Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Bresler Joshua D
   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)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O THOMAS H. LEE PARTNERS, L.P., 100 FEDERAL STREET, 35TH FLOOR		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/18/2014
(Street)

BOSTON, MA 02110		 4. If Amendment, Date 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
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
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)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 04/18/2014   J(1)   12,954,788 D (1) 0 I (2)(3)

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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 Underlying Securities
(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 of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Warrant (right to buy) $ 14.52 (4) 04/18/2014   J(5)     1,480,119 10/21/2010 08/26/2017 Common Stock 1,480,119 (2) (5) 0 I See Footnotes (2) (3)

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Bresler Joshua D
C/O THOMAS H. LEE PARTNERS, L.P.
100 FEDERAL STREET, 35TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02110		   X      

Signatures

 /s/ Joshua D. Bresler   04/22/2014
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* 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).
(1) On April 18, 2014, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, dated September 11, 2013, between Sterling Financial Corporation ("Sterling") and Umpqua Holdings Corporation ("Umpqua"), each share of Sterling common stock was converted into the right to receive 1.671 shares of Umpqua common stock and $2.18 in cash.
(2) Shares and warrants represent aggregate holdings of Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund VI, L.P. ("Equity"), Thomas H. Lee Parallel Fund VI, L.P. ("Parallel"), Thomas H. Lee Equity Parallel (DT) Fund VI, L.P. ("DT"), THL Sterling Equity Investors L.P. ("THL Sterling") and THL Managers VI, LLC ("Managers", and together with Equity, Parallel, DT and THL Sterling, the "Funds"). Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. ("THL") is the managing member of Managers and the sole member of THL Equity Advisors VI, LLC ("Advisors") which in turn is the general partner of Equity, Parallel, DT and THL Sterling. The reporting person is a Managing Director of THL. As such, the reporting person may be deemed to beneficially own the shares and warrants of the Issuer owned directly by each of the Funds.
(3) The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of the securities for the purpose of Section 16 or for any other purpose, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
(4) Exercise price, as adjusted for certain issuances of common stock, stock splits, stock subdivisions, stock reclassifications, stock combinations, other distributions, certain repurchases, business combinations and similar actions.
(5) As provided in the Merger Agreement, the Warrant was automatically converted, as of the effective time of the merger, into a warrant exercisable for the Merger Consideration that the Sterling common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrant immediately prior to the effective time would have been entitled to receive upon completion of the merger.

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