Legal Proceedings	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Legal Proceedings
Legal Proceedings	15. Legal Proceedings The Company has various lawsuits pending at June 30, 2011, arising in the normal course of business. While some matters pending against the Company specify damages claimed by plaintiffs, others do not seek a specified amount of damages or are at very early stages of the legal process. The Company records a loss accrual for all legal matters for which it deems a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. Some legal matters, which are at early stages in the legal process, have not yet progressed to the point where a loss amount can be estimated. For those legal matters in which the Company is able to estimate a range of possible loss and where such loss is reasonably possible (less than probable), the Company believes that their resolution could result in an additional loss of up to $5 million in future periods in excess of amounts previously accrued. This estimate is based on a preliminary review of the claims and evidence of settlements entered into by other defendants in similar cases and is subject to adjustment as facts related to the claims are developed. The Company believes it has substantial defenses to these claims and anticipates the claims will be resolved without material loss. On April 6, 2010, a suit was filed against Commerce Bank (the Bank) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by a customer alleging that overdraft fees relating to debit card transactions have been unfairly assessed by the Bank. The suit seeks class-action status for Bank customers who may have been similarly affected, and has been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida for pre-trial proceedings as part of the multi-district litigation referred to as In re Checking Account Overdraft Litigation. A second suit alleging the same facts and also seeking class-action status was filed on June 4, 2010 in Missouri state court, but has been stayed in deference to the earlier filed suit.

15. Legal Proceedings

The Company has various lawsuits pending at June 30, 2011, arising in the normal course of business. While some matters pending against the Company specify damages claimed by plaintiffs, others do not seek a specified amount of damages or are at very early stages of the legal process. The Company records a loss accrual for all legal matters for which it deems a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. Some legal matters, which are at early stages in the legal process, have not yet progressed to the point where a loss amount can be estimated. For those legal matters in which the Company is able to estimate a range of possible loss and where such loss is reasonably possible (less than probable), the Company believes that their resolution could result in an additional loss of up to $5 million in future periods in excess of amounts previously accrued. This estimate is based on a preliminary review of the claims and evidence of settlements entered into by other defendants in similar cases and is subject to adjustment as facts related to the claims are developed. The Company believes it has substantial defenses to these claims and anticipates the claims will be resolved without material loss.

On April 6, 2010, a suit was filed against Commerce Bank (the Bank) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by a customer alleging that overdraft fees relating to debit card transactions have been unfairly assessed by the Bank. The suit seeks class-action status for Bank customers who may have been similarly affected, and has been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida for pre-trial proceedings as part of the multi-district litigation referred to as In re Checking Account Overdraft Litigation. A second suit alleging the same facts and also seeking class-action status was filed on June 4, 2010 in Missouri state court, but has been stayed in deference to the earlier filed suit.