Santa Clara, Calif., October 27, 2003 — Alliant Partners, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor to technology and life science companies, announced the opening of its first technology-focused regional office in Newton, Mass. to serve the Northeast U.S. An MIT-educated engineer by training, David Gray will grow the company's business in the region and lead the Boston-area office. Gray is a 16-year technology industry veteran and has served as a strategic M&A advisor since 1998. Alliant Partners, headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. is Silicon Valley Bancshares' (Nasdaq: SIVB) investment banking affiliate.

Alliant Partners continues to expand its business as well as its geographic footprint in the face of a contracting marketplace among M&A firms. Alliant has completed a record number of transactions to date this year and entered the private placement business in October 2003.

"Our official expansion into Boston is significant as it marks the first step in our nationwide strategy to expand into major technology markets," said James Kochman, president and CEO of Alliant Partners. "Alliant is able to build value and forge strong relationships on behalf of our clients thanks to the expertise of our staff. David's proven success in M&A advisory is a tribute to his varied experience as an engineer and an entrepreneur. Our advisors have walked in our clients' shoes."

Gray has served as a strategic M&A advisor to public and private technology firms since 1998, completing more than 30 M&A transactions, strategic private placements and corporate restructurings as a principal at Broadview International, LLC. Prior to his successes in the investment banking business, Gray co-founded and served as president of Aspect International, where he designed and built semi-conductor process equipment prototypes in the early 1990s. Gray also served as a senior engineer at Raychem Corporation where he led engineering efforts for the company's Display Products Group.

An accomplished engineer, Gray holds multiple U.S. patents and several academic degrees. Gray earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, a PhD. in semiconductor processing from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

About Alliant Partners
Alliant Partners is a leading investment banking firm providing merger and acquisition, private capital, and corporate partnering services to middle-market technology companies. The firm also provides complementary services, such as capital restructuring, valuations, and fairness opinions. Silicon Valley Bank acquired Alliant Partners in September 2001. Alliant Partners' expertise spans the technology landscape, with specific practice areas for semiconductors, software and services, hardware and electronic systems, and medical devices and life sciences. Additional information is available at www.alliant.com.

About Silicon Valley Bancshares
For 20 years, Silicon Valley Bancshares, a financial holding company offering diversified financial services, has provided innovative solutions to help entrepreneurs succeed. The company's principal subsidiary, Silicon Valley Bank, serves emerging growth and mature companies in the technology and life sciences markets, as well as the premium wine industry. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company offers its clients financial products and services including commercial, investment, merchant and private banking, as well as value-add services using its knowledge and networks. Merger, acquisition and corporate partnering services are provided through the company's investment banking subsidiary, Alliant Partners. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.