FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2007

Hancock Bank of Alabama starts construction at downtown office

     MOBILE, AL (March 20, 2007) - A familiar beacon of Gulf Coast financial services excellence will soon further spotlight Mobile's downtown renaissance as Hancock Bank of Alabama opens its full-service financial center on the corner of St. Emanuel and Dauphin streets near historical Bienville Square next month.

     At last week's Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with the Mayor, local Hancock senior lending officer Jerry Broughton announced that Hancock Bank has begun construction and renovations at the St. Emanuel Place site and expects to open the 3,650-square-foot financial district office by mid-April.

A New Light in Town - Construction and renovations began last week on Hancock Bank of Alabama's St. Emanuel Place full-service financial center in downtown Mobile near historic Bienville Square. Scheduled to open in mid-April, the new branch at 127 Dauphin Street launches the 108-year-old Gulf Coast bank's expansion into the thriving metropolitan Mobile and Eastern Shore markets during 2007. (photo by David Thornton).

     Hancock Bank of Alabama sponsored the breakfast, the first gathering for this new quarterly Chamber function.

     "We are very proud to partner with the Chamber for this event. Hancock Bank has facilitated commerce and opportunities for people across the Gulf Coast since 1899. We share a common Gulf South heritage with the people and places of this area, and we look forward to helping the downtown and metropolitan communities grow and prosper," said Broughton.

     One of several new Hancock Bank of Alabama locations anticipated throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties in 2007, the downtown branch will offer all of Hancock's comprehensive financial solutions, including traditional banking, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage services, small business resources, trusts, investments, estate planning, and a full array of wealth management services. The company currently operates banking offices in West Mobile's Piccadilly Square and Gulf Shores. Hancock's coastal Alabama expansion forges a vital link between the company's south central Louisiana and South Mississippi markets and locations across the Florida Panhandle, including Pensacola and Tallahassee.

      "Hancock has always maintained a strong I-10 corridor presence to offer customers the convenience of 150-plus banking and financial services offices and more than 130 ATMs across four states. Our corporate values of honor and integrity, strength and stability, commitment to service, teamwork, and personal responsibility reflect the traditions of this area. We uphold a strong community banking way of doing business backed by the extensive, innovative resources of a regional financial services leader," said Broughton.

     He added that the lighthouse prominent in Hancock's logo since the early 20th century symbolizes the company's longstanding distinction as a catalyst for economic opportunity and reiterates Hancock's dedication to a founding ideology based on strategic vision, accountability, and community commitment. Historically, lighthouses, railroads, and ports were among the first indicators of an area's importance as a hub for commerce.

About Hancock Bank

     Hancock Holding Company - parent company of Hancock Bank of Alabama, Hancock Bank Mississippi, Hancock Bank of Florida, and Hancock Bank of Louisiana - has assets of more than $6 billion. Bank subsidiaries include Hancock Investment Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency, and Harrison Finance Company. Additionally, the company operates corporate trust offices in Gulfport, MS, Jackson, MS, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. Hancock's trust department, a division of the wealth management group, has assets of $7.4 billion, with assets under management of $2.31 billion, as of December 31, 2006.

     Founded October 10, 1899, Hancock Bank is the only financial services company headquartered in the Gulf South to rate among the top 20 percent of America's top performing banks. Hancock consistently ranks as one of the country's strongest, safest financial institutions, according to Veribanc, Inc., and BauerFinancial Services, Inc. Thomson Financial also recently listed Hancock as the ninth largest corporate trustee bank in the U.S. Dave Lundgren, who manages the Hancock Horizon Funds (Hancock's proprietary mutual funds), earned accolades from Barron's as one of the nation's top-100 funds managers.

More corporate information and online banking are available at www.hancockbank.com.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
228.563.7953 or paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com