First Republic Bank Expands SBA Lending Program

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Republic Bank , a leading provider of private banking, private business banking and wealth management services, today announced a expansion of its Small Business Administration (SBA) lending capabilities.

Adding to its existing team of SBA lenders, First Republic appointed Senior Lender Mary Moran, Senior Lender Kurt Chambliss and Senior Credit Analyst Thomas Henning. All three will help First Republic originate business and real estate loans to small businesses in the Bank's markets on the East and West coasts.

First Republic's SBA division, headed by Managing Director Ruth Brown, was created after the Bank's acquisition of the Bank of Walnut Creek in 2006. First Republic Bank is a Nationwide Preferred Lender with the federal SBA, and is active in the Bay Area Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (BAAGGL) and National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAAGGL).

"The expansion of First Republic's SBA lending program gives new clients the opportunity to experience the Bank's unique brand of service, while providing existing private business banking clients more lending options," said Katherine August-deWilde, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of First Republic Bank. "Mary Moran, Kurt Chambliss and Thomas Henning are outstanding SBA professionals who understand the unique lending needs of small businesses. They complement the Bank's exceptional team of SBA lenders who have been responsible for our success over the past year."

First Republic's new team members have extensive SBA lending experience, including the following:

* Mary Moran, 22 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining First Republic, Moran was Vice President, Senior Business Development Officer of Greater Bay Bank's SBA office in Walnut Creek, Ca. Moran has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University. * Kurt Chambliss, 13 years of banking experience. Prior to joining First Republic, Chambliss was Vice President, Senior Business Development Officer of Greater Bay Bank's SBA office in Walnut Creek, Ca. Chambliss has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. * Thomas Henning, 21 years of banking experience. Prior to joining First Republic, Henning was First Vice President, Senior Loan Underwriter, Tamalpias Bank in San Rafael, Ca. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Ca.

First Republic Bank has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and in Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Boston and New York. First Republic's wealth management subsidiaries include investment advisors First Republic Investment Management and First Republic Wealth Advisors, First Republic Trust Company, and First Republic Securities Company LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a securities broker-dealer.

About First Republic Bank

First Republic Bank is a NYSE-traded private bank and wealth management firm. The Bank and its subsidiaries specialize in providing personalized, relationship-based services, including private banking, private business banking, investment management, trust, brokerage and real estate lending. As of June 30, 2007, the Bank and its subsidiaries had total Bank assets and other managed assets of $34.1 billion. First Republic Bank provides access to its services online and through preferred banking or trust offices in ten major metropolitan areas: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, Boston and New York City. More information is available on the Bank's website at http://www.firstrepublic.com/.