As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2019

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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REDWOOD TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

One Belvedere Place, Suite 300

Mill Valley, CA  94941

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

2002 Redwood Trust, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full title of the plan)

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

Explanatory Note

By registration statement on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-89302, 333-162893, 333-183114 and 333-190529) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), Redwood Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), previously registered an aggregate of 450,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), reserved for issuance from time to time in connection with the 2002 Redwood Trust, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as amended, the “Plan”). Under this registration statement, the Company is registering an additional 150,000 shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance from time to time in connection with the Plan.

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the content of the above-referenced prior registration statement is incorporated into this registration statement by reference to the extent not modified or superseded hereby or by any subsequently filed document which is incorporated by reference herein or therein.

PART II

Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this registration statement, and information that we file later with the Commission will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the following documents we have filed, or may file, with the Commission:

Any information that we later file with the Commission will automatically update and supersede the information and statements contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein. Any such information or statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this registration statement. Under no circumstances will any information “furnished” to the Commission pursuant to applicable rules and regulations be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such information expressly provides to the contrary.

Item 8. Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Mill Valley, State of California, on August 9, 2019.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Christopher J. Abate and Andrew P. Stone and each or either of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments or any abbreviated registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) increasing the number of securities for which registration is sought) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated: