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PacWest Bosses Were Trying to Start Over. Then SVB Failed

  • Firm expanded aggressively by acquiring small community banks
  • Square 1 deal drew scrutiny after Silicon Valley Bank collapse
A Pacific Western Bank branch in Encino, California.Photographer: Morgan Lieberman/Bloomberg
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Even before a series of failures rattled regional banks across the US this year, one knew it needed to enact sweeping changes.

PacWest Bancorp had spent years on a deal spree — splurging on everything from small community banks to a business catering to homeowners associations, to one of the biggest lenders to the security-systems industry, and more.