IRVINE, Calif. – March 21, 2011 – Opus Bank announced today its commitment to provide $2.3 billion of capital funding to small and mid-sized businesses, allowing entrepreneurs and business owners to build and expand their companies. The commitment to provide $2.3 billion of capital funding reflects Opus Bank’s five-year strategic plan for its Commercial Business Banking division in the Western region, encompassing the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada.

Stephen H. Gordon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Opus Bank, stated, “There is a dire need in the Western region for small and mid-sized businesses to have access to capital funding; a need Opus Bank is committed to address. Over the past few years, banks have backed away from providing capital funding for businesses, thereby creating a void where successful and resilient businesses are left with few options.” Mr. Gordon added, “While the government is implementing programs and initiatives in attempts to stimulate growth in the economy from the top down, Opus Bank intends to do its part to address the problem directly by infusing capital funding and liquidity back into its local economies. Our mission of providing capital funding to small and mid-sized businesses located in metropolitan communities up and down the west coast will provide much needed funding to the entrepreneurs and business owners who have a vision to build and expand their companies. This capital funding will be a driving force for new jobs and rebuilding healthy, vital, and vibrant communities. At Opus Bank, we understand the passion and dreams of entrepreneurs and business owners. We share that dream; one that inspired us to build Opus Bank into a community-based super-regional bank. We invested our own capital as we infused $460 million to support building and expanding Opus Bank. We are expanding, hiring, and executing on our vision. We are building our masterpiece, while our clients are desirous of building theirs.”

Additionally, Opus Bank announced today that its Commercial Business Banking division will be led by Dino J. D’Auria, President of Commercial Business Banking, who joined Opus Bank on March 14, 2011. Prior to joining Opus Bank, Mr. D’Auria served as Executive Vice President, Commercial Banking at Pacific Western Bank, the bank subsidiary of PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ: PACW). From 2003 to 2010, Mr. D’Auria served as SVP Division Manager of the Commercial, Community Banking, Cash Management, and SBA Divisions of San Diego National Bank, and additionally served on the bank’s Strategic Planning and Asset Liability committees, restructured the SBA lending group, and developed the Commercial Banking Business as a core business unit. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. D’Auria served as SVP/Regional Manager for Comerica Bank (NYSE: CMA) through its acquisition of Imperial Bank in 2003. Mr. D’Auria began his banking career at Wells Fargo in 1989, where he held positions of increasing responsibility through 1997. Mr. D’Auria serves on the board of directors of numerous organizations, including the Association for Corporate Growth, Junior Achievement, and Ashford University, where he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. D’Auria received his MBA, with an emphasis in Corporate Finance, from the University of Southern California in 1989.

Dino J. D’Auria, President of Commercial Business Banking, stated, “I am thrilled to have joined such an entrepreneurial and dynamic organization as Opus Bank. It is very clear to me that Opus Bank’s vision of enabling small to mid-sized businesses to expand and grow is very consistent with my belief that capital funding for those busi esses who share our vision is exactly on point with what is needed to stimulate economic growth in the Western region. Just as our clients desire to expand, we intend to immediately expand our presence of experienced and entrepreneurial relationship bankers in all of the major metropolitan regions up and down the west coast.​

About Opus Bank

Opus Bank is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with $693.5 million of total assets, $104 million of total loans, $275.3 million in total deposits, and $414.2 million of total equity, as of December 31, 2010. Opus Bank provides high value, relationship-based banking products and exceptional service to its clients comprised of small and mid-sized commercial businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, high-net-worth individuals, professionals, and consumers. Opus Bank offers a wide range of loan products, including commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, multifamily residential, jumbo single-family residential, construction, consumer loans, and is a Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Preferred Lender. Opus Bank operates banking offices in Los Angeles County, located in the communities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes/San Pedro, Rolling Hills Estates, and Torrance, and maintains an executive and administrative office in Irvine, located in Orange County, California. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: www.opusbank.com.