First Bank announced that former Wells Fargo banker George McCullagh will lead First Bank's commercial and industrial team in San Francisco. He joins the bank as a senior vice president and regional manager. McCullagh has 28 years of banking experience in Northern California. After David Greiner left First Bank last year to become CEO of Tri-Valley Bank, First Bank consolidated responsibility for all of California under John Grauten as regional president of California.

First Bank named Patricia O'Herin new director of corporate banking.

First Bank agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by an HIV-positive man who alleged bank employees disclosed his confidential health information, gossiped about him and created an 'abusive' work environment. The plaintiff, identified only as K.M., filed the lawsuit against First Bank in November 2007 in the St. Louis-based federal court. K.M. worked as a bank teller at First Bank's Four Seasons branch in Chesterfield. He was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus in 2006 and took a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act for treatment, he alleged. K.M. was on leave from June 2006 through August 21, 2006. First Bank's Human Resources Department required K.M. to provide documentation to verify the reason for his leave and required him to inform the department and his branch manager of his diagnosis. Exactly what the bank required from K.M. is the source of one dispute between the parties. Although K.M. alleged the bank required him to get his doctor to provide the bank with his diagnosis, the bank admitted only that it received the doctor's diagnosis. The bank also denied K.M. 's allegation that it required him to tell his branch manager, Vicki Gan, of his diagnosis. K.M. 's lawsuit alleged that Gan and human resources manager Rhonda Backes told at least 16 other managers, supervisors and employees of his HIV-positive status. This alleged unauthorized disclosure went beyond the bank's home office and extended to other First Bank branches, including the branch where K.M. worked. K.M. announced that in the suit that he endured 'numerous acts of discrimination, intimidation, harassment, ridicule and insult' from December 2005 until May 18, 2006. He also alleged he was forced to resign after suffering a nervous breakdown. The bank denied these allegations as well as the allegation that K.M. sought to transfer to a different branch, but First Bank denied the request because of his diagnosis. The discrimination continued even after K.M. left First Bank, he alleged, because the bank's agents informed K.M. 's prospective employers of his HIV-positive status. The plaintiff alleged discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of fiduciary duty of confidentiality. In addition, he alleged two counts of invasion of his right to privacy-one based on publication to bank managers, supervisors and co-employees and another to prospective employers. According to court documents, K.M. sought $15 million in compensatory damages for depression, anxiety, humiliation and damaged professional reputation. With W. Dudley McCarter serving as mediator, K.M. and First Bank settled the case on June 11. K.M. had until late July to file a stipulation for dismissal, a motion for leave to voluntarily dismiss or a proposed consent judgment.