Edgar Filing: HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES INC

Ownership Submission

FORM 4

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

NEWCASTLE PARTNERS L P

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES INC [HALL]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

__X__ Director	__X__ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)
Executive Chairman

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

200 CRESCENT COURT, STE 1400

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/31/2009

(Street)

DALLAS, TX 75201

4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	03/31/2009		P		10,732	A	$ 6.94	12,192,187 ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	I ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	See Explanation
Common Stock	04/01/2009		P		10,000	A	$ 6.56	12,202,919 ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	I ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	See Explanation
Common Stock	04/03/2009		P		50,000	A	$ 6.79	12,252,919 ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	I ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	See Explanation

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
NEWCASTLE PARTNERS L P 200 CRESCENT COURT STE 1400 DALLAS, TX 75201	X	X	Executive Chairman
NEWCASTLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP 200 CRESCENT COURT STE 1400 DALLAS, TX 75201	X	X	Executive Chairman
Newcastle Focus Fund II LP 200 CRESCENT COURT SUITE 1400 DALLAS, TX 75201	X	X	Executive Chairman
SCHWARZ MARK E 200 CRESCENT COURT STE 1400 DALLAS, TX 75201	X	X	Executive Chairman
DETROIT STOKER Co 1510 E. FIRST ST. MONROE, MI 48161	X	X	Executive Chairman
DSC Services, Inc. 200 CRESCENT COURT SUITE 1400 DALLAS, TX 75201	X	X	Executive Chairman

Signatures

Newcastle Partners, L.P., By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., its general partner, By: Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. its general partner, By: /s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund I, L.P., By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., its general partner, By: Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. its general partner, By: /s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund II, L.P., By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., its general partner, By: Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. its general partner, By: /s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund I, L.P., By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., its general partner, By: Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. its general partner, By: /s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund II, L.P., By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., its general partner, By: Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. its general partner, By: /s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Mark E. Schwarz, its managing member		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Detroit Stoker Company		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ DSC Services, Inc.		04/06/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The Reporting Persons are members of a "group" for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and accordingly may be deemed to beneficially own Shares of the Issuer's Common Stock owned in the aggregate by the other members of the Section 13(d) group. The Section 13(d) group consists of Newcastle Partners, L.P. ("NP"), Newcastle Capital Management, L.P. ("NCM"), Newcastle Capital Group, L.L.C. ("NCG"), Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund I, L.P. ("NSOF I"), Newcastle Special Opportunity Fund II, L.P. ("NSOF II"), Newcastle Focus Fund II, L.P. ("NFF"), DSC Services Inc. ("DSC"), the Detroit Stoker Company ("Detroit Stoker") and Mark E. Schwarz ("Schwarz"). Each Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of the Issuer's Common Stock owned by the other members of the Section 13(d) group except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein.
(2)	NCM is the general partner of each of NP, NSOFI, NSOFII and NFF. NCG is the general partner of NCM, and Schwarz is the managing member of NCG. Accordingly, each of NCM, NCG and Schwarz may be deemed to beneficially own the shares directly owned by any of NP, NSOFI, NSOFII and NFF. In addition, NCG and Schwarz may be deemed to beneficially own shares controlled by NCM pursuant to an account management agreement under which NCM holds the power to vote and dispose of the shares. Also, DSC is the parent company of Detroit Stoker, and Schwarz and NCG together own all of the outstanding shares of DSC. Accordingly, each of Schwarz and DSC may be deemed to beneficially own the shares directly owned by Detroit Stoker.
(3)	Purchases effected by the Detroit Stoker. Includes (1) (a) 51,526 shares of Common Stock and (b) 19,167 options exercisable into shares of Common Stock, held in each case by Schwarz directly, (2) 7,319,113 shares of Common Stock held by NP, (2) a total of 3,274,830 shares of Common Stock held by NSOFI and NSOFII, (3) 2,400 shares of Common Stock owned by NFF and (4) 1,515,151 shares of Common Stock controlled by NCM pursuant to an account management agreement under which NCM holds the power to vote and dispose of such shares. In the aggregate, the members of the Section 13(d) group beneficially own 12,252,919 shares of the Issuer's Common Stock.

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