SmartFinancial in Knoxville, Tenn., has agreed to buy a branch in Tennessee from a division of Atlantic Capital Bank in Atlanta.

Lakeland Bancorp in Oak Ridge, N.J., has filed the paperwork to sell up to $50 million shares of common stock.

The new chairman of Republic First was famously ousted from Commerce Bancorp because of conflict-of-interest concerns years ago. His new bank uses some Hill-related companies for marketing and other services but says that it has structured the relationship in a way that passes muster with regulators.

The $22 billion-asset company said in a press release Thursday that it is looking to sell 8.4 million shares of common stock, though it could sell another 840,000 shares if there is enough demand.

A dozen publicly traded banks have raised more than $1 billion in recent weeks, taking advantage of surging stock prices. Additional banks are expected to follow, setting the stage for more M&A and other growth moves.

First Bancshares in Hattiesburg, Miss., has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program, thanks partly to an assist from another bank.

The bank must make fundamental changes to avoid becoming the ultimate scapegoat for grievances about Wall Street's biggest banks.

The $1.2 billion-asset NexTier said in a press release Wednesday that it will pay $2.3 million, or $531.55 a share, in cash for the $40 million-asset Manor.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is expected to downgrade Wells Fargo's Community Reinvestment Act rating in January to "needs to improve," from "outstanding," according to a story by Reuters, citing unnamed sources.

The $3.5 billion-asset company submitted a shelf registration that lets it sell common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and warrants, among other things.

PrivateBancorp in Chicago has postponed a special meeting where investors were set to vote on its sale to Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce amid growing concern that investors could reject the deal.

JPMorgan Chase, HSBC Holdings and Credit Agricole were fined a total of 485.5 million euros ($521 million) for rigging the Euribor benchmark as European Union antitrust regulators wrapped up a five-year investigation into the scandal.

The $20.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Monday that it had tapped Samuel Erwin as its regional president responsible for covering the state. Erwin will operate from Greenville, S.C.

The veteran banker, who is taking the nonexecutive chairman post at Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia after a long hiatus from the U.S. market, stands by the model he pioneered at Commerce despite a much-changed environment.

Safra National Bank of New York has agreed to buy Bank Hapoalim's private-banking business in Miami.

Texas State Bankshares in Harlingen has agreed to buy Blanco National Holdings.

Banks in Texas and Washington are joining the growing list of financial institutions selling common stock.

Flushing Financial in Uniondale, N.Y., made $12.3 million on a recent property sale, part of a series of moves as it restructures its balance sheet.

First NBC Bank in New Orleans, which has been dealing with issues tied to its tax-credit business and concerns about capital, has removed its chief executive.

TriState Capital Holdings in Pittsburgh has terminated an agreement to buy a fixed-income team.