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 *
BILLER LESLIE S
  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)
111 N. WALL STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/22/2010
(Street)

SPOKANE, WA 99201
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 10/22/2010   C   32,200,000 A (2) 35,000,000 I Owned by Les & Sheri Biller Revocable Trust

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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
Convertible Participating Voting Preferred Stock, Series D (1) (2) 10/22/2010   C     70,000   (2)   (2) Common Stock 32,200,000 (2) 0 I Owned by Les & Sheri Biller Revocable Trust

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
BILLER LESLIE S
111 N. WALL STREET
SPOKANE, WA 99201
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Robert G. Butterfield, attorney-in-fact   10/26/2010
**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) Prior to the transaction reported herein, The Les & Sheri Biller Revocable Trust was the holder of 2,800,000 shares of Common Stock and 70,000 shares of Convertible Participating Voting Preferred Stock, Series D, no par value with a liquidation preference of $4.60 per share (the "Series D Stock"). On October 21, 2010, "Stockholder Approval" (as defined below) was obtained and, as a result, on October 22, 2010, each share of Series D Preferred Stock automatically converted into 460 shares of Common Stock. The Les & Sheri Biller Revocable Trust's 70,000 shares of Preferred Stock, Series D, converted into 32,200,000 shares of Common Stock. "Stockholder Approval" refers to the approval by the stockholders of STSA on October 21, 2010 to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock to at least 10,000,000,000 shares or a larger number that the Board of Directors determines in its reasonable judgment is necessary to permit STSA to comply with its obligations under agreements entered into in connection with certain recapitalization transactions that occurred on August 26, 2010.
(2) Since Stockholder Approval was obtained on October 21, 2010, each share of the Series D Preferred Stock automatically converted into 460 shares of Common Stock on October 22, 2010, in accordance with the terms of the Series D Preferred Stock. No consideration for this conversion was required.

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