Washington Federal to Appoint Fenwick’s Stephen Graham Chairman of the Board

Washington Federal, Inc., holding company for WaFD Bank, NA, the largest bank headquartered in Washington with more than $19 billion in assets, announced it will appoint Fenwick corporate partner Stephen Graham chairman of its board of directors following its January 2022 annual meeting.

“We are very pleased with the direction of WaFd Bank and believe that Mr. Graham is uniquely qualified to lead the board as we continue to focus on our transition to a highly profitable, digital-first bank. He brings a deep understanding of the values that have helped the company thrive for more than 100 years, a respect for the role of regulation, and a real world understanding of our opportunity to take market share as industry consolidation accelerates,” Washington Federal chairman Thomas Kelley said.

Graham’s practice is focused on the representation of emerging and established high-growth companies, and serving as an extension of the senior management teams and boards of directors. He advises on private and public mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, private placements and corporate governance matters, including advising boards of directors and audit, compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees, and securities law compliance.

He is regularly recognized by Chambers USA as one of the top corporate and M&A lawyers in Washington, including most recently in 2021. Graham has consistently been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2012. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the board of directors of the Institute for Systems Biology, as well as the national board of directors of Friends of the Children.