Bank of Hope Sues Hanmi Bank Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft

Bank of Hope, a California-based financial institution, has filed a lawsuit against Hanmi Bank alleging the theft of confidential client information. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on February 5, 2026, claims Hanmi Bank orchestrated the misappropriation of trade secrets through a former Bank of Hope senior vice president.

Details of the Lawsuit

According to the complaint, Hanmi Bank recruited a Bank of Hope executive in June 2023. Bank of Hope alleges that after hiring this executive, Hanmi Bank’s leadership, including CEO Bonnie Lee, knowingly received and utilized Bank of Hope’s proprietary client data, financial information, and loan terms to target its customers.

The lawsuit specifically mentions that the former Bank of Hope Vice President and Director of the Customer Management Group at the Duluth, Georgia branch, managed customer loan and deposit relationships, internal credit memos, and non-public financial data including credit ratings, loan terms, interest rates, and collateral information. Bank of Hope claims the executive maintained an Excel spreadsheet containing detailed customer financial information and had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

The complaint further alleges that the former employee sent PowerPoint materials containing trade secrets to Hanmi Bank executives via personal email in July 2023, and presented this data at a meeting in Los Angeles on July 27, 2023. Bank of Hope contends that Hanmi Bank then used this information to attract customers by offering competitive loan terms between 2023 and 2025.

Legal Claims and Requested Relief

Bank of Hope is seeking several forms of relief from the court, including:

• An injunction prohibiting the use or disclosure of the trade secrets.
• Compensation for actual losses and unjust gains.
• Punitive damages for alleged malicious acts.
• Attorney fees.

The case is 2:26-cv-01187, Bank of Hope, a California Corporation v. Hanmi Bank, and is being handled by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.

Responses from the Banks

Bank of Hope stated it has no further comment due to the ongoing litigation. Hanmi Bank has indicated it will “actively respond” to the lawsuit and seek to dismiss the claims based on objective facts.

Case Information

The lawsuit cites violations of the California Trade Secret Protection Act and the Federal Trade Secret Protection Act (Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016). An initial order was issued on February 25, 2026, by Judge Christina A. Snyder. The case was reassigned from Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar to Judge Snyder on February 17, 2026, with any discovery matters referred to U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman. Hanmi Bank filed a waiver of service on March 5, 2026, with an answer due April 20, 2026.

Sources: Law.com, Justia Dockets, PacerMonitor