We’re in the midst of summer now, and it’s hard not to think of all the tasks that haven’t been completed and hours that haven’t been filled. Still, August might be a month in which we let go of what no longer supports our growth — professionally and personally. By letting go of habits that hinder progress, such as unnecessary perfectionism, overcommitment, and procrastination, we can create space for clarity, innovation, and well-being — within our team and in how we serve our clients.
Partner Pronouncement
Hayley Talbert has become Seed IP Law Group’s managing partner. Talbert devotes her time to strategic intellectual property counseling in the electrical, software, and mechanical arts, focusing on efficient and effective patent prosecution. She currently leads a team of diverse attorneys, agents, and staff who prepare and prosecute patent applications that include, for example, MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) sensors, cloud-based processing for various sensor data, memory structures, flexible displays, thin film flexible amorphous metal transistors, machine learning in processor architecture, artificial intelligence for sensor data and memory utilization, hemp-based plastics, and weatherproof paper products.
After obtaining her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, Talbert earned her J.D. from Willamette University College of Law.
Associate Additions
Jailine Vasquez has joined Helsell Fetterman LLP as an associate attorney and is part of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Insurance Coverage, and Real Estate Litigation practice groups. Vasquez was previously an associate at Wathen, Leid, Hall & Rider, PC, where she gained experience representing clients in a broad range of litigation, including matters involving Insurance Fair Conduct Act, coverage disputes, and bad faith allegations. She obtained a B.A. from Dixie State University and a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law. In law school, she was a member of the Moot Court Board and a Senior Editor for the Seattle Journal for Social Justice.
Likewise, Smitha Gundavajhala has joined Helsell Fetterman as an associate attorney and is part of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Employment, and Real Estate Litigation practice groups. She has helped defend domestic and international manufacturers in complex products liability litigation and has taken commercial litigation matters to trial. She has also worked with plaintiffs in employment litigation. Gundavajhala graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 2023. In law school, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts. Prior to law school, she attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated with a B.A. in public health and a minor in public policy. While at UC Berkeley, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Public Health Advocate.
Other Attorney Additions
Khalid Aziz has joined Miller Nash LLP, where he will work on insurance recovery and construction dispute resolution. Aziz has experience handling claims involving improper adjustments or denials under Property, Builders Risk, Errors & Omissions, Employment Practices, and Commercial General Liability policies; these matters often involve issues such as insurer bad faith, coverage denials, substandard investigations, or undervaluing losses. He has litigated construction disputes for private- and public-sector contracts.
Previously, Aziz worked as an Associate Attorney at Ashbaugh Beal and a legal extern for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He earned his undergraduate degree from UC San Diego and his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Samantha K. Lyons is now a Conflicts Attorney at Williams Kastner. She was previously a compliance officer at Russell Investments, where she conducted daily compliance reviews of employee compliance obligations as well as firm-wide initiatives and trainings. Lyons has also worked as a legal specialist at Thomson Reuters. After earning a B.A. from Biola University, she obtained a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
Of Counsel Announcements
Jacquelyn Beatty has joined Helsell Fetterman and is part of the firm’s Insurance Coverage and Commercial Litigation practice groups. Beatty focuses her practice on litigation with an emphasis in insurance coverage and appellate matters. She has over 35 years of experience primarily representing insurers in complex coverage and bad faith matters. Beatty has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2010; as a Best Lawyer since 2019; and Band 1 recognition with Chambers and Partners. She has obtained the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and Associate in Risk Management professional designations. She is a fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel.
Beatty graduated from Brown University with an A.B. in English and an Sc.B. in biological sciences. She then earned a B.S. in nursing from Columbia University, and then a J.D. with Honors from the University of Washington School of Law.
James Bush has also joined Helsell Fetterman and is part of the firm’s Health Care and Commercial Litigation practice groups. Bush defends physicians and hospitals against medical malpractice lawsuits and represents physicians and medical providers in professional licensing and disciplinary proceedings. He is licensed to practice in Florida and Washington.
Prior to joining Helsell Fetterman, Bush served as Senior Litigation Attorney at the University of Florida Self-Insurance Program, representing insured clinicians throughout five major academic medical centers. Originally from Florida, Bush graduated from the University of Florida, earning his B.A. in 2006. He graduated from Stetson University, earning his J.D. in 2009. In 2023, he completed a B.S. in computer science from Oregon State University.
New Firm
Effective March 31, Ariel Martinez and Tyler Farmer opened a boutique litigation firm, Martinez & Farmer LLP. Martinez and Farmer were longtime partners at Seattle firm Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen LLP, which joined Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. Upon the BCLP merger in spring 2024, Martinez and Farmer joined BCLP’s Seattle office as partners. Farmer was the BCLP office’s co-managing partner from spring 2024 to March 30, 2025.
Martinez has litigated a wide variety of substantial business disputes as both plaintiff’s and defense counsel, including breach of contract, real property, product liability, consumer protection, and employment claims. In June 2023, as co-lead trial counsel for King County in a six-week jury trial over defective pipes in the King County Jail, Martinez obtained a jury verdict of over $18 million. She was also a key member of the litigation team representing Washington in litigation against Monsanto that obtained a settlement of $95 million for damages caused to the environment from Monsanto’s manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of PCBs in Washington.
Farmer’s practice centers around civil litigation, corporate disputes and internal investigations, and tech and IP litigation. His work has been noted by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation, and Super Lawyers. He advises technology companies, real estate investors, and entrepreneurs, often defending against individual lawsuits and putative class action claims and serving as lead counsel in state and federal courts nationwide. Farmer has represented clients in Federal Trade Commission matters and investigations by several state attorneys general. In addition to his litigation work, he has also presented internal investigation findings before regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the FTC.
Honors, Appointments, and Awards
The Washington State Bar Association Tax Section honored UW Law Professor Scott Schumacher with the Roger Stouder Award, which recognizes an exemplary tax practitioner who has provided outstanding service to the WSBA Tax Section. Previous recipients include UW School of Law Dean Roland Hjorth and Professor Meade Emory, a former director of the law school’s tax program.
Presiding Judge Ketu Shah completed the swearing-in for Kent Liu on June 30. Judge Liu will fill the position vacated by Judge Susan Amini, who retired from the bench in May. He will take on a criminal caseload. Liu is a career prosecutor with three decades of experience, including nearly 17 years at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Most recently, Liu served as chief of the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Liu served four years as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Pierce County for 12 years. Liu earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Seattle University 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.
