Success can mean living up to achievement and productivity, which are both worthy goals. But this year, my personal challenge is to redefine success as aligning with personal values and allowing space for growth without burnout. It’s learning that progress can be quiet, that rest is not failure, and that a meaningful life is built not just on accomplishments, but on sustainability and self-respect.
Partner and Member Pronouncements
Charles A. Lyman has joined Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC as a partner. Lyman brings a long track record of handling complex commercial disputes, debt restructuring, bankruptcy matters, creditor rights issues, securities litigation, real estate, and landlord-tenant matters. In addition to litigation, he advises individuals and businesses on structuring transactions to protect their interests. Earlier in his career, Lyman clerked for Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander of the Washington State Supreme Court and held associate, shareholder, and director positions at several law firms.
Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland attorney Abtin Bahador was elected to the firm’s membership, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Previously an associate, Bahador joined the firm in 2022 and focuses on business immigration, working with entrepreneurs and employers across a wide range of industries. He advises clients on travel issues, visa renewals, compliance with federal immigration laws, and short- and long-term strategies, and has prepared petitions for individuals of extraordinary ability and multinational managers. Bahador also has extensive experience in health care immigration. Before joining Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, he spent five years serving corporate clients at a business immigration firm, including technology companies, Fortune 500 firms, and one of the largest health care providers in the U.S.
Associate Additions
Ronald Tang joined Rocke Law Group in June 2025 as an associate. Bringing a unique insider perspective to the team and his clients, Tang previously worked in senior HR leadership before pivoting to practicing employment law. He advises employers and key employees on a broad spectrum of workplace matters, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. He has achieved numerous favorable outcomes, including summary judgments, dismissals, and advantageous settlements, enabling clients to avoid costly trials and reputational risks. In addition, he partners with employers to develop legally sound, operationally effective workplace policies and employee handbooks that reduce risk while promoting a fair and inclusive workplace environment. Tang was previously an associate at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. He earned his B.A. from UCLA and his J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law.
Arthur Simpson is the newest attorney to join Rocke Law, contributing over a decade of diverse legal experience to the firm. Simpson is recognized for his creative, ethical, and relentless approach as reflected in honors such as the Thomas Neville Pro Bono Award, Ones to Watch (2021-25), Washington Rising Stars (2016-23), and Washington Super Lawyers (2024). Simpson has represented clients in a wide range of legal matters, including employment law, federal whistleblower claims, commercial contract disputes, non-compete and trade secret litigation, ballot title challenges, real property and personal injury cases, defamation, public records, and consumer protection. After transitioning from Big Law, he is dedicated to defending small and medium-sized business owners in employment matters and advocating for employees’ rights in matters against large companies. Simpson was previously a senior associate attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. He earned his B.A. from Temple University and his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law.
Honorable Appointment
Kari Brotherton was recently elected to a three-year term on Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland’s Executive Committee. Brotherton chairs the firm’s Estate Planning & Probate group and is both an attorney and a CPA. Her practice focuses on estate and tax planning, including wills, trusts and other core estate planning documents, as well as advanced wealth and estate tax strategies. She also assists clients with estate administration and prepares income, gift, and estate tax returns. In addition, Brotherton advises businesses and nonprofit organizations on planning, transactions, governance, and tax matters.
Retirements
George Lundin, a longtime member of KCBA, is retiring. Lundin started his law career in 1957 and, after 68 years of practice, retired at the end of December. He was active in the fields of bankruptcy and debt collection, represented small businesses, and did substantial work in estate planning and probate for individuals. His has been actively involved with WSBA, the Illinois State Bar Association, KCBA, and the American Bar Association. He has also served as a hearing officer for WSBA.
Susan Rae Fox retired from Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, as a longtime member, on Dec. 31, 2025. Fox began practicing in 1985 and joined the firm in 1993, where she built a busy and varied litigation practice. About half of her work focused on employment law, while the rest involved commercial litigation. She also represented investment companies that buy the long-term income streams of Washington lottery winners who receive substantial prizes, putting her expertise to work in unique financial matters. Fox has also been active in professional and community organizations, including serving on the board of Easterseals Washington and participating in leadership programs for women.
Obituary
Douglass Allan Raff died on Nov. 17 at the age of 87. Raff received both his B.A. and J.D. from Harvard University, then built a distinguished career in Seattle as a principal and managing partner of Riddell Williams P.S. (now Fox Rothschild). He was widely respected as a civic leader and advocate for the environment and the arts. As a young lawyer, Raff embraced Seattle’s great civic reform movement, chairing the Seattle 2000 Commission. He worked for passage of the Municipal League Race and Social Justice Initiative, supported Alternatives for Washington and Citizens for an Effective City Council, helped defeat the R. H. Thomson Expressway, and backed the Open Government Reform Initiative. He was an organizer of the Washington Environmental Council and worked for the passage of the Washington Environmental Policy Act. He served on the national board of the Trust for Public Land and chaired TPL’s Washington Advisory Council. He was a founding member of the Seattle Parks Foundation and provided pro bono assistance for nonprofits such as the Puget Sound Mycological Society, KING-FM, the Seattle Architectural Society, and the North Cascades Conservation Council.
Ruth Apahidean is an estate planning and probate 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.
