EXHIBIT 99.1

City National Corp. Grows First-Quarter 2012 Net Income to $46.3 Million, Up 17 Percent From First-Quarter 2011

Average loan balances grow 10 percent from first-quarter 2011

Average core deposits up 12 percent from a year ago

Total assets exceed $24 billion for the first time

LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Corporation (NYSE:CYN), the parent company of wholly owned City National Bank, today reported first-quarter 2012 net income of $46.3 million, or $0.86 per share, up 17 percent from $39.7 million, or $0.74 per share, in the first quarter of 2011.

City National also announced today that its Board of Directors has maintained and approved a quarterly common stock cash dividend of $0.25 per share. The company's dividend is payable on May 16, 2012 to stockholders of record on May 2, 2012.

FIRST-QUARTER 2012 HIGHLIGHTS

• Average first-quarter loan balances, excluding loans covered by City National's acquisition-related loss‑sharing agreements with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), were $12.4 billion, up 10 percent from the first quarter of last year and 2 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2011. Average first-quarter commercial loan balances grew 20 percent from the year-earlier period and 2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. 
• Fully taxable-equivalent net interest income amounted to $205.4 million, up 11 percent from the year-earlier period but virtually unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2011. 
• First-quarter deposit balances averaged $20.2 billion, up 11 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but down 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. Average core deposits were up 12 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but down 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. Core deposits account for 97 percent of average deposit balances.
• Excluding FDIC-covered loans, first-quarter 2012 results included no provision for loan and lease losses. City National recorded no provision in the first quarter of 2011 and a $5.0 million provision in the fourth quarter of last year. The company remains adequately reserved at 2.09 percent of total loans, excluding FDIC-covered loans.

"In the first quarter, City National continued to perform well: It grew net income substantially, improved its performance and credit quality, added capital and clients, and invested in the company's future," said President and Chief Executive Officer Russell Goldsmith. "Year over year, assets, loans and deposits all grew at double-digit rates. Capital ratios and credit quality remained strong.

"In January, for the seventh year in a row, Greenwich Associates again recognized City National colleagues' well-known exceptional client service, with seven awards for excellence in overall client satisfaction, financial stability and international services.

"These solid first-quarter results were generated even as City National also continued to invest in its capabilities and future growth by, among other things, expanding its small business sales force, enhancing its franchise finance team with the addition of an experienced team of lenders, and just this month launching its state-of-the-art mobile banking service for individual clients. At the same time, expense growth was quite contained."

ASSETS

Total assets at March 31, 2012 grew to a record $24.0 billion, up 11 percent from the first quarter of 2011 and 2 percent from the fourth quarter of last year.

REVENUE

Revenue for the first quarter of 2012 was $276.4 million, virtually unchanged from the year-ago period but down 4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Fully taxable-equivalent net interest income was $205.4 million in the first quarter of 2012, up 11 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but virtually unchanged from the fourth quarter of last year.

Average first-quarter deposits were $20.2 billion, up 11 percent from the year-ago period but down just 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011 in spite of typical seasonal declines. Period-end deposits grew to a record $20.8 billion, up 13 percent from March 31, 2011 and up 2 percent from December 31, 2011. Average core deposits were $19.5 billion in the first quarter of 2012, up 12 percent from the same period of 2011 but down 1 percent from the fourth quarter of last year.

First-quarter 2012 average noninterest-bearing deposits were up 29 percent from the same period of 2011 and up 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

Treasury Services deposit balances, which consist primarily of title, escrow and property management deposits, averaged $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012, up 13 percent from the same period of last year and up 2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The increases were due to the addition of new title and escrow clients and an increase in residential and commercial real estate activity by the company's title and escrow clients.

First-quarter average loan balances, excluding FDIC-covered loans, were $12.4 billion, up 10 percent from the first quarter of 2011 and up 2 percent from the fourth quarter of last year.

First-quarter average commercial loans were up 20 percent from the year-ago period and 2 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2011. Average balances for commercial real estate mortgages were up 13 percent from the first quarter of 2011, and they increased 4 percent from the fourth quarter of last year. Average balances for commercial real estate construction loans were down 30 percent from the first quarter of last year, and they declined 4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

Average balances for single-family residential mortgage loans, nearly all of which are made to City National's private banking clients, were up 6 percent from the year-ago period and 1 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2011.

Average securities for the first quarter of 2012 totaled $7.9 billion, up 39 percent from the first quarter of 2011 and 4 percent higher than the fourth quarter of last year, as deposit growth continued to outpace loan growth. The average duration of total securities at March 31, 2012 was 3.1 compared to 2.7 at March 31, 2011 and 2.4 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2011.

City National's net interest margin in the first quarter of 2012 averaged 3.74 percent, up from 3.70 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and down from 3.84 percent in the first quarter of 2011. The decline from the year-ago period was due primarily to strong deposit growth and lower loan yields. The company continued to invest a large share of its growing deposits in securities.

First-quarter net interest income included $15.7 million from FDIC-covered loans that were repaid or charged off during the quarter. This compares with $7.4 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $18.9 million in the fourth quarter of last year.

At March 31, 2012, City National's prime lending rate was 3.25 percent, unchanged from both March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

COVERED ASSETS

Loans and other real estate owned (OREO) assets acquired in City National's FDIC‑assisted bank acquisitions totaled $1.4 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2012 compared to $1.8 billion at March 31, 2011 and $1.5 billion at December 31, 2011.

In the first quarter of 2012, the company recorded a $2.8 million non-cash net gain to reflect results of the quarterly update of cash-flow projections for the FDIC-covered loans. The gain reflects a $7.5 million provision for losses on covered loans and an offsetting $10.3 million of noninterest income related to City National's loss-sharing agreements with the FDIC.  The $2.8 million non-cash gain for the quarter was partly offset by $1.9 million of other covered assets net expense.  The net impact of these items was income of $0.9 million, compared with income of $0.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

City National will continue to update cash-flow projections for covered loans on a quarterly basis. Due to the uncertainty in the future performance of the covered loans, additional impairments may be recognized in the future.

OREO assets acquired by City National in four FDIC-assisted bank acquisitions and subject to loss-sharing agreements totaled $78.5 million at March 31, 2012, compared to $121.8 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $98.5 million at the end of the fourth quarter of last year.

NONINTEREST INCOME

Noninterest income was $75.7 million in the first quarter of 2012, down 19 percent from the year-ago quarter and 12 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. First-quarter 2012 results included net FDIC loss-sharing income of $0.9 million compared to net FDIC loss-sharing income of $8.6 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $7.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

In the first quarter of 2012, noninterest income accounted for 27 percent of City National's total revenue compared to 34 percent in the first quarter of 2011 and 30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Wealth Management

City National's assets under management totaled $32.5 billion as of March 31, 2012, down 14 percent from the year-earlier period but up 4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

Trust and investment fees were $33.7 million, down 6 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but up 2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

The year-over-year declines in assets under management and trust and investment fees were due primarily to the third-quarter 2011 divestiture of certain institutional assets by one of the company's investment affiliates and the deconsolidation of another affiliate in the second quarter of last year. This was partially offset by higher equity values in the first quarter of 2012.

Money-market mutual fund and brokerage fees totaled $5.0 million, down 11 percent from the year-earlier period but up 4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The decline from the year-ago period was due primarily to the impact of extraordinarily low short-term interest rates.

Other Noninterest Income

First-quarter income from cash management and deposit transaction fees was $11.2 million, down 5 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but up 4 percent from the fourth quarter of last year.

Fee income from foreign exchange services and letters of credit totaled $8.8 million in the first quarter of 2012, up 6 percent from the first quarter of 2011 but virtually unchanged from the fourth quarter of last year. The increase from the year-ago period was due primarily to increased client activity and the addition of new clients.

Other income was $13.6 million in the first quarter of 2012, down 37 percent from the year-earlier period and 22 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The declines were due primarily to lower gains on the transfer of FDIC-covered loans to OREO.

NONINTEREST EXPENSE

City National's first-quarter 2012 noninterest expense amounted to $200.7 million, up 2 percent from the first quarter of last year and 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The increases were due largely to higher compensation costs and legal and professional services fees, which were offset in part by lower OREO expenses. Approximately 91 percent of first-quarter 2012 OREO expenses are related to covered assets, and a significant portion of these expenses is reimbursable by the FDIC and reflected in noninterest income.

CREDIT QUALITY

The following credit quality information excludes loans subject to loss-sharing agreements involving City National's FDIC-assisted transactions:

Net recoveries in the first quarter of 2012 totaled $4.5 million, or 0.15 percent of total loans and leases on an annualized basis. The company realized net recoveries of $6.5 million, or 0.24 percent, in the first quarter of 2011 and net charge-offs of $5.5 million, or 0.18 percent, in the fourth quarter of 2011.

At March 31, 2012, nonperforming assets amounted to $141.9 million, or 1.11 percent of the company's total loans and leases and OREO, compared to $213.7 million, or 1.89 percent, at March 31, 2011 and $142.8 million, or 1.16 percent, at December 31, 2011.

Nonaccrual loans at March 31, 2012 were $112.8 million compared to $157.4 million at March 31, 2011 and $112.0 million at December 31, 2011. Criticized and classified loans declined from the fourth quarter of 2011, and overall credit trends remain favorable.

City National recorded no provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2012. The company recorded no provision in the first quarter of last year and a $5.0 million provision in the fourth quarter of 2011.

At March 31, 2012, City National's allowance for loan and lease losses increased to $266.1 million, or 2.09 percent of total loans and leases. That compares to $263.4 million, or 2.34 percent, at March 31, 2011 and $262.6 million, or 2.13 percent, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2011. The slight percentage decline reflects the growth of the company's loan portfolio and the continuing improvement in credit quality. The company also maintains an additional $24.1 million in reserves for off-balance-sheet credit commitments.

Commercial Loans

Commercial loan net recoveries were $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2012. This compares to net charge-offs of $1.9 million in the year-earlier period and $12.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Commercial loans on nonaccrual totaled $19.6 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to $19.3 million at March 31, 2011 and $19.9 million at December 31, 2011.

Construction Loans

City National's $313.4 million commercial real estate construction portfolio includes secured loans to developers of residential and nonresidential properties. This portfolio now represents less than 3 percent of the company's total loans.

First-quarter net recoveries of construction loans were $0.1 million compared to net recoveries of $3.8 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $6.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

At March 31, 2012, construction loans on nonaccrual totaled $49.0 million compared to $81.4 million at March 31, 2011 and $50.9 million at December 31, 2011.

Commercial Real Estate Mortgage Loans

First-quarter net charge-offs in the company's $2.2 billion commercial real estate mortgage portfolio were $0.7 million compared to net recoveries of $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2011 and net charge-offs of $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Commercial real estate mortgage loans on nonaccrual totaled $21.1 million compared to $28.0 million at March 31, 2011 and $21.9 million at December 31, 2011.

Residential Mortgage Loans and Equity Lines of Credit

City National's $3.8 billion residential mortgage portfolio and $716.0 million home-equity portfolio continued to perform exceptionally well.  Together, they accounted for $0.6 million in net charge-offs in the first quarter of 2012 compared to $1.4 million at March 31, 2011 and $0.4 million at December 31, 2011.

Residential mortgage loans and lines of credit on nonaccrual were $22.5 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to $21.2 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $18.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

INCOME TAXES

City National's effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2012 was 31.8 percent, up from 30.5 percent in the year-earlier period but down from 33.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011.

CAPITAL LEVELS

City National remains well-capitalized, ending the first quarter of 2012 with a Tier 1 common shareholders' equity ratio of 10.2 percent compared to 10.7 percent at March 31, 2011 and 10.2 percent at December 31, 2011.¹

Total risk-based capital and Tier 1 risk-based capital ratios at March 31, 2012 were 12.7 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively. City National's Tier 1 leverage ratio at March 31, 2012 was 7.0 percent. All of City National's capital ratios are above minimum regulatory standards for "well-capitalized" institutions.

Total risk-based capital, Tier 1 risk-based capital and Tier 1 leverage ratios at December 31, 2011 were 12.8 percent, 10.3 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively.

The period-end ratio of equity to total assets at March 31, 2012 was 9.2 percent compared to 9.3 percent at March 31, 2011 and 9.1 percent at December 31, 2011.

2012 OUTLOOK

City National's management continues to anticipate net income growth in 2012, as loans and deposits continue to increase and credit quality improves. Although the company recorded no provision in the first quarter, management still expects to record loan-loss provisions during the remainder of the year. This outlook reflects management's expectations for moderate economic and loan growth in 2012 and continued low interest rates for the remainder of the year.

CONFERENCE CALL

City National Corporation will host a conference call this afternoon (April 19) to discuss first-quarter 2012 financial results. The call will begin at 2:00 p.m. PDT. Analysts and investors may dial in and participate in the question/answer session. To access the call, please dial (866) 393-6804 and enter Conference ID 62568402.  A listen-only live broadcast of the call also will be available on the investor relations page of the company's Website at cnb.com.  There, it will be archived and available for 12 months.

ABOUT CITY NATIONAL

City National Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, City National Bank, provides banking, investment and trust services through 79 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Tenn., and Atlanta, Georgia. The corporation and its investment affiliates manage or administer $57.8 billion in client investment assets, including $32.5 billion under direct management.

For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.

The City National Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3142

SAFE-HARBOR LANGUAGE

This news release contains forward-looking statements about the company, for which the company claims the protection of the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

A number of factors, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control or predict, could cause future results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include (1) changes in general economic, political, or industry conditions and the related credit and market conditions and the impact they have on the company and its customers, (2) the impact on financial markets and the economy of the level of U.S. and European debt, (3) changes in the pace of economic recovery and related changes in employment levels, (4) the effect of the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2011 and the new rules and regulations to be promulgated by supervisory and oversight agencies implementing the new legislation, taking into account that the precise timing, extent and nature of such rules and regulations and the impact on the company is uncertain, (5) significant changes in applicable laws and regulations, including those concerning taxes, banking and securities, (6) volatility in the municipal bond market, (7) changes in the level of nonperforming assets, charge-offs, other real estate owned and provision expense, (8) incorrect assumptions in the value of the loans acquired in FDIC-assisted acquisitions resulting in greater than anticipated losses in the acquired loan portfolios exceeding the losses covered by the loss-sharing agreements with the FDIC, (9) the effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board, (10) changes in inflation, interest rates, and market liquidity which may impact interest margins and impact funding sources, (11) adequacy of the company's enterprise risk management framework, (12) the company's ability to increase market share and control expenses, (13) the company's ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate existing employees, (14) increased competition in the company's markets, (15) changes in the financial performance and/or condition of the company's borrowers, including adverse impact on loan utilization rates, delinquencies, defaults and customers' ability to meet certain credit obligations, changes in customers' suppliers, and other counterparties' performance and creditworthiness, (16) a substantial and permanent loss of either client accounts and/or assets under management at the company's investment advisory affiliates or its wealth management division, (17) changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits, (18) soundness of other financial institutions which could adversely affect the company, (19) protracted labor disputes in the company's markets, (20) earthquake, fire or other natural disasters affecting the condition of real estate collateral, (21) the effect of acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses and de novo branching efforts, (22) the impact of changes in regulatory, judicial or legislative tax treatment of business transactions, (23) changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or regulatory agencies, (24) security breaches and disruptions to our information systems, and (25) the success of the company at managing the risks involved in the foregoing.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the statements are made, or to update earnings guidance, including the factors that influence earnings.

For a more complete discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and particularly, Item 1A, titled "Risk Factors."

¹ For notes on non-GAAP measures, see page 15 of the Selected Financial Information.

CONTACT: Financial/Investors
         Christopher J. Carey, City National,
         310.888.6777
         Chris.Carey@cnb.com

         Media
         Cary Walker, City National,
         213.673.7615
         Cary.Walker@cnb.com

         Conference Call:
         Today 2:00 p.m. PDT
         (866) 393-6804
         Conference ID: 62568402