November 17, 2015 (Shareholders Foundation) - An investigation on behalf of investors, who currently hold shares of C1 Financial Inc (NYSE:BNK), was announced concerning whether the takeover of C1 Financial Inc by Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. for approximately $25.00 per share is unfair to NYSE:BNK stockholders.

The investigation by a law firm concerns whether certain officers and directors of C1 Financial Inc breached their fiduciary duties owed to NYSE:BNK investors in connection with the proposed acquisition.

On November 9, 2015 Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. (NASDAQ: OZRK) and C1 Financial Inc (NYSE:BNK) jointly announced the signing of an agreement and plan of merger whereby Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. will acquire C1 Financial, Inc. and its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, C1 Bank, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $402.5 million, or approximately $25.00 per C1 Financial Inc (NYSE:BNK) share, subject to potential adjustments as described in the Agreement.

However, the investigation concerns whether the offer is unfair to NYSE:BNK stockholders. More specifically, the investigation concerns whether the C1 Financial Board of Directors undertook an adequate sales process, adequately shopped the company before entering into the transaction, maximized shareholder value by negotiating the best price, and acted in the shareholders' best interests in connection with the proposed sale.