An effort to overhaul commercial bankruptcy laws is in its early stages, and creditors in the syndicated loan market sense a threat to some of their most important tools for guarding collateral.

The Lansing, Mich., company has a confirmation hearing on Dec. 4. A delay could prove costly to Capitol's survival; the state regulator has threatened to seize the company's bank in New Mexico on Dec. 20.

Mendon Capital Advisors increased its holdings in several community banks in the third quarter, while reducing its exposure to JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and other large and midsize banks.

The $1.1 billion-asset parent company of First Federal Savings Bank said late Thursday that First Security Bank of Owensboro has terminated a deal to buy four First Federal branches in Louisville.

First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG) is expanding its mortgage operations. The Buffalo, N.Y., company is scheduled to open a processing center next month in Syracuse and hire more than two dozen employees to staff it.

First Mariner Bancorp said it had called off plans to sell a minority stake in itself to Priam Capital Fund I after determining that it could improve its capital levels with retained earnings.

Crescent Financial's updated SEC filing removes previous discussion about how banking regulators "encouraged" its deal with VantageSouth.

Capitol Bancorp (CBCRQ) has been fighting for survival for a few years now, but the next month might prove to be its toughest battle.

Former Amcore president Donald Wilson will become the chairman of Community Financial in Illinois as part of a recapitalization plan.

Regions Financial said it will work with PrimeVest Financial to provide advisory and investment services at all of its branches.

Cathleen Nash lays out Citizens Republic's reasons for selling itself to FirstMerit, and says she expects many more banks to face the same tough choice.

Taylor Capital Group is the third Chicago-area bank to announce a capital raise to fuel growth in the past two weeks.

Fulton Financial (FULT) has acquired a minority stake in Bryn Mawr Bank (BMTC), the result of Bryn Mawr's largest shareholder liquidating its holding.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended November 10.

Trillium Asset Management and AFSCME Employees Pension Plan complain that Citigroup's stock price is still too low and it needs to explore the sale of additional business units.

U.S. Bancorp is beefing up its business that administers funds on behalf of investment managers with a deal to buy AIS Fund Administration, a provider of administration services for hedge funds.

State and federal banking regulators encouraged the merger deal between Crescent State Bank and VantageSouth for safety and soundness and other reasons, a proxy filing says.

Great Southern Bancorp in Springfield, Mo., is bucking an industry trend toward fee-based lines of business in agreeing to sell its insurance and travel units.

First York Ban Corp in York, Neb., has agreed to acquire Glenvil Cooperative Credit Union, in a rare acquisition of a credit union by a bank.

CIT Group (CIT) in Livingston, N.J., has launched a unit that will originate and underwrite financing for seafaring vessels.