(1) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Heritage Commerce Corp ("HCC") operates as a registered bank holding company for its wholly-owned subsidiary Heritage Bank of Commerce ("HBC" or the "Bank"), collectively referred to as the "Company". HBC was incorporated on November 23, 1993 and commenced operations on June 8, 1994. HBC is a California state chartered bank which offers a full range of commercial and personal banking services to residents and the business/professional community in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties, California. As discussed in Note 7, the Company acquired BVF/CSNK Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation ("Bay View Funding" or "BVF") on November 1, 2014, and BVF became a wholly owned subsidiary of HBC. Based in Santa Clara, California, BVF is the parent company of CSNK Working Capital Finance Corp. dba Bay View Funding, which provides business-essential working capital factoring financing to various industries throughout the United States.

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting policies generally accepted in the United States of America and general practices in the banking industry. The financial statements include the accounts of the Company. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company also established the following wholly-owned Delaware business trusts that were formed to issue trust preferred and related common securities: Heritage Capital Trust I and Heritage Statutory Trust I, formed in 2000, Heritage Statutory Trust II, formed in 2001, and Heritage Statutory Trust III, formed in 2002 ("Trusts"). During the third quarter of 2012 the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust I and the Heritage Capital Trust I. During the third quarter of 2013, the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust II and the Heritage Statutory Trust III.

The Trusts issued their preferred securities to investors, and used the proceeds to purchase subordinated debt issued by the Company. The subordinated debt payable to the Trusts was recorded as debt of the Company. The Company had fully and unconditionally guaranteed the trust preferred securities along with all obligations of the Trusts under the trust agreements. Interest income from the subordinated debt was the source of revenues for these Trusts. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the Trusts were not consolidated in the Company's financial statements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, amounts due from banks, amounts held at the Federal Reserve Bank, and Federal funds sold. The Company is required to maintain reserves against certain of the deposit accounts with the Federal Reserve Bank. Federal funds are generally sold and purchased for one-day periods.

Cash Flows

Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, notes payable, repurchase agreements and other short-term borrowings.

Securities

The Company classifies its securities as either available-for-sale or held-to-maturity at the time of purchase. Debt securities are classified as held-to-maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive intent and ability to hold them to maturity. Debt securities not classified as held-to-maturity are classified as available-for-sale. Securities available-for-sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income, net of taxes.

A decline in the fair value of any available-for-sale or held-to-maturity security below amortized cost that is deemed other than temporary results in a charge to earnings and the corresponding establishment of a new cost basis for the security. In estimating other-than-temporary losses, management considers (1) the length of time and extent that fair value has been less than cost, (2) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, (3) whether the fair value decline was affected by macroeconomic conditions, and (4) whether the Company has the intention to sell the security or more likely than not will be required to sell the security before any anticipated recovery in fair value.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premiums or discounts. Premiums and discounts are amortized, or accreted, over the life of the related security as an adjustment to income using a method that approximates the interest method. Realized gains and losses are recorded on the trade date and determined using the specific identification method for the cost of securities sold.

Loan Sales and Servicing

The Company holds for sale the conditionally guaranteed portion of certain loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (collectively referred to as "SBA loans"). These loans are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or fair value. Net unrealized losses, if any, are recorded as a valuation allowance and charged to earnings.

Gains or losses on SBA loans held-for-sale are recognized upon completion of the sale, based on the difference between the selling price and the carrying value of the related loan sold.

SBA loans are sold with servicing retained. Servicing assets recognized separately upon the sale of SBA loans consist of servicing rights and, for loans sold prior to 2009, interest-only strip receivables ("I/O strips"). The Company accounts for the sale and servicing of SBA loans based on the financial and servicing assets it controls and liabilities it has incurred, reversing recognition of financial assets when control has been surrendered, and reversing recognition of liabilities when extinguished. Servicing rights are initially recorded at fair value with the income statement effect recorded in gains on sale of loans. Servicing rights are amortized in proportion to and over the period of net servicing income and are assessed for impairment on an ongoing basis. Impairment is determined by stratifying the servicing rights based on interest rates and terms. Any servicing assets in excess of the contractually specified servicing fees are reclassified at fair value as an I/O strip receivable and treated like an available for sale security. Fair value is determined using prices for similar assets with similar characteristics, when available, or based upon discounted cash flows using market-based assumptions. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance. The servicing rights, net of any required valuation allowance, and I/O strip receivable are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Servicing income, net of amortization of servicing rights, is recognized as noninterest income. The initial fair value of I/O strip receivables is amortized against interest income on loans.

Loans

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are stated at the principal amount outstanding, net of deferred loan origination fees and costs and an allowance for loan losses. The majority of the Company's loans have variable interest rates. Interest on loans is accrued on the unpaid principal balance and is credited to income using the effective yield interest method.

A loan portfolio segment is defined as the level at which the Company uses a systematic methodology to determine the allowance for loan losses. A loan portfolio class is defined as a group of loans having similar risk characteristics and methods for monitoring and assessing risk.

For all loan classes, when a loan is classified as nonaccrual, the accrual of interest is discontinued, any accrued and unpaid interest is reversed, and the amortization of deferred loan fees and costs is discontinued. For all loan classes, loans are classified as nonaccrual when the payment of principal or interest is 90 days past due, unless the loan is well secured and in the process of collection. Nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days still on accrual include both smaller balance homogeneous loans that are collectively evaluated for impairment and individually classified impaired loans. In certain circumstances, loans that are under 90 days past due may also be classified as nonaccrual. Any interest or principal payments received on nonaccrual loans are applied toward reduction of principal. Nonaccrual loans generally are not returned to performing status until the obligation is brought current, the loan has performed in accordance with the contract terms for a reasonable period of time, and the ultimate collectability of the contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt.

Non-refundable loan fees and direct origination costs are deferred and recognized over the expected lives of the related loans using the effective yield interest method.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is an estimate of probable incurred losses in the loan portfolio. Loans are charged-off against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance for loan losses. Management's methodology for estimating the allowance balance consists of several key elements, which include specific allowances on individual impaired loans and the formula driven allowances on pools of loans with similar risk characteristics. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management's judgment, should be charged off.

Specific allowances are established for impaired loans. Management considers a loan to be impaired when it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original contractual terms of the loan agreement, including scheduled interest payments. Loans for which the terms have been modified with a concession granted, and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, are considered troubled debt restructurings and classified as impaired. When a loan is considered to be impaired, the amount of impairment is measured based on the fair value of the collateral, less costs to sell, if the loan is collateral dependent, or on the present value of expected future cash flows or values that are observable in the secondary market if the loan is not collateral dependent. The amount of any impairment will be charged off against the allowance for loan losses if the amount is a confirmed loss or, alternatively, a specific allocation within the allowance will be established. Loans that are considered impaired are specifically excluded from the formula portion of the allowance for loan losses analysis.

The formula driven allowance on pools of loans covers all loans that are not impaired and is based on historical losses of each loan segment adjusted for current factors. In calculating the historical component of our allowance, we aggregate our loans into one of three loan segments: Commercial, Real Estate and Consumer. Each segment of loans in the portfolio possess varying degrees of risk, based on, among other things, the type of loan being made, the purpose of the loan, the type of collateral securing the loan, and the sensitivity the borrower has to changes in certain external factors such as economic conditions. The following provides a summary of the risks associated with various segments of the Company's loan portfolio, which are factors management regularly considers when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance:

•	Commercial loans consist primarily of commercial and industrial loans (business lines of credit), and other commercial purpose loans. Repayment of commercial and industrial loans is generally provided from the cash flows of the related business to which the loan was made. Adverse changes in economic conditions may result in a decline in business activity, which may impact a borrower's ability to continue to make scheduled payments. The factored receivables at BVF are included in the Company's commercial loan portfolio; however, they are evaluated for risk primarily based on the agings of the receivables. Faster turning receivables imply less risk and therefore warrant a lower associated allowance. Should the overall aging for the portfolio increase, this structure will by formula increase the allowance to reflect the increasing risk. Should the portfolio turn more quickly, it would reduce the associated allowance to reflect the reducing risk.
•	Real estate loans consist primarily of loans secured by commercial and residential real estate. Also included in this segment are land and construction loans and home equity lines of credit secured by real estate. As the majority of this segment is comprised of commercial real estate loans, risks associated with this segment lay primarily within these loan types. Adverse economic conditions may result in a decline in business activity and increased vacancy rates for commercial properties. These factors, in conjunction with a decline in real estate prices, may expose the Company to the potential for losses if a borrower cannot continue to service the loan with operating revenues, and the value of the property has declined to a level such that it no longer fully covers the Company's recorded investment in the loan.
•	Consumer loans consist primarily of a large number of small loans and lines of credit. The majority of installment loans are made for consumer and business purchases. Weakened economic conditions may result in an increased level of delinquencies within this segment, as economic pressures may impact the capacity of such borrowers to repay their obligations.

As a result of the matters mentioned above, changes in the financial condition of individual borrowers, economic conditions, historical loss experience and the condition of the various markets in which collateral may be sold may all affect the required level of the allowance for loan losses and the associated provision for loan losses.

The estimated loss factors for pools of loans that are not impaired are based on determining the probability of default and loss given default for loans within each segment of the portfolio, adjusted for significant factors that, in management's judgment, affect collectibility as of the evaluation date. The Company's historical delinquency experience and loss experience are utilized to determine the probability of default and loss given default for segments of the portfolio where the Company has experienced losses in the past. For segments of the portfolio where the Company has no significant prior loss experience, the Company uses quantifiable observable industry data to determine the probability of default and loss given default. Risk factors impacting loans in each of the portfolio segments include broad deterioration of property values, reduced consumer and business spending as a result of continued high unemployment and reduced credit availability and lack of confidence in a sustainable recovery. The historical loss experience is adjusted for management's estimate of the impact of other factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These other factors include consideration of the following: the overall level of concentrations and trends of classified loans; loan concentrations within a portfolio segment or division of a portfolio segment; identification of certain loan types with higher risk than other loans; existing internal risk factors; and management's evaluation of the impact of local and national economic conditions on each of our loan types.

Loan Commitments and Related Financial Instruments

Financial instruments include off-balance sheet credit instruments, such as commitments to make loans and commercial letters of credit, issued to meet customer financing needs. The face amount for these items represents the exposure to loss, before considering customer collateral or ability to repay. Such financial instruments are recorded when they are funded.

Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve Bank Stock

As a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") system, the Bank is required to own common stock in the FHLB based on the Bank's level of borrowings and outstanding FHLB advances. FHLB stock is carried at cost and classified as a restricted security. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

As a member of the Federal Reserve Bank ("FRB") of San Francisco, the Bank is required to own stock in the FRB of San Francisco based on a specified ratio relative to our capital. FRB stock is carried at cost and may be sold back to the FRB at its carrying value. Cash dividends received are reported as income.

Company Owned Life Insurance and Split-Dollar Life Insurance Benefit Plan

The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain directors and officers. Company owned life insurance is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement. The purchased insurance is subject to split-dollar insurance agreements with the insured participants, which continues after the participant's employment and retirement.

Accounting guidance requires that a liability be recorded primarily over the participant's service period when a split-dollar life insurance agreement continues after a participant's employment or retirement. The required accrued liability is based on either the post-employment benefit cost for the continuing life insurance or the future death benefit depending on the contractual terms of the underlying agreement.

Premises and Equipment

Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed on the straight-line basis over the lesser of the respective lease terms or estimated useful lives. The Company owns one building which is being depreciated over 40 years. Furniture, equipment, and leasehold improvements are depreciated over estimated useful lives generally ranging from five to fifteen years. The Company evaluates the recoverability of long-lived assets on an ongoing basis.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for acquisitions of businesses using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method, assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Management utilizes various valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analyses to determine these fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over amounts allocated to the acquired assets, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill resulted from the acquisition of Bay View Funding on November 1, 2014, and represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of acquired tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets. Goodwill is assessed at least annually for impairment and any such impairment is recognized in the period identified.

Other intangible assets consist of core deposit and customer relationship intangible assets arising from the Diablo Valley Bank acquisition in June 2007, and a below market value lease intangible asset, customer relationship and brokered relationship intangible assets, and a non-compete agreement intangible asset arising from the Bay View Funding acquisition in November 2014. They are initially measured at fair value and then are amortized over their estimated useful lives. The core deposits intangible asset from the acquisition of Diablo Valley Bank is being amortized on an accelerated method over ten years. The customer relationship intangible from the acquisition of Diablo Valley Bank was being amortized on an accelerated method over seven years, and was fully amortized at December 31, 2014. The below market value lease intangible asset, customer relationship and brokered relationship intangible assets, and non-compete agreement intangible asset from the acquisition of Bay View Funding are being amortized on the straight-line method over three, ten, and three years, respectively.

Foreclosed Assets

Assets acquired through or instead of loan foreclosure are initially recorded at fair value less costs to sell when acquired, establishing a new cost basis. If fair value declines subsequent to foreclosure, a valuation allowance is recorded through operations. Operating costs after acquisition are expensed. Gains and losses on disposition are included in noninterest expense.

The carrying value of foreclosed assets was $696,000 and $575,000 at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and is included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Retirement Plans

Expenses for the Company's non-qualified, unfunded defined benefits plan consists of service and interest cost and amortization of gains and losses not immediately recognized. Employee 401(k) and profit sharing plan expense is the amount of matching contributions. Deferred compensation and supplemental retirement plan expense allocates the benefits over years of service.

Loss Contingencies

Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company's accounting policy for legal costs related to loss contingencies is to accrue for the probable fees that can be reasonably estimated. The Company's accounting policy for uncertain recoveries is to recognize the anticipated recovery when realization is deemed probable.

Income Taxes

The Company files consolidated Federal and combined state income tax returns. Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax payable or refunded, the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities, and low income housing investment losses, net of tax benefits received. Some items of income and expense are recognized in different years for tax purposes when applying generally accepted accounting principles, leading to timing differences between the Company's actual tax liability and the amount accrued for this liability based on book income. These temporary differences comprise the "deferred" portion of the Company's tax expense or benefit, which is accumulated on the Company's books as a deferred tax asset or deferred tax liability until such time as they reverse.

Realization of the Company's deferred tax assets is primarily dependent upon the Company generating sufficient taxable income to obtain benefit from the reversal of net deductible temporary differences and utilization of tax credit carryforwards for Federal and California state income tax purposes. The amount of deferred tax assets considered realizable is subject to adjustment in future periods based on estimates of future taxable income. Under generally accepted accounting principles, a valuation allowance is required to be recognized if it is "more likely than not" that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The determination of the realizability of the deferred tax assets is highly subjective and dependent upon judgment concerning management's evaluation of both positive and negative evidence, including forecasts of future income, cumulative losses, applicable tax planning strategies, and assessments of current and future economic and business conditions.

The Company had net deferred tax assets of $18,527,000 and $23,326,000 at December 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, respectively. After consideration of the matters in the preceding paragraph, the Company determined that it is more likely than not that the net deferred tax asset at December 31, 2014 and 2013 will be fully realized in future years.

A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is "more likely than not" that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the "more likely than not" test, no tax benefit is recorded. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense.

Stock-Based Compensation

Compensation cost is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees, based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company's common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards. Compensation cost is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period. For awards with graded vesting, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Compensation cost recognized reflects estimated forfeitures, adjusted as necessary for actual forfeitures.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) consists of net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to gains and losses that are included in comprehensive income (loss) but are excluded from net income (loss) because they have been recorded directly in equity under the provisions of certain accounting guidance. The Company's sources of other comprehensive income (loss) are unrealized gains and losses on securities available-for-sale, and I/O strips, which are treated like available-for-sale securities, and the liabilities related to the Company's defined benefit pension plan and the split-dollar life insurance benefit plan. Reclassification adjustments result from gains or losses on securities that were realized and included in net income (loss) of the current period that also had been included in other comprehensive income as unrealized holding gains and losses.

Segment Reporting

HBC is an independent community business bank with eleven branch offices that offer similar products to customers. Bay View Funding, a subsidiary of Heritage Bank of Commerce, provides factoring financing, which are included in HBC's commercial loan portfolio. No customer accounts for more than 10 percent of revenues for HBC or the Company. While the chief decision-makers monitor the revenue streams of the various products and services, operations are managed and financial performance is evaluated on a Company wide basis. Management evaluates the Company's performance as a whole and does not allocate resources based on the performance of different lending or transaction activities. Accordingly, the Company and its subsidiary bank all operate as one business segment.

Reclassifications

Certain items in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 were reclassified to conform to the 2014 presentation. These reclassifications did not affect previously reported net income.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In January 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended existing guidance clarifying that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. For entities other than public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company has evaluated the adoption of the new guidance and has determined it will not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In January 2014, the FASB issued guidance for accounting for investments in qualified affordable housing projects, which represents a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force and sets forth new accounting for qualifying investments in flow through limited liability entities that invest in affordable housing projects. The new guidance allows a limited liability investor that meets certain conditions to amortize the cost of its investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits it receives. The new accounting method, referred to as the proportional amortization method, allows amortization of the tax credit investment to be reflected along with the primary benefits, the tax credits and other tax benefits, on a net basis in the income statement within the income tax expense (benefit) line. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. For all other entities, the guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. If elected, the proportional amortization method is required to be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted in the annual period for which financial statements have not been issued.

The Company adopted the proportional amortization method of accounting for its low income housing investments in the third quarter of 2014. The Company quantified the impact of adopting the proportional amortization method compared to the equity method to its current year and prior period financial statements. The Company determined that the adoption of the proportional amortization method did not have a material impact to its financial statements. The low income housing investment losses, net of the tax benefits received, are included in income tax expense for all periods reflected on the consolidated income statements. See Note 11 — Income Taxes for more information on the adoption of the proportional method of accounting for low income housing investments.

In May 2014, the FASB issued an update to the guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance in this update affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (for example, insurance contracts or lease contracts). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides steps to follow to achieve the core principle. An entity should disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Qualitative and quantitative information is required about contracts with customers, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The amendments in this update become effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We are evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements.