First Mariner Bancorp announced it will sell its wholly owned subsidiary, 1st Mariner Bank, to a new bank formed by investors. The sale will recapitalize the bank with approximately $100 million, enabling it to meet all state and federal capital standards, significantly improving the strength of its balance sheet, and advancing its business plan to become one of the region’s leading financial institutions.

The investors, led by Priam Capital, Patriot Financial Partners, GCP Capital Partners and TFO Financial Institutions Restructuring Fund, as well as several prominent members of the Baltimore business community, formed an interim bank that has signed an agreement with the holding company to acquire 1st Mariner Bank for a cash payment to the holding company, subject to a competitive bidding process for higher and better offers.

If the interim bank is the successful bidder, the agreement calls for it to acquire the bank from First Mariner Bancorp and then recapitalize the bank to a level which will satisfy all capital requirements imposed by the bank’s federal and state regulators and will position the bank for future growth and prosperity. The 1st Mariner Bank name will be retained.

To facilitate the transaction, the holding company intends to file a voluntary petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and to sell the bank in a §363 sale in the bankruptcy.

This filing affects only the bank holding company. The bank will not file bankruptcy, will operate separately from the holding company and will conduct business as usual throughout the reorganization process. Deposits continue to be insured to the fullest extent possible by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). There will be no impact on depositors, creditors or vendors of 1st Mariner Bank.

Consistent with usual practice, the court will supervise a competitive bidding process for the sale of the bank. Any competing bidder will be required to recapitalize the bank at an equivalent level and demonstrate the ability to promptly receive required regulatory approvals.

“The $100 million capital infusion will create a bank poised for growth,” said Mark Keidel, interim-president of 1st Mariner Bank. “Upon approval by the court and regulatory authorities, the bank will become strong and secure. We will meet all federal and state regulatory requirements for capitalization. There will be absolutely no interruption in services to customers, deposits will continue to be accepted, our branches and ATMs will continue to operate as usual and the bank will continue to deliver on its commitments to loan applicants and vendors throughout the reorganization,” Keidel said. “Our new partners have extensive banking experience in the Baltimore market. Many of the investors are local and recognize the growth opportunities for a community bank headquartered in Baltimore.”

The bank maintains strong levels of liquidity, comprised of cash, cash equivalents and securities, totaling $286 million at Jan. 31, 2014, to meet its obligations.

The board of directors of the holding company, First Mariner Bancorp, has unanimously approved the transaction with the interim bank. In the meantime, the holding company intends to ask the court to expedite its approval of the proposed sale and recapitalization of the bank.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to build 1st Mariner Bank and serve the entire Maryland market,” said Jack E. Steil, who led the transaction for the investors and is slated to become chairman and chief executive officer of the bank. “We recognize that 1st Mariner Bank possesses a significant presence in this community, a presence that affords us the opportunity to build a powerful community focused bank.”

“Baltimore and the entire region present strong opportunities for growth,” added Robert D. Kunisch Jr., a proposed investor slated to be named president and chief operating officer of 1st Mariner Bank. “One does not have to look too far to see great things happening in our city and throughout the state. We look forward to building a hometown bank in the place where we grew up.”

Steil was most recently president of Wilmington Trust Mid-Atlantic Region, and Kunisch was president of Wilmington Trust FSB, Maryland. Both spent the majority of their careers at Mercantile Bank focusing predominantly on the Maryland market.

“This $100 million investment presents a tremendous opportunity to take 1st Mariner Bank to the next level,” said Howard Feinglass, principal of Priam Capital, a New York-based investment firm and a proposed investor in the bank. “I look forward to supporting other local investors in the recapitalization of First Mariner. It has always been our goal to support Baltimore’s largest local bank in serving local Business.”

Feinglass, who is a native of Baltimore, noted that a substantial portion of the overall investment is coming from business leaders who reside in Baltimore. “We see an enormous opportunity in 1st Mariner Bank to support Maryland’s growing business community currently underserved by many of the larger out-of-state banks,” said Boris Gutin, managing director of GCP Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm and a proposed investor in the bank. “The combination of new capital and a strong management team with deep roots in the Maryland market positions 1st Mariner Bank to substantially expand its lending and customer relationships.”