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<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001069157-10-000021.txt : 20101220
<SEC-HEADER>0001069157-10-000021.hdr.sgml : 20101220
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20100813130841
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001069157-10-000021
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20100813

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			EAST WEST BANCORP INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001069157
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	STATE COMMERCIAL BANKS [6022]
		IRS NUMBER:				954703316
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		135 N. LOS ROBLES AVE. 7TH FLOOR
		CITY:			PASADENA
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			91101
		BUSINESS PHONE:		6267686000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		EAST WEST BANCORP INC
		STREET 2:		135 N. LOS ROBLES AVE. 7TH FLOOR
		CITY:			PASADENA
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			91101
</SEC-HEADER>
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<td width="100%" style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;August&#160;13, 2010</font></td>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">VIA EDGAR</font></font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Mr. Mark Webb</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Legal Branch Chief</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">450 Fifth Street, N.W.</font></div>

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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Re:</font></div>
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<div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">East West Bancorp, Inc. (File No. 0-24939) (&#8220;EWBC&#8221; or the &#8220;Company&#8221;)</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Dear Mr. Webb:</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Thank you for your proxy comment letter dated and received via fax on August 2, 2010.&#160;&#160;We enclose our responses to the comments and issues raised in your letter regarding our Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2009, as well as future filings.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">For the convenience of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Staff), the Staff's comments are included and followed by EWBC's responses.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Compensation Committee, page 12</font></font></div>

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<div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">1.&#160;&#160;</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In future filings, please revise to disclose more fully the scope of the compensation committee, including the use of Towers Perrin as a consultant. Refer to Item 407(e) of Regulation S-K.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">EWBC Response</font>:&#160;&#160;In our future filings, we will clarify the scope of authority of the Compensation Committee and any other information required by Item 407(e) of Regulation S-K.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Compensation Discussion and Analysis, page 17</font></font></div>

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<div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">2.&#160;&#160;</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In future filings, please revise this section at length to disclose more fully the company&#8217;s policies and procedures with respect to the company&#8217;s executive compensation practices, including the company&#8217;s objectives with respect to its compensation programs, the specific role of and procedures followed by the compensation committee, each element of overall compensation, how annual salaries were determined, etc.&#160;&#160;Refer to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">EWBC Response</font>:&#160;&#160;In our future filings, we will provide further discussion and analysis of the company&#8217;s policies and procedures with respect to the company&#8217;s executive compensation practices, including the company&#8217;s objectives with respect to its compensation programs, the specific role of and procedures followed by the compensation committee, each element of overall compensation, how annual salaries were determined, etc., with reference to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 48.5pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Executive Compensation, page 20</font></font></div>

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<div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">3.&#160;&#160;</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">We note that you have not included disclosure in response to Item 402(s) of Regulation S-K.&#160;&#160;Please advise us of the basis for your conclusion that disclosure is not necessary and describe the process you undertook to reach that conclusion.&#160;&#160;Please note that the disclosure required under 402(s) relates to compensation practices in general and is not limited to compensation for senior executive officers.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 48.5pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">EWBC Response</font>:&#160;&#160;With regards to disclosure in connection with Item 402(s) of Regulation S-K, please note that EWBC did not have any compensation policies and practices in place for its employees that would be reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.&#160;&#160;Specifically, the Company did not have any incentive compensation programs in place, for its executive and non-executive officers, which linked incentive compensation to specific production output thereby affecting risk taking by employees on behalf of the Company.&#160;&#160;The evaluation of personnel performance was performed on a holistic basis by evaluating an employee&#8217;s overall contributions to the Company and not solely based on whether certain production goals were 
met.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 2.15pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Employment Agreements and Potential Payments upon Termination, page 28</font></font></div>

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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In future filings, please revise to disclose all the information required under Item 402(j) in the event that participation in the Capital Purchase Program is terminated.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 2.15pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">EWBC Response</font>:&#160;&#160;In our future filings, we will disclose all the information required under Item 402(j) in the event that participation in the Capital Purchase Program is terminated.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The Company acknowledges that:</font></div>

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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">If you have any questions regarding this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me at (626) 768-6896.&#160;&#160;Thank you for your consideration.</font></div>

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<td colspan="2" valign="top" width="27%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;Sincerely,</font></td>
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