By Karen Sutherland
Our theme for the month is technology, which for me primarily brings to mind the computer. But there is other technology out there, more distant from our current daily lives, that could have an even greater impact. There was an article in the paper in March about the latest technology in gene manipulation, which is adding the equivalent of 50 years to the lives of mice. If this technology could be applied to humans, the implications are profound. Would we start new careers at age 80? What about Social Security and Medicare? Would I write another 600 Bar Talk columns? What would the equity in my house be if I retire at age 120? And, more importantly, where would we put everybody if fewer people die?
So much for philosophy. On with the local news.
New Partners and Firm Owners
Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson recently named Tara Richardson as a principal. Richard-son’s practice focuses on dissolutions, parenting plan modifications and child support modifications. LHS&E also announced that it added four new associates last year and a new partner in January 2005, which I am not including here because there has to be some sort of statute of limitations on getting your name in Bar Talk.
Davis Wright Tremaine has added two new partners to its Seattle office, Barry Davison and Lisa Rediger Hayward. Davison’s practice focuses on intellectual property and life sciences. Hayward’s practice focuses on health care.
Stephen Roos has become a principal in Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson, P.S. His practice emphasizes land use and real estate matters.
Associate Additions
Roberto Soto has joined Stoel Rives LLP as an associate in its Seattle office. Soto practices in the firm’s litigation practice group, where he focuses on real estate, particularly title insurance litigation. He was previously an associate at a firm in Madrid, Spain, and a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps attorney.
Of-Counsel News
Roger Mellem has joined Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC as of counsel. Mellem practices in the firm’s litigation group. He was previously the Chair of the Securities and Complex Litigation Group at Foster Pepper PLLC, where he practiced for 21 years. Mellem’s litigation practice focuses on defending and resolving governmental investigations and disciplinary or enforcement actions before various acronyms including the SEC, FTC, NASD, NYSE and State of Washington Securities Division, among other things.
Other Attorney Additions
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has added three litigators from Holland + Knight. The new additions are Christopher Howard, David Ebel and Mary Jo Newhouse. Howard was the Pacific Northwest Litigation Practice Group leader at Holland + Knight. His practice focuses on high-level financial, hospitality, medical and real estate litigation. Ebel’s practice focuses on securities, financial services, commercial litigation and professional liability defense cases. Newhouse practices in the areas of health care and elder law, including long-term care issues and estate planning. Prior to law school, she was a registered nurse in a pediatric intensive care unit.
Nancy Harriss has joined the Seattle office of Keesal, Young & Logan. Harriss recently returned to Seattle after a two-year stay in Spain. She was previously associated with Williams, Kastner & Gibbs.
Chris Strawn, Mozhdeh Oskouian, Katie Jo Keppinger and Martha Rickey have joined the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project as staff attorneys. Strawn was previously with Gibbs, Houston, Pauw and will concentrate on asylum matters. Oskouian and Keppinger will concentrate on the Violence Against Women Act and domestic violence issues. Rickey will be joining the office from the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in Florence, Arizona.
Robert Hyde recently joined Rafel Manville PLLC. Hyde handles complex commercial litigation, including real estate and contract disputes and intellectual property issues. Earlier in his career, he practiced with Ridell Williams P.S.
Outside the Law
Robert Dugoni, formerly with Schiffrin, Olsen, Schlemlein and Hopkins, wrote a novel that was recently published by a major publishing house. Its title is The Jury Master, and based on what I read so far it appears to be a courtroom thriller. You can find it in local bookstores, online or on my kitchen counter.
Honors and Awards
Robert Henry was named managing principal of Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson, PLLC. His practice emphasizes commercial and contract litigation.
Judge Michael Morgan is able to attend the American Society of Law, Medicine, & Ethics National Symposium in Boston through a scholarship grant from the National Institutes of Health. He is representing the State of Washington and the City of Federal Way as this year’s scholarship recipient.
Stephanie Andersen was recently elected to a three-year term on the board of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library. Andersen practices at Gordon & Polscer L.L.C.
Hugh Spitzer and William Gates, Sr. were recently honored with the “Good in Government Award” for their leadership as vice chair and chair, respectively, of the Washington State Tax Structure Study Committee. Spitzer is with Foster Pepper PLLC.
Cairncross & Hempelmann, P.S. recently noted that it has three minority bar presidents among its lawyers, Alice Wong, president of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Wash-ington; Diankha Linear, president of the Loren Miller Bar Association of Washington; and Michael Heath, president of the GLBT Bar Association of Washington.
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.
