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): November 4, 2021

Partners Bancorp

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

2245 Northwood Drive, Salisbury, Maryland 21801

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (410) 548-1100

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):

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). ¨

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

On November 4, 2021, OceanFirst Financial Corp. (“OCFC”) released a presentation to investors about the Transaction (as defined below). The presentation is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

The preceding information, as well as Exhibit 99.1 referenced therein, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, or incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

On November 4, 2021, Partners Bancorp (“PTRS”) and OCFC issued a joint press release announcing the execution of an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 4, 2021, pursuant to which OCFC will acquire PTRS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein (the “Transaction”). A copy of the joint press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and incorporated by reference herein.

Important Information and Where to Find It:

This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities of PTRS or OCFC or a solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the proposed Transaction, OCFC intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus to be mailed to shareholders of PTRS. SECURITY HOLDERS OF PTRS AND OCFC ARE ADVISED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PTRS, OCFC AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Security holders may obtain free copies of these documents, once they are filed, and other documents filed with the SEC on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, from OCFC by accessing OCFC’s website at https://oceanfirst.com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings” or from PTRS by accessing PTRS’s website at https://www.partnersbancorp.com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings.”

PTRS, OCFC and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of PTRS and OCFC in connection with the proposed Transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of PTRS and their ownership of the PTRS’s common stock is set forth in PTRS’s proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on April 7, 2021. Information about the directors and executive officers of OCFC and their ownership of OCFC’s common stock is set forth in OCFC’s proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on April 20, 2021. Additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed Transaction when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies of each document as described in the preceding paragraph.

For more information, please contact:

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the financial condition, results of operations, business plans and future performance of OCFC and PTRS, including, but not limited to statements about the benefits of the merger between OCFC and PTRS, including future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhancements to revenue and accretion to reported earnings that may be realized from the merger. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “targets,” “designed,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “will” or other similar words and expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on OCFC’s and PTRS’s current expectations and assumptions regarding OCFC’s and PTRS’s businesses, the economy, and other future conditions.

Because forward-looking statements relate to future results and occurrences, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances and other factors that are difficult to predict. Many possible events or factors could affect OCFC’s and/or PTRS’s future financial results and performance and could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of OCFC and/or PTRS to differ materially from any anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, (1) the risk that the cost savings, any revenue synergies and other anticipated benefits of the proposed merger may not be realized or may take longer than anticipated to be realized, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the condition of the economy and competitive factors in areas where OCFC and PTRS do business, (2) deposit attrition, operating costs, customer losses and other disruptions to the parties’ businesses as a result of the announcement and pendency of the proposed merger, and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities, (3) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the definitive merger agreement between OCFC and PTRS, (4) the risk that the integration of OCFC’s and PTRS’s operations will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected or that OCFC and PTRS are otherwise unable to successfully integrate their businesses, (5) the failure to obtain the necessary approvals of the shareholders of PTRS, (6) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against OCFC and/or PTRS, (7) the failure to obtain required governmental approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction), (8) reputational risk and potential adverse reactions of OCFC’s and/or PTRS’s customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed merger, (9) the failure of any of the closing conditions in the definitive merger agreement to be satisfied on a timely basis or at all, (10) delays in closing the proposed merger, (11) the possibility that the proposed merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, (12) the dilution caused by OCFC’s issuance of additional shares of its capital stock in connection with the proposed merger, (13) general competitive, economic, political and market conditions, (14) other factors that may affect future results of OCFC and/or PTRS including changes in asset quality and credit risk, the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth, changes in interest rates and capital markets, inflation, customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices, the impact, extent and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, and other actions of bank regulatory agencies and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, and (15) the impact of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic on OCFC’s and/or PTRS’s businesses, the ability to complete the proposed merger and/or any of the other foregoing risks.

Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, each of OCFC and PTRS disclaims any obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments. Further information regarding OCFC, PTRS and factors which could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein can be found in OCFC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, and its other filings with the SEC, and in PTRS’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, and its other filings with the SEC.

(d) Exhibits.

SIGNATURES

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

Dated: November 4, 2021

Exhibit 99.1

. . . INVESTOR PRESENTATION 1 Acquisition of Partners Bancorp

. . . Legal Disclaimer Cautionary Notes on Forward Looking Statements This communication contains “forward - looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27 A of the Securities Act of 1933 , as amended, and Section 21 E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , as amended . These forward - looking statements may include : management plans relating to the proposed transaction with Partners Bancorp (the “Transaction”) ; the expected timing of the completion of the Transaction ; the ability to complete the Transaction ; the ability to obtain any required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals, authorizations or consents ; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, including the execution of integration plans relating to the Transaction ; any statements of expectation or belief ; any projections or plans related to certain financial or operational metrics ; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing . Forward - looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek”, “plan”, “will”, “would”, “could,” “may,” “target,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “pathway,” “project” and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words . Forward - looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control . Forward - looking statements speak only as of the date they are made . Neither OceanFirst nor Partners Bancorp assumes any duty or obligation (and does not undertake) to update or supplement any forward - looking statements . Because forward - looking statements are, by their nature, to different degrees, uncertain and subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, actual results or future events, circumstances or developments could differ, possibly materially, from those that OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp anticipated in its forward - looking statements, and future results and performance could differ materially from historical performance . Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those included under Item 1 A “Risk Factors” in OceanFirst’s Annual Report on Form 10 - K, under Item 1 A “Risk Factors” in Partners Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10 - K and those disclosed in OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as the possibility that expected benefits of the Transaction may not materialize in the timeframe expected or at all, or may be more costly to achieve ; that the Transaction may not be timely completed, if at all ; that prior to the completion of the Transaction or thereafter, OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s respective businesses may not perform as expected due to transaction - related uncertainty or other factors ; that the parties are unable to successfully implement integration strategies related to the Transaction ; that required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals, authorizations or consents in connection with the Transaction are not obtained or other customary closing conditions are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all ; reputational risks and the reaction of the companies’ stockholders, customers, employees and other constituents to the Transaction ; and diversion of management time as a result of the matters related to the Transaction . These risks, as well as other risks associated with the Transaction will be more fully discussed in the prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp that will be included in the registration statement on Form S - 4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction . The list of factors presented here, and the list of factors that will be presented in the registration statement on Form S - 4 , is not, and should not be, considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties . Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward - looking statements . For any forward - looking statements made in this communication or in any documents, OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward - looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 . 2

. . . Legal Disclaimer (Continued) Additional Information about the Proposed Transaction This communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving OceanFirst and Partners Bancorp . In connection with the proposed transaction with Partners Bancorp, OceanFirst intends to file a registration statement on Form S - 4 containing a prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and other documents with the SEC . Before making any voting or investment decision, the investors and stockholders of Partners Bancorp are urged to carefully read the entire prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp when they become available and any other documents filed by OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they will contain important information about OceanFirst, Partners Bancorp and/or the proposed transaction . When available, copies of the prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp will be mailed to the stockholders of Partners Bancorp . Partners Bancorp investors and stockholders are also urged to carefully review and consider each of OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to their respective Annual Reports on Form 10 - K, proxy statements, Current Reports on Form 8 - K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10 - Q . When available, copies of the prospectus of OceanFirst and the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp also may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at http : //www . sec . gov . You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, from OceanFirst by accessing OceanFirst’s website at https : //oceanfirst . com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings” or from Partners Bancorp by accessing Partners Bancorp’s website at https : //www . partnersbancorp . com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings . ” Participants in the Solicitation OceanFirst, Partners Bancorp and certain of their respective directors and executive officers, under the SEC’s rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Partners Bancorp’s stockholders in connection with the OceanFirst – Partners Bancorp transaction . Information about the directors and executive officers of OceanFirst and their ownership of OceanFirst common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for OceanFirst’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14 A on April 20 , 2021 . Information about the directors and executive officers of Partners Bancorp and their ownership of Partners Bancorp’s common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for Partners Bancorp’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14 A on April 7 , 2021 . Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Partners Bancorp’s stockholders in connection with the OceanFirst – Partners Bancorp transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and prospectus of OceanFirst regarding the Partners Bancorp transaction when they become available . Once available, free copies of the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and prospectus of OceanFirst may be obtained as described on the previous page . No Offer or Solicitation This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction . No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933 , as amended . 3

. . . Central & Northern New Jersey Region Southern New Jersey Region Greater Philadelphia Region New York Region Baltimore Region CT NJ PA MD DC DE VA MA RI Boston Region NH NY ME Delmarva Region Virginia Region Building a Premier Regional Franchise 4 Pro Forma Financial Highlights 1 $13.5B Assets 2 $1.5B Market Cap 3,4 $9.3B Loans 2 $11.2B Deposits 2 ~10% ‘23 EPS Accretion 1,4 20%+ IRR 1 Accelerates strategic expansion into attractive Baltimore / D.C. region Clear pathway to significant cost savings Adds high - growth commercial - oriented franchise with stable deposit base Attractively priced on a P/TBV basis at 146% vs. 166% for comparable transactions 4,5 (1) Based on OceanFirst’s estimates for the acquisition of Partners Bancorp. (2) Pro forma data as of the quarter ended September 30, 2021. (3) Based on OceanFirst common stock price of $23.21 as of November 3, 2021 multiplied by pro forma outstanding shares of OceanFirst after giving effect to the transaction. (4) Assumes 80% of Partners Bancorp shares elect the stock consideration and 20% elect the cash consideration. (5) Median value for nationwide bank transactions announced in 2021 with target assets between $1.0B - $2.5B. OCFC Branches (58) PTRS Branches (20) PTRS LPOs (2)

. . . Overview of Partners Bancorp 5 Company Overview Historical Loan Growth ($millions) 2 Partners Bancorp is the multi - bank holding company created in 2019 by the merger between The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank Financial Highlights (2021Q3) Loan and Deposit Composition 3 Market Cap ($M) 1 $154 ROAA 0.66% Total Assets ($M) $1,638 ROAE 7.79% Gross Loans ($M) $1,111 NIM 3.02% Total Deposits ($M) $1,435 Efficiency Ratio 73.9% TCE / TA 7.8% Yield on Loans 4.86% NPAs / Reported Assets 0.49% Cost of Deposits 0.40% - 125 year old institution - One of the leading community banks in its coastal Maryland and Delaware markets - Additional presence in Philadelphia - Founded in 2008 - Located in the high growth Northern Virginia market - Recent lift - out of a lending team in metro D.C (1) Market cap based on common stock price of $8.67 as of November 3, 2021. (2) Based on combined bank regulatory financials of The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank. (3) As of or for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. 46% ’17 – YTD growth 10.7% CAGR Loans: $1.1B 5

. . . Transaction Summary 6 Key Financial Metrics 2 ~10% 2023 EPS Accretion ~(4)% Tangible Book Value Dilution ~3 years TBV Earnback (crossover) ~1.13% Pro Forma 2023 Est. ROAA 8.4% Pro Forma TE / TA Ratio Transaction Consideration Valuation Multiples 2,3 Key Transaction Assumptions ▪ 146% of TBVPS ▪ 17.2x LQA EPS ▪ 7.7x LQA EPS assuming fully phased - in cost savings ▪ Core deposit premium of 5.1% ▪ One - time pre - tax transaction and integration expenses of $20 million ▪ Cost savings estimated at 40% of Partners’ non - interest expense base ‒ Phased - in 50% in 2022 and 100% thereafter ▪ Core deposit intangible (CDI) of 0.50% of Partners’ non - time deposits. Amortization to occur over a 10 year period, sum of the years digits method ▪ 1.5% credit mark on Partners gross loans (~$17 million); 25% Non - PCD / 75% PCD ▪ Day 2 CECL reserve of 1.0x non - PCD credit mark ▪ Estimated net fair value of all purchase accounting marks (including the net credit mark and excluding CDI) of negative ~$17 million ▪ Stock consideration of 60% to 100% and cash consideration of 0% to 40% 1 ▪ $186 million in aggregate consideration 2 , or $10.38 per share 2 ‒ Stock election consideration of 0.4512 OceanFirst shares for each Partners share (implied price per share of $10.47 2 ) ‒ Cash election consideration of $10.00 per share (1) Partners Bancorp shareholders may elect stock or cash consideration, provided that a maximum of 40% of Partners Bancorp share s may be exchanged for the cash consideration. (2) Based on OceanFirst common stock price of $23.21 as of November 3, 2021; Assumes 80% of Partners Bancorp shares elect the sto ck consideration and 20% elect the cash consideration. (3) As of or for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. ▪ Estimated closing in first half of 2022 ▪ Subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals, receipt of the requisite approval of Partners shareholders and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions Closing ~4% 2022 EPS Accretion

. . . $2.6 B $5.2 B $5.4 B $7.5 B $8.2 B $11.4 B $13.5 B 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Q3 OCFC Total Assets Organic Acquired Experienced and Seasoned Acquiror 7 Assets: $142 M 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Assets: $1.1 B Assets: $1.6 B Assets: $2.0 B Assets: $495 M Assets: $798 M Assets: $1.1 B Assets: $1.6 B

. . . $1.9 B $4.2 B $4.3 B $5.8 B $6.3 B $9.4 B $11.2 B 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Q3 Total Deposits Total Deposits Deposits Acquired OCFC Balance Sheet: Loan and Deposit Growth 8 $2.0 B $3.8 B $4.0 B $5.6 B $6.2 B $7.8 B $9.3 B 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Q3 Total Loans Total Loans Loans Acquired PTRS acquisition PTRS acquisition

Exhibit 99.2

PRESS RELEASE
Contacts:
For OceanFirst Financial Corp.	For Partners Bancorp
Michael Fitzpatrick	Lloyd B. Harrison
Executive Vice President and	Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer	Virginia Partners Bank/
OceanFirst Financial Corp.	Maryland Partners Bank (a division of
732.240.4500 ext. 7506	Virginia Partners Bank)
mfitzpatrick@oceanfirst.com	540.899.2234

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP.

AND PARTNERS BANCORP

ANNOUNCE MERGER AGREEMENT

Accelerates OceanFirst’s Strategic Expansion into Attractive

Baltimore / Washington D.C. Region and

Adds High-Growth, Commercial-Oriented Franchise

with Stable Deposit Base

RED BANK, NEW JERSEY and SALISBURY, MARYLAND - November 4, 2021 - OceanFirst Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:OCFC) (“OceanFirst”), parent company of OceanFirst Bank N.A. (“OceanFirst Bank”), and Partners Bancorp (NASDAQ: PTRS) (“Partners”), parent company of The Bank of Delmarva (and its division, Liberty Bell Bank), headquartered in Seaford, Delaware, and Virginia Partners Bank (and its division Maryland Partners Bank), headquartered in Fredericksburg, Virginia, jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which Partners will merge into OceanFirst, with OceanFirst surviving. Upon completion of the Partners merger, The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank will each successively merge into OceanFirst Bank, with OceanFirst Bank surviving each bank merger. Based on OceanFirst’s closing stock price on November 3, 2021 of $23.21, the transaction is valued at approximately $10.38 per Partners common share, or approximately $186 million in the aggregate.

Based on September 30, 2021 results and the impact of purchase accounting, the combined company is expected to have, pro forma, approximately $13.5 billion in assets, $9.3 billion in loans and $11.2 billion in deposits. The proposed acquisition of Partners would expand OceanFirst’s footprint into Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the Washington D.C. metro area. The transaction is expected to result in approximately 10% earnings per share accretion in 2023 (the first full year of fully phased-in synergies).

Partners is the multi-bank holding company that owns The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank. At September 30, 2021, Partners had $1.64 billion in assets, $1.11 billion in loans, $1.44 billion in deposits, and $139.5 million in stockholders’ equity.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, in exchange for each share of Partners common stock, Partners stockholders may elect to receive $10.00 in cash or 0.4512 shares of OceanFirst common stock. The merger agreement provides that only up to 40% of Partners common stock will be exchanged for cash and the remaining shares exchanged for OceanFirst common stock, subject to proration. Assuming 80% of the shares of Partners common stock are converted into OceanFirst common stock and 20% of the shares of Partners common stock are converted into cash, the aggregate consideration to be paid in exchange for the Partners common stock will consist of approximately 6.5 million shares of OceanFirst common stock and $37 million in cash. Certain stockholders of Partners owning in the aggregate approximately 44% of Partners’ outstanding common stock have entered into support agreements with OceanFirst pursuant to which they have agreed to vote in favor of the merger agreement.

Christopher D. Maher, OceanFirst Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented on the announcement, “The banks that comprise Partners Bancorp are each strong organizations operating community commercial banking models and have demonstrated strong growth in their markets. Joining the OceanFirst family will allow these highly professional commercial bankers to continue to build new relationships while leveraging the technology and operating efficiency offered by our Company. The addition of the customers and employees of The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank, along with their respective operating divisions of Liberty Bell Bank and Maryland Partners Bank, joining our OceanFirst team provides an exciting opportunity to expand our digitally-focused commercial banking franchise further into Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. metro area.” Maher added, “We believe the foundation and core values of OceanFirst are consistent with the teams at the Partners Bancorp banks and together we can achieve enhanced value for our stockholders while delivering an extraordinary experience for our customers.”

“This partnership creates a powerful and innovative financial services provider better able to serve its clients and communities of today and tomorrow,” said Lloyd B. Harrison, III, Chief Executive Officer of Partners. “The team at OceanFirst has built and maintains a high quality banking franchise, and there is no better team with which to unite to deliver community-style banking and to capitalize on the opportunities presented by an evolving industry.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with OceanFirst in this merger. As part of a larger and more diverse institution, our employees will have additional opportunities to grow and develop, our customers will have greater access to expanded banking services, and our shareholders should benefit from our increased profitability, liquidity, and increased market capitalization,” said John W. Breda, President and Chief Operating Officer of Partners.

The merger is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to Partners receiving the requisite approval of its stockholders, receipt of all required regulatory approvals, and fulfillment of other customary closing conditions.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. served as financial advisor to OceanFirst and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as OceanFirst’s legal counsel. Piper Sandler Companies served as financial advisor to Partners and Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP served as Partners’ legal counsel.

Conference Call, Webcast, and Investor Presentation

OceanFirst will host a conference call to discuss the proposed transaction on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Christopher D. Maher, OceanFirst Financial Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will host the call. The conference call dial-in number is 1-844-200-6205 with an access code: 261782. For those unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available. To access the replay, dial 1-866-813-9403 with an access code: 968870 from one hour after the end of the call until February 7, 2022. A copy of the slide presentation will also be available on the website by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Events & Presentations. The conference call will also be available (listen-only) via the Internet by accessing OceanFirst’s Web address: www.oceanfirst.com – Investor Relations. Web users should go to the site at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

About OceanFirst Financial Corp.

OceanFirst Financial Corp.’s subsidiary, OceanFirst Bank N.A., founded in 1902, is a $11.8 billion regional bank providing financial services throughout New Jersey and in the major metropolitan markets of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Boston. OceanFirst Bank delivers commercial and residential financing, treasury management, trust and asset management, and deposit services and is one of the largest and oldest community-based financial institutions headquartered in New Jersey. To learn more about OceanFirst, go to www.oceanfirst.com.

About Partners Bancorp

Partners Bancorp is the holding company for The Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank. The Bank of Delmarva commenced operations in 1896. The Bank of Delmarva’s main office is in Seaford, Delaware and it conducts full service commercial banking through 12 branch locations in Maryland and Delaware, and three branches operating under the name Liberty Bell Bank in the South Jersey/Philadelphia metro market. The Bank of Delmarva focuses on serving its local communities, knowing its customers and providing superior customer service. Virginia Partners Bank, headquartered in Fredericksburg, Virginia was founded in 2008 and has three branches in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In Maryland, Virginia Partners Bank trades under the name Maryland Partners Bank (a division of Virginia Partners Bank) and operates a full-service branch and commercial banking office in La Plata, Maryland and a Loan Production Office in Annapolis Maryland. For more information, visit www.bankofdelmarvahb.com and www.vapartnersbank.com.

* * *

Cautionary Notes on Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the proposed transaction with Partners Bancorp (the “Transaction”); the expected timing of the completion of the Transaction; the ability to complete the Transaction; the ability to obtain any required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals, authorizations or consents; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, including the execution of integration plans relating to the Transaction; any statements of expectation or belief; any projections or plans related to certain financial or operational metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek”, “plan”, “will”, “would”, “could,” “may,” “target,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project” and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Neither OceanFirst nor Partners Bancorp assumes any duty or obligation (and does not undertake) to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements are, by their nature, to different degrees, uncertain and subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, actual results or future events, circumstances or developments could differ, possibly materially, from those that OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp anticipated in its forward-looking statements, and future results and performance could differ materially from historical performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those included under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in OceanFirst’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in Partners Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and those disclosed in OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as the possibility that expected benefits of the Transaction may not materialize in the timeframe expected or at all, or may be more costly to achieve; that the Transaction may not be timely completed, if at all; that prior to the completion of the Transaction or thereafter, OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s respective businesses may not perform as expected due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors; that the parties are unable to successfully implement integration strategies related to the Transaction; that required regulatory, stockholder or other approvals, authorizations or consents in connection with the Transaction are not obtained or other customary closing conditions are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all; reputational risks and the reaction of the companies’ stockholders, customers, employees and other constituents to the Transaction; and diversion of management time as a result of the matters related to the Transaction. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the Transaction will be more fully discussed in the prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp that will be included in the registration statement on Form S-4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction. The list of factors presented here, and the list of factors that will be presented in the registration statement on Form S-4, is not, and should not be, considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. For any forward-looking statements made in this communication or in any documents, OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Additional Information about the Proposed Transaction

This communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving OceanFirst and Partners Bancorp.

In connection with the proposed transaction with Partners Bancorp, OceanFirst intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and other documents with the SEC. Before making any voting or investment decision, the investors and stockholders of Partners Bancorp are urged to carefully read the entire prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp when they become available and any other documents filed by OceanFirst or Partners Bancorp with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they will contain important information about OceanFirst, Partners Bancorp and/or the proposed transaction. When available, copies of the prospectus of OceanFirst and proxy statement of Partners Bancorp will be mailed to the stockholders of Partners Bancorp. Partners Bancorp investors and stockholders are also urged to carefully review and consider each of OceanFirst’s and Partners Bancorp’s public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to their respective Annual Reports on Form 10-K, proxy statements, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. When available, copies of the prospectus of OceanFirst and the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp also may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, from OceanFirst by accessing OceanFirst’s website at https://oceanfirst.com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings” or from Partners Bancorp by accessing Partners Bancorp’s website at https://www.partnersbancorp.com/ under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the heading “SEC Filings.”

Participants in the Solicitation

OceanFirst, Partners Bancorp and certain of their respective directors and executive officers, under the SEC’s rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Partners Bancorp’s stockholders in connection with the OceanFirst–Partners Bancorp transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of OceanFirst and their ownership of OceanFirst common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for OceanFirst’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on April 20, 2021. Information about the directors and executive officers of Partners Bancorp and their ownership of Partners Bancorp’s common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for Partners Bancorp’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on April 7, 2021. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Partners Bancorp’s stockholders in connection with the OceanFirst–Partners Bancorp transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and prospectus of OceanFirst regarding the Partners Bancorp transaction when they become available. Once available, free copies of the proxy statement of Partners Bancorp and prospectus of OceanFirst may be obtained as described on the previous page.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

For more information, please contact:

OceanFirst Financial Corp., 110 West Front Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701

Attn: Jill Hewitt

Partners Bancorp, 2245 Northwood Drive, Salisbury, Maryland 21801

Attn: Betsy Eicher, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Secretary