<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001144204-09-019089
<TYPE>8-K
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20090331
<ITEMS>8.01
<FILING-DATE>20090406
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20090406
<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>
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<FORM-TYPE>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-12379
<FILM-NUMBER>09735139
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<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>4000 SMITH ROAD
<CITY>CINCINNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45209
<PHONE>5139795782
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<CITY>CINCINNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45209
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<TYPE>8-K
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<FILENAME>v145446_8k.htm
<TEXT>
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      <hr style="MARGIN-TOP: -10px; COLOR: #000000" noshade size="1"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div>
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D.C.&#160;&#160;20549</font></div>
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8-K</font></div>
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REPORT</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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      8-K</font></font></td>
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              <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">First
      Financial Bancorp.</font></font></div>
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    <div>&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Item
8.01.&#160;&#160;Other Events.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <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">On March
31, 2009, First Financial Insurance, Inc., Hamilton, Ohio (FFI) sold the
property and casualty and business liability portion of its insurance business
to the Knight-Willis Insurance Agency, LLC (KWIA), a related company of Knight
Crockett Miller Insurance Group (KCM), an independent insurance agency based in
Toledo, Ohio.&#160;&#160;FFI retained the life, health, long-term care, and
disability insurance segment of the business and will operate as a component of
First Financial&#8217;s Wealth Resource Group.&#160;&#160;On April 1, 2009, KWIA began
operating in the former FFI locations in Connersville and Highland, Indiana and
Hamilton, Ohio under the new name.</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 does not expect the transaction to have a material impact on
its financial statements.</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">FFI is a
wholly owned subsidiary of First Financial Bank, N.A., Hamilton, Ohio, which is
in turn wholly owned by First Financial Bancorp.</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">KCM
offers extensive product and service options for property and casualty and
business liability insurance clients.&#160;&#160;The company has been serving
clients for 150 years.</font></div>
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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">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
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                  <td colspan="2" valign="top" width="38%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">FIRST
      FINANCIAL BANCORP.</font></font></td>
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                  <td valign="top" width="50%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
                  <td colspan="2" valign="top" width="38%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="12%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
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