WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 13, 2012) - First California Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ FCAL ]), the holding company of First California Bank, acknowledges Amendment No. 14 to Schedule 13D that the Pohlad Group filed on January 12, 2012. The company said that the views of its stockholders are very important and it will carefully consider their input. First California's board of directors will evaluate the Pohlad Group's Amendment No. 14 to Schedule 13D in due course. The company does not intend to comment further on this matter except as required by applicable law and regulations.

About First California
First California Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ FCAL ]) is the holding company of First California Bank. Founded in 1979 and with nearly $2 billion in assets, First California serves the comprehensive financial needs of small- and middle-sized businesses and high net worth individuals throughout Southern California. Led by an experienced team of bankers, First California is committed to providing the best client service available in its markets, offering a full line of quality commercial banking products through 19 full-service branch offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties. The holding company's website can be accessed at [ www.fcalgroup.com ]. For additional information on First California Bank's products and services, visit [ www.fcbank.com ].