October 2000

Changing Venues

Honors and Awards

Paul L. Stritmatter, of Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Withey Coluccio in Hoquiam, was named vice-president of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation board of directors. The Foundation is the nonprofit parent of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, the national public interest law firm specializing in precedent-setting tort and damage litigation.

Bellingham lawyer Greg Boos has received the 1999-2000 Outstanding Achievement in Advocacy Award from the Washington chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He was honored for his work to repeal Section 110 of the 1996 immigration law.

Joseph H. Gordon (above left) has received an award for attending 100 consecutive meetings of the ABA House of Delegates. As a result of being treasurer of the ABA for seven years, Mr. Gordon was granted a lifetime membership in the House of Delegates.

The Washington Defense Trial Lawyers have elected Roy A. Umlauf president. Other newly elected officers are Bradley A. Maxa, vice-president; Karen Bertram, secretary; Jim S. Berg, treasurer; Joanne T. Blackburn, trustee; Brian Rekofke, trustee; Elizabeth A. Moceri, trustee; Bronson Potter, trustee; Andrew G. Cooley, trustee; Greg Arpin, trustee; Brad Davis, trustee; and Jeff Frank, trustee.

Long-time Olympia lawyer Evelyn Foster was named Lawyer of the Year by the Thurston County Bar Association (TCBA). She also received the Daniel Bigelow Award. The award is given annually to a member of the TCBA who has provided outstanding professional and community service.

Christopher W. Tompkins has been elected to the executive committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel. He is chair of the complex litigation practice group at Betts, Patterson & Mines PS in Seattle.

Judd H. Lees has been elected president of the Bellevue Rotary Club. He is chair of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs’ labor and employment law practice group.

John Rizzardi, a partner with Cairncross & Hempelmann PS, has been elected vice-president of international development for the Turnaround Management Association (TMA). The TMA is an international organization serving the needs of professionals and institutions dedicated to corporate renewal and the turnaround process.

Noelle E. Harman has joined the Seattle firm of Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson as an associate, focusing on business and tax law. She was formerly a tax associate with the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche.

Sharon L. Nelson has been named the first director of the University of Washington Law School’s Center for Law, Commerce and Technology. The Center was founded last year to provide leadership in teaching, research and policy analysis in the legal aspects of emerging technologies.

Western Washington University has named Julie Helling (a member of the Minnesota bar) director of the Fairhaven College Law and Diversity Program. The program began in 1991 and is designed to prepare students from underrepresented groups for admission to and success in law school.

Seattle lawyer Lish Whitson has opened his own firm. As Lish Whitson PLLC, he will focus primarily on health care, medical malpractice, complex civil litigation and mediation/arbitration.

Lupe Jones has joined Northwest Justice Project (NJP) as a lawyer with the CLEAR program in Seattle. Kate Hoskins and Laura Diaz Moore have joined the Spokane office of NJP.

Albert Gidari has joined the Seattle office of Perkins Coie as an entrepreneur-in-residence. The new program will add acceleration services to the bundle of legal services traditionally provided to emerging companies.

Christine Allen-Crowell has joined the Seattle University Law School faculty as the first full-time director of the Access to Justice Institute. Prior to joining SU, she served as public service counsel at Foster Pepper & Shefelman.

Ted Armbruster has been appointed administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. He will be based in the agency’s Everett office, and will conduct hearings and decide cases primarily involving public assistance and child support issues.

Charles R. Gossage has joined Short Cressman & Burgess PLLC as of counsel. His practice focuses on construction law, suretyship, government contracts and bankruptcy law.

Ross D. Jacobson, Christopher S. Marks and Peter S. Hicks have joined the Seattle office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC. As of counsel, Mr. Jacobson concentrates his practice in business matters including corporate transactions, business design and structure, mergers and acquisitions, technology licensing and transfer, and real estate. Mr. Hicks is an associate who focuses on employment-related matters. Mr. Marks focuses on tort and commercial litigation as an associate.

Mark M. Hough and Anthony L. Rafel have joined Riddell Williams PS as principals. Mr. Hough practices commercial litigation emphasizing trademark, copyright, trade secret, non-compete, business torts and antitrust law. Mr. Rafel’s practice emphasizes the litigation and trial of disputes involving real estate transactions and condominium construction, labor and employment issues, and contract and tort matters.

Ed Schaller, Jr. and Stephen A. Foster, formerly of Foster, Foster and Schaller, have formed Foster, Foster & Schaller LLC with Christine Schaller as a member. The Olympia firm will continue to practice in the areas of family law, criminal defense, personal injury, wills and probate.

Kristopher I. Tefft has become an associate with the Spokane firm of Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller LLP. His practice emphasizes commercial law, complex civil litigation and appeals.

Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC has added Andrew S. Lane to its land use and environmental practice group as of counsel. His practice focuses on environmental law with emphasis on growth management and land use planning.

Brian J. Ramming has become a partner in Roach Law Offices PS, focusing on litigation, business law, landlord-tenant law and collections. The firm name will change to Roach & Ramming Law Offices PS.

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has appointed Pam Myers vice-president and general counsel. She will provide counsel to the management team and oversee all of REI’s legal needs.

Stacy D. Heard has joined Lee Smart Cook Martin & Patterson as an associate. Her practice emphasizes professional liability.

Bullivant Houser Bailey PC has added Richard G. Birinyi to its Seattle office as of counsel. He practices in the areas of creditor/debtor issues, corporate reorganizations, business transactions and complex commercial litigation.

Amanda Vedrich has joined Betts, Patterson & Mines PS as an associate in the commercial litigation practice area.

Jonathan Dirk Holt and Jennifer A. Harrison have joined the Seattle office of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP as associates. Mr. Holt’s practice concentrates on general litigation, insurance coverage, product liability and construction defect litigation. Ms. Harrison focuses on taxation. Regina Vogel Culbert has joined the Seattle office as of counsel to the firm. Her practice emphasizes intellectual property disputes and commercial litigation.

Daniel E. Mueller has joined Groff & Murphy PLLC as an associate. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation.

Kathleen J. Hopkins has become an owner of Tousley Brain PLLC. John P. (Jack) Zahner and Laura M. Pilkington have become associates. Ms. Hopkins concentrates her practice in the areas of real property, commercial leasing and bankruptcy. Mr. Zahner practices commercial litigation, and Ms. Pilkington focuses on commercial real estate, real property, commercial leasing and corporate law.

Long-time Kitsap County lawyer Frank Shiers died July 23 of injuries sustained in a fall. He was 79. A resident of Bremerton, Mr. Shiers practiced law for 51 years. For the last 50 years he practiced with Shiers, Chrey, Cox, Caulkins, DiGiovanni and Zak, the Port Orchard firm he founded. He served as president of the Kitsap County Bar Association, exalted ruler of the Bremerton Elks, president of the Navy League, and board member of the Olympic College Foundation. Mr. Shiers was a seaman meteorologist in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was a 1948 graduate of the University of Washington Law School.

Van Patrick Wilson, a Seattle lawyer who helped represent a contractor in the case of the fallen Kingdome tiles, died August 3 of a brain tumor. He was 32. After graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law, he joined Kingman, Peabody, Pierson and Fitzharris in 1994, where one of his main jobs was researching the reams of paperwork on the original ceiling work done on the Kingdome. Mr. Wilson had a passion for the outdoors, including mountain biking, camping, hiking and baseball.

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