Pacific Capital Bancorp Retains Financial Relations Board as Investor Relations Counsel

Business Wire, Jan 8, 2001

Business Editors

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2001

Pacific Capital Bancorp (Nasdaq:SABB), a multi-community bank holding company with $3.6 billion in assets, has retained The Financial Relations Board/BSMG Worldwide as a consultant to its investor relations activities.

The 39-year-old firm is the oldest and largest investor relations agency in the world, with principal domestic offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. FRB/BSMG Worldwide employs 900 staff and generates more than $120 million in annual revenues.

BSMG Worldwide is an entity of True North Communications (NYSE:TNO), the sixth-largest marketing communications holding company in the world.

The relationship is being managed by Daniel Saks, Managing Partner of the Financial Relations Board, and Senior Managing Director, BSMG Worldwide, based in Los Angeles. He will work with Pacific Capital Bancorp's newly created Investor Relations/Corporate Communications Department, under the direction of Vice President Deborah Lewis.

"As we continue to look at opportunities to broaden the investor support of our growing community bank network, it is timely to call upon the demonstrated expertise of a highly respected firm like FRB to assist us with strengthening our financial communications capabilities," said William S. Thomas, Jr., Pacific Capital Bancorp President and CEO. "FRB's track record of results on behalf of many highly respected financial institutions demonstrates their ability to target key audiences with the core messages that will continue to move our holding company forward with its strategy of becoming the financial services provider of choice serving California's Central Coast."

Pacific Capital Bancorp is the parent company of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust; First National Bank of Central California and its affiliates South Valley National Bank and San Benito Bank; and Los Robles Bank. The 43-branch California community bank network serves communities from Morgan Hill in the north to Westlake Village in the south.

Additional information about Pacific Capital Bancorp is available at www.pcbancorp.com, under Shareholder Relations. Investor Relations inquiries should be directed to Deborah Lewis at 805/884-6680.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are economic, competitive and technological factors affecting the company's operations, markets, products, services and prices, as well as other factors detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.