By Karen Sutherland
It is kind of fitting that the first full issue our new editor, Gene Barton, gets to work on is the media law issue. Barton, who has been with Karr Tuttle Campbell since 1996, was a newspaper guy for 15 years before going into the law. September is also back-to-school month, which causes me to pause and reflect every year on how fortunate I am to be past my student days so that I can focus on enjoying the weather instead of focusing on getting ready for classes.
New Members and Partners
Stephanie Andersen has been elected a partner in Gordon Polscer, L.L.C.’s Seattle office. Her practice focuses on insurance coverage and bad-faith litigation, representing insureds in environmental, construction defect, intellectual property and securities litigation. Andersen received her J.D. in 1989 and is a member of the Washington and Georgia state bars.
Ketia Wick has become a shareholder at Lee Smart Cook Martin & Patterson, P.S. Her practice emphasizes defending medical malpractice cases.
Bradley Duncan has joined Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP’s Seattle office as a partner. He is a member of the firm’s bankruptcy and creditor rights practice group. Duncan’s most recent gig prior to DWT was as a partner with Hunton & Williams LLP in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Duncan is licensed to practice in Washington and Virginia and received his J.D. in 1987.
William Patton recently joined Foster Pepper & Schefelman PLLC as a member of the firm’s municipal and public finance practice group. Prior to joining FP&S, Patton worked with the Seattle City Attorney’s office, most recently as director of its utilities section. Patton received his J.D. in 1974. Before law school, he volunteered with the U.S. Peace Corps in Nigeria and Ghana.
Groff Murphy Trachtenberg & Everard recently announced that Marisa Bavand and Michael Grace have become partners in the firm.
Davis Wright Tremaine recently named Lawton Humphrey as chair of its employment law practice and Stephen Rummage as co-chair of its litigation practice. Humphrey’s practice emphasizes employment litigation and preventive counseling. Rummage focuses his practice on complex litigation, class action suits and appeals, particularly consumer, securities and business and appellate litigation.
Associate Additions
Aaron Brown has become an associate at Cozen O’Connor.
Foster Pepper & Schefelman, PLLC has added three new associates: Jamie Goodwin, Laura Karassik and Derek de Bakker. Goodwin, who is in the firm’s real estate practice group, emphasizes condominium and homeowner association law and commercial leasing. She was formerly an attorney with the Condominium Law Group PLLC.
Karassik, who joins the firm’s real estate practice group, was formerly an associate with Gardner, Carton & Douglas LLP in Chicago.
de Bakker has become part of the firm’s business practice group with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments and pension fund investments. He was previously with Graham & Dunn.
Miyuki Yoshida has become an associate at Lane Powell.
Gus Lindsey III has become an associate in Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Bellevue office. Lindsey’s practice focuses on labor and employment matters. He was previously with the Boeing Company, most recently as an EEO manager. He received his J.D. in 2004 and also holds a B.S. in industrial engineering technology.
Jessie Lee Harris, formerly with Helsell Fetterman, has joined Williams Kastner & Gibbs. Harris’s practice focuses on civil litigation related to product liability, employment and discrimination, insurance and commercial matters.
Perkins Coie has added Mark Metcalf and Ruby Hou Alexander as associates. Metcalf’s practice focuses on corporate governance and transactions.
Other Attorney Moves
Riddell Williams has expanded its tax and estate planning groups with the addition of Alisa George. George was previously of counsel at Dorsey & Whitney.
New Firm Launches and Relaunches
Craig Blackmon launched his own solo practice this summer: the Law Office of Craig Blackmon. Blackmon’s focus is on the purchase and sale of residential real estate, landlord/tenant issues and commercial lease issues, particularly for small businesses. Blackmon received his J.D. in 1999.
David Leen and Sheila O’Sullivan have formed the eponymous firm of Leen & O’Sullivan, PLLC. Leen’s practice includes consumer protection, real estate and general civil litigation. O’Sullivan’s practice emphasizes bankruptcy, estate planning and probate, and real estate.
Annalee Cobbett has recently re-branded her solo practice with the name MobiLegal, which signifies her commitment to serve clients by meeting their needs in a quality, affordable and convenient way. Her practice focuses on consumer rights and public service law. Cobbett received her J.D. in 1992 and has been a sole practitioner since 1995. She has also been the first soprano in the Seattle Women’s Chorus since 2004.
Outside of Private Practice
Elaine Adams has joined Wells Fargo Private Client Services as vice-president, senior trust officer. She is responsible for all aspects of trust and estate services. Adams was previously a trust officer at another financial institution. She has also practiced law in Seattle and Boston, focusing on estate planning and tax.
Honors, Accolades and Awards
The annual Food Frenzy, which collects food and money for Food Lifeline from accounting and law firms every year, raised $158,776.63 as of the date I wrote this column. The money that was raised is enough to provide 952,660 meals to hungry children this summer. The total beat the organization’s goal of 900,000 and represents 11% more than collections for 2004. In the overall category, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP took first place, The Nathanson Group came in second and Heller Ehrman, LLP was third. On a per capita basis, The Nathanson Group was number one, Aoki Sakamoto Grant LLP was second and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe was third.
Sixteen firms had 100% participation: Bader Martin Ross & Smith, P.S.; Peterson Sullivan PLLC; The Nathanson Group; Riddell Williams P.S.; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe; Aoki Sakamoto Grant LLP; Forsberg & Umlauf, P.S.; Keller Rohrback LLP; Stanislaw Ashbaugh LLP; Vandeberg Johnson & Gandara; Ryan Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC; Karr Tuttle Campbell; Gordon Murray & Tilden LLP; Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP; Federal Public Defender’s Office; and Lake Forest Park Municipal Court.
Food Lifeline also provided special recognition for public sector legal organizations. The overall winners in this category were the employees of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington in first place; the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in second place; and the Federal Public Defender’s Office in third place. On a per capita basis, Lake Forest Park Municipal Court was first in public sector organizations; the Federal Public Defender’s Office was second; and employees of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington came in third.
The Food Frenzy information described above was gleaned from an original e-mail and two subsequent correction e-mails, so I hope I got it right. If not, just remember, the goal is to provide meals during the time of year when donations are slowest, not to get your name in the paper.
Steve Block of Betts Patterson & Mines, P.S. has been installed as president of the Association of Transpor-tation Law Professionals. The ATLP is a national trade organization comprised of more than 600 attorneys and other transportation professionals. Block’s practice focuses on a variety of transportation, customs, business and other matters.
Douglas Oles of Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP has been elected national chair of the ABA Forum on the construction industry, which is the country’s largest association of construction lawyers.
Cozen O’Connor’s Seattle office has received the 2005 Amicus award from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. The award recognizes the firm’s ongoing dedication to pro-bono representation of immigrants and refugees seeking legal assistance in asylum proceedings.
Art and Culture News
Devon Ryning has been elected to the board of Consolidated Works, aka ConWorks. ConWorks provides a contemporary arts center in Seattle. Ryning, who is an associate at Miller Nash, focuses her practice on intellectual property and entertainment law.
Graham Fitch recently published a novel entitled Stanislaw about a butcher in the Pike Place Market. He has been giving readings at local book stores. Fitch practices at Fitch & Ludwick in Bellevue. He became a member of the Washington State Bar in 1962 and was general counsel at Swedish Hospital Medical Center for many years before opening his own firm.
Obituaries
Neil Hoff recently died one day after his 84th birthday. Hoff graduated from Stadium High School, my alma mater, a long time before I did. He served in the Army from 1942 to 1945 and then earned a B.S. degree and his juris doctor after the war. Hoff was a state senator, professor of business law at Pacific Lutheran University, and a member of the WSBA Board of Governors, among other honors.
John Cartano died in July at the age of 96. He graduated from Harvard Law School and was a PT boat commander during World War II. After the war, he founded Cartano, Botzer & Chapman, where his practice focused on personal injury cases. n
Karen Sutherland is the chair of the Employment and Labor Law Practice Group at Ogden Murphy Wallace, P.L.L.C., and chair of the King County Bar Bulletin Committee. Her practice focuses on employment and labor law and complex litigation. She can be reached at 1601 -- 5th Avenue, Suite 2100, Seattle, WA 98101, by phone at (206) 447-7000, by fax at (206) 447-0215, or by e-mail at ksutherland@omwlaw.com.
