I hope everyone is staying cool after the heatwave in June and still looking forward to the summer. Whether it’s splashing in the pool, sipping cold lemonade, or relaxing in the shade with family and friends, this is the perfect time to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer. Hopefully, we’re all finding a moment to slow down and soak in the season.
Partner and Member Pronouncements
Pacifica Law Group announced that Ellie Chapman has joined the firm as a partner in its Litigation Practice Group. An experienced trial and appellate litigator, Chapman has advised and represented clients in a wide range of civil matters in state and federal courts, including in several cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Chapman also has significant experience in privacy and security matters and has defended public, private, and nonprofit clients in complex class actions on a range of issues, including cases involving consumer privacy, biometric data, and cybersecurity. In addition to her litigation work, Chapman counsels clients on the complex patchwork of federal, state, and local laws governing data privacy and security, and on emerging laws and regulations related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automated decision-making. Most recently, she worked for Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle, where she represented clients — including some of the world’s leading technology companies — in a variety of privacy-related matters, including cases brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Video Privacy Protection Act, the California Consumer Protection Act, and a host of other data breach and cybersecurity statutes. Chapman has also litigated cases involving online speech, and has represented digital platforms in matters arising under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment. Born and raised in Seattle, Chapman earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. from Dartmouth College.
BakerHostetler has added two real estate partners in Seattle. Jessica Mitchell and Landon Sullivan join the firm as partners in the Business Practice Group and members of the Real Estate practice team. Mitchell joins from the Summit Law Group, where she was the leader of its real estate practice. Mitchell specializes in acquisitions and dispositions; complex, multiparty, large-scale build-to-suit developments; and industrial, retail, and office leasing. Mitchell advises clients in a broad range of industries, including banking, retail, technology, and professional services. She has worked with small to large companies in addition to a large multinational e-commerce and technology company, regularly providing clients with full service on projects, from inception through due diligence and completion. Mitchell earned an LL.M. from the University of Washington Law School, an LL.B. from Griffith University Law School, and a B.A. from Griffith University. Sullivan joins from K&L Gates and previously served as senior corporate counsel for a major e-commerce company.
Landon Sullivan is a real estate transactional attorney with both in-house and private practice experience counseling clients in acquisitions and dispositions, build-to-suit projects, economic development incentives, real estate leasing and financing, and other real estate transaction types. He has advised on multiple asset classes, including industrial, data center, retail, office, multifamily and mixed-use properties. Sullivan has worked with Fortune 100 companies in conducting due diligence and feasibility analyses, advising on land use and entitlements matters, negotiating contracts, and handling complex closings. He has represented numerous technology companies, including a world-leading e-commerce and technology company, on real estate transactions. Sullivan also served as senior corporate counsel for a multinational e-commerce and technology company, where he led an in-house legal team that provided support for all real estate acquisition, development and leasing transactions as well as asset management issues for the company’s entire customer fulfillment network. Sullivan earned both his J.D. and his B.S. from Brigham Young University.
Morgan Lewis announced the arrival of seasoned trial lawyer and C-suite executive Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovsky as partner in the firm’s litigation practice, based in its Seattle office. Ostrovsky brings more than 15 years of trial experience, handling a wide variety of civil litigation, government investigations, and employment matters. Her practice includes representing clients in complex civil disputes, consumer protection litigation, and employment litigation. She previously practiced in the Seattle-based boutique litigation firm Calfo Eakes & Ostrovsky and more recently served as CEO of COLOR, a Seattle-based professional services company. Earlier in her career, Ostrovsky served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Eastaugh of the Alaska Supreme Court and the Honorable Marsha J. Pechman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Brittney Rivers joins as a Member in Dickinson Wright’s Seattle office. She represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, with a focus on employment and business disputes. Rivers also advises clients on various employment issues throughout the employment relationship, including employment agreements, restrictive covenants, and separation agreements. Rivers was previously an attorney at Ashbaugh Beal. She obtained her B.A. from the University of the Pacific and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Associate Additions
Pacifica Law Group announced that Sarah Du has joined the firm as an associate in its Litigation Practice Group. Du most recently worked at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. as a trial attorney defending the United States in complex tort litigation. Du also previously clerked for the Honorable Stanley A. Bastian of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Born and raised in the Seattle area, Du graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was Executive Production Editor for the Michigan Law Review. During law school, Du also interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Department of Justice. Du earned her B.A. from Duke University.
Pacifica Law Group also announced that Craig Peters has joined the firm as an associate in its School Districts Practice Group. He previously worked as a neutral staff attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and in private practice at another Seattle-based firm. At OCR, Peters investigated and resolved discrimination complaints brought against educational institutions and public entities, and also frequently counseled schools on civil rights issues. In private practice, Peters advised schools on tort liability, privacy, student safety, supervision, and discipline. He also assisted in drafting model board policies and procedures, and he has counseled districts on policy implementation and compliance. Peters graduated from Seattle University School of Law. Prior to attending law school, he earned an M.A. in history of religions from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in religious studies from Humboldt State University.
Galen Knowles has also joined Pacifica Law Group as an associate in its Litigation Practice Group. An experienced adviser to government clients, Knowles comes to Pacifica after working as an attorney for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C., where he counseled agency leadership on administrative and constitutional law, enforcement initiatives, and defensive litigation. Knowles also previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Morgan Christen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to the Honorable Timothy L. Brooks of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Born and raised in Pend Oreille County in northeast Washington, Knowles developed an interest in government while attending Eastern Washington University, where he earned a B.A. in government and a Master of Public Administration degree. He went on to graduate from Washington University School of Law. During law school, Knowles served as Chief Articles Editor for the Washington University Law Review and taught constitutional law at a public high school in St. Louis, Missouri.
Other Attorney Additions
Chris Kranda has joined Carney Badley Spellman, PS’s litigation group. Kranda previously worked at Davis Grimm Payne & Marra and at Lether Law Group and served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in King County where he gained valuable trial experience. Kranda will support the litigation team on a variety of complex matters, with a focus on construction disputes involving general contractors, subcontractors, and developers. Kranda obtained his B.A. from Seattle University and his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law.
Of Counsel
Pacifica Law Group announced that Kyra Perrigo has joined the firm as an Of Counsel in its Public Law and Finance Practice Group. Perrigo brings to Pacifica more than 15 years of experience as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), further strengthening the firm’s affordable housing finance practice. While at HUD, Perrigo served as the Associate Regional Counsel for Housing Finance and Programs in Seattle, where she led a team of real estate attorneys who worked on public housing repositioning, asset management transactions, 202 capital advance grants, and Federal Housing Administration closings. In that role, she also advised on HUD housing programs, community development grants, HUD’s National Environmental Policy Act review process, and compliance with federal regulations. She was also the lead attorney to the Alaska and Northwest Offices of Native American Programs. Perrigo developed her interest in affordable housing during her time in AmeriCorps, which included working with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and with the King County Housing Authority. Perrigo earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Wisconsin International Law Journal, and earned her B.A. from Macalester College.
Other Announcements
Judges for Justice (JFJ) is a King County-based nonprofit organization committed to freeing innocent individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. JFJ was co-founded by Retired King County Superior Court Judge Michael Heavey, who was recently honored with the Uncuff the Innocent Award by the Center for Justice and Post-Exoneration Assistance at Purdue University Northwest in Indiana. Retired King County Superior Court judges Jay White, Deborah Fleck, and Carol Schapira round out the JFJ team. Since its founding in 2013, JFJ has helped secure the release of four men wrongfully imprisoned in Idaho, Hawaii, and Ohio. After securing the release of the innocent men, law enforcement used forensic genealogy to identify and arrest the actual perpetrators in JFJ’s Idaho and Hawaii cases. To learn more, visit www.judgesforjustice.org. Retired judges and attorneys interested in possibly working on and volunteering to help correct wrongful convictions are encouraged to write JFJ at: Judges for Justice, P.O. Box 46581, Seattle, WA 98146.
JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide, announced David Schoeggl has joined its panel. Schoeggl brings more than 40 years of experience in litigation, including over three decades of work as a mediator and arbitrator. From 1983 to 1999 and again from 2014 to 2025, Schoeggl practiced at Lane Powell, which merged with Ballard Spahr earlier this year. He also worked at Mills Meyers Swartling from 2000 to 2014. Throughout his career, he focused on complex, high-stakes trials and arbitrations. He has represented a wide range of clients — including national and international insurers, aviation companies, product manufacturers, and local businesses — in challenging and often unusual claims around the country. Schoeggl will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, and court-appointed neutral, handling aviation, business and commercial, employment, environmental, insurance, personal injury, professional liability, and real property matters. He is available to conduct sessions in person, as well as virtually, for clients across the country and internationally. Schoeggl earned his B.A., with honors, from the University of Washington and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Washington School of Law.
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.
