Contact:

Patriot National Bank

900 Bedford Street

Stamford, CT 06901

Charles F. Howell

President and CEO

Robert F. O’Connell

SEVP & CFO

(203) 324-7500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PATRIOT NATIONAL BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF “POISON PILL” RIGHTS Stamford, Connecticut May 7, 2009.  Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Market “PNBK”), the parent of Patriot National Bank announced today that it will redeem the Company’s outstanding stock purchase rights granted pursuant to a Rights Agreement dated as of April 19, 2004.  The Rights Agreement is more commonly known as a “poison pill”.

In redeeming the rights, the Company will make a one-time redemption payment of $0.001 per right to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 18, 2009.  Following the redemption, the rights and the Rights Agreement will terminate.  Shareholders do not have to take any action to receive this redemption payment and do not have to exchange their stock certificates.