Company: WAL-PA
Filing Date: 2025-04-23
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-057334
Chunk: 45

Company: WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION
Filing Date: 2025-04-23
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 45
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 asset threshold without significant increases in operating and regulatory remediation costs. Other financial institutions nearing this threshold are typically valued less favorably than those that have already crossed or those further from LFI status (e.g., banks with less than $50 billion in assets). Furthermore, if regulators determine that the Company is not adequately prepared to meet the increased regulatory demands of becoming an LFI, asset growth could be hindered, and expenses could rise, thereby negatively impacting earnings. To effectively prepare for LFI status, retaining key employees is critical for maintaining focus, resilience and sustainable growth, ultimately creating value for stockholders. This need arises at a time when others in the industry are facing similar challenges and bolstering their critical infrastructure. To be successful it is imperative that the Company retain senior executives and avoid our employees being identified for recruitment by other institutions. To balance the need for retention with alignment to long-term value creation for stockholders, the Compensation Committee granted “Hold to Retirement” restricted stock units, which include both a time-vesting requirement and a deferred payment feature. Given the deferred payment feature, we sometimes refer to these awards as Hold to Retirement Deferred Stock Units or DSUs. The Compensation Committee believes that the DSUs serve stockholder interests by further aligning the interests of our executives with those of our long-term stockholders and providing additional retention incentives at a critical time for the Company. The DSUs vest on the later of (i) the one-year anniversary of the grant date and (ii) the participant’s satisfaction of the age- and service-related eligibility criteria for a “qualified retirement” (which means completion of at least five years of service and having a combined age and years of service of at least 60). Termination of employment before the vesting date for any reason (other than due to death or disability) results in forfeiture of the DSUs. Once vested, the DSUs are not paid until the qualified

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| EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION |

retirement (or earlier death or disability). In addition, the DSUs are forfeited in case of involuntary termination for cause at any time before payment. The Company does not plan to utilize this DSU design as a long term component of compensation. Rather, we intend to use this DSU award design for a short period, coinciding with our efforts to stabilize key employees and achieve LFI designation. To maximize the program's potential, the credits were front-loaded, and it is anticipated that the award values will decrease