1)

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON

 

First Financial Northwest, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan

 

2)

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

        a)     [   ]

        b)     [X]

 

3)

SEC USE ONLY

 

4)

CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

 

        Not applicable

 

 

 

 

 

 

NUMBER OF

SHARES

5)

SOLE VOTING POWER

536,053

 

 

OWNED BY

EACH

6)

SHARED VOTING POWER

624,538

 

 

 

PERSON WITH

 

7)

SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

1,160,591

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)

SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

-0-

 

 

 

 

 

9)

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

1,160,591

 

10)

CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES

CERTAIN SHARES        [  ]

 

11)

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

10.80%

 

12)

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

EP

ITEM 1(a)

NAME OF ISSUER:

 

First Financial Northwest, Inc. (the "Corporation")

 

ITEM 1(b)

ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:

 

201 Wells Avenue South, Renton, Washington 98057

 

ITEM 2(a)

NAME OF PERSON FILING:

 

First Financial Northwest, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the "ESOP")

 

ITEM 2(b)

ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE:

 

The business address of the ESOP is:

 

201 Wells Avenue South, Renton, Washington 98057

 

ITEM 2(c)

CITIZENSHIP:

 

Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 2(d)

TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES

 

Common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock")

 

ITEM 2(e)

CUSIP NUMBER:  320 22K 102

ITEM 3

IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 240.13d-1(b) OR 240.13d-2(b) or (c), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS:

 

 

(a)

[    ]

Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o);

 

(b)

[    ]

Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);

 

(c)

[    ]

Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);

 

(d)

[    ]

Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8);

 

(e)

[    ]

An investment adviser in accordance with Section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

 

(f)

[X ]

An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

 

(g)

[    ]

A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

 

(h)

[    ]

A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

 

(i)

[    ]

A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3); and

 

(j)

[    ]

Group, in accordance with Section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

ITEM 4

OWNERSHIP:

 

The ESOP holds an aggregate of 1,160,591 shares of Common Stock (10.80% of the Corporation's outstanding shares as of December 31, 2017). The ESOP has sole voting power with respect to shares held by it which have not been allocated to participant accounts, shared voting power with respect to shares held by it which have been allocated to participant accounts and sole dispositive power with respect to all shares (allocated and unallocated) held by the ESOP. 

 

The Trustee may be deemed to beneficially own the 1,160,591 shares held by the ESOP.  However, the Trustee expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of all of such shares.  Other than the shares held by the ESOP, the Trustee does not beneficially own any shares of Common Stock.

 

Pursuant to the ESOP, participants in the ESOP are entitled to instruct the Trustee as to the voting of the shares allocated to their ESOP accounts.  On each issue with respect to which shareholders are entitled to vote, the Trustee is required to vote the shares held by the ESOP which have not been allocated to participant accounts in the manner directed under the ESOP. 

ITEM 5

OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS:

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 6.

OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON:

 

Not Applicable. 

ITEM 7.

IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY:

 

Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 8.

IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP:

 

Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 9.

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP:

 

Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 10. 

CERTIFICATION

 

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

 

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

FIRST FINANCIAL NORTHWEST, INC.

EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN

 

Date: February 7, 2018 

 

By:

First Bankers Trust Services, Inc.,

as Trustee

 

 

Name: 

Linda Shultz 

 

 

Title: 

Trust Officer 

FIRST BANKERS TRUST SERVICES, INC.

 

Date: February 7, 2018 

 

By:

 

 

Name: 

Linda Shultz 

 

 

Title: 

Trust Officer 

By: 

 

Name: Linda Shultz

Title:   Trust Officer 

By: 

 

First Bankers Trust Services, Inc.,

    as Trustee

Name: Linda Shultz

Title:   Trust Officer