Ameris Bancorp is facing a potentially material legal setback after a federal jury in California awarded nearly $80 million in damages to a former executive who sued the Atlanta company over his termination. Ameris disclosed in a regulatory filing that Patrick Byrne filed a complaint on September 2024 against its bank in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging wrongful termination, violations of whistleblower protection laws,

United Community Banks in Greenville, S.C., agreed to sell its equipment finance business to funds managed by Wafra Inc., acting through Navitas TopCo. The $28.2 billion-asset United said in a press release that it is selling Navitas Capital for $1.9 billion in cash, resulting in a one-time pretax earnings benefit of $109 million. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter. The business accounts for a tenth of

Isabella Bank in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., has agreed to buy Grand River Commerce in Grandville, Mich. The $2.3 billion-asset Isabella said in a press release that it will pay $54.6 million in cash and stock for the $511.7 million-asset Grand River. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, priced Grand River at 123% of its tangible book value. Grand River has $438.9 million in deposits and

A group of organizers is seeking regulatory approval to launch Dorado Bank, a proposed Puerto Rico-chartered bank that would focus on residential mortgage lending, housing rehabilitation and digital banking. Organizers of the proposed Dorado Bank applied on May 26 with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions. Its proposed parent company is Dorado Bank Financial Holdings. The application presents Dorado as

Neobank Current raised $80 million in a new funding round. The consumer fintech platform said in a statement that the Series E round was led by Springcoast Partners, establishing a $1.5 billion valuation. Springcoast will appoint a director as part of the investment. Earlier investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global Management, and QED Investors. Current, which has said that it expects to attain profitability this year, said the new funds

BancFirst in Oklahoma City has agreed to buy Spirit BankCorp. in Tulsa, Okla. The $15 billion-asset BancFirst said in a press release that it expects to buy the parent of the $939.6 million-asset SpiritBank in the fourth quarter. The price wasn't disclosed. Spirit Bank has $618.4 million in loans and $847.2 million in deposits. "Oklahoma is our home and we are excited to bring two outstanding communities, Bristow and Sapulpa,

Silicon Valley Bank filed a lawsuit against Patriot Bank in Stamford, Conn., over roughly $21 million in charge card receivables from Parker, a failed small business fintech that shut down abruptly in May 2026. The dispute, filed by the First Citizens BancShares division in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in early May, hinges on who owns receivables generated between April 21 and May 4. The

Cornerstone Community Bank has opened in Owensboro, Ky. Organizers raised the $20 million in initial capital that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. required when it gave conditional approval in February. The application was submitted in August. Kyle Aud, a former market president at German American Bank, is CEO. Jonathan Lawson, a former chairman and president of Bank of Ohio County, which sold to First United Bank in 2016, and Steven