February is so exciting! With Groundhog Day, Leap Year, presidential primaries and pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training, what more can a girl want? I feel like the year is flying by, but maybe that’s because I am writing this within spitting distance of New Year’s Day, but that’s what early publishing deadlines do to you.
Partner Promotions
Keller Rohrback recently announced that Tana Lin and Amy Williams-Derry have been elected to partnership positions. Lin is a member of the firm’s complex litigation group, where her practice focuses on class actions. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Illinois, Michigan and Washington. Williams-Derry litigates national class action ERISA and consumer cases with the firm’s complex litigation group.
Barbara West recently joined Short Cressman & Burgess as a partner. West concentrates her practice in elder law and will chair SC&B’s elder law practice group and the firm’s estate planning and probate practice section.
Associate Additions
Kelsey Endres has become an associate with Montgomery Scarp MacDougall. Endres recently graduated from the University of Washington School of Law.
Ben Shih has become an associate at Helsell Fetterman LLP. He will practice in the firm’s commercial disputes and employment groups. He graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2007.
Keating, Bucklin & McCormack, Inc., P.S. recently announced that Adam Rosenberg has become an associate of the firm. Rosenberg’s practice emphasizes the defense of municipal clients in litigation involving land use, civil rights and design defect claims.
Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson recently added Katie Chapman and Michael “Jake” Ewart as associates. Chapman, who is a 2007 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, will practice with an emphasis on business and real estate matters. Ewart, a 2006 graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, will emphasize litigation matters.
John Baier has joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Seattle office as an associate in its business transactions practice group. Baier was most recently at Karr Tuttle Campbell, where his practice focused on commercial transactions. Prior to his career in law, Baier was a senior financial analyst and a certified public accountant.
Joinder and Severance
Floyd & Pflueger has merged with Rebecca Ringer, who was formerly with Kingman, Ringer & Horne. The name of the expanded firm is Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer. Ringer has extensive trial and appellate experience, particularly in the defense of professional negligence claims and other areas of complex litigation. In addition to Ringer, Kerry Gress has joined the firm as a partner and David Corey, Melisa Thompson and Tammy Williams have joined as associates.
Mary Fleck, who was a founding partner of Rogers & Fleck, PLLC, has moved to California Avenue SW and opened her own law office, The Fleck Law Firm, PLLC. Fleck’s trial practice will focus on plaintiffs’ personal injury, products liability, nursing home litigation and childhood sexual abuse litigation.
Outside of Private Practice
Steve Bernheim was sworn in as a member of the Edmonds City Council last month.
Steve Edmiston received some good PR in the Seattle Times for “Barista: The Game,” which débuted at the annual Coffee Fest here in Seattle. It is available at Barnes & Noble and other outlets. Edmiston developed his game with a partner in his production company, StoryBox Studios. As a life-long tea drinker, I don’t get the whole coffee thing, but I wish them luck.
Honor, Appointment and Awards
John Zehnder, Jr. has been named managing partner of Scheer & Zehnder LLP. He took over from Mark Scheer, who has been the managing partner for the last seven years. Scheer will continue to manage and litigate cases.
Robert Van Brocklin has been selected as Stoel Rives LLP’s new managing partner. Van Brocklin will be the firm’s chief executive officer and oversee management of all of its offices, including the Seattle office.
The American College of Environmental Lawyers has officially been incorporated to bring together distinguished environmental lawyers. Its new elected president is Rick Glick of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. Membership is by election only.
Jeffrey Beaver has been reappointed as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation; Condemnation, Zoning and Land Use Committee. Beaver practices with Graham & Dunn PC.
Michael “Mick” Fleming was recently elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid for Washington Fund. The fund was created in 1991 to raise charitable support to preserve and expand civil legal aid for vulnerable and low-income people in Washington.
Miscellanea
If your firm elected partners at the beginning of the year, please drop me a note so that I can share their good fortune with the world; I do mean that literally, as Bar Talk is posted on the KCBA’s Web page, allowing friends and family back home to read all about it.
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Karen Sutherland is the chair of the Employment and Labor Law Practice Group at Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC, and chair of the King County Bar Association Bar Bulletin Committee. Her practice focuses on employment and labor law and complex litigation. She can be reached at 1601 Fifth Ave., Suite 2100, Seattle, WA 98101, by fax at 206-447-0215 or by email at ksutherland@omlaw.com.
