Facing fear is an important part of professional development. The fear of making mistakes is one such fear, and while overthinking and hesitation are byproducts of this fear, these aspects slow productivity and limit growth. This is a reminder that viewing mistakes as a natural part of learning and improvement, and errors as opportunities for feedback rather than failure, allows for more confidence in decision-making.
Partner Pronouncements
Pacifica Law Group LLP promoted Erica Coray and Anita Khandelwal to partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Both are members of Pacifica’s Litigation Practice Group. Coray focuses on labor and employment and on litigation. She was previously a managing director at Readerly. Coray earned a B.A. from Emerson College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.
Khandelwal advises public and private clients and represents them in trial and appellate litigation in state and federal courts. She was previously the director at the King County Department of Public Defense. She obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Natida Sribhibhadh has been elevated to partner at Keller Rohrback LLP. Sribhibhadh focuses on catastrophic property loss, class action, complex litigation, drug pricing litigation, and wildfire litigation. Sribhibhadh was previously an associate attorney at the firm. She also worked as an associate at GLP Attorneys PS and a research assistant at the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid. She obtained her B.A. from the University of Washington and her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Maia Robbins is now a partner at Corr Cronin LLP. Her practice includes all aspects of civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense, and she represents clients ranging from national Fortune 100 companies to children and their families. Robbins litigates disputes related to criminal and civil fraud, insurance coverage, personal injury and negligence, non-compete agreements, campaign finance violations, partnerships and joint ventures, and toxic tort defense. Robbins previously worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Edward F. Shea of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. After obtaining a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, she earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson PLLC is pleased to announce that, effective Jan. 1, attorneys Harman Bual, Will Reingold Jr., and Amanda Whitely have been elevated to principals of the firm. Bual is a business litigation attorney at Lasher and assists clients with contract, corporate, bankruptcy, intellectual property, and real estate matters. She earned her B.A. from Gonzaga University and her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
Reingold focuses his practice on family law and appeals, where he helps clients navigate the legal and personal complexities of divorce and related family law issues. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Whitely maintains a broad business-focused practice that includes corporate and business law, estate planning, probate, private wealth services, and estate and gift tax law. She advises clients on business succession, tax planning, and advanced estate planning strategies. She obtained a B.A. from the University of Washington, an MBA from Seattle University, a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law.
Associate Addition
Ivy Enneking has joined Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP as an associate in the firm’s Technology Transactions practice. She was previously an associate at K&L Gates LLP and worked in business development at Dualos LLC. Enneking holds a J.D. from University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law.
With a background as a nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy and experience in business development for the defense and technology sectors, Enneking navigates highly complex technical and regulatory environments. Her practice focuses on drafting and negotiating complex commercial and intellectual property agreements, including matters involving IP ownership, open-source software, data protection issues, sponsorship, endorsement, and licensing arrangements.
Honorable Appointment
Jessica Kaiser has been named a co-chair of the Patent Litigation practice at Perkins Coie LLP. Kaiser is a partner at Perkins Coie, and was previously a partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and a lead administrative patent judge at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Kaiser represents established and emerging technology, telecommunications, and life sciences companies in complex intellectual property disputes, including post-grant patent challenges such as inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and ex parte reexams.
Obituary
Carolyn R. Dimmick, Washington’s first woman Supreme Court justice, passed away on Dec. 24, 2025, at 96 in Seattle. Dimmick was born in Seattle on Oct. 24, 1929. She received a B.A. from the University of Washington in 1951 and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1953.
During her long career, Dimmick worked as a Washington assistant attorney general, King County deputy prosecuting attorney, attorney in private practice, Washington state court judge, Western District of Washington federal judge, and Washington Supreme Court justice. Dimmick was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1981 by Gov. Dixy Lee Ray. She was just the 14th woman in the nation to serve on a state’s highest court.
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.
