Second opinion.

Second Opinion

John J. Keating, chairman and chief executive of CU Bancorp, chafed after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency completed a stringent exam of his Encino, Calif., company. But he did not take it quietly.

The banker appealed to the regulator, contending that an overzealous examiner had been too harsh in the loan classifications he made in January.

To improve his chances of winning, Mr. Keating said he appealed only half the items that he considered incorrect.

The Comptroller's office reviewed the disputed loans, and Mr. Keating won on every point.

The appeal was wrapped up quickly, so the company never had to report the findings from the original exam.

Mr. Keating declined to discuss specifics but said the examiner's recent experience was far afield from California. "The examiner lived in Colorado Springs," said Mr. Keating. "He had just been working in Arizona, Texas, and New England. It was insane."

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