Bank of the West Ranks Highest in Regional Customer Satisfaction in California 3 Years in a Row

Commitment to California, Focus on Relationship Banking Enable Bank of the West
to Distinguish Itself Yet Again in J.D. Power and Associates Study of Retail
Bank Customers
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
Bank of the West ranked highest in customer satisfaction among retail banks in
California by J.D. Power and Associates - the third year in a row that Bank of
the West has received this award in the region.

Bank of the West garnered the highest ranking customer satisfaction score of
782, which was 43 index points above the industry average of 739 in California.

"Receiving the highest ranking in our region from J.D. Power and Associates for
the third year in a row is a demonstration of our employees` unwavering
commitment to service. We are very pleased that our customers value our kind of
relationship banking," said Michael Shepherd, Chairman and CEO of Bank of the
West. "We`ve been serving Californians for over 135 years and we are honored by
their business and their recommendations of Bank of the West to their
neighbors."

The survey asked customers to rate their banks in six categories: account
activities, account information, facility, fees, problem resolution, and product
offerings. This comprehensive view into customer attitudes and the high ratings
given to Bank of the West, underscore our customers` appreciation for a bank
that provides sincere, personalized service. Customers gave Bank of the West
particularly high marks on account activities, account information and fees.

"All of our employees, whether in our branches or in the back office, do a
fantastic job of taking care of our customers every day. We know people value
the high-quality, personal service they receive at Bank of the West, and that is
reflected in our strong growth in households and core deposits," said Andy
Harmening, Senior Executive Vice President, Regional Banking Group. "Dedication
to outstanding customer service does not ebb and flow with economic cycles.
Ranking highest in customer satisfaction three years in a row is a demonstration
of our strong commitment to our customers."

The rankings, published today by J.D. Power and Associates of Westlake, Calif.,
reflect the results of surveys conducted with more than 47,673 banking customers
nationally. Now in its fifth year, the study finds that overall satisfaction of
retail banking customers averages 748 on 1,000-point scale in 2010-a slight
decrease from 749 in 2009. Additional information about the study and its
methodology can be found at
http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2010068.

About Bank of the West: Based in San Francisco, $60 billion-asset Bank of the
West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate,
personal, trust and international banking services. The Bank operates more than
700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern
states. In 2010 Bank of the West was ranked highest in customer satisfaction
among retail banks in California by J.D. Power and Associates. In 2009 and 2008,
Bank of the West was ranked the highest in customer satisfaction among retail
banks in the West by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding
company, BancWest Corporation, is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, among the six
strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor`s.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global
marketing information services company operating in key business sectors
including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and
customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are
based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on
car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings,
and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit
of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Bank of the West Corporate Communications
Jim Cole, 415-399-8268
Jim.Cole@bankofthewest.com

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