California

Banc of California in Irvine has changed its bylaws to allow for majority voting for directors.

Bay Bancorp in Columbia, Md., has named one of its largest investors, Steven Hovde, to its board.

The recently rebranded California International Bank has stiffed the government on 30 dividend payments and has spurned a request to let Treasury officials observe its board meetings. There is some optimism; a Vietnamese businessman was approved to take over control after injecting $4.5 million in capital into the bank.

The $5.3 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that it will buy two branches in the California markets of Granada Hills and Burbank from the $7.3 billion-asset Boston Private Financial Holdings in Boston.

Wells Fargo, widely regarded as the industry's least complex megabank, has recently made big moves into the volatile world of investment banking. But don't read too much into it, according to John Shrewsberry, its chief financial officer.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in Lodi, Calif., has agreed to buy Delta National Bancorp in Manteca, Calif.

A longtime California bank regulator and executive has joined the board at Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles.

The $654 million-asset bank said in a press release Monday that it had reorganized under OP Bancorp after receiving approval from shareholders and regulators.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco plans to raise about $178 million through a common stock offering.

Community Business Bank in West Sacramento, Calif., has finally put the Troubled Asset Relief Program in the past.