Mutual of Omaha Bank and an affiliate of PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas have partnered to sell residential mortgages.

To date, only a handful of banks have become benefit corporations, but experts believe the number could rise as regulators become more comfortable with the concept.

Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., has offered an olive branch to resolve a proxy battle with an activist investor.

Noah Bank in in Elkins Park, Pa., has sued NOA Bank in Duluth, Ga., in a dispute between two Korean-American banks over trademarks and competitive intelligence.

Profits soared at Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., thanks primarily to its expanding loan portfolio.

Long-term worries, short-term worries, the broader economy and more. Community bankers see lots of obstacles to earnings growth this year, according to a recent survey of 250 small-bank executives conducted by Vining Sparks.

The banking industry, in the face of prolonged challenges, is relying on professional help to improve in areas such as productivity, hiring and M&A. The hope is that being introspective now will limit the amount of costly mistakes in the future.

The number of seriously delinquent mortgages reached its lowest level in over eight years, helped by new job creation and higher wages, according to CoreLogic.

Midland States Bancorp in Effingham, Ill., is planning to raise $120 million through an initial public offering. The $company said in a regulatory filing Monday that it has applied to list shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Commerce Union Bancshares in Brentwood, Tenn., plans to close mortgage offices in Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky and to transfer the employees to Bridgeview Bank Group in Bridgeview, Ill.

Louisiana Community Bancorp in Houma has agreed to buy Tri-Parish Bancshares in Eunice, La.

The latest version of a new accounting standard for calculating loan-loss reserves would ease the burden on small banks, ICBA officials say. However, the ABA says it still fails to eliminate the biggest problem — asking lenders to predict the future.

Boston Private Financial Holdings appointed its bank president, George Schwartz, to the newly created position of chief executive of its private banking group.

First Business Financial Services in Madison, Wis., has appointed David Seiler as chief operating officer. The $1.8 billion-asset holding company said Seiler will start in the newly created role on April 18.

Kearny Financial completed its IPO less than a year ago and already it has found itself in the crosshairs of Lawrence Seidman. The well-known activist is pushing for the resignation of several board members he says are overcompensated and is urging shareholders to vote against a proposal on director pay this fall.

First Midwest Bank in Itasca, Ill., announced Friday that it has hired Jo Ann Boylan, formerly of MB Financial Bank in Chicago, as chief information and operations officer.

Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, has agreed to buy Kilgore National Bank in Kilgore, Texas.

Hampton Roads Bankshares in Virginia Beach juggled a search for a new chief executive while also arranging for its eventual merger with Xenith Bankshares in Richmond, Va.

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Edward Duffy, who was chairman of the holding company for the former Marine Midland Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., has died. He was 89.