The required time period for accepting nominations having concluded, the King County Bar Association New Lawyers Division (NLD) Board will vote on the following slate of candidates to fill vacancies on the NLD Board.
The proposed slate of candidates includes: Amanda Simantov, currently serving as NLD Vice Chair, for a one-year term as Chair; Rayshaun Williams, currently serving as NLD Trustee, for a three-year term; Ian Brown, currently serving a one-year term as At-Large Member, for a three-year term as Trustee; Jeremiah Surface, currently serving a three-year term as Trustees, for a new three-year term; and Alex Arnts for a three-year term.
NLD members who wish to challenge the slate may run against the above-named candidates by submitting a petition signed by at least five members of the NLD in good standing (25 signatures if challenging the chair position) and filing that petition with the office of the King County Bar Association on or before 3:00 p.m. Friday June 14, 2024. For more information about the petition process please contact KCBA Member Services Director, Bridget Schuster, at bridgets@kcba.org.
An electronic election will occur only if a petition to challenge one or more candidates is received by the deadline. If an election is required, members will be sent a voting link by June 20 via their email address on file with KCBA.
2024–2025 New Lawyers Division Board of Trustees Candidates
AMANDA SIMANTOV / Candidate for Chair Hughes Media Law Group
Amanda Simantov is an associate attorney at Hughes Media Law Group PLLC which provides in-house counsel-level services to its clients. Amanda’s practice mainly focuses on intellectual property and business formation and oversight matters. While new to the legal profession, Amanda previously worked in the non-profit sector negotiating corporate sponsorships for various causes including healthcare, child welfare, conservation, and the arts.
Amanda has been serving on the NLD Board for two years. In Amanda’s spare time she is also a volunteer with the Junior League of Seattle and enjoys roller skating, playing video games, and watching TV with her spouse and long-haired dachshund.
RAY WILLIAMS / Candidate for Trustee Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Rayshaun Williams, JD/MBA, is a Seattle-based intellectual property strategist and digital media attorney who maintains a practice focused on tech transactions, artificial intelligence and licensing arrangements. He is a trusted business advisor, social entrepreneur, hoop fanatic, and a keen enthusiast of tech, media and entertainment. Prior to focusing on digital media, Ray was involved in many significant business lifecycle moments for clients, such as mergers and acquisitions and financing events, totaling over $1 billion in total deal value signed worldwide thus far. Ray maintains an active pro bono practice in addition to his transactional practice, focusing on economic empowerment in his local communities.
Ray has been serving on the NLD Board since November 2023, completing the 3-year term of a former Trustee. Ray is now a candidate for his own 3-year term and looks forward to continuing to help fellow new attorneys build genuine connections and relationships.
IAN BROWN / Candidate for Trustee Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Ian Brown is a Senior Associate in the Seattle office of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. At Dorsey, Ian is in the Tax, Trusts and Estates Group, where he advises clients on a wide range of domestic and international tax matters. His practice focuses on U.S. federal income tax issues related to inbound and outbound tax planning for multinational structures, tax treaties, energy and national resources, reorganizations and restructuring, debt and equity financing, and mergers and acquisitions.
Ian has previously served on the KCBA NLD Board of Trustees, acting as Chair of the Social Committee, as well as both Treasurer and Secretary. In such capacity, Ian enjoys the opportunity to interact with other like-minded lawyers as well as the ability to engage with the legal community as a whole. He enjoys mentoring law school students and also encouraging the development of new and aspiring lawyers throughout King County. He hopes to continue to connect with and serve the local legal community as a member of the KCBA NLD Board of Trustees.
JEREMIAH SURFACE / Candidate for Trustee Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC
Jeremiah Surface is an associate attorney at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC. Jeremiah Surface’s practice focuses on achieving justice and closure for victims of sexual abuse, families in wrongful death cases, and people suffering traumatic injuries. Jeremiah’s holistic, client-centered approach to victim advocacy is deeply rooted in empathy and a quest to understand the multifaceted impact of traumas on his clients’ lives and loved ones.
Jeremiah has been a member of the NLD Board of Trustees for four years. He is now running to fill the remaining two years of a departing Trustee’s term. Jeremiah enjoys the opportunity to work with the community of lawyers and create an environment that welcomes everyone from solo practitioners to government attorneys to big law associates. Jeremiah is also a member of the Washington State Association for Justice Court Rules Committee and Judicial Relations Committee. When not working with other attorneys, Jeremiah enjoys gardening with his fiancée or walking their shih tzu, Yoda.
ALEX ARNTS / Candidate for Trustee Davies Pearson
Alex Arnts is a second-year associate at Davies Pearson PC, specializing in corporate law and real estate transactions. In his role, Alex supports small and middle-market businesses throughout the Puget Sound region. Over the past year, he has been an active member of the NLD Social Events Committee, where he has helped plan events geared toward new attorneys.
Alex is running for a position on the NLD Board of Trustees to help foster a welcoming legal community and support the professional growth and development of his fellow members. As a lifelong resident of King County and a first-generation college graduate, Alex brings a unique perspective and a deep commitment to serving his community. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking, traveling, and snowboarding.
