The shorter days of this month hint at summer having passed by so quickly. We are just about halfway through the season and this provides an incentive to check off all those summer activities that are not yet complete or make the most of what is left of the season as autumn approaches.
Partner Pronouncements
McCullough Hill is pleased to announce that Steven Gillespie has joined the firm as a partner in the Land Use practice group. Gillespie has been assisting public and private clients in obtaining and defending land use entitlements for over 15 years. Gillespie works with many of Seattle’s Major Institutions, including hospitals, colleges and universities, and public landmarks throughout the area. He also brings experience with Senior and Affordable Housing projects, and with matters involving transportation and logistics. Gillespie obtains master plan approvals and project-level permits on behalf of his clients in a wide variety of jurisdictions. When disputes arise, Gillespie is an experienced litigator before hearing examiners, administrative bodies, and superior and appellate courts. Before joining McCullough Hill, Gillespie was a principal at a well-regarded Seattle-area firm. He is active in the community and serves as a member on several boards and committees, including the Seattle Parks District Citizen Oversight Committee and the Downtown Seattle Association. A Washington State native, Gillespie earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a J.D. from the University of Washington.
Rebecca Singleton is now a Partner at Summit Law Group. Singleton joins the firm’s litigation team. Previously, she clerked for the Honorable Marsha J. Pechman at the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington. Singleton earned her B.A. from Southern Oregon University and her J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law.
Amy Weston has joined Miller Nash as a partner in the firm’s Seattle office. As part of her corporate practice, Weston assists emerging technology companies at all stages of their corporate lifecycle, including drafting, developing, reviewing, and negotiating client-favorable terms in complex high-volume commercial transactions. Weston was previously a Principal at Carney Badley Spellman, P.S. Weston obtained her B.A. from Kalamazoo College, a Master’s from the University of British Columbia, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Of Counsel
Paul Drayna has joined Helsell Fetterman. Drayna represents individuals and companies in all types of real estate transactions. He has regularly worked on boundary line disputes and homeowner and condominium-owner association matters. Drayna advises and counsels individuals and businesses in all areas of corporate governance, from formation, start-up, purchase, and licensing, to dissolution and buy-outs. Drayna previously worked for eleven years as in-house General Counsel for the franchisor entity of Windermere Real Estate and advises real estate brokerage firms on transactional issues, licensing law compliance, disciplinary matters, and RESPA. Originally from Wisconsin, Drayna graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning his B.A. in 1993. He then graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, earning his J.D. in 1996.
Outside of Private Practice
The University of Washington’s Clinical Law program has three incoming clinic directors: Jevan Hutson for Technology Law and Public Policy, Jeannine Lemker for the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic and Nicole McGrath for the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic.
Jevan Hutson will lead the Tech-Law Clinic next year. Hutson is a recognized expert and thought leader in AI and machine learning (ML) ethics, law, and policy. His practice focuses on the intersection of privacy, security and data ethics, risk-based AI governance, data protection and privacy, and security compliance strategies. He has advised major tech companies on incident response, AI policy, machine learning transparency, and other traditional and emerging concerns in privacy, cybersecurity, and AI law. Hutson earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and holds a B.A. and a master’s degree in information science from Cornell.
Jeannine Lemker will be the new director of the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC) for the upcoming academic year. Lemker has 20 years of experience in Big Tech and Big Law, including senior roles at Meta and Microsoft, where she led ethics and compliance teams to deliver award-winning programs. Prior to her in-house career, she advised multinational Fortune 500 companies at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Lemker is currently a managing director at Major, Lindsey & Africa, as well as an affiliate instructor at UW Law and a board member of the Global Business Law Institute.
Nicole McGrath recently joined UW Law as a staff attorney with the Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic. McGrath brings extensive legal experience representing juveniles and adults in criminal and civil proceedings. Admitted to practice in the Tulalip Tribal Court, McGrath previously worked as a civil legal aid attorney and public defender. She has served on the Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice. She has also held leadership positions in community and legal associations including the KCBA. McGrath holds a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame.
Obituaries
Rodney Giovanni Pierce has passed away. Pierce earned his J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law. Admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1973, Pierce practiced family law, including divorce and separation, and ran his own law practice. He was a WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program Committee Member from 2000 to 2011.
Ruth Apahidean is a Trusts and Estates attorney at the Law Office of Neil R. Sarles. She is easily reached via email at ruth@sarles.com or by phone at 253.234.4676.
