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Exhibit 5
[Letterhead
of Breyer & Associates PC]
December
22, 2010
Board of
Directors
Provident
Financial Holdings, Inc.
3756
Central Avenue
Riverside,
California 92506
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to
Provident Financial Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in
connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Registration Statement”) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to shares of common stock, par
value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company which may be issued
pursuant to the terms of the terms of the Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.
2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as well as Common Stock which may be
issued pursuant to the grant or exercise of stock options (“Options”) under the
Plan, all as more fully described in the Registration Statement. The
Registration Statement also registers an indeterminate number of additional
shares which may be necessary to adjust the number of shares registered thereby
for issuance as the result of a stock split, stock dividend or similar
adjustment of the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common
Stock. You have requested the opinion of this firm with respect to
certain legal aspects of the proposed offering.
We have reviewed the Registration
Statement, the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, the Plan,
a specimen stock certificate evidencing the Common Stock and such other
documents and records as we have deemed necessary for purposes of this
opinion. We are relying upon the originals, or copies certified or
otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the corporate records of the
Company and such other instruments, certificates and representations of public
officials, officers and representatives of the Company as we have deemed
applicable or relevant as a basis for the opinions set forth
below. In addition, we have assumed, without independent
verification, the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all
documents furnished to us and the conformance in all respects of copies to
originals. Furthermore, we have made such factual inquiries and
reviewed such laws as we determined to be relevant for the purposes of this
opinion.
For purposes of this opinion, we have
also assumed that (i) the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Plan
will continue to be validly authorized on the dates that the restrictions on the
Common Stock lapse; (ii) the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the
exercise of Options will continue to be validly authorized on the dates the
Common Stock is issued pursuant to the exercise of the Options, (iii) on the
dates the Options are exercised, the Options will constitute valid, legal and
binding obligations of the Company and will be enforceable as to the Company in
accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, moratorium,
insolvency, reorganization and other laws and legal principles affecting the
enforceability of creditors’ rights generally), (iv) no change occurs in
applicable law or the pertinent facts, (v) the Options are exercised in
accordance with the terms of the Plan and any separate agreement evidencing the
grant of such Options pursuant to the Plan and the exercise price due therefor,
if any, is paid in accordance with the terms thereof and (vi) the provisions of
“blue sky” and other securities laws as may be applicable have been complied
with to the extent required.
Based on the foregoing, and subject to
the assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion as of the date hereof
that the shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Plan, upon receipt
by the Company of any consideration required thereby, as applicable, will be
legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common
Stock.
Board of
Directors
Provident
Financial Holdings, Inc.
December
22, 2010
Page
2
We hereby consent to the filing of this
opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-8.
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Sincerely,
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/s/Breyer &
Associates PC |
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BREYER
& ASSOCIATES PC
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