Profile / Scott Collins: Setting the Standard for Commitment to Family, Firm, and the Legal Community
By Jeff Frank
At a time when the legal profession is increasingly called on to demonstrate integrity, steadiness, and public service, Scott Collins stands out as a lawyer who lives those values every day. His career has been shaped not by a desire for recognition, but by a quiet, persistent commitment to doing things the right way—thoroughly, ethically, and with genuine respect for the people around him.
Scott is also tenacious and competitive, as reflected by his many athletic endeavors over his lifetime. He played rugby through his undergraduate years at Union College and continued playing while in Law School on University of Washington’s Club team. In addition to being a great teammate, Scott’s experience of being an excellent partner may well have started when he met the love of his life, Susan Edison, while at UW Law School. Susan not only admired Scott’s obvious intellect and good humor, but she was also impressed with his athletic prowess. Scott and Susan were married not long after graduating from law school. Scott joined the law firm of Helsell Fetterman while Susan started her career as a Judicial Clerk to Judge Sharon Armstrong before joining the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. They are the rare couple in our profession who have not only stayed together, but they have effectively been with the same organizations the entirety of their careers.
When Scott started his practice, he found his passion for maritime history fit perfectly with his interest in Maritime Law. His practice has expanded considerably since his early years, but as discussed later in this profile, Scott remains keenly interested in maritime history. The respect Scott garnered among his colleagues became apparent not long after being elected as a Partner at Helsell Fetterman. On September 19, 2001, exactly 8 days after 9/11, Scott was selected as Managing Partner of the firm. He was the youngest partner in the firm at that time, a testament to the confidence his partners had in Scott’s leadership abilities and their appreciation for his expanding practice.
Scott continued to serve in this capacity for over 20 years, something very few in civil practice have accomplished. He spent a considerable amount of his time as MP on efforts to preserve firm culture, while also promoting diversity in the ranks of lawyers and staff. Scott initiated the Richard White diversity fellowship, in large part to honor the legacy of a firm leader who understood the value of colleagues from a wide variety of cultural experiences. Scott also documented the firm’s incredible 135-year history, which he has now been a part of for over 35 of those years.
Colleagues remark that working with Scott is both reassuring and energizing. He is an admired leader, in large part because of the time he spent over the years mentoring the lawyers in the firm while also maintaining a very active and successful practice. Scott’s mentorship extends well beyond his firm and includes working with students at Maritime High School and coaching youth basketball and softball. He started coaching soon after graduating law school, and he still coaches two girls’ softball teams today!
Scott has always been exceptionally wellprepared, which reflects his deep respect for clients, courts, and the profession. Meticulous preparation and thoughtful attention to the mission of the many organizations he has supported over the years is perhaps why he has ended up leading virtually every one of those organizations. He has been the President of the Bellevue Thunderbird Little League, the Newport Boys Basketball Association, the World Association for Children and Parents, the Northwest Justice Project and the King County Bar Foundation. Those who have worked closely with him often describe Scott’s influence as both inspirational and transformative. Michelle Pham, a bar leader and former colleague captured it best:
“Scott inspired me as a leader who always focused on people first. He supported and encouraged me to become involved in the community. His advice was—‘If you plan to join, plan to lead!"
Scott’s focus on the people in his firm reflects his belief that law firms work best when its practitioners take their professional responsibilities seriously. To that end, his preparation and attention to detail is always executed with great care. His public speaking reflects this ethos. While many have opted for iPhones, tablets and teleprompters, Scott still arrives to his speaking engagements with a neatly organized stack of notecards in hand—an oldschool technique his wife Susan reveals he insisted she adopt while in law school when they were studying for the bar exam. Scott’s notecards are never a crutch; they are a quiet reminder of the care he brings to every responsibility and the seriousness with which he treats every audience.
Yet what truly distinguishes Scott is the warmth and good humor he brings to his work. He is the rare person who can make a room lighter while also making the work stronger. His goodnatured presence has a way of diffusing tension, encouraging collaboration, and reminding everyone that professionalism and kindness are not mutually exclusive. That combination—rigor paired with genuine humanity—has made him one of the most trusted voices within the King County Bar Foundation and the KCBA.
Over the years, Scott has become one of the Bar Association’s most effective ambassadors. Whether he is rallying support for KCBA programs, encouraging new lawyers to get involved, or spearheading fundraising efforts, he has a persuasive way of helping people see themselves as part of something larger. His ability to inspire others to donate their time and resources is rooted not in pressure, but in authenticity. People follow his lead because they trust him, and because they see the sincerity of his commitment—he never asks others to do what he is not already doing himself.
Outside his firm and the Boardroom Scott has cultivated a deep and abiding interest in maritime history. Susan notes that during their many travels Scott can usually be found at a Maritime or Naval History Museum. His articles and posts on local maritime history include rich insights grounded in careful research. He has a gift for uncovering the human stories behind legal developments, and for reminding us that the law is not just a set of rules but a reflection of the people, industries, and histories that shaped this region. His writing reveals a mind that delights in the details and a storyteller who understands that history is most compelling when told with both precision and personality.
Through all of this—his practice, his service, his scholarship—Scott remains grounded by a profound devotion to his family. Scott proudly notes that Susan and their four adult children inspire his work ethic and remind him of the importance of treating colleagues with respect. His advice to those who may be chosen to lead a law firm is to always consider the people first. His advice rings true to anyone who has attempted the task: “Leading a law firm is all about relationships and understanding the people in your firm. Generating data and reports may satisfy basic needs, but they will not sustain the culture and identity of a firm.”
Scott’s devotion to relationships is not a footnote to his professional and personal life; it is the foundation of it. It informs the compassion he brings to his clients, the patience he brings to his colleagues, and the generosity he brings to the bar. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work with Scott are better off because of that experience. Thank you Scott!
Jeff Frank is a partner in the Seattle Office of the Buchalter Law Firm and is a Past President of the King County Bar Foundation. Over the last several years he’s worked closely with Scott while they both served on the Board of the Foundation and other KCBA Committees. Mr. Frank says his admiration for Scott started when they first met during a Breakfast With Champions Committee meeting—“We were both involved in firm leadership at the time. While I was frequently distracted and annoyed, Scott was somehow able to maintain an incredibly positive outlook, which was thankfully quite contagious.”
