National Bank (NBHC) S-8Registration of securities for employees

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 2023

Registration No. 333-             

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

NATIONAL BANK HOLDINGS CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

7800 East Orchard Road, Suite 300
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

National Bank Holdings Corporation 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan
(Full title of the Plan)

Angela Petrucci, Esq.
Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel
National Bank Holdings Corporation
7800 East Orchard Road, Suite 300
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Name and address of agent for service)

(303) 892-8715
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

David E. Shapiro, Esq.
Mark F. Veblen, Esq.
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019
Telephone: (212) 403-1000
Facsimile: (212) 403-2000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The purpose of this Form S-8 Registration Statement (this “Registration Statement”) is to register an aggregate of 1,739,516 shares of National Bank Holdings Corporation’s (“we,” “our,” “us,” “NBH” or the “Company”) Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), that may be offered pursuant to the National Bank Holdings Corporation 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I will be sent or given to employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933. Such documents need not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed with the Commission by the Company are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

To the extent that any information contained in any report on Form 8-K, or any exhibit thereto, was furnished to, rather than filed with, the Commission, such information or exhibit is specifically not incorporated by reference. All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (other than Current Reports on Form 8-K furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, including any exhibits included with such information that are related to such items) after the date of this Registration Statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director or certain officers of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL (regarding, among other things, the payment of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions), or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, to the full extent that the DGCL permits the limitation or elimination of the liability of directors, a director will not be liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for conduct as a director.

Section 145(a) of the DGCL empowers a corporation to indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent, or former director, officer, employee or agent, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of such person’s service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or such person’s service, at the corporation’s request, as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding; provided that such director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding; provided that such director or officer had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) of the DGCL empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit; provided that such director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such director or officer shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in our bylaws, we shall be required to indemnify any such person in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such proceeding (or part thereof) by any such person was authorized by the board.

In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by law. We are also expressly required to advance certain expenses to our directors and officers and carry directors’ and officers’ insurance providing indemnification for our directors and officers for some liabilities. We believe that these indemnification provisions and the directors’ and officers’ insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive officers.

We have also entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and certain officers. The indemnification agreements provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws against (i) any and all expenses and liabilities, including judgments, fines, penalties, interest and amounts paid in settlement of any claim with our approval and counsel fees and disbursements, (ii) any liability pursuant to a loan guarantee, or otherwise, for any of our indebtedness, and (iii) any liabilities incurred as a result of acting on behalf of us (as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with an employee benefit plan. The indemnification agreements also provide for the advancement or payment of expenses to the indemnitee and for reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, in the opinion of the Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Not applicable.

The list of exhibits is set forth under “Exhibit Index” at the end of this Registration Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Greenwood Village, State of Colorado, on the ninth day of May, 2023.

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints G. Timothy Laney, Aldis Birkans and Angela Petrucci, and each of them acting individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and any registration statement for the same offering covered by this Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as the attorney-in-fact and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and any other documents required in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents and their substitutes, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

EXHIBIT INDEX