SAN DIEGO — The planned merger between California Coast Credit Union and San Diego County Credit Union—first announced in April 2025—has moved from integration planning to the courthouse, with a lawsuit now challenging the attempted termination of the merger agreement and effectively freezing next steps as the dispute plays out.
CUToday.info reported the original deal last year as a bid to form a roughly $13 billion-plus Southern California credit union operating under the California Coast name, with Cal Coast CEO Todd Lane slated to lead the combined institution and SDCCU CEO Teresa Campbell expected to retire at the legal merger. The institutions said they anticipated a legal close in early 2026, with full systems integration extending into 2027, pending regulatory approvals and a Cal Coast member vote.
Since then, a Superior Court lawsuit has been filed over whether one party could end the merger agreement and on what grounds. Local and industry reports characterize the case as a fight over an alleged termination of the deal and include claims tied to governance and leadership demands—relief sought includes enforcement of the agreement and damages.
Public records also show the transaction advanced into the regulatory process in 2025: California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation listed a merger filing for California Coast Credit Union and San Diego County Credit Union (filed May 23, 2025), describing a surviving credit union that would change its name to California Coast Credit Union.
Both credit unions continue to host merger-information pages describing the intended combination and approval path, but the lawsuit now clouds the timing and whether the merger can proceed as originally structured.