FIRST FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC. 65,000 Shares of Fixed Rate Cumulative Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference $1,000 Per Share UNDERWRITING AGREEMENTUnderwriting Agreement • April 3rd, 2012 • First Financial Holdings Inc /De/ • Savings institution, federally chartered • New York
First Financial Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Charleston (the “Bank”) and the United States Department of the Treasury (the “Selling Shareholder”) each confirms its agreement with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch” and together with any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 11 hereof, the “Underwriters”), for whom Merrill Lynch is acting as Representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to the sale by the Selling Shareholder and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto. The aforesaid 65,000 shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased by the Underwriters are referred to herein, collectively, as the “Securities.”
