As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 25, 2020

Registration No. __________________

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

WESTERN DIGITAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

5601 Great Oaks Parkway

San Jose, California 95119

(Address, including Zip Code, of Principal Executive Offices)

Western Digital Corporation Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan

(Full title of the Plan)

Michael C. Ray

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Western Digital Corporation

5601 Great Oaks Parkway

San Jose, California 95119

(408) 717-6000

(Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

COPY TO:

Jeffrey W. Walbridge, Esq.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1700

Newport Beach, California 92660

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

The Exhibit Index for this Registration Statement is at page 6.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement is filed by the Company to register additional securities issuable pursuant to the Plan and consists of only those items required by General Instruction E to Form S-8.

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PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE

SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Securities Act Rule 428(b)(1).

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PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference

The following documents of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) are incorporated herein by reference:

All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with Commission rules shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. Any statement contained herein or in a document, all or a portion of which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or amended, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

The validity of the issuance of Common Stock registered hereby is passed on for the Company by Michael C. Ray. Mr. Ray is the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the Company and is compensated by the Company as an employee. As of the date hereof, Mr. Ray owns 13,719 shares of Common Stock, 61,035 restricted stock units that are payable in an equivalent number of shares of Common Stock, 72,926 performance stock units (at the target level of performance, or, if applicable, as credited) that are payable in an equivalent number of shares of Common Stock, and Company stock options to acquire up to an additional 45,005 shares of Common Stock.

Item 8. Exhibits

See the attached Exhibit Index at page 6, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Form S-8 Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Jose, State of California, on November 25, 2020.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David V. Goeckeler and Michael C. Ray, and each of them, acting individually and without the other, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments, exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or either of them individually, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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Exhibit 5

[Company Letterhead]

November 25, 2020

Western Digital Corporation

5601 Great Oaks Parkway

San Jose, California 95119

Re:    Registration of Securities of Western Digital Corporation

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the registration of up to 9,800,000 shares of Common Stock of Western Digital Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date hereof, such Shares to be issued or delivered pursuant to the Western Digital Corporation Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), you have requested my opinion set forth below.

In my capacity as counsel, I have examined originals or copies of those corporate and other records of the Company I considered appropriate.

On the basis of such examination and my consideration of those questions of law I considered relevant, and subject to the limitations and qualifications in this opinion, I am of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and, when issued in accordance with such authorization, the provisions of the Plan, and relevant agreements duly authorized by and in accordance with the terms of the Plan, and upon payment for and delivery of the Shares as contemplated in accordance with the Plan, and either (a) the countersigning of the certificate or certificates representing the Shares by a duly authorized signatory of the registrar for the Company’s Common Stock, or (b) the book-entry of the Shares by the transfer agent for the Company’s Common Stock in the name of The Depository Trust Company or its nominee, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

I consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors

Western Digital Corporation:

We consent to the use of our report with respect to the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated by reference herein.