Silicon Valley Bank Opens South Bay Satellite Office in Fremont, California

SANTA CLARA, CA - November 19, 2001 - Silicon Valley Bank (the "Bank"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Valley Bancshares, announced today the opening of its South Bay Division's satellite office in Fremont, California at 39141 Civic Center Drive, Suite 220.

The new office will support Silicon Valley Bank's South Bay Division, which provides financial services to more than 1200 technology and life sciences companies. In Fremont and its surrounding areas specifically, the Bank serves nearly 300 companies.

"Being physically closer to clients that were previously served out of our Santa Clara office means we can be more responsive to their needs," said Chris Coleman, Silicon Valley Bank's South Bay Division manager. "Our expansion here is indicative of the area's growing concentration of technology companies. It also reflects our commitment to the industry by looking beyond short-term challenges in the economy."

The opening of the Fremont office is part of the Bank's ongoing physical expansion in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"This office will allow the Bank to better respond to shifts in South Bay market conditions," said Coleman. "It will also increase our visibility in the local marketplace - a fact that will help us attract new clients and continue to grow our market share."

Silicon Valley Bank serves emerging growth and middle market companies in targeted niches, focusing on technology and life sciences, while also addressing other specific industries in which it can provide a higher level of service and better manage credit through specialization and focus.

The Bank operates throughout the Silicon Valley: Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Sand Hill, the center of the venture capital community in California. Other regional offices within California include: Irvine, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma. Office locations outside of California include: Phoenix, Arizona; Boulder, Colorado; West Palm Beach, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Durham, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Northern Virginia; and Seattle, Washington.

SVB Contact: Andrea McGhee, (408) 654-3078, amcghee@svbank.com.