<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001144204-08-068319
<TYPE>8-K
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20081206
<ITEMS>3.03
<FILING-DATE>20081208
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20081208
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP /OH/
<CIK>0000708955
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6021
<IRS-NUMBER>311042001
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>OH
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-12379
<FILM-NUMBER>081236232
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>4000 SMITH ROAD
<CITY>CINCINNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45209
<PHONE>5139795782
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>4000 SMITH ROAD
<CITY>CINCINNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45209
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</FILER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>v134331_8k.htm
<TEXT>
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AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Washington,
D.C.&#160;&#160;20549</font></div>
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    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">FORM
8-K</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">CURRENT
REPORT</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE</font></div>
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EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934</font></div>
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Report (Date of earliest event reported):&#160;&#160;December 6,
2008</font></div>
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FINANCIAL BANCORP.</font></div>
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name of registrant as specified in its charter)</font></div>
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      Smith Road, Suite 400</font></div>
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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):</font></div>
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      Modifications to Rights of Security
Holders</font></div>
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    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">First
Financial Bancorp.&#8217;s shareholder rights plan expired on December 6, 2008 with
the expiration of the Company&#8217;s Rights Agreement dated as of November 23, 1993,
between the Company and First Financial Bank, N.A. and subsequently amended on
May 1, 1998 and December 5, 2003 (collectively, the &#8220;Rights Agreement&#8221;). The
Rights Agreement expired by its own terms and the Company&#8217;s Board of Directors
has decided not to renew it. The terms of the Rights Agreement and the common
stock rights issued under it are described in Exhibit 4 to Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1998, the First Amendment to Rights Agreement (dated May
1, 1998) included as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company&#8217;s Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended March 31, 1998, and the Second Amendment to Rights Agreement (dated
December 5, 2003) included as Exhibit 5 to the Company&#8217;s Form 8-K filed December
5, 2003.</font></div>
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      8-K</font></div>
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            <td valign="top" width="37%">
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    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>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.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div>
      <div align="left">
        <div align="justify">
          <div align="justify">
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                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="55%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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                <tr>
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      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
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      </font></td>
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      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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      </font></td>
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      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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                  <td valign="top" width="55%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="3%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">By:</font></div>
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      J. Franklin Hall</font></div>
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                </tr>
                <tr>
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      </font></td>
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                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">J.
      Franklin Hall</font></div>
                  </td>
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                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="55%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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      </font></td>
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                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Executive
      Vice President and</font></div>
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                  <td valign="top" width="3%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
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                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Chief
      Financial Officer</font></div>
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                  <td valign="top" width="55%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="3%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="55%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="3%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="55%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="3%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="42%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
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                  <td valign="top" width="55%">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Date:
      December 8, 2008</font></div>
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      </font></td>
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      </font></td>
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