Chapman joined WaMu in 1997 and was named Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel in 1999. She also served as outside counsel to WaMu for many years through her work at Foster Pepper, where she practiced for 22 years.

“Fay has been a key advisor to our executive team throughout her career at WaMu, and we owe a great deal of gratitude to Fay for her years of dedication and tremendous contributions to our success,” said Kerry Killinger, the company’s chairman and CEO.

To assist with the transition of Chapman’s responsibilities, the company’s Board of Directors named Stewart M. Landefeld interim chief legal officer. Landefeld is a partner with Perkins Coie LLP, a Seattle-based international law firm, where he has been chair of the firm’s business practice group.

The company has engaged Heidrick and Struggles to assist in a nationwide search for a new chief legal officer.

About WaMu

WaMu, through its subsidiaries, is one of the nation's leading consumer and small business banks. At Sept. 30, 2007, WaMu and its subsidiaries had assets of $330.1 billion. The company has a history dating back to 1889 and its subsidiary banks currently operate approximately 2,700 consumer and small business banking stores throughout the nation. WaMu's press releases are available at http://newsroom.wamu.com.