Contact: Brock Hill
                                                                 (818) 316-8410
FOR RELEASE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1998
BY 8:30 A.M., EST

      COAST LITIGATION TRUST ANNOUNCES GOVERNMENT CONCESSION ON LIABILITY

         PASADENA, Calif., February 23, 1998 - The Coast Federal Litigation
Contingent Payment Rights Trust (NASDAQ:CCPRZ) announced today that on
February 20, 1998 the United State Government, as defendant in COAST
FEDERAL BANK, FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK V. THE UNITED STATES, Civil Action No.
92-466C in the United State Court of Federal Claims, filed its response to
Coast Federal's Motion For Entry of Judgement. In its response, the
Government sated that "at this point, entry of an order regarding the
Government's liability would be appropriate. We believe that such an order
should reflect the Government's concession that a contract existed with
respect to Coast's claim for a capital credit to its net worth, and that
the Government acted inconsistently with the contract." In a footnote, the
Government stated that "[o]f course, only issues of whether a contract
existed, and whether the Government acted inconsistently with that
contract, are resolved by the Motion For Partial Summary Judgment.
Specifically, the Government does not in any way concede the issues of
whether Coast was damaged by the Government's actions, and/or whether the
Government's action caused any damages that Coast may assert. The
Government also reserves the right to raise any defenses that it may become
aware of during the course of future discovery, which the Government has no
reason to know of at this time."

         As part of its response to Coast Federal's motion, the Government
submitted a proposed Order for Chief Judge Loren A. Smith's signature which
states in part, "[o]rdered that plaintiff's motion for partial summary
judgment is granted and that plaintiff is granted summary judgment with
respect to its claim for a capital credit to its net worth, which is
contained in Count I of its complaint."

         The Trust's Litigation Trustees emphasized that, as the
Government's response states, the Government's concession of liability is
not a concession by the Government that Coast Federal was damaged by the
Government's breach of its contract with Coast Federal, nor has there been
any determination as to the amount of damages, if any, that Coast Federal
may have sustained as a result of the breach. Such determination is
expected to require substantial additional proceedings, including a trial
on the damages issues and possible appellate proceedings. The Litigation
Trustees have not determined how Coast Federal will respond to the
Government's response or proposed Order.

         The Trust, established as part of the transaction pursuant to
which Coast Savings Financial, Inc., merged with an into H.F. Ahmanson &
Co., holds Ahmanson's commitment to pay to the Trust the net after-tax
proceeds, if any, received by Coast Federal, or its successor, in the
litigation. The Litigation Trustees are authorized to direct Coast
Federal's pursuit of its claim against the Government. Certificates
representing undivided interests in the assets of the Trust, and therefore
interests in Ahmanson's commitment, were publicly issued by the Trust to
the holders of Coast Savings' common stock immediately prior to the
effectiveness of the merger on February 13, 1998, which certificates trade
on The NASDAQ National Market under the symbol CCPRZ.##