1818(b)(6)(D) (or any successor statute) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the application of principles of public policy, and except as rights to indemnity or contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws and the public policy underlying such laws.

(xvii) Bank Holding Company Act . The Company has been duly registered as a bank holding company and has elected to be treated as a financial holding company under the applicable provisions of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. Each of the Company and the Bank is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws administered by and regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), and the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, as applicable (collectively, the “Bank Regulatory Authorities”). Except in respect of those matters disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject or is party to, or has received any notice or advice that any of them may become subject or party to any investigation with respect to, any corrective, suspension or cease-and-desist order, agreement, consent agreement, memorandum of understanding or other regulatory enforcement action, proceeding or order with or by, or is a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any directive by, or has been a recipient of any supervisory letter (including, without limitation, any notification from the Federal Reserve of a proposal to increase the minimum capital requirements of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, pursuant to the Federal Reserve’s authority under 12 U.S.C. 3907(a)(2)) from, or has adopted any board resolutions at the request of, any agency that currently relates to or restricts in any material respect the conduct of their business or that in any manner relates to their capital adequacy, credit policies or management (each, a “Regulatory Agreement”), nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries been advised by any agency that it is considering issuing or requesting any such Regulatory Agreement. The Bank is an insured depository institution and has received a Community Reinvestment Act rating of “Satisfactory” or better. There is no unresolved violation, criticism or exception by any agency with respect to any report or statement relating to any examinations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xviii) No Restrictions; No Transactions . Except as disclosed in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any order of the Federal Reserve (other than orders applicable to banks and their holding companies and their subsidiaries generally) or any other federal or state bank regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over any subsidiary, under any applicable law, or under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company. The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund to the fullest extent permitted by the law and the rules and regulations of the FDIC and no proceeding for the revocation or termination of such deposit insurance has been instituted or is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to a letter of intent, accepted term sheet or similar instrument or any binding agreement that contemplates an acquisition, disposition, transfer or sale of the assets (as a going concern) or capital stock of the Company or of any subsidiary or business unit or any similar business combination transaction which would be material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(xix) Accuracy of Exhibits . There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so properly described and filed as required.

(xx) Possession of Intellectual Property . The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures and excluding generally commercially available “off the shelf” software programs licensed pursuant to shrink wrap or “click and accept” licenses), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or has knowledge of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxi) Absence of Further Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of Nasdaq, the securities laws of any state or non-U.S. jurisdiction or the rules of FINRA.

(xxii) Possession of Licenses and Permits . The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure to so possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has failed to file with applicable regulatory authorities any statement, report, information or form required by any applicable law, regulation or order, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no material deficiencies have been asserted by any regulatory commission, agency or authority with respect to any such filings or submissions.

(xxiii) Title to Property . The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

(xxiv) Investment Company Act . The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xxv) Environmental Laws . Except as described in the Registration Statement and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, and (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(xxvi) Taxes . The Company and each of its subsidiaries has (A) timely filed all material foreign, federal, state and local tax returns, information returns, and similar reports that are required to be filed (taking into account valid extensions), and all such returns and reports are true, correct and complete in all material respects, (B) paid in full all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, except for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (C) established on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all taxes not yet due and payable.

(xxvii) Insurance . The Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries and the value of their properties and as are customary in the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxviii) Statistical and Market Data . The statistical and market related data contained in the Prospectus and Registration Statement are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and accurate.

(xxix) Relationship . No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus and that is not so described.

(xxx) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting . The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the 1934 Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(xxxi) Disclosure Controls and Procedures . The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the 1934 Act), which (A) are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company and its subsidiaries to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and (B) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the evaluation of the Company’s and its subsidiaries disclosure controls and procedures described above, the Company is not aware of (1) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (2) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls. Since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls.

(xxxii) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act . There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(xxxiii) Pending Procedures and Examinations . The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

(xxxiv) Unlawful Payments . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (A) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity, (B) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds, (C) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, or (D) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other payment in violation of any applicable law, rule or regulation.

(xxxv) Anti-Money Laundering Laws . Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has violated or is in violation of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of any jurisdiction, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xxxvi) OFAC . None of the Company, any subsidiary of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is (A) engaged in any services (including financial services), transfers of goods, software, or technology, or any other business activity related to (1) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or the Crimea region of Ukraine claimed by Russia (“ Sanctioned Countries ”), (2) the government of any Sanctioned Country, (3) any person, entity or organization located in, resident in, formed under the laws of, or owned or controlled by the government of, any Sanctioned Country, or (4) any person, entity or organization made subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the list of Specially Designated Nationals (“ SDN List ”) of the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“ OFAC ”), or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ”), (B) engaged in any transfers of goods, technologies or services (including financial services) that may assist the governments of Sanctioned Countries or facilitate money laundering or other activities proscribed by United States Law, or (C) is a person, entity or organization currently the subject of any Sanctions or (D) located, organized or resident in any Sanctioned Country;

(xxxvii) No Registration Rights . Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, no person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder.

(xxxviii) No Stabilization or Manipulation . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any affiliates of the Company or its subsidiaries, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

(xxxix) No Unauthorized Use of Prospectus . The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (A) the Closing Time and (B) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by the Representative.

(xl) Forward-Looking Statements . No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(xli) Fees . Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder’s fee or any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(xlii) ERISA . The Company and each of the subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of the subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates would have any liability; the Company and each of the subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively the “Code”); and each “employee benefit plan” for which the Company and each of its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing as occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 400(b) of ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.

(xliii) Derivative Instruments . Any and all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than stock options issued to the Company’s employees, directors, agents or consultants) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance, in all material respects, with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed by the Company to be financially responsible at the time. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and there are no breaches, violations or defaults or allegations or assertions of such by any party thereunder which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xliv) Off-Balance Sheet Transactions . There is no transaction, arrangement or other relationship between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off-balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not so disclosed or that otherwise would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xlv) Indenture . The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will constitute a valid, legal and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity). The Indenture has been, and at the Closing Time will be, duly qualified under the 1939 Act. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, at Closing Time, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in the manner provided for in the Indenture and issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor as provided for in this Agreement, will constitute valid, legal and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); the Securities will be in the form contemplated by, and will be entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture.

(xlvi) Cuba . The Company has complied with, and is in compliance with, the provisions of that certain Florida act relating to disclosure of doing business with Cuba, codified as Section 517.075 of the Florida statutes, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or is exempt therefrom.

(b) Representations and Warranties Related to the Bank. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, as follows:

(i) The Bank is duly chartered and is validly existing as a Georgia state-chartered bank and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has been duly qualified as a foreign bank for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified, except where such failure would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, business prospects, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Bank. The Bank is the only Significant Subsidiary and does not itself have any subsidiaries other than those contained in Schedule D-2.

(ii) Neither the Bank nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its articles of incorporation or bylaws (or other organization documents), (B) in violation of any law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Bank, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, or (C) in default in the performance of any obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness or in any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Bank or its subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound, except where any such default, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, business prospects, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Bank.

(iii) The Bank has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Bank is the only depository institution subsidiary of the Company and the activities of the Bank and its subsidiaries are permitted under the laws and regulations of the State of Georgia and the FDIC and the deposit accounts in the Bank are insured up to the applicable limits by the FDIC and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Bank.

(c) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

(a) Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, the respective principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite its name in Schedule A at a purchase price equal to 98.5% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued interest, if any, from March 13, 2017 to the Closing Time.

(b) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at the offices of Covington & Burling LLP, One CityCenter, 850 Tenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof, or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Notes”) to the nominee of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through the facilities of DTC for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. The Company will cause the Global Notes to be made available for checking at least twenty-four hours prior to the Closing Time with respect thereto.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A or Rule 430B, as applicable, and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any Prospectus Supplement or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statement. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to each Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of the Base Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to each Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities ending no later than nine months from the date hereto (the “Delivery Period”), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or (iii) if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative written notice of such event or condition, (B) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) of this Agreement, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement declared effective by the Commission as soon as possible, and (C) the Company will furnish to each Underwriter such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as such Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representative and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for the Delivery Period; provided, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for the Delivery Period. The Company will also supply the Underwriters with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdiction as such Underwriter may request.

(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

(j) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus . The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

(k) DTC . The Company will cooperate with the Representative and use its best efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC, if required.

(l) Term Sheet . The Company will prepare the Term Sheet, containing solely a description of the final terms of the Securities and the offering thereof, and after affording the Representative the opportunity to comment thereon, file the Term Sheet with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such Rule.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses .

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of one or more global notes representing the Securities to the Underwriters, including any transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto and the fees and expenses of making the Securities eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC, if required, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any costs associated with electronic delivery of these materials), (vii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, and (ix) the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with determining the compliance of the terms of the sale of the Securities with the rules and regulations of FINRA.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations . The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof and in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, shall have become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters, no notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. Each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus containing the Rule 430 Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and Rule 433, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the 1933 Act Regulations (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A or Rule 430B).

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Rogers & Hardin LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Covington & Burling LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, or the General Disclosure Package, as of the execution of this Agreement or the Applicable Time, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) and 1(b) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, (iv) none of the situations set forth in Section 5(k) shall have occurred, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission.

(e) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received from each of (i) Crowe Horwath LLP, with respect to the Company, and (ii) Porter Keadle Moore, LLC, with respect to the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time the Representative shall have received from each of (i) Crowe Horwath LLP, with respect to the Company and (B) Porter Keadle Moore, LLC, with respect to the Company, a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.

(g) Certificate of Chief Financial Officer. At the time of the execution of this Agreement and at the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance, reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(h) Listing. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on Nasdaq, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from Nasdaq, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(i) No Objection. FINRA shall have raised no objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(j) Delivery of Prospectus. The Company shall have complied with the provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement.

(k) No Important Changes . Since the execution of this Agreement, (i) in the judgment of the Representative, since the respective date hereof or the respective dates of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect, and (ii) there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any debt securities or preferred securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(l) No Termination Event. On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

(m) Additional Documents. At Closing Time counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.

(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification .

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act) (“Affiliates”), its selling agents, directors, officers and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) below:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430 Information, if applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally, and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 7. Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and each Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discount received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 7 to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and such Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery . All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (i) investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, or by or on behalf of the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement .

(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect; (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or Nasdaq, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear Systems in Europe, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by federal, New York or Georgia authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at Stephens Inc., 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, Attention: Bill Keisler (fax no. 501.377.2677), with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Covington & Burling LLP, One CityCenter, 850 Tenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, Attention: Michael P. Reed (fax no. 202.778.5988) and Christopher J. DeCresce (fax no. 646.441.9017). Notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 10 First St., S.E., Moultrie, Georgia 31768, Attention: Edwin W. Hortman, Jr. (fax. no. 904.292.3732), with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Rogers & Hardin LLP, 2700 International Tower, 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Attention: Jody L. Spencer (fax. no. 404.230.0972).

SECTION 11. Parties . This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or entity. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 12. No Fiduciaries . The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or its shareholders, creditors, employees or any other third party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed, and will not assume, an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has an obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) each Underwriter and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) no Underwriter has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD FOR ITS CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 14. General Provisions . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile or other electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original signature pages to this Agreement for all purposes. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

	Very truly yours,

	AMERIS BANCORP

	/s/ Edwin W. Hortman, Jr.
	By: Edwin W. Hortman, Jr.
	Name: President and Chief Executive Officer

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:

STEPHENS Inc.
For itself and as Representative of the
other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto

/s/ A. Davidson Hall
By: A. Davidson Hall
Name: Managing Director

SCHEDULE A

Name of Underwriters	Aggregate Dollar Amount of Securities to be Purchased

Stephens Inc.	$	67,500,000

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.	$	7,500,000

Total	$	75,000,000

Schedule A- 1

SCHEDULE B

Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus

1. Investor Presentation dated March 6, 2017

2. Term Sheet dated March 7, 2017

Schedule B- 1

SCHEDULE C

Term Sheet

See attached.

Schedule C- 1

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

Supplementing the Preliminary Prospectus Dated March 6, 2017

Registration No. 333-216254

March 7, 2017

Term Sheet

$75,000,000

5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due March 2027

This term sheet relates only to the securities described below and supplements and should be read together with the preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2017 and the accompanying prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) relating to those securities. Capitalized terms used in this term sheet but not defined have the meanings given to them in such preliminary prospectus supplement.

Issuer:		Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”)

Securities Offered:fw		5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due March 2027 (the “Notes”)

Aggregate Principal Amount:		$75 Million

Rating:		Kroll Bond Rating Agency: BBB-

		A rating reflects only the view of a rating agency, and it is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the Notes. Any rating can be revised upward or downward or withdrawn at any time by a rating agency if such rating agency decides that circumstances warrant that change. Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

Trade Date:		March 8, 2017

Settlement Date:		March 13, 2017

Final Maturity (if not previously
redeemed):		March 15, 2027

Interest Rate:		From and including the original issue date to, but excluding March 15, 2022, a fixed per annum rate of 5.75%, payable semi-annually in arrears.

		From and including March 15, 2022, through, but excluding the maturity date or the date of earlier redemption, a floating per annum rate equal to three-month LIBOR (provided, however, that in the event three-month LIBOR is less than zero, three-month LIBOR shall be deemed to be zero) plus 3.616%, payable quarterly in arrears.

Issue Price to Investors:		100%

Interest Payment Dates:		Interest on the Notes will be payable on September 15 and March 15 of each year through March 15, 2022, and thereafter on June 15, September 15, December 15, and March 15 of each year to the maturity date or earlier redemption. The first interest payment will be made on September 15, 2017.

Schedule C- 2

Day Count Convention:		30/360 to but excluding March 15, 2022, and, thereafter, a 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed.

Optional Redemption:		The Company may, at its option, beginning with the Interest Payment Date of March 15, 2022 and on any scheduled Interest Payment Date thereafter, redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

Special Event Redemption:		The Notes may not be redeemed prior to March 15, 2022, except that the Company may redeem the Notes at any time, at its option, in whole but not in part, subject to obtaining any required regulatory approvals, if (i) a change or prospective change in law occurs that could prevent the Company from deducting interest payable on the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) a subsequent event occurs that precludes the Notes from being recognized as Tier 2 capital for regulatory capital purposes, or (iii) the Company is required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, in each case, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes plus any accrued and unpaid interest through, but excluding, the redemption date. For more information, see ‘‘Description of the Notes –Redemption” in the preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2017.

Denomination:		$1,000 denominations and integral multiples of $1,000.

Listing and Trading Markets:		The Company does not intend to list the Notes on any securities exchange or to have the Notes quoted on a quotation system. Currently there is no public market for the Notes and there can be no assurances that any public market for the Notes will develop.

Underwriters’ Discount:		1.5%

Proceeds to the Company (after
underwriting discount, but before
expenses):		$73,875,000

Use of Proceeds:		The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes to repay existing indebtedness under its revolving credit agreement and for other general corporate purposes, which may include providing capital to support its growth organically or through strategic acquisitions, financing investments and capital expenditures, and for investments in its banking subsidiary, Ameris Bank, as regulatory capital.

CUSIP / ISIN:		03076KAA6 / US03076KAA60

Sole Book Running Manager:		Stephens Inc.

Co-Manager:		Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

The Company has filed a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-216254) (including a base prospectus) and a related preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2017 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the related preliminary prospectus supplement and any other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC for more information about the Company and the offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Company, the underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus and the related preliminary prospectus supplement if you request it by calling Stephens Inc. toll-free at (800) 643-9691 or Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. toll-free at (866) 805-4128.

Schedule C- 3

SCHEDULE D-1

Subsidiaries of The Company

Ameris Bank

Ameris Statutory Trust I

First National Banc Statutory Trust I

Prosperity Bank Statutory Trust II

Prosperity Bank Statutory Trust III

Prosperity Bank Statutory Trust IV

Prosperity Banking Capital Trust I

Coastal Bankshares Statutory Trust I

Coastal Bankshares Statutory Trust II

10.

Merchants & Southern Statutory Trust I

11.

Merchants & Southern Statutory Trust II

12.

Atlantic BancGroup, Inc. Statutory Trust I

13.

Jacksonville Statutory Trust I

14.

Jacksonville Statutory Trust II

15.

Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. Statutory Trust III

Schedule D-1- 1

SCHEDULE D-2

Subsidiaries of Ameris Bank

Southland Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Ameris Sub Holding Company, Inc., having the following direct subsidiaries:

Moultrie Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Quitman Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Thomas Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Citizens Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Cairo Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Cordele Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

First National Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

M&F Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Tri-County Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

Prosperity Land Holdings, LLC

East Arlington, Inc.

Fountain Financial, Inc.

Jarrett Point, LLC

Parman Place, Inc.

S. Pt. Properties, Inc.

TJB Properties, LLC

Schedule D-2-1

Exhibit 4.1

AMERIS BANCORP

SUBORDINATED DEBT INDENTURE

DATED AS OF MARCH 13, 2017

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

		Page Number
ARTICLE I	DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE	1
Section 1.1	Definitions	1
Section 1.2	Other Definitions	5
Section 1.3	Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act	5
Section 1.4	Rules of Construction	6
ARTICLE II	THE SECURITIES	6
Section 2.1	Issuable in Series	6
Section 2.2	Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities	7
Section 2.3	Execution and Authentication	8
Section 2.4	Registrar and Paying Agent	9
Section 2.5	Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust	9
Section 2.6	Securityholder Lists	10
Section 2.7	Transfer and Exchange	10
Section 2.8	Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities	10
Section 2.9	Outstanding Securities	11
Section 2.10	Treasury Securities	11
Section 2.11	Temporary Securities	11
Section 2.12	Cancellation	12
Section 2.13	Defaulted Interest	12
Section 2.14	Global Securities	12
Section 2.15	CUSIP Numbers	13
ARTICLE III	REDEMPTION	13
Section 3.1	Notice to Trustee	13
Section 3.2	Selection of Securities to be Redeemed	14
Section 3.3	Notice of Redemption	14
Section 3.4	Effect of Notice of Redemption	15
Section 3.5	Deposit of Redemption Price	15
Section 3.6	Securities Redeemed in Part	15
ARTICLE IV	COVENANTS	15
Section 4.1	Payment of Principal and Interest	15
Section 4.2	SEC Reports	15
Section 4.3	Compliance Certificate	15
Section 4.4	Stay, Extension and Usury Laws	16
Section 4.5	Corporate Existence	16
Section 4.6	Taxes	16
ARTICLE V	SUCCESSORS	16
Section 5.1	When Company May Merge, Etc.	16
Section 5.2	Successor Corporation Substituted	16
ARTICLE VI	DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES	17
Section 6.1	Events of Default	17
Section 6.2	Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment	18
Section 6.3	Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee	18
Section 6.4	Trustee May File Proofs of Claim	19
Section 6.5	Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities	19
Section 6.6	Application of Money Collected	20
Section 6.7	Limitation on Suits	20
Section 6.8	Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest	20

Section 6.9	Restoration of Rights and Remedies	21
Section 6.10	Rights and Remedies Cumulative	21
Section 6.11	Delay or Omission Not Waiver	21
Section 6.12	Control by Holders	21
Section 6.13	Waiver of Past Defaults	21
Section 6.14	Undertaking For Costs	22
ARTICLE VII	TRUSTEE	22
Section 7.1	Duties of Trustee	22
Section 7.2	Rights of Trustee	23
Section 7.3	Individual Rights of Trustee	25
Section 7.4	Trustee’s Disclaimer	25
Section 7.5	Notice of Defaults	25
Section 7.6	Reports by Trustee to Holders	25
Section 7.7	Compensation and Indemnity	25
Section 7.8	Replacement of Trustee	26
Section 7.9	Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.	27
Section 7.10	Eligibility; Disqualification	27
Section 7.11	Referential Collection of Claims Against Company	27
ARTICLE VIII	SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE	27
Section 8.1	Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture	27
Section 8.2	Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification	28
Section 8.3	Legal Defeasance of Securities of Any Series	28
Section 8.4	Covenant Defeasance	30
Section 8.5	Repayment to Company	31
ARTICLE IX	AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS	31
Section 9.1	Without Consent of Holders	31
Section 9.2	With Consent of Holders	32
Section 9.3	Limitations	33
Section 9.4	Compliance with Trust Indenture Act	33
Section 9.5	Revocation and Effect of Consents	33
Section 9.6	Notation on or Exchange of Securities	34
Section 9.7	Trustee Protected	34
ARTICLE X	MISCELLANEOUS	34
Section 10.1	Trust Indenture Act Controls	34
Section 10.2	Notices	34
Section 10.3	Communication by Holders with Other Holders	35
Section 10.4	Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent	35
Section 10.5	Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion	35
Section 10.6	Rules by Trustee and Agents	36
Section 10.7	Legal Holidays	36
Section 10.8	No Recourse Against Others	36
Section 10.9	Counterparts	36
Section 10.10	Governing Laws	36
Section 10.11	No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements	36
Section 10.12	Successors	36
Section 10.13	Severability	36
Section 10.14	Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.	36
Section 10.15	Waiver of Trial by Jury	36
Section 10.16	Consent to Jurisdiction	37
Section 10.17	USA Patriot Act	37

ARTICLE XI	SINKING FUNDS	37
Section 11.1	Applicability of Article	37
Section 11.2	Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities	38
Section 11.3	Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund	38
ARTICLE XII	SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES	38
Section 12.1	Agreement of Subordination	38
Section 12.2	Payments to Holders	39
Section 12.3	Subrogation of Securities	41
Section 12.4	Authorization to Effect Subordination	42
Section 12.5	Notice to Trustee	42
Section 12.6	Trustee’s Relation to Senior Indebtedness	42
Section 12.7	No Impairment of Subordination	43
Section 12.8	Article Applicable to Paying Agents	43
Section 12.9	Senior Indebtedness Entitled to Rely	43

iii

CROSS REFERENCE TABLE

Trust Indenture Act Section		Indenture Section
Section 310	(a)(1)		7.10
	(a)(2)		7.10
	(a)(3)		N/A
	(a)(4)		N/A
	(a)(5)		7.10
	(b)		7.10
Section 311	(a)		7.11
	(b)		7.11
	(c)		N/A
Section 312	(a)		2.6
	(b)		10.3
	(c)		10.3
Section 313	(a)		7.6
	(b)(1)		7.6
	(b)(2)		7.6
	(c)(1)		7.6
	(d)		7.6
Section 314	(a)		4.2, 10.5
	(b)		N/A
	(c)(1)		10.4
	(c)(2)		10.4
	(c)(3)		N/A
	(d)		N/A
	(e)		10.5
	(f)		N/A
Section 315	(a)		7.1
	(b)		7.5
	(c)		7.1
	(d)		7.1
	(e)		6.14
Section 316	(a)		2.10
	(a)(1)(A)		6.12
	(a)(1)(B)		6.13
	(b)		6.8
Section 317	(a)(1)		6.3
	(a)(2)		6.4
	(b)		2.5
Section 318	(a)		10.1

This Cross Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

This SUBORDINATED DEBT INDENTURE , dated as of March 13, 2017, is made by and between AMERIS BANCORP , a Georgia corporation (“Company”), and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION , a national banking association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee (the “Trustee”).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.1 Definitions .

“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes, duties, levies, imposts, assessments or other governmental charges imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.

“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.

“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.

“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper in an official language of the country of publication customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used. If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof that is made or given by the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.

“Bearer Security” means any Security, including any interest coupon appertaining thereto, that does not provide for the identification of the Holder thereof.

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, a Sunday, a legal holiday or any other day on which banking institutions in the City of New York, New York, or any Place of Payment, are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.

“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.

“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19890, Attention: Ameris Bancorp Administrator, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.

“Designated Senior Indebtedness” means any of the Company’s senior indebtedness that expressly provides that it is “designated senior indebtedness” for purposes of this Indenture (provided that the instrument, agreement or other document creating or evidencing such Senior Indebtedness may place limitations and conditions on the right of such Senior Indebtedness to exercise the rights of Designated Senior Indebtedness).

“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of the United States of America.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.

“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered or the holder of a Bearer Security.

“indebtedness” means, with respect to any person, and without duplication, (a) all indebtedness, obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person for borrowed money (including obligations of the Company in respect of overdrafts, foreign exchange contracts, currency exchange agreements, interest rate protection agreements, and any loans or advances from banks, whether or not evidenced by notes or similar instruments) or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such person or to only a portion thereof) (other than any account payable or other accrued current liability or obligation incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining of materials or services), (b) all reimbursement obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person with respect to letters of credit, bank guarantees or bankers’ acceptances, (c) all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) in respect of leases of such person required, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, to be accounted for as capitalized lease obligations on the balance sheet of such person and all obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) under any lease or related document (including a purchase agreement) in connection with the lease of real property which provides that such person is contractually obligated to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property and thereby guarantee a minimum residual value of the leased property to the lessor and the obligations of such person under such lease or related document to purchase or to cause a third party to purchase such leased property, (d) all obligations of such person (contingent or otherwise) with respect to an interest rate or other swap, cap or collar agreement or other similar instrument or agreement or foreign currency hedge, exchange, purchase or similar instrument or agreement, (e) all direct or indirect guaranties or similar agreements by such person in respect of, and obligations or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person to purchase or otherwise acquire or otherwise assure a creditor against loss in respect of indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of another person of the kind described in clauses (a) through (d), (f) any indebtedness or other obligations described in clauses (a) through (e) secured by any mortgage, pledge, lien or other encumbrance existing on property which is owned or held by such person, regardless of whether the indebtedness or other obligation secured thereby shall have been assumed by such person and (g) any and all refinancings, replacements, deferrals, renewals, extensions and refundings of, or amendments, modifications or supplements to, any indebtedness, obligation or liability of the kind described in clauses (a) through (f).

“Indenture” means this Subordinated Debt Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.

“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, or otherwise.

“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of or within any Series, means the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities are payable as specified and as contemplated by Section 2.1.

“principal” or “principal amount” of a Security means the principal amount of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.

“Representative” means the (a) indenture trustee or other trustee, agent or representative for any Senior Indebtedness or (b) with respect to any Senior Indebtedness that does not have any such trustee, agent or other representative, (i) in the case of such Senior Indebtedness issued pursuant to an agreement providing for voting arrangements as among the holders or owners of such Senior Indebtedness, any holder or owner of such Senior Indebtedness acting with the consent of the required persons necessary to bind such holders or owners of such Senior Indebtedness and (ii) in the case of all other such Senior Indebtedness, the holder or owner of such Senior Indebtedness.

“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject, in each case, who has direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Senior Indebtedness” means the principal, premium, if any, interest, including any interest accruing after bankruptcy, Additional Amounts, if any, and rent or termination payment on or other amounts due on the Company’s current or future indebtedness, whether created, incurred, assumed, guaranteed or in effect guaranteed by us, including any deferrals, renewals, extensions, refundings, amendments, modifications or supplements to the above. However, Senior Indebtedness does not include: (i) indebtedness that expressly provides that it shall not be senior in right of payment to the Securities or expressly provides that it is on the same basis or junior to the Securities; (ii) the Company’s indebtedness to any of the Company’s Subsidiaries; and (iii) the Securities.

“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.

“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, and which in the case of (a) and (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

Section 1.2 Other Definitions .

Term		Defined in Section
“Bankruptcy Law”		6.1
“Custodian”		6.1
“Event of Default”		6.1
“Legal Holiday”		10.7
“mandatory sinking fund payment”		11.1
“optional sinking fund payment”		11.1
“Paying Agent”		2.4
“Payment Blockage Notice”		12.2
“Registrar”		2.4
“Service Agent”		2.4
“successor person		5.1

Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act . Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities.

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.

Section 1.4 Rules Of Construction . Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)

a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b)

an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)

references to “generally accepted accounting principles” and “GAAP” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied;

(d)

“or” is not exclusive;

(e)

words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and

(f)

provisions apply to successive events and transactions.

ARTICLE II

THE SECURITIES

Section 2.1 Issuable In Series . The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, but all Securities issued hereunder shall be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner set forth in Article XII, to all Senior Indebtedness of the Company.

Section 2.2 Establishment Of Terms Of Series Of Securities . At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2(a) and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsections 2.2(b) through 2.2(q)) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate:

(a)

the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);

(b)

the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

(c)

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);

(d)

the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

(e)

the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

(f)

the Place of Payment where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

(g)

if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

(h)

the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

(i)

the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;

(j)

if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

(k)

the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);

(l)

if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;

(m)

the provisions, if any, relating to any lien, security or encumbrance provided for the Securities of the Series;

(n)

any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;

(o)

any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;

(p)

any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and

(q)

any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein.

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.

Section 2.3 Execution and Authentication .

Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. Such a signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Vice Presidents shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.

Section 2.4 Registrar and Paying Agent . The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the Place of Payment specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (the “Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (the “Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served (the “Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Service Agent” includes any additional service agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

Section 2.5 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust . The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.

Section 2.6 Securityholder Lists . The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.

Section 2.7 Transfer and Exchange . Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).

Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.

Section 2.8 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities . If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or satisfactory indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

Section 2.9 Outstanding Securities . The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue (to the extent of the Maturity of such Security if less than the entire principal amount is due and payable on such date of Maturity).

A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

Section 2.10 Treasury Securities . In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities of a Series that the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

Section 2.11 Temporary Securities . Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and Stated Maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary Securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.

Section 2.12 Cancellation . All Securities and coupons surrendered for payment, redemption, repayment at the option of the Holder, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and coupons and Securities and coupons surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. If the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section 2.12, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. Cancelled Securities and coupons held by the Trustee shall be destroyed by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures. The Company by Company Order may direct the Trustee to deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company.

Section 2.13 Defaulted Interest . If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 10 days before the record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

Section 2.14 Global Securities .

(a)

Terms Of Securities . A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities.

(b)

Transfer And Exchange . Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 hereof and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 hereof for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.

Except as provided in this Section 2.14(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.

(c)

Legend . Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”

(d)

Acts Of Holders . The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.

(e)

Payments . Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.

(f)

Consents, Declaration And Directions . Except as provided in Section 2.14(e), the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.

Section 2.15 CUSIP Numbers . The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION

Section 3.1 Notice To Trustee . The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 45 days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).

Section 3.2 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed . Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of any Series issued on the same day with the same terms are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such Series issued on such date with the same terms not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate, and, in the case of global Securities, in accordance with the procedures of the depositary, provided that such method complies with the rules of any national securities exchange or quotation system on which the Securities are listed, and may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such Series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series; provided, however, that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Security not redeemed to less than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such Series.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar (if other than itself) in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security to be redeemed is a Global Security then any partial redemption of that Series of Securities will be made in accordance with the Depository’s applicable procedures among all Holders of such Series of Securities.

Section 3.3 Notice of Redemption . Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion a notice in an Authorized Newspaper.

The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

(a)

the redemption date;

(b)

the redemption price and accrued interest, if any, to the redemption date payable as provided;

(c)

the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d)

that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(e)

that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;

(f)

the CUSIP number, if any;

(g)

any conditions precedent that must be satisfied prior to the redemption; and

(h)

any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.

At the Company’s request, given at least five Business Days prior to the date set forth in such notice, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense.

Section 3.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption . Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price, subject to, with respect to any redemption that is conditioned upon the satisfaction of any conditions precedent, (i) the delay of such redemption date until such time as any or all of such conditions precedent have been satisfied or (ii) the revocation of such redemption if the Company determines that such conditions precedent will not be satisfied. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date, provided that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the redemption date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities (or one or more predecessor Securities) registered at the close of business on the relevant record date therefor according to their terms and the terms of this Indenture.

Section 3.5 Deposit of Redemption Price . On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

Section 3.6 Securities Redeemed in Part . Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

Section 4.1 Payment of Principal and Interest . The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

Section 4.2 SEC Reports . The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).

Section 4.3 Compliance Certificate . The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his/her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge).

The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

Section 4.4 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws . The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

Section 4.5 Corporate Existence . Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 4.6 Taxes . The Company shall pay prior to delinquency all taxes, assessments and governmental levies, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.

ARTICLE V

SUCCESSORS

Section 5.1 When Company May Merge, Etc . The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”), nor shall the Company permit any other person to consolidate with or merge into it or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to it, in either case unless:

(a)

the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and

(b)

immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any indebtedness that becomes the obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as having been incurred at the effective date of such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officers’ Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.

Section 5.2 Successor Corporation Substituted . Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.1 Events of Default . “Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

(a)

default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series, or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, when becoming due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to the expiration of such period of 30 days);

(b)

default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity;

(c)

default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series;

(d)

default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty for which the consequences of nonperformance or breach are addressed elsewhere in this Section 6.1 and other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder;

(e)

the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

commences a voluntary case,

ii.

consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

iii.

consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

iv.

makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or

(f)

a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,

ii.

appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or

iii.

orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or

(g)

any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(n).

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

Section 6.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment . Except to the extent provided otherwise in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate for such Series, if an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(e) or (f)), then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or portion thereof) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or (f) shall occur, the principal amount (or portion thereof) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.3 Collection Of Indebtedness And Suits For Enforcement By Trustee . The Company covenants that if:

(a)

default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security, or any Additional Amount with respect thereto, when such interest or Additional Amount becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days,

(b)

default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or

(c)

default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security,

then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 6.4 Trustee May File Proofs Of Claim . In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession Of Securities . All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

Section 6.6 Application of Money Collected . Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and

Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

Third: To the Company.

Section 6.7 Limitation On Suits . No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(a)

such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

(b)

the Holders of not less than 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c)

such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(d)

the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(e)

no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.

Section 6.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest . Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies . If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 6.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative . Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 6.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver . No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

Section 6.12 Control by Holders . The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that:

(a)

such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture;

(b)

the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction; and

(c)

subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

Section 6.13 Waiver Of Past Defaults . The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default (a) in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration) or (b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security of such Series affected. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.14 Undertaking For Costs . All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).

ARTICLE VII

TRUSTEE

Section 7.1 Duties of Trustee .

(a)

If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of their own affairs.

(b)

Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers. The Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture. The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.

ii.

In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c)

The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, its own bad faith or its own willful misconduct, except that:

This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.

ii.

The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

iii.

The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.

(d)

Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

(e)

The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power at the request or direction of any Holder unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f)

The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g)

No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or satisfactory indemnity against such risk is not assured to it.

(h)

The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee.

Section 7.2 Rights of Trustee .

(a)

The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b)

Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel, or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel.

(c)

The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository.

(d)

The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute negligence or willful misconduct.

(e)

The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(f)

The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(g)

The Trustee may conclusively rely upon and shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, opinion, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.

(h)

The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.

(i)

Delivery of reports, information and documents (including, without limitation, reports contemplated in this Section) to the Trustee is for information purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipts thereof shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with covenants under the Indenture, Securities, and guarantees (if any), as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates.

(j)

The Trustee shall have no responsibility for monitoring the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants under this Indenture.

(k)

The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for punitive, special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of actions.

(l)

Any permissive right of the Trustee to take or refrain from taking actions enumerated in this Indenture or other Note Documents shall not be construed as a duty.

(m)

The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fire; flood; terrorism; wars and other military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; accidents; labor disputes; and acts of civil or military authorities and governmental action.

(n)

The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.

Section 7.3 Individual Rights of Trustee . The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

Section 7.4 Trustee’s Disclaimer . The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

Section 7.5 Notice Of Defaults . If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as Responsible Officers in good faith determine that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.

Section 7.6 Reports by Trustee to Holders . Within 60 days after May 15 in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish in an Authorized Newspaper, a brief report dated as of such May 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.

Section 7.7 Compensation and Indemnity . The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any loss, liability, claim (including any between the parties to this Indenture and including attorneys’ fees in connection with enforcement of its rights to indemnity hereunder), suit or expense, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee to the extent of its or their negligence or willful misconduct.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or (f) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.

Section 7.8 Replacement of Trustee . A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:

(a)

the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(b)

the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c)

a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d)

the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish such notice on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.

Section 7.9 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc . If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another person, the successor person without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification . This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).

Section 7.11 Referential Collection of Claims Against Company . The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.

ARTICLE VIII

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

Section 8.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture . This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(a)

either:

all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

ii.

all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

(1)

have become due and payable, or

(2)

will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

(3)

are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company; or

(4)

are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable; and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) and (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;

(b)

the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(c)

the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.

Section 8.2 Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification .

(a)

Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (other than the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.3 or 8.4.

(b)

The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

(c)

The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

Section 8.3 Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series . Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2(p), to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (c) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, at Company Request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

(a)

the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (c) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;

(b)

the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3, and 8.5; and

(c)

the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

ii.

such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

iii.

no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 120th day after such date;

iv.

the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;

the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

vi.

the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that: (A) either (i) as a result of the deposit made pursuant to subparagraph (c)(i) above registration is not required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, by the Company with respect to the trust funds representing such deposit or by the Trustee for such trust funds or (ii) all necessary registrations under said Act have been effected and (B) the discharge does not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the Trust Indenture Act; and

vii.

the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

Section 8.4 Covenant Defeasance . Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2(p) to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, on and after the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(p) (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(n) and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(a)

With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

(b)

Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(c)

No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 120th day after such date;

(d)

The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;

(e)

The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that: (A) either (i) as a result of the deposit made pursuant to subsection (a) above registration is not required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, by the Company with respect to the trust funds representing such deposit or by the Trustee for such trust funds or (ii) all necessary registrations under said Act have been effected and (B) the discharge does not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the Trust Indenture Act; and

(f)

The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

Section 8.5 Repayment to Company . The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for six months. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section 9.1 Without Consent of Holders . The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder by indentures supplemental hereto:

(a)

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, provided that such actions will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Notes in any material respect;

(b)

to comply with Article V;

(c)

to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or successive successions, pursuant to Article 11 hereof, and the assumption by the successor corporation of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company herein and in the Securities;

(d)

to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as its Board of Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth, with such period of grace, if any, and subject to such conditions as such supplemental indenture may provide;

(e)

to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to provide that Bearer Securities may be registrable as to principal, to change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal of or any premium or interest on Bearer Securities, to permit Bearer Securities to be issued in exchange for Registered Securities, to permit Bearer Securities to be issued in exchange for Bearer Securities of other authorized denominations or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Securities of any Series or any related coupons in any material respect;

(f)

to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, or under any similar federal statute hereafter enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other provisions as may be expressly permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, excluding, however, the provisions referred to in Section 316(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act or any corresponding provision in any similar federal statute hereafter enacted;

(g)

to add any additional Events of Default (and if such Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all Series of Securities, stating that such are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such Series);

(h)

to modify, eliminate or add to any of the provisions of this Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination (i) shall become effective only when there is no Security of any Series Outstanding and created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision or (ii) shall not apply to any Security Outstanding;

(i)

to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities, provided that such actions will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Notes in any material respect;

(j)

to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;

(k)

to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;

(l)

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or

(m)

to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA.

Section 9.2 With Consent of Holders . The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby and, if any Bearer Securities affected thereby are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

Section 9.3 Limitations . Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:

(a)

reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(b)

reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security or any Additional Amount with respect thereto;

(c)

reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

(d)

reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

(e)

waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(f)

make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security or any Additional Amount with respect thereto payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;

(g)

make any change in Sections 6.8, 6.13, or 9.3 (this sentence); or

(h)

waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security.

Section 9.4 Compliance With Trust Indenture Act . Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

Section 9.5 Revocation and Effect of Consents . Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.

Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.

Section 9.6 Notation on or Exchange of Securities . The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.

Section 9.7 Trustee Protected . In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent have been satisfied, the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects it.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 10.1 Trust Indenture Act Controls . If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.

Section 10.2 Notices . Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:

if to the Company:

Ameris Bancorp

310 First St., S.E.

Moultrie, Georgia 31768

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (229) 890-1111

if to the Trustee:

Wilmington Trust, National Association

1100 North Market Street

Rodney Square North

Wilmington, Delaware 19890

Attention: Ameris Bancorp Administrator

Telephone: (302) 636-6398

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, published in an Authorized Newspaper. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.

If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.

If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Indenture or any Security, where the Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event or any other communication (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a Securityholder of a Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to Depository (or its designee) pursuant to the applicable procedures from Depository or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at Depository.

Section 10.3 Communication by Holders with Other Holders . Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

Section 10.4 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent . Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a)

an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(b)

an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

Section 10.5 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion . Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:

(a)

a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b)

a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c)

a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(d)

a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 10.6 Rules by Trustee and Agents . The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by, or a meeting of, Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section 10.7 Legal Holidays . Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

Section 10.8 No Recourse Against Others . A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

Section 10.9 Counterparts . This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format ( e.g. , “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format ( e.g. , “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 10.10 Governing Laws . THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF (OTHER THAN SECTIONS 5-1401 AND 5-1402 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).

Section 10.11 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements . This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 10.12 Successors . All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.

Section 10.13 Severability . In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 10.14 Table of Contents, Headings, Etc . The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 10.15. Waiver of Trial by Jury . EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE HOLDERS AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES, OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED THEREBY.

Section 10.16. Consent to Jurisdiction.

(a) The Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court or federal court of the United States sitting in the State and City of New York, County, and Borough of Manhattan, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Notes, or for the recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such state court sitting in the State and City of New York, County and Borough of Manhattan or, to the extent permitted by law, in such federal court sitting in the State and City of New York, County and Borough of Manhattan.

(b) The Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Notes in any New York State or federal court. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

Section 10.17. USA Patriot Act . The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.

ARTICLE XI

SINKING FUNDS

Section 11.1 Applicability of Article . The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.

Section 11.2 Satisfaction Of Sinking Fund Payments With Securities . The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (a) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (b) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.

Section 11.3 Redemption Of Securities For Sinking Fund . Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.

ARTICLE XII

SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES

Section 12.1 Agreement of Subordination . The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of Securities issued hereunder by accepting a Security likewise covenants and agrees, that all Securities shall be issued subject to the provisions of this Article XII; and each Person holding any Security, whether upon original issue or upon transfer, assignment or exchange thereof, accepts and agrees to be bound by such provisions.

The payment of the principal of and interest on all Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in the Indenture) issued hereunder shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, be subordinated and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of this Indenture or thereafter incurred.

No provision of this Article XII shall prevent the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default hereunder.

Section 12.2 Payments to Holders . Except as otherwise provided in a supplemental indenture, no payment shall be made with respect to the principal of or interest on the Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities to be called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in the Indenture), except payments and distributions made by the Trustee as permitted by the first or second paragraph of Section 12.5, if:

(a)

a default in the payment of principal, premium, interest, rent or other obligations due on any Senior Indebtedness occurs and is continuing (or, in the case of Senior Indebtedness for which there is a period of grace, in the event of such a default that continues beyond the period of grace, if any, specified in the instrument or lease evidencing such Senior Indebtedness), unless and until such default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist; or

(b)

a default, other than a payment default, on a Designated Senior Indebtedness occurs and is continuing that then permits holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness to accelerate its maturity and the Trustee receives a notice of the default (a “Payment Blockage Notice”) from a Representative or the Company.

If the Trustee receives any Payment Blockage Notice pursuant to clause (b) above, no subsequent Payment Blockage Notice shall be effective for purposes of this Section unless and until (A) at least 365 days shall have elapsed since the initial effectiveness of the immediately prior Payment Blockage Notice, and (B) all scheduled payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities that have come due have been paid in full in cash. No nonpayment default that existed or was continuing on the date of delivery of any Payment Blockage Notice to the Trustee shall be, or be made, the basis for a subsequent Payment Blockage Notice.

The Company may and shall resume payments on and distributions in respect of the Securities upon the earlier of:

(1)

the date upon which the default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, or

(2)

in the case of a default referred to in clause (b) above, 179 days pass after notice is received if the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness has not been accelerated, unless this Article XII otherwise prohibits the payment or distribution at the time of such payment or distribution.

Upon any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to creditors upon any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings, all amounts due or to become due upon all Senior Indebtedness shall first be paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, or payment thereof in accordance with its terms provided for in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any payment is made on account of the principal of or interest on the Securities (except payments made pursuant to Article VI from monies deposited with the Trustee pursuant thereto prior to commencement of proceedings for such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization); and upon any such dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company or bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceeding, any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled, except for the provision of this Article XII, shall (except as aforesaid) be paid by the Company or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, or by the Holders of the Securities or by the Trustee under this Indenture if received by them or it, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders, or as otherwise required by law or a court order) or their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing any Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full, in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of Senior Indebtedness, before any payment or distribution or provision therefor is made to the Holders of the Securities or to the Trustee.

For purposes of this Article XII, the words, “cash, property or securities” shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other person provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which is subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article XII with respect to the Securities to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness which may at the time be outstanding; provided that (i) the Senior Indebtedness is assumed by the new person, if any, resulting from any reorganization or readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness (other than leases which are not assumed by the Company or the new person, as the case may be) are not, without the consent of such holders, altered by such reorganization or readjustment. The consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its property as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to another person upon the terms and conditions provided for in Article V shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 12.2 if such other person shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article V.

In the event of the acceleration of the Securities because of an Event of Default, no payment or distribution shall be made to the Trustee or any Holder of Securities in respect of the principal of or interest on the Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in the Indenture), except payments and distributions made by the Trustee as permitted by the first or second paragraph of Section 12.5, until all Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or such acceleration is rescinded in accordance with the terms of this Indenture. If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an Event of Default, the Company shall promptly notify holders of Senior Indebtedness of the acceleration at the address set forth in the notice from the Agent (or successor agent) to the Trustee as being the address to which the Trustee should send its notice pursuant to this Section 12.2, unless there are no payment obligations of the Company thereunder and all obligations thereunder to extend credit have been terminated or expired.

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities (including, without limitation, by way of setoff or otherwise), prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, or provision is made for such payment thereof in accordance with its terms in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be paid over or delivered to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing any Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by the Company, for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.

Nothing in this Section 12.2 shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.7. This Section 12.2 shall be subject to the further provisions of Section 12.5.

Section 12.3 Subrogation of Securities . Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the rights of the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the extent of the payments or distributions made to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII (equally and ratably with the holders of all indebtedness of the Company which by its express terms is subordinated to other indebtedness of the Company to substantially the same extent as the Securities are subordinated and is entitled to like rights of subrogation) to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal and interest on the Securities shall be paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article XII, and no payment over pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII, to or for the benefit of the holders of Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as between the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness; and no payments or distributions of cash, property or securities to or for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities pursuant to the subrogation provisions of this Article XII, which would otherwise have been paid to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or for the account of the Securities. It is understood that the provisions of this Article XII are and are intended solely for the purposes of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand.

Nothing contained in this Article XII or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as among the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XII of the holders of Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company received upon the exercise of any such remedy.

Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XII, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such bankruptcy, dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization proceedings are pending, or a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of the Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XII.

Section 12.4 Authorization to Effect Subordination . Each Holder of a Security by the holder’s acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on the holder’s behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article XII and appoints the Trustee to act as the holder’s attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. If the Trustee does not file a proper proof of claim or proof of debt in the form required in any proceeding referred to in Section 6.3 hereof at least 30 days before the expiration of the time to file such claim, the holders of any Senior Indebtedness or their representatives are hereby authorized to file an appropriate claim for and on behalf of the Holders of the Securities.

Section 12.5 Notice to Trustee . The Company shall give prompt written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and to any paying agent of any fact known to the Company which would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee or any paying agent in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XII or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof at the Corporate Trust Office from the Company (in the form of an Officers’ Certificate) or a Representative or a holder or holders of Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee thereof; and before the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided that if on a date not fewer than two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any such monies may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on any Security) the Trustee shall not have received, with respect to such monies, the notice provided for in this Section 12.5, then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such monies and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it on or after such prior date.

Notwithstanding anything in this Article XII to the contrary, nothing shall prevent any payment by the Trustee to the Holders of monies deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.1, and any such payment shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 12.1 or 12.2.

The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Representative or a person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of such holder) to establish that such notice has been given by a Representative or a holder of Senior Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder or holders. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XII, the Trustee may request such person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such person, the extent to which such person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such person under this Article XII, and if such evidence is not furnished the Trustee may defer any payment to such person pending judicial determination as to the right of such person to receive such payment.

Section 12.6 Trustee’s Relation to Senior Indebtedness . The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article XII in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in Section 7.11 or elsewhere in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article XII shall apply to the Company’s obligations to the Trustee under Section 7.7.

With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XII, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of Senior Indebtedness if it shall pay over or deliver to Holders of Securities, the Company or any other person money or assets to which any holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XII or otherwise.

Section 12.7 No Impairment of Subordination . No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof which any such holder may have or otherwise be charged with.

Section 12.8 Article Applicable to Paying Agents . If at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article shall (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee; provided, however, that the first paragraph of Section 12.5 shall not apply to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company if it or such Affiliate acts as Paying Agent.

Section 12.9 Senior Indebtedness Entitled to Rely . The holders of Senior Indebtedness (including, without limitation, Designated Senior Indebtedness) shall have the right to rely upon this Article XII, and no amendment or modification of the provisions contained herein shall diminish the rights of such holders unless such holders shall have agreed in writing thereto.

[Signature page follows.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

	AMERIS BANCORP

	By:	/s/ Edwin W. Hortman, Jr.
		Edwin W. Hortman, Jr.
		President and Chief Executive Officer

	WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION , not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee

	By:	/s/ Michael H. Wass
		Michael H. Wass
		Vice President

Exhibit 4.2

Ameris Bancorp

FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

dated as of March 13, 2017

to the Subordinated Debt Indenture

dated as of March 13, 2017

5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027

Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (“ First Supplemental Indenture ”), dated as of March 13, 2017 between Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), and Wilmington Trust, National Association, a national banking association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee (“Trustee”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS , the Company and the Trustee have executed and delivered a Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “Base Indenture” and as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture and further supplemented from time to time, the “Indenture”), to provide for the issuance from time to time by the Company of its unsecured subordinated indebtedness to be issued in one or more series as provided in the Indenture;

WHEREAS , the issuance and sale of Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) aggregate principal amount of a new series of Securities of the Company designated as its 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) have been authorized by resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company;

WHEREAS , the Company desires to issue and sell Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) aggregate principal amount of the Notes as of the date hereof;

WHEREAS , the Company desires to establish the terms of the Notes;

WHEREAS , all things necessary to make this First Supplemental Indenture a legal and binding supplement to the Base Indenture in accordance with its terms and the terms of the Base Indenture have been done;

WHEREAS , the Company has complied with all conditions precedent provided for in the Base Indenture relating to this First Supplemental Indenture; and

WHEREAS , the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this First Supplemental Indenture.

NOW, THEREFORE , for and in consideration of the premises stated herein and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the Company and the Trustee covenant and agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of the Holders of the Notes, as follows:

Article I
SCOPE OF FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

Section 1.01. Scope . This First Supplemental Indenture constitutes a supplement to the Base Indenture and an integral part of the Indenture and shall be read together with the Base Indenture as though all the provisions thereof are contained in one instrument. Except as expressly amended by the First Supplemental Indenture, the terms and provisions of the Base Indenture shall remain in full force and effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this First Supplemental Indenture shall only apply to the Notes.

Article II
DEFINITIONS

Section 2.01. Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application . For all purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture unless otherwise specified herein:

(a) all terms used in this First Supplemental Indenture which are not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings they are given in the Base Indenture;

(b) the provisions of general application stated in Sections 10.1 through 10.17 of the Base Indenture shall apply to this First Supplemental Indenture, except that the words “ herein ,” “ hereof ,” “ hereto ” and “ hereunder ” and other words of similar import refer to this First Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to the Base Indenture or any particular Article, Section or other subdivision of the Base Indenture or this First Supplemental Indenture;

(c) Section 1.1 of the Base Indenture is amended and supplemented, solely with respect to the Notes, by inserting the following additional defined terms in their appropriate alphabetical positions:

“Calculation Agent” has the meaning ascribed in Section 3.02(e)(iv).

“ Designated LIBOR Page ” means the display on Bloomberg Page BBAM1 (or any successor or substitute page of such service, or any successor to such service selected by the Company), for the purpose of displaying the London interbank rates for U.S. dollars.

“DTC” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(g).

“Federal Reserve” has the meaning provided in the definition of “Tier 2 Capital Event.”

“Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(i).

“Fixed Rate Period” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(i).

“Fixed Rate Regular Record Date” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(i).

“Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(ii).

“Floating Rate Period” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(ii).

“Floating Rate Regular Record Date” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(ii).

“Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 3.02(e)(ii).

“Issue Date” means March 13, 2017.

“ London Banking Day ” means any day on which commercial banks are open for business (including dealing in U.S. dollars) in London.

“Representative Amount” has the meaning provided in the definition of “Three-Month LIBOR.”

“Reset Rate Determination Date” means the second London Banking Day immediately preceding the first day of each applicable interest period commencing on the first Floating Rate Interest Payment Date.

“Tax Event” shall mean the receipt by the Company of an opinion of independent tax counsel to the effect that as a result of (a) an amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws or any regulations thereunder of the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, or (b) any official administrative pronouncement or judicial decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change becomes effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced on or after the date of original issuance of the Notes, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the interest payable by the Company on the Notes is not, or within 90 days of the date of such opinion will not be, deductible by the Company, in whole or in part, for United States federal income tax purposes.

“Tier 2 Capital Event” shall mean the receipt by the Company of an opinion of independent bank regulatory counsel to the effect that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws or any regulations thereunder of the United States or any rules, guidelines or policies of an applicable regulatory authority for the Company or (b) any official administrative pronouncement or judicial decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced on or after the date of original issuance of the Notes, the Notes do not constitute, or within 90 days of the date of such opinion will not constitute, Tier 2 Capital (or its then equivalent if the Company were subject to such capital requirement) for purposes of capital adequacy guidelines of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) (or any successor regulatory authority with jurisdiction over bank holding companies), as then in effect and applicable to the Company that would preclude the Notes from being included as Tier 2 Capital.

“Three-Month LIBOR” means, for any interest period, the offered rate for deposits in U.S. dollars having a maturity of three months that appears on the Designated LIBOR Page as of 11:00 a.m., London time, on the Reset Rate Determination Date related to such interest period. If such rate does not appear on such page at such time, then the Calculation Agent will request the principal London office of each of four major reference banks in the London interbank market, selected by the Company for this purpose and whose names and contact information will be provided by the Company to the Calculation Agent, to provide such bank’s offered quotation to prime banks in the London interbank market for deposits in U.S. dollars with a term of three months as of 11:00 a m., London time, on such Reset Rate Determination Date and in a principal amount equal to an amount for a single transaction in U.S. dollars in the relevant market at the relevant time as determined by the Company and provided to the Calculation Agent (a “ Representative Amount ”). If at least two such quotations are so provided, Three-Month LIBOR for the interest period related to such Reset Rate Determination Date will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two such quotations are provided, the Calculation Agent will request each of three major banks in the City of New York selected by the Company for this purpose and whose names and contact information will be provided by the Company to the Calculation Agent, to provide such bank’s rate for loans in U.S. dollars to leading European banks with a term of three months as of approximately 11:00 a m., New York City time, on such Reset Rate Determination Date and in a Representative Amount. If at least two such rates are so provided, Three-Month LIBOR for the interest period related to such Reset Rate Determination Date will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two such rates are so provided, then Three-Month LIBOR for the interest period related to such Reset Rate Determination Date will be set to equal the Three-Month LIBOR for the immediately preceding interest period or, in the case of the interest period commencing on the first Floating Rate Interest Payment Date, 2.134%, resulting in a coupon rate of 5.75%. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month LIBOR will be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Three-Month LIBOR as determined in accordance with this definition is less than zero, Three-Month LIBOR for such interest period shall be deemed to be zero.

(d) Section 1.1 of the Base Indenture is amended and supplemented, solely with respect to the Notes, by replacing the corresponding defined term in the Base Indenture with the following defined terms:

“Senior Indebtedness” means: (i) the principal and any premium or interest for money borrowed or purchased by the Company; (ii) the principal and any premium or interest for money borrowed or purchased by another Person and guaranteed by the Company; (iii) any deferred obligation for the payment of the purchase price of property or assets evidenced by a note or similar instrument or agreement; (iv) any obligations to general and trade creditors; (v) any obligation arising from direct credit substitutes; (vi) any obligation associated with derivative products such as interest and foreign exchange rate contracts, commodity contracts and similar arrangements; and (vii) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) above of other persons or entities for the payment of which the Company is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise, whether or not classified as a liability on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States; in each case, whether outstanding on the date this Subordinated Debt Indenture becomes effective, or created, assumed or incurred after that date. Senior Indebtedness excludes any indebtedness that: (a) expressly states that it is junior to, or ranks equally in right of payment with, the Notes; or (b) is identified as junior to, or equal in right of payment with, the Notes in any Board Resolution establishing such series of Securities or in any supplemental indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, if the Federal Reserve (or other competent regulatory agency or authority) promulgates any rule or issues any interpretation that defines general creditor(s), the main purpose of which is to establish criteria for determining whether the subordinated debt of a financial or bank holding company is to be included in its capital, then the term “general creditors” as used in this definition will have the meaning as described in that rule or interpretation.

Article III
FORM AND TERMS OF THE Notes

Section 3.01. Form and Dating .

(a) The Notes shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Notes shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or one of its Executive Vice Presidents, attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The Notes may have a legend or legends or endorsements as may be required to comply with any law or with any rules of any securities exchange or usage. The Notes shall be dated the date of their authentication.

(b) The terms contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of the Indenture as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, and the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.

Section 3.02. Terms of the Notes . The following terms relating to the Notes are hereby established:

(a) Title . The Notes shall constitute a series of Securities having the title “Ameris Bancorp 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027” and the CUSIP number 03076KAA6.

(b) Principal Amount . The aggregate principal amount of the Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture, as amended hereby, shall be Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) on the Issue Date. Provided that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the Notes, the Company may, without notice to or the consent of the Holders, create and issue additional Securities having the same terms as, and ranking equally and ratably with, the Notes in all respects and so that such additional Notes will be consolidated and form a single series with, and have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as, the Notes initially issued, provided that such additional Notes are fungible for U.S. federal income tax purposes with the Notes.

(c) Person to Whom Interest is Payable . Interest payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will be paid to the person in whose name the Notes are registered for such interest at the close of business on the last day of the month immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date, whether or not such day is a Business Day. Any such interest which is payable, but not so punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date shall cease to be payable to the Holder on such relevant record date by virtue of having been a Holder on such date, and such defaulted interest may be paid by the Company to the person in whose name the Note is registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Company, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes of this series not less than 10 days prior to such special record date that complies with Section 2.13 of the Base Indenture, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes may be listed and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange and in compliance with the Base Indenture.

(d) Maturity Date . The entire outstanding Principal of the Notes shall be payable on March 15, 2027.

(e) Interest .

(i) The Notes will bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum from and including March 13, 2017 to, but excluding, March 15, 2022 (the “Fixed Rate Period” ). Interest accrued on the Notes during the Fixed Rate Period will be payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on September 15, 2017 (each such date a “Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date” ). The interest payable during the Fixed Rate Period will be paid to each holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the last day (whether or not a Business Day) of the month immediately preceding the applicable Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Regular Record Date” ).

(ii) The Notes will bear a floating interest rate from and including March 15, 2022 to, but excluding the Maturity Date or Redemption Date (the “Floating Rate Period” ). The floating interest rate will be reset quarterly, and the interest rate for any Floating Rate Period shall be equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus 3.616%. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Notes will be payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year commencing on June 15, 2022 through the Maturity Date or Redemption Date (each such date, a “Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” , together with a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date, an “Interest Payment Date” ). The interest payable during the Floating Rate Period will be paid to each holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the last day (whether or not a Business Day) of the month immediately preceding the applicable Floating Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Floating Rate Regular Record Date” ).

(iii) The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months up to, but excluding, March 15, 2022, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date for the Notes falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to but excluding such Business Day. Dollar amounts resulting from interest calculations will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward.

(iv) The Company agrees that for so long as any of the Notes are outstanding there will at all times be an agent appointed to calculate Three-Month LIBOR in respect of each Floating Rate Period (the “ Calculation Agent ”). The calculation of Three-Month LIBOR for each applicable Floating Rate Period by the Calculation Agent will (in the absence of manifest error) be final and binding. The Calculation Agent shall have all the rights, protections and indemnities afforded to the Trustee under the Base Indenture and hereunder. The Company hereby appoints Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Calculation Agent for the purposes of determining Three-Month LIBOR for each Floating Interest Period and Wilmington Trust, National Association accepts the appointment. The Calculation Agent may be removed by the Company at any time. If the Calculation Agent is unable or unwilling to act as Calculation Agent or is removed by the Company, the Company will promptly appoint a replacement Calculation Agent, which does not control or is not controlled by or under common control with the Company or its Affiliates. The Calculation Agent may not resign its duties without a successor having been duly appointed; provided, that if a successor Calculation Agent has not been appointed by the Company and such successor accepted such position within 30 days after the giving of notice of resignation by the Calculation Agent, the resigning Calculation Agent may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Calculation Agent with respect to such series. The Calculation Agent’s calculation of the amount of any interest payable after the first Reset Rate Determination Date will be maintained on file at the Calculation Agent’s principal offices.

(f) Place of Payment of Principal and Interest . So long as the Notes shall be issued in global form, the Company shall make, or cause the Paying Agent to make, all payments of principal and interest on the Notes by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the Depository or its nominee, in accordance with applicable procedures of the Depository. If the Notes are not in global form, the Company, may, at its option, make, or cause the Paying Agent to make, payments of principal and interest on the Notes by check mailed to the address of the person specified for payment in accordance with Section 3.02(e)(i) and (e)(ii) above. A global security with respect to the Notes shall be exchangeable for physical securities of such series only if:

The U.S. Depository is at any time unwilling or unable or ineligible to continue as a depository or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and a successor depository is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of the date the Company is so notified in writing;

The Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order to the effect that such global securities shall be so exchangeable (and the Trustee consents thereto); or

An Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the global securities and a Holder requests such exchange.

(g) Redemption . The Notes shall be redeemable, in each case, in whole or in part from time to time, at the option of the Company prior to the Maturity Date beginning with the Interest Payment Date on March 15, 2022, and on any Interest Payment Date thereafter subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Federal Reserve to the extent such approval is required under the rules of the Federal Reserve. The Notes may not otherwise be redeemed prior to the Maturity Date, except that the Company may, at its option, redeem the Notes before the Maturity Date in whole but not in part from time to time, upon the occurrence of a Tier 2 Capital Event or a Tax Event, or if the Company is required to register as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.). Any such redemption will be at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date fixed by the Company. The provisions of Article III of the Base Indenture shall apply to any redemption of the Notes pursuant to this Article 3. Any partial redemption will be made in accordance with The Depository Trust Company’s (“ DTC ”) applicable procedures among all of the Holders of the Notes. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption relating to such Note shall state that it is a partial redemption and the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. The Notes are not subject to redemption or prepayment at the option of the Holders.

(h) Sinking Fund . There shall be no sinking fund for the Notes.

(i) Denomination . The Notes and any beneficial interest in the Notes shall be in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

(j) Currency of the Notes . The Notes shall be denominated, and payment of principal and interest of the Notes shall be payable in, the currency of the United States of America.

(k) Acceleration . Neither the Trustee nor the Holders of the Notes shall have the right to accelerate the maturity of the Notes unless there is an Event of Default specified under clause (e), (f) or (h) of Section 6.1 (as amended herein) of the Base Indenture. If an Event of Default specified in clause (e), (f) or (h) of Section 6.1 (as amended herein) of the Base Indenture occurs, then the principal amount of all of the outstanding Notes, including any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes and premium, if any, shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.2 of the Base Indenture.

(l) Stated Maturity . The principal of the Notes shall be payable on March 15, 2027 subject to acceleration as provided under the Indenture.

(m) Registered Form . The Notes shall be issuable as registered global Securities, and the U.S. Depository for the Notes shall be the DTC or any successor U.S. Depository appointed by the Company within 90 days of the termination of services of DTC (or any successor to DTC). Sections 2.11 and 2.13 of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes.

(n) Events of Default . The Events of Default provided for in Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes, provided that:

(i) the text of clause (c) of Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture is deleted and replaced with the word “Reserved”;

(ii) the text of clause (e) of Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture shall be substituted with the following:

“(e) The Company shall consent to the appointment of a Custodian in any receivership, insolvency, liquidation or similar proceeding with respect to the Company;”

(iii) the text of clause (f) of Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture shall be substituted with the following:

“(f) A court having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or order for the appointment of a Custodian in any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceeding relating to the Company, and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days;” and

(iv) a new clause (h), reading in its entirety as follows, shall be inserted:

“(h) in the event of an appointment of a Custodian for the Company’s principal banking subsidiary, Ameris Bank.”

(o) Acceleration of Maturity, Rescission and Annulment . Section 6.2 of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes, except that the first paragraph thereof shall be substituted with the following:

“If an Event of Default specified in Sections 6.1(e), 6.1(f) or 6.1(h) occurs, the principal amount of all the Notes, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon, shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable. The Maturity of the Notes shall not otherwise be accelerated as a result of an Event of Default.”

(p) Ranking . The Notes shall rank junior to and shall be subordinated to all Senior Indebtedness of the Company, whether existing as of the date of this First Supplemental Indenture, or hereafter issued or incurred, including all indebtedness relating to money owed to general creditors and trade creditors. The Notes shall rank senior to the Company’s: (i) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2033; (ii) Junior Subordinated Debt Securities due 2033; (iii) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Notes due 2034; (iv) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2034; (v) Junior Subordinated Debt Securities due 2035; (vi) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2035; (vii) Fixed/Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2035; (viii) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2036; (ix) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2036; (x) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2036: (xi) Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2036: (xii) Fixed/Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due 2037; and (xiii) Junior Subordinated Debt Securities due 2038. Subject to the terms of the Base Indenture, if the Trustee or any holder of any of the Notes receives any payment or distribution of the Company’s assets in contravention of the subordination provisions applicable to the Notes before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full in cash, property or securities, including by way of set-off or any such payment or distribution that may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Notes, then such payment or distribution will be held in trust for the benefit of holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representatives to the extent necessary to make payment in full in cash or payment satisfactory to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of all unpaid Senior Indebtedness.

(q) No Collateral . The Notes shall not be entitled to the benefit of any security interest in, or collateralization by, any rights, property or interest of the Company.

(r) Additional Terms . Other terms applicable to the Notes are as otherwise provided for in the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture.

Article IV
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 4.01. Supplemental Indentures . The following paragraph shall be added to the end of Section 9.2 of the Base Indenture and shall only apply to the Notes:

“Not in limitation of the foregoing, without the consent of any Holder of Notes, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes to conform the terms of the Indenture and the Notes to the description of the Notes in the prospectus supplement dated March 7, 2017 relating to the offering of the Notes.”

Article V
MISCELLANEOUS

Section 5.01. Trust Indenture Act . This First Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of the Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such act to be a part of and govern this First Supplemental Indenture, the latter provision shall control.

Section 5.02. Governing Law . The laws of the State of New York shall govern this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes.

Section 5.03. Duplicate Originals . The parties may sign any number of copies of this First Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this First Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original First Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 5.04. Severability . In case any provision in this First Supplemental Indenture or the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 5.05. Ratification . The Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this First Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed. The Base Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. All provisions included in this First Supplemental Indenture supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Base Indenture unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture.

Section 5.06. Effectiveness . The provisions of this First Supplemental Indenture shall become effective as of the date hereof.

Section 5.07. Successors . All agreements of the Company in this First Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this First Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors.

Section 5.08. Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations . No recourse for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any shareholder, employee, agent, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor Person; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this First Supplemental Indenture and the issue of the Notes.

Section 5.09. Trustee’s Disclaimer . The recitals contained herein shall be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this First Supplemental Indenture, the Notes, or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Company.

Section 5.10. USA PATRIOT Act . The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account. The parties to this First Supplemental Indenture agree that they shall provide the Trustee with such information as they may request in order to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

	AMERIS BANCORP

	By:	/s/ Dennis J. Zember Jr.
		Dennis J. Zember Jr.
		Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Attest:

By:	/s/ Cindi H. Lewis
	Cindi H. Lewis
	Corporate Secretary

[Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture]

	Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

	By:	/s/ Michael H. Wass
	Name: Michael H. Wass
	Title: Vice President

[Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture]

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF NOTE

See attached.

THIS SECURITY AND THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY (AS DEFINED HEREIN) AS EVIDENCED HEREBY (1) ARE NOT DEPOSITS WITH OR HELD BY THE COMPANY AND ARE NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY ANY FEDERAL AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, AND (2) ARE SUBORDINATE IN THE RIGHT OF PAYMENT TO THE SENIOR INDEBTEDNESS (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE IDENTIFIED HEREIN).

GLOBAL NOTE

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, WHICH MAY BE TREATED BY THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND ANY AGENT THEREOF AS OWNER AND HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY FOR ALL PURPOSES.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE (I) BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR (II) BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR THE DEPOSITARY TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.

AMERIS BANCORP

5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027

No. 1	CUSIP: 03076KAA6
	ISIN: US03076KAA60

$75,000,000

Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (hereinafter called the “ Company ,” which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or its registered assigns, the principal sum of $75,000,000 (or such other amount as set forth in the Schedule of Increases or Decreases in Global Note attached hereto) on March 15, 2027 (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “ Stated Maturity Date ”), unless redeemed prior to such date, and to pay interest thereon (i) from, and including, March 13, 2017, to, but excluding, March 15, 2022, unless redeemed prior to such date, at a rate of 5.75% per annum, semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing September 15, 2017 (each such date, a “ Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date ,” with the period from, and including, March 13, 2017 to, but excluding, the first Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including, a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date being a “ Fixed Rate Period ”) and (ii) from, and including, March 15, 2022 to the Stated Maturity Date, unless redeemed subsequent to March 15, 2022 but prior to the Stated Maturity Date, at a rate equal to Three-month LIBOR, reset quarterly, plus 361.6 basis points (3.616%), payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15 of each year through the Stated Maturity Date or earlier redemption date (each, a “ Floating Rate Interest Payment Date ,” and together with the Fixed Rate Interest Payment Dates, the “ Interest Payment Dates ,” with the period from, and including, March 15, 2022 to, but excluding, the first Floating Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including a Floating Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Floating Rate Interest Payment Date being a “ Floating Rate Period ”). The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months up to, but excluding March 15, 2022, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date for this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to but excluding such Business Day. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-month LIBOR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.

Any principal and premium, and any such installment of interest, which is overdue shall bear interest at the applicable rate set forth in the previous paragraph (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), from the dates such amounts are due until they are paid or made available for payment, and such interest shall be payable on demand. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on the last day of the month (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.

Payment of the principal of and interest on this Note will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, in such currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

[Remainder of this page intentionally left blank. Signature page follows.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officers.

	AMERIS BANCORP

	By:
		Dennis J. Zember Jr.
		Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Attest:

By:
	Cindi H. Lewis
	Corporate Secretary

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Notes of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Date of authentication: __________

	WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION , as Trustee

	By:
		Authorized Signatory

REVERSE OF NOTE

AMERIS BANCORP

5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company of a series designated as the “5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027” (herein called the “ Notes ”) initially issued in an aggregate principal amount of $75,000,000 on March 13, 2017. Such series of Securities has been established pursuant to, and is one of an indefinite number of series of subordinated debt securities of the Company issued or issuable under and pursuant to the Subordinated Debt Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “ Base Indenture ”), between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee (herein called the “ Trustee ,” which term includes any successor trustee), as supplemented and amended by the First Supplemental Indenture between the Company and the Trustee, dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “ First Supplemental Indenture ,” and the Base Indenture as supplemented and amended by the First Supplemental Indenture, the “ Indenture ”), to which Indenture and any other indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Persons in whose names Notes are registered from time to time and of the terms upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The terms, conditions and provisions of the Notes are those stated in the Indenture, those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “ Trust Indenture Act ”), and those set forth in this Note. To the extent that the terms, conditions and provisions of this Note modify, supplement or are inconsistent with those of the Indenture, then the terms, conditions and other provisions of this Note shall govern to the extent that such terms, conditions and other provisions of this Note are not inconsistent with the terms, conditions and provisions made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act.

All capitalized terms used in this Note and not defined herein that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture. To the extent that any capitalized term used in this Note and defined herein is also defined in the Indenture but conflicts with the definition provided in the Indenture, the definition of the capitalized term in this Note shall control.

The indebtedness of the Company evidenced by the Notes, including the principal thereof, premium, if any, Additional Amounts, if any, and interest thereon, is, to the extent and in the manner set forth in the Indenture, subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date hereof or hereafter incurred, and on the terms and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture, and shall rank pari passu in right of payment with all other Securities and with all other unsecured subordinated indebtedness of the Company and not by its terms subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of types that include the Notes. Each Holder of this Note, by the acceptance hereof, agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions of the Indenture and authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination so provided.

The Notes are intended to be treated as Tier 2 capital (or its then-equivalent if the Company were subject to such capital requirement) for purposes of capital adequacy guidelines of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor regulatory authority with jurisdiction over bank holding companies) (the “ Federal Reserve Board ”) as then in effect and applicable to the Company. If an Event of Default with respect to Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal and interest owed on the Notes shall only become due and payable in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Article VI of the Base Indenture and Sections 3.02(k) and (o) of the First Supplemental Indenture. Accordingly, the Holder of this Note has no right to accelerate the maturity of this Note in the event that the Company fails to pay interest on any of the Notes, or fails to perform any other obligations under the Notes or in the Indenture that are applicable to the Notes.

The Company may, at its option, redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest (the “ Redemption Price ”) to but excluding, the date of redemption (the “ Redemption Date ”), on any Interest Payment Date on or after March 15, 2022. The Company may also, at its option, redeem the Notes before the Stated Maturity Date, in whole, but not in part, at any time, upon the occurrence of a Tier 2 Capital Event, a Tax Event or a 1940 Act Event. Any such redemption will be at a redemption price equal to the Redemption Price to, but excluding, the Redemption Date fixed by the Company. No redemption of the Notes by the Company prior to the Stated Maturity Date shall be made without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board if such prior approval is or will be required at the scheduled Redemption Date. The provisions of Article III of the Base Indenture and Section 3.02(g) of the First Supplemental Indenture shall apply to the redemption of any Notes by the Company.

The Notes are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund. The Notes are not convertible into or exchangeable for any other securities or property of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Register described in Section 2.7 of the Base Indenture, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and interest on this Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar duly executed by the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

The Company and the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

This Security is a global note, represented by one or more permanent global certificates registered in the name of the nominee of The Depository Trust Company (each a “ Global Note ” and collectively, the “ Global Notes ”). Accordingly, unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates, this Note may not be transferred except as a whole by The Depository Trust Company (the “ Depositary ”) to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any nominee to a successor Depositary or any nominee of such successor. Ownership of beneficial interests in this Security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable Depositary or its nominee (with respect to interest of persons that have accounts with the Depositary (“ Participants ”)) and the records of Participants (with respect to interests of persons other than Participants). Beneficial interests in Notes owned by persons that hold through Participants will be evidenced only by, and transfers of such beneficial interests with such Participants will be effected only through, records maintained by such Participants. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in this Note will not be entitled to have any individual certificates and will not be considered the owners or Holders thereof under the Indenture.

Except in the limited circumstances set forth in the Base Indenture, Participants and owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not be entitled to receive Notes in the form of Individual Securities and will not be considered Holders of Notes. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar, the Paying Agent or any of their respective agents will be liable for any delay by the Depositary, its nominee or any direct or indirect Participant in identifying the beneficial owners of the related Notes. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar, the Paying Agent and each of their respective agents may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from the Depositary or its nominee for all purposes, including with respect to the registration and delivery, and the respective principal amounts, of the Notes to be issued.

Except as provided in Section 2.14 of the Base Indenture, beneficial owners of Global Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of Notes in the form of Individual Securities, and no Global Note will be exchangeable except for another Global Note of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a Global Note must rely on the procedures of the Depositary and, if such person is not a Participant, on the procedures of the Participant through which such person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a Holder under the Notes.

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of those securities in definitive form. Accordingly, the ability to transfer interests in the Notes represented by a Global Note to those persons may be limited. In addition, because the Depositary can act only on behalf of its Participants, who in turn act on behalf of persons who hold interests through Participants, the ability of a person having an interest in Notes represented by a Global Note to pledge or transfer such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in the Depositary’s system, or otherwise to take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical definitive security in respect of such interest. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of Notes by the Depositary, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of the Depositary relating to the Notes.

The Trustee will act as the Company’s Paying Agent with respect to the Notes through its Corporate Trust Office presently located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, Attention: Ameris Bancorp Administrator. The Company may at any time rescind the designation of a Paying Agent, appoint a successor Paying Agent, or approve a change in the office through which any Paying Agent acts.

Notices to the Holders of registered Notes in the form of Individual Securities will be given to such Holders at their respective addresses in the Register, or in the case of Global Notes, electronic delivery in accordance with DTC’s applicable procedures. The Indenture contains provisions setting forth certain conditions to the institution of proceedings by the Holders of Notes with respect to the Indenture or for any remedy under the Indenture.

THIS NOTE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign the within Security, fill in the form below: I or we assign and transfer the within Security to:


	(Insert assignee’s legal name)


	(Insert assignee’s social security or tax I.D. number)


	(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

and irrevocably appoint the Trustee as agent to transfer this Security on the books of Ameris Bancorp. The agent may substitute another to act for it.

Your Signature:

( Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security )

Your Name:

Date:

Signature Guarantee:

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“ STAMP ”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL NOTE

The initial principal amount of this Global Note is $75,000,000. The following increases or decreases in the principal amount of this Global Note have been made:

Date

Amount of
decrease in
principal amount
of this
Global Note

Amount of
increase in
principal amount
of this
Global Note

Principal
amount
of this
Global Note
following such
decrease
or increase

Signature of
authorized
signatory of
Trustee

Exhibit 5.1

March 13, 2017

Ameris Bancorp

310 First St., S.E.

Moultrie, Georgia 31768

Re:

Ameris Bancorp – Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Ameris Bancorp, a Georgia corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-216254) filed by the Company (the “ Registration Statement ”) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on February 27, 2017 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), and the related preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2017 and final prospectus supplement dated March 7, 2017 (collectively, the “ Prospectus Supplement ”) to the base prospectus dated February 27, 2017 forming a part of the Registration Statement (the “ Base Prospectus ” and, together with the Prospectus Supplement, the “ Prospectus ”) relating to the offer and sale by the Company under the Registration Statement of $75,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2027 (the “ Notes ”). The Notes are to be issued under a Subordinated Debt Indenture dated as of March 13, 2017 (the “ Base Indenture ”) between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture thereto dated March 13, 2017 between the Company and the Trustee (the “ Supplemental Indenture ” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “ Indenture ”), and sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement dated as of March 7, 2017 (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”) between the Company and Stephens Inc., as representative of the underwriters listed on Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement .

This opinion is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act.

We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents, certificates and records, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below.

In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, including endorsements, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified, conformed or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. In making our examination of documents executed or to be executed, we have assumed that the parties thereto (other than the Company) have been duly organized and are and will continue to be validly existing and in good standing, and have the requisite legal status and legal capacity, under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of incorporation or organization, and had or will have the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof on such parties (other than the Company).

Ameris Bancorp

March 13, 2017

Page 2

As to any facts material to the opinion expressed herein which were not independently established or verified, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.

Our opinion set forth herein is limited to (i) the laws of the State of Georgia and (ii) the laws of the State of New York that, in our experience, are applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus with respect to the offer and sale of the Notes and, to the extent that judicial or regulatory orders or decrees or consents, approvals, licenses, authorizations, validations, filings, recordings or registrations with governmental authorities are relevant, to those required under such laws (all of the foregoing being referred to as “ Applicable Law ”). We do not express any opinion with respect to the law of any jurisdiction other than Applicable Law or as to the effect of the law of any jurisdiction other than Applicable Law on the opinions herein stated.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the limitations, qualifications, exceptions and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner specified in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (c) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain remedies and (d) waivers of any usury defense contained in the Indenture or the Notes which may be unenforceable.

To the extent that our opinion herein relates to the enforceability of the choice of New York law and New York forum provisions of any agreement or instrument, our opinion stated herein is rendered solely in reliance upon New York General Obligations Law sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 and Rule 327(b) of New York Civil Practice Law and Rules and is subject to the qualification that such enforceability may be limited by, in each case, the terms of such sections 5-1401 and 5-1402, as well as by principles of public policy, comity or constitutionality.

Our conclusions are limited to the matters expressly set forth as our “opinion” herein, and no opinion is implied or is to be inferred beyond the matters expressly so stated. Such opinion is given as of the date hereof, and we expressly decline any undertaking to revise or update such opinion subsequent to the date hereof or to advise you of any matter arising subsequent to the date hereof that would cause us to modify, in whole or in part, such opinion.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on the date hereof, which Current Report will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

	Very truly yours,

	/s/ Rogers & Hardin LLP

	Rogers & Hardin LLP

Exhibit 12.1

Statement Regarding Computation of

PRO FORMA RATIO OF Earnings to

Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

	Year Ended December 31, 2016 (in thousands, except ratios)
	Actual		Adjustments			Pro Forma ⁽¹⁾
EARNINGS
Pre-tax income from continuing operations		105,246		(2,844	)		102,402
Fixed charges		21,256		2,844			24,100
Amortization of capitalized interest		—		—			—
Capitalized interest		—		—			—

Total earnings		126,502		—			126,502
Less: Interest on deposits		12,410		—			12,410

Total earnings exc. deposit int.		114,092		—			114,092

FIXED CHARGES
Interest expensed		19,694		2,844			22,538
Interest capitalized		—		—			—
Interest included in rental expense		1,562		—			1,562

Total fixed charges		21,256		2,844			24,100
Less: Interest on deposits		12,410		—			12,410

Total fixed charges exc. deposit int.		8,846		2,844			11,690

FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
Interest expensed		19,694		2,844			22,538
Interest capitalized		—		—			—
Interest included in rental expense		1,562		—			1,562
Preferred stock dividends (pre-tax equivalent)		—		—			—

Total fixed charges and preferred stock dividends		21,256		2,844			24,100
Less: Interest on deposits		12,410		—			12,410

Total fixed charges and preferred dividends exc. deposit int.		8,846		2,844			11,690

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Including interest on deposits		5.95					5.25

Excluding interest on deposits		12.90					9.76

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
Including interest on deposits		5.95					5.25

Excluding interest on deposits		12.90					9.76

(1)

The ratios of earnings to fixed charges and of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for the year ended December 31, 2016 have been adjusted on a pro forma basis to give effect to the offer and sale of $75,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes and the use of the net proceeds to repay the outstanding principal amount of the Company’s revolving credit agreement advances (totaling $38.85 million at December 31, 2016) as if both such events occurred on January 1, 2016.

Exhibit 99.1

News Release

AMERIS BANCORP ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT

OF Subordinated Notes OFFERING

MOULTRIE, Ga., March 6, 2017 / PRNewswire / — Ameris Bancorp (Nasdaq: ABCB) (the “Company”), the parent holding company of Ameris Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of approximately $75 million in aggregate principal amount of its fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) .

Stephens Inc. will serve as the book-running manager for the offering. The Notes will be issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement and prospectus filed as part of an effective shelf registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-216254). The Company expects to use the net proceeds of this offering to repay existing indebtedness under its revolving credit agreement and for general corporate purposes, which may include providing capital to support its growth organically or through strategic acquisitions, financing investments and capital expenditures, and for investments in the Bank as regulatory capital.

Additional Information Regarding the Offering

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, which is made only by means of a prospectus supplement and related base prospectus, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The Company has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus supplement) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Prospective investors, including current shareholders interested in participating in the offering, should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering. These documents are available at no charge by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Stephens Inc., 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, Attn: Syndicate by calling toll-free at (800) 643-9691.

About Ameris Bancorp

Ameris Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia. The Company’s banking subsidiary, Ameris Bank, had 97 locations in Georgia, Alabama, northern Florida and South Carolina at the end of the most recent quarter.

The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ABCB”.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate” and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are referred to the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC for a summary of certain factors that may impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

For more information contact:

Dennis J. Zember Jr.

Executive Vice President, CFO & COO

(229) 890-1111

Exhibit 99.2

News Release

AMERIS BANCORP ANNOUNCES PRICING

OF Subordinated Notes OFFERING

MOULTRIE, Ga., March 7, 2017 / PRNewswire / — Ameris Bancorp (Nasdaq: ABCB) (the “Company”), the parent holding company of Ameris Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that it has priced $75 million of its 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2027 (the “ Notes ”) . The Notes have an initial fixed interest rate of 5.75% until March 15, 2022, payable semi-annually in arrears, and a 10-year term and were offered to the public at par. Commencing March 15, 2022, the interest rate on the Notes resets quarterly to a floating rate per annum equal to the then-current three-month LIBOR plus 3.616%, payable quarterly in arrears. Stephens Inc. acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering and Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. acted as co-manager.

The Company expects to close the transaction, subject to customary conditions, on or about March 13, 2017. The Company expects to use the net proceeds of this offering to repay existing indebtedness under its revolving credit agreement and for general corporate purposes, which may include providing capital to support its growth organically or through strategic acquisitions, financing investments and capital expenditures, and for investments in the Bank as regulatory capital.

Additional Information Regarding the Offering

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, which is made only by means of a prospectus supplement and related base prospectus, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The Company has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-216254) and a prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Prospective investors, including current shareholders interested in participating in the offering, should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering. These documents are available at no charge by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may also be obtained from Stephens Inc., 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, Attn: Syndicate, by calling toll-free at (800) 643-9691, or Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10020, Attn: Syndicate, by calling toll-free at (866) 805-4128.

About Ameris Bancorp

The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ABCB”.

Forward-Looking Statements

For more information contact:

Dennis J. Zember Jr.

Executive Vice President, CFO & COO

(229) 890-1111