Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
BARRACK THOMAS JR
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Colony Financial, Inc. [CLNY]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Executive Chairman
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O COLONY FINANCIAL, INC., 2450 BROADWAY, 6TH FLOOR
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/27/2012
(Street)

SANTA MONICA, CA 90404
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 03/27/2012   J(1)   777 D $ 0 13,989 I By Colony Financial Manager, LLC
Common Stock 08/09/2012   J(2)   56,926 A $ 0 70,915 I (2) By Colony Financial Manager, LLC
Common Stock               281,579 I By Family Trust

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
BARRACK THOMAS JR
C/O COLONY FINANCIAL, INC.
2450 BROADWAY, 6TH FLOOR
SANTA MONICA, CA 90404
  X     Executive Chairman  

Signatures

 /s/ David A. Palame, as Attorney-in-fact   08/09/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Colony Financial Manager, LLC (the "Manager") distributed 777 shares to an employee of an affiliate of the Manager for compensation.
(2) The Manager is the direct owner of the 70,915 reported securities. Colony Capital, LLC ("Colony Capital") is the managing member of the Manager, and Thomas J. Barrack, Jr. ("Mr. Barrack") is the sole managing member of Colony Capital. Accordingly, Mr. Barrack may be deemed to beneficially own all of the reported securities. This filing shall not be deemed an admission that Mr. Barrack is the beneficial owner of any securities beneficially owned by the Manager except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. The reported securities were acquired by the Manager as payment of an incentive fee pursuant to an amended and restated management agreement, dated as of November 7, 2011, by and among Colony Financial, Inc. (the "Issuer"), Colony Financial TRS, LLC and the Manager (the "Amended and Restated Management Agreement").

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