By Ruth Apahidean Harper
With Earth Day around the corner, there are many ways to demonstrate support for the protection of our planet. Low-hanging fruit include printing one less page, composting that week-old sandwich sitting in the office refrigerator, and swapping out cleaning products with biodegradable equivalents. Earth Day increases awareness of environmental issues and provides an opportunity to think about the legacy we leave to future generations.
Associate Additions
Meha Goyal has joined Pacifica Law Group as an associate in its litigation group. Goyal will advise public and private clients and represent them in trial and appellate litigation in state and federal courts. Before joining Pacifica Law Group, Goyal was an Assistant Attorney General at the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. There, she advised the largest state agency in Washington on matters related to vulnerable adult protection and long-term care regulation and defended the agency in state administrative courts, state trial and appellate courts, and federal district courts. After law school, Goyal served as a law clerk to the Honorable Linda Lee of the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II. Goyal earned her Bachelor of Music at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Erica Coray has joined Pacifica Law Group as an associate in its Litigation group. Coray’s practice focuses on representing public, private, and non-profit clients at every stage of litigation in both state and federal courts. Her experience includes a role as Managing Director for an early-stage technology company, as well as the management of complex litigation matters from inception through discovery, briefing and trial preparation. Coray is also dedicated to pro bono work, representing clients in immigration proceedings, restraining order hearings, and in civil rights matters. Coray earned her J.D. at Boston College Law School and her B.A.at Emerson College.
Other Attorney Additions
Craig Sims has been named Shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. Sims focuses on asbestos and mesothelioma, civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability litigation. Previously, Sims was a trial lawyer at Bergman Draper Oslund, PLLC. Before entering private practice, Sims was the Criminal Division Chief in the Seattle Attorney’s Office, leading a team of more than sixty attorneys and staff. Sims has taught as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law and a visiting lecturer at the University of Washington Law School. Sims has also served as a Senior King County Prosecutor. Sims obtained his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of Oregon.
Kaitlin Cherf has been named Shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. Cherf’s areas of practice include asbestos and mesothelioma, civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability litigation. Prior to joining Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, Cherf was an associate at Bergman Draper Ladenburg, PLLC, and a judicial extern to the Honorable Stephen Dwyer. Cherf served as co-editor for the 2022 edition of the Washington State Association for Justice’s Civil Rights Deskbook. Cherf earned her J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Washington.
Of Counsel
Erin Snodgrass has joined Foster Garvey PC as Of Counsel in the firm’s Hospitality, Travel & Tourism group. Snodgrass represents businesses at all stages of development, including industry leaders and start-up companies, in the areas of hospitality, travel, and technology. Prior to joining Foster Garvey PC, Snodgrass was a principal and co-founder of Snodgrass Annand PLLC, where she focused on technology and commercial transactions, licensing, privacy, and marketing for clients in the hospitality industry. Snodgrass earned her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Washington.
Obituaries
Richard C. Coyle has recently passed away. Coyle was a longtime KCBA member. After graduating from Cornell University with an A.B. in 1968, Coyle obtained his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1972. After clerking for the Honorable Eugene Wright of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Coyle joined Foley, Hoag & Eliot as an associate. More recently, Coyle was Of Counsel at Perkins Coie, where he focused on aviation litigation. His clients included Boeing, Turbomeca, Honeywell, Martin-Baker Aircraft, Bombardier, Beech Aircraft, and Precision Aerospace. In 2013, Coyle was listed in the Expert Guides, as one of the World’s Leading Aviation Lawyers.
John James Hollowed, Sr. has died. After graduating from Law School at Seattle University in 1987 Hollowed advocated for land and water rights for the Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Hollowed joined the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, for which he worked for over 35 years.
Christopher Kane has recently passed away. Kane graduated from Seattle University and then studied in D.C. at Georgetown Law, where he clerked for Senator Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson. Kane worked as an attorney with Ferguson & Burdell and eventually opened his own mediation practice later in his career.
Alvin J. Ziontz has passed away. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 1951, Ziontz began his law practice in Seattle in 1955 and helped found Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley Slonim. The firm is now Ziontz Chestnut. Ziontz advocated for Indian tribal sovereignty and Indian rights. Ziontz worked in the Boldt case, which helped reestablish tribal fishing rights and was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. Ziontz’s memoir A Lawyer in Indian Country was published in 2009. Ziontz was a lifelong member of the ACLU, where he served as President and board member of the ACLU of Washington.
Ruth Apahidean Harper is an attorney at Cobalt Law PLLC. She is easily reached via email: ruth@cobaltlawfirm.com, by phone: 253.234.4676, or by mail: PO Box 1134, Enumclaw, WA 98022-1134.
