First Foundation Inc. (FFWM)

First Foundation Inc. was a financial services holding company providing banking and wealth management services. Its origins date to 1985, when the wealth management business was founded in Irvine, California, and its bank subsidiary began in 2007. The company later moved its headquarters to Dallas, Texas.

The firm operated through two segments, Banking and Wealth Management. The bank offered personal and business deposit accounts, multifamily and commercial real estate loans, residential mortgages, commercial term loans and lines of credit, and consumer loans. The wealth management arm provided investment management, financial planning, trust, and advisory services to individuals, families and institutions.

Its branch network and loan production offices were located in California, Nevada, Texas and Hawaii. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FFWM after earlier trading on Nasdaq.

The bank was affected by the rise in interest rates in 2022 and 2023, which compressed margins on its fixed-rate multifamily real estate loan portfolio and increased funding costs. The company reported losses in some periods, completed balance sheet repositioning, and made leadership changes, with Thomas Shafer serving as chief executive.

FirstSun Capital Bancorp, the Denver-based parent of Sunflower Bank, agreed to acquire First Foundation in an all-stock merger. The transaction was approved by shareholders and received all required bank regulatory approvals.

The merger was completed on April 1, 2026. On the same day, First Foundation Bank merged into Sunflower Bank, which continued as the surviving bank. FirstSun reported pro forma total assets of $20.4 billion as of December 31, 2025. Shafer joined FirstSun as a director and Executive Vice Chairman, and four former First Foundation directors were appointed to its board. First Foundation common stock was delisted from the NYSE, and FirstSun shares are listed on Nasdaq under FSUN.