RENTON, Wash., Jan. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Financial Northwest, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:FFNW) and the Stilwell Group announced that they have amended the agreement that was entered into to settle the litigation in which the Stilwell Group challenged the counting of votes in a contested director election at the Company's 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The original settlement agreement provided, among other things, that Spencer L. Schneider would be seated on the Company's Board of Directors after receiving any required regulatory approvals. The Company and the Stilwell Group have now agreed that the Company will instead appoint Kevin D. Padrick to its Board, subject to any required regulatory approvals, and will then nominate Mr. Padrick at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for a full three-year term. Mr. Padrick is a Senior Principal of Obsidian Finance Group, LLC, whose offices are located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. All other significant terms of the settlement remain the same.

First Financial Northwest, Inc. is the parent company of First Savings Bank Northwest, a Washington chartered stock savings bank headquartered in Renton, Washington, serving the Puget Sound Region through its full-service banking office. The Company is a part of the ABA NASDAQ Community Bank Index. For additional information about the Company, please visit www.fsbnw.com and click on the "Investor Relations" section.

The Stilwell Group is a New York-based money management firm which currently owns approximately 9.41% of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. 


CONTACT: For First Financial Northwest, Inc.:
         Victor Karpiak, President and Chief Executive Officer
         (425) 255-4400

         For The Stilwell Group:
         Ms. Megan Parisi
         (212) 269-1551
Source: First Financial Northwest; The Stilwell Group
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