SEC FORM 4

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Reuling Michael F

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

111 N. WALL STREET

(Street)

SPOKANE

99201

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
STERLING FINANCIAL CORP /WA/ [ STSA ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/18/2014

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	04/18/2014		D		9,197	D	⁽¹⁾	0	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Non-Qualified Stock Option	$21.76	04/18/2014		D⁽²⁾			2,626	04/01/2014	04/29/2023	Common Stock	2,626	$0	0	D
Non-Qualified Stock Option	$1,012.638	04/18/2014		D⁽³⁾			149	01/20/2005	01/20/2015	Common Stock	149	$0	0	D
Non-Qualified Stock Option	$2,189.22	04/18/2014		D⁽³⁾			31	01/31/2008	03/15/2017	Common Stock	31	$0	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Common stock of Sterling Financial Corporation ("Sterling") disposed of in connection with the merger of Sterling with and into Umpqua Holdings Corporation ("Umpqua") on April 18, 2014 pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 11, 2013, between Sterling and Umpqua, each share of Sterling's common stock was exchanged for $2.18 in cash and 1.671 shares of Umpqua common stock.

2. Nonqualified stock options of Sterling disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger. Each Sterling stock option will be converted into an option to purchase Umpqua common stock per the equity award exchange ratio as referred to in the Agreement and Plan of Merger.

3. This stock option was cancelled pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger. These options carried exercise prices that were significantly in excess of the value of the merger consideration. Sterling received permission from the award recipient to cancel the award prior to the effective date of the merger.

	/s/ Lara L. Hemingway, attorney-in-fact	04/22/2014
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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