CORRESP 1 filename1.htm accelerationrequest.htm -- Converted by SEC Publisher, created by BCL Technologies Inc., for SEC Filing

CITY NATIONAL CORPORATION
555 S. Flower Street, 18th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071

January 5, 2007

  Via EDGAR and Facsimile

Division of Corporation Finance
Securities and Exchange Commission
Mail Stop 4561
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention:       William C-L Friar
                      Kathryn McHale

                                        Re:    City National Corporation 
      Registration Statement on Form S-4 (333-139215) 

  Ladies and Gentlemen:

                                       City National Corporation (“City National”) hereby requests that the effectiveness under 
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the above-captioned Registration Statement be accelerated to 
12:00 p.m. on January 8, 2007, or as soon thereafter as practicable. 
 
                                       In connection with the foregoing request for acceleration of effectiveness, the Registrant 
hereby acknowledges the following: 
 
                                       1.    Should the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) or the 
                                                     Commission Staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, declare the filing
                                                     effective, this action does not foreclose the Commission from taking any action 
                                                     with respect to the filing, and City National may not assert this action as a
                                                     defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the 
                                                     federal securities laws of the United States; and 
 
                                       2.    The action of the Commission or the Commission Staff, acting pursuant to 
                                                    delegated authority, in declaring the filing effective, does not relieve City
                                                    National from its full responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of the
                                       disclosure in the filing. 
 
                                       Please contact Nicholas G. Demmo of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz at (212) 403-1381 
with any questions you may have concerning this request. In addition, please notify Mr. Demmo when 
this request for acceleration has been granted. 

  City National Corporation 
   
  By: /s/ Michael B. Cahill 
             Michael B. Cahill 
             Executive Vice President and General 
             Counsel