Robert Latta
WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATIONAbout Robert P. Latta
Robert P. Latta (age 71) is an independent director of Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) since 2015, and currently chairs the Compensation Committee while serving on the Governance and Risk Committees. He is a retired Senior Partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and brings deep corporate finance, transactional, and governance expertise with significant exposure to technology companies; education includes a B.A. in Economics and a J.D., both from Stanford University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC | Senior Partner; Retired Senior Partner | 1979–2024 | Served on firm management committees; broad corporate and transactional leadership |
| Bridge Capital Holdings | Director | 2004–2015 | Board oversight until merger into Western Alliance Bank in 2015 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amaero International Limited | Director | Since 2024 | Public company board experience |
Board Governance
- Independence and attendance: The Board determined Latta is independent under NYSE/SEC rules; each director attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings in 2024; the Board held 9 meetings and five independent executive sessions (presided over by independent Chair Bruce D. Beach) .
- Committee roles and cadence:
- Compensation Committee: Chair; 8 meetings in 2024; all members independent .
- Governance Committee: Member; 7 meetings in 2024; all members independent .
- Risk Committee: Member; 8 meetings in 2024; all members independent .
- Audit Committee: Latta served during 2024 and was independent and financially literate; the Audit Committee met 11 times in 2024 .
- Stock ownership alignment: Non-employee director ownership guideline requires holdings valued at least 5× annual cash compensation within five years; all directors were in full compliance in 2024; hedging/pledging is prohibited with limited, monitored exceptions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Program Detail | 2024 Amounts for Latta |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $50,000 for all non-employee directors | Included in Fees |
| Committee membership retainers (cash) | Audit $20,000; Compensation, Finance & Investment, Governance, Risk $10,000 each | Included in Fees |
| Committee chair retainers (cash) | $10,000 per committee chair | Included in Fees (Latta chairs Compensation) |
| Equity grant (restricted stock) | 4,056 shares granted Feb 6, 2024; vests Feb 6, 2025 | $235,005 grant-date fair value |
| Board Chair supplements | $80,000 cash + $80,000 restricted stock (Chair only) | Not applicable to Latta |
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert P. Latta | 90,000 | 235,005 | 6,043 | 331,048 |
| 2024 Director Equity Grant (Program) | Grant Date | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock (per director) | Feb 6, 2024 | 4,056 | 235,005 | Vests Feb 6, 2025 |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based metrics are tied to non-employee director compensation; equity grants are time-vested restricted stock (no PSUs/options for directors) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committee Roles (if known) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amaero International Limited | Director | Since 2024 | Not disclosed |
| Bridge Capital Holdings | Director | 2004–2015 | Not disclosed |
Related-party/Interlocks Review: The company reports no transactions in 2024 exceeding $120,000 in which any director had a direct or indirect material interest, aside from ordinary-course, Reg O-compliant lending; any related-party transactions require Governance Committee approval under formal policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix coverage includes corporate strategy, leadership, public company governance, compensation & management development, and finance & accounting, reflecting Latta’s legal and transaction background and service on audit/compensation functions .
- Legal, corporate finance, and technology exposure through decades at Wilson Sonsini; prior audit committee service indicates financial literacy .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Shares Outstanding Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert P. Latta | 45,271 | <1% | 110,615,656 shares outstanding (April 14, 2025) |
- Ownership alignment: Directors must hold stock valued ≥ 5× annual cash compensation; all directors were compliant in 2024. Hedging and pledging are prohibited (limited, monitored exceptions exclude pledged shares from guideline compliance). No pledged shares are disclosed for Latta .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Latta provides seasoned governance and compensation oversight as Compensation Committee Chair, with robust charter duties including CEO evaluation, plan administration, clawback policy oversight, and risk review of compensation programs; committee operates with fully independent membership .
- Consultant independence: Willis Towers Watson served as the Compensation Committee’s independent advisor on director and executive compensation in 2024; the Committee’s independence assessment found no conflicts; consultant reported directly to the Committee .
- Shareholder signals: Say-on-Pay approval exceeded 95% in 2024, indicating strong investor support for compensation design and governance practices .
- Risk oversight: Latta’s Risk Committee role contributes to enterprise risk oversight, including cybersecurity, capital/liquidity, and compliance programs under the Board’s ERM framework and risk appetite governance .
- Independence & attendance: Independent status affirmed; general attendance thresholds met; leadership structure features an independent Chair and regular executive sessions, supporting objective oversight .
RED FLAGS
- Related-party transactions: None material disclosed for directors in 2024; Reg O loans to insiders made on market terms .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited; no pledging disclosed for Latta (one executive, Gibbons, has grandfathered pledged shares) .
- Legal proceedings: No material adverse legal proceedings involving directors/officers reported .