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 * NAGY M NAFEES   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION [WAL] 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) 1115 TROPHY HILLS DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/28/2012 (Street) LAS VEGAS, NV 89134 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               18,478 D   Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   57,692 D (1) 386,158 I Sajan Alliance, LLC Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   28,846 A (1) 28,846 I Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #1 Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   28,846 A (1) 35,178 I Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #2 Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   28,846 D (1) 0 I Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #1 Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   19,931 D (1) 15,247 I Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #2 Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   48,777 A (1) 48,777 I By Spouse Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   48,777 D (1) 0 I By Spouse Common Stock 02/28/2012   J(1)   48,777 A (1) 71,454 I Shamim N. Nagy Separate Property Trust

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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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

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
NAGY M NAFEES 1115 TROPHY HILLS DRIVE LAS VEGAS, NV 89134	X

Signatures

/s/ Dale Gibbons (Attorney-in-fact)		03/01/2012
**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 February 28, 2012, Sajan Alliance, LLC (whose shareholdings the reporting person may be deemed to beneficially own as a result of his spouse's role as manager and trustee of the trusts which are members thereof) distributed 28,846 shares to the Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #1 ("GRAT 1") and 28,846 shares to the Nagy 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #2 ("GRAT 2"). The reporting person's spouse is the trustee and income beneficiary of both GRAT 1 and GRAT 2. On February 28, 2012, GRAT 1 transferred 28,846 shares and GRAT 2 transferred 19,931 shares to the reporting person's spouse, who then transferred the shares to the Shamim N. Nagy Separate Property Trust over which the reporting person has indirect beneficial ownership. The Shamim N. Nagy Separate Property Trust includes 22,677 previously acquired.

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