Signature Bank Named Third Biggest Asset Gainer and 14th Largest New York-Area Commercial Bank by Crain's New York Business; Bank Ranks Among Top Asset Gainers for Fourth Consecutive Year

Business Wire, April 21, 2006

NEW YORK -- Signature Bank (Nasdaq:SBNY), a New York-based full-service commercial bank, announced today that the Bank was named the third biggest gainer, based on percentage change in total assets, among the New York area's largest commercial banks, according to Crain's New York Business. This is the fourth consecutive year Signature Bank has ranked among the biggest gainers in the metropolitan New York area, by Crain's.

The April 17th, 2006 issue of Crain's New York Business, a leading business journal in the New York metropolitan area, highlights Signature Bank's asset growth atop its listing of the New York areas largest commercial banks. Signature Bank's assets grew approximately 30.6 percent to $4.4 billion in 2005, the period surveyed by Crain's, from $3.4 billion in 2004. This continued growth has been achieved without merger or acquisition and represents efforts put forth by the Bank's private client teams. These teams focus on serving the banking needs of privately owned businesses, their owners and senior managers.

Signature Bank also ranked as the 14th largest commercial bank in New York, based on assets, in this year's list.

For 2003-2004, Signature Bank ranked as the biggest gainer and the 16th largest commercial bank in the same list published by Crain's, and from 2002-2003, it was also rated the biggest gainer and the 20th largest commercial bank. In 2001-2002, Signature Bank was the second biggest gainer and the 24th largest metro-NY area commercial Bank.

"We are pleased to continue to rate among the biggest asset gainers and largest commercial banks in the New York area, according to Crain's New York Business. This year's asset growth is indicative of the rapid expansion of our institution, and the record loan growth we have reported for the past several quarters. We appreciate Crain's recognition of our financial performance, and also acknowledge the efforts of our employees who work hard to secure and maintain the business of our clients, who ultimately drive our success," said Joseph J. DePaolo, Signature Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Signature Bank

Signature Bank, member FDIC, is a New York-based full-service commercial bank with 16 private client offices located in the New York metropolitan area, serving the needs of privately owned businesses, their owners and senior managers through dozens of private client groups. The Bank offers a wide variety of business and personal banking products and services as well as investment, brokerage, asset management and insurance products and services through its subsidiary, Signature Securities Group Corporation, a licensed broker-dealer, investment adviser and member NASD/SIPC.

At of December 31, 2005, Signature Bank reported $4.4 billion in assets, $3.49 billion in deposits, $351 million in equity capital and $1.4 billion in other assets under management.

Signature Bank's 16 offices are located throughout the metropolitan New York area. In Manhattan -- 261 Madison Avenue; 300 Park Avenue; 71 Broadway; 565 Fifth Avenue; 950 Third Avenue and 200 Park Avenue South. Brooklyn -- 26 Court Street and 84 Broadway. Westchester -- 1C Quaker Ridge Road, New Rochelle and 360 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains. Long Island -- 1225 Franklin Avenue, Garden City; 279 Sunrise Highway, Rockville Centre; 58 South Service Road, Melville and 923 Broadway, Woodmere. Queens -- 36-36 33rd Street in Long Island City. Bronx -- 421 Hunts Point Avenue, Hunts Point.

For more information, please visit www.signatureny.com.

This press release and oral statements made from time-to-time by our representatives contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our future results, interest rates, loan and deposit growth, operations, new private client team hires, new office openings and business strategy. These statements often include words such as "may," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. As you consider forward-looking statements, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to: (i) prevailing economic conditions; (ii) changes in interest rates, loan demand, real estate values, and competition, which can materially affect origination levels and gain on sale results in our business, as well as other aspects of our financial performance; (iii) the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans made by us, whether held in portfolio or sold in the whole loan secondary markets, which can materially affect charge-off levels and required credit loss reserve levels; and (iv) competition for qualified personnel and desirable office locations. Additional factors are described in our quarterly and annual reports.