August 2002 

Changing Venues

At its annual dinner in June, the King County Bar Association presented the following awards: Hon. Robert H. Alsdorf, Outstanding Judge Award; Howard P. Pruzan, Outstanding Lawyer Award; Larson Hart & Shepherd, Helen Geisness Award; CASA volunteers, Friend of the Legal Profession Award; James E. Breitenbucher, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award; David K. Hiscock, Pro Bono Award; Perkins Coie LLP, Pro Bono Award; and KCBA staff, President's Award.

The following awards were presented at the Access to Justice Conference in June: Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander, Judicial Leadership Award; Allen Schauffler/KING-5 News, Civil Equal Justice Community Partnership Award; Sandi Swarthout, Equal Justice Coalition Award; Gail Stone, Equal Justice Coalition Award; and Matthew Geyman, WSBA Pro Bono Award.

Assistant Professor of Law Anita Ramasastry has received the University of Washington 2002 Outstanding Public Service Award for her efforts on behalf of battered immigrant women and their children. She is the founder of the Immigrant Families Advocacy Project, a nonprofit organization that helps immigrant women gain legal residence in the United States.

Jon Solem has been promoted to Major in the Army Reserves. He is assigned as the Operations Officer for the 7th Brigade, 104th Division, and works as an associate in the Seattle office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs.

Jodi Freudenberger has been appointed to the editorial board of Insurance Litigation Reporter, a national insurance reporter published semi-monthly. Ms. Freudenberger is an associate in the Seattle office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs.

Amy Forbis has been named to the board of directors of the Washington Healthcare Risk Management Society, the leading organization for health-care risk-management professionals in Washington. Ms. Forbis is a member in the Tacoma office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs.

Walla Walla lawyer Jim Hayner has received the Walla Walla High School Graduate of Distinction Award. He is a partner in the Walla Walla firm Minnick-Hayner, and former president of the Walla Walla County Bar Association.

Vancouver lawyer Bob Schaefer has been named a Pillar of Economic Development by the Columbia River Economic Development Council. He was a founding member of the council and helped recruit high-tech employers to Clark County.

Matthew Ries, of Spokane, has received the Spokane County Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the Young Lawyers Division of the Spokane County Bar Association. He will serve as president of the Spokane Young Lawyers Division in 2002-2003.

Grays Harbor County Prosecutor H. Steward Menefee has been elected president of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Other newly elected officers are James L. Nagle, vice president; Russell D. Hauge, secretary; and Ron Shepherd, treasurer. All terms begin October 1.

The Johnson and Associates team has regained its Seattle Lawyers Basketball League title after defeating the IMA Lawyers. Johnson and Associates team members are James H. Clark, Anthony C. Johnson, Joshua M. Lipsky, Eric S. Nelson, Charles T. Paglialunga, Shannon Smith and William R. Spurr.

Marcia K. Fujimoto, a shareholder in the Seattle firm Graham & Dunn, has been elected to the executive committee of the Estate Planning Council of Seattle. The council is a not-for-profit organization that promotes high-quality estate-planning services in the Northwest by fostering cooperation among professional disciplines in the field, and educating the public about estate-planning matters.

William H. Song, of Seattle, has been inducted as a fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel.

Stephanie R. Haug has joined the Spokane firm Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller as an associate in the tax practice group.

Jeffrey D. Laveson has joined the Seattle firm Carney Badley Spellman as a shareholder. His practice is focused on insurance, aviation, environmental, construction, professional liability, real estate and land use law, as well as commercial litigation and appellate practice. Sandip Soli has joined the firm as an associate, concentrating on construction law.

Roderick C. Bond has joined the Bellevue firm Peterson Russell Kelly as an associate, focusing on business clients. Elizabeth A. Baker has joined the firm as a litigation associate, after having served as a criminal prosecutor. Mark Moburg has joined the Seattle firm Betts, Patterson & Mines as a senior attorney in the business practice group. His areas of practice include business restructuring, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, business transactions, corporate law and litigation.

Scott R. Sleight has joined the Seattle firm Short Cressman & Burgess as of counsel, focusing on construction litigation, real estate, general commercial and insurance litigation, and surety law.

Alan L. Wallace has joined the Seattle office of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs as a member. He will lead the land use practice area, focusing on real estate development, land use and environmental law.

David D. Dicks has joined Brown Reavis & Manning in Seattle. He concentrates on Northwest natural resources and endangered-species projects.

Janis T. Hadley has joined the Seattle firm Song Mondress as of counsel. Sarah L. Bhagwandin has joined the firm as an associate.

Laura L. Mancuso has joined the Vancouver firm Baumgartner, Nelson & Price.

Jill Johanson has been appointed to the Cowlitz County Superior Court bench, replacing retiring Judge Don McCulloch. She will stand for election in September.

Robin Dale has joined the Olympia office of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky as an associate, concentrating on business law.

Erika Lim has been named director of career services at Sullivan School of Law at Seattle University. She recently worked as a senior policy advisor for the Washington State Department of Information Services, developing statewide information technology policies.

Roger Wylie has joined the new Seattle office of Leydig, Voit & Mayer, providing patent, trademark and litigation services.

Kenneth Gerald Burrows died June 29 at age 76, following a long illness. He practiced law in Seattle for many years before returning to his hometown of Tacoma to establish a practice. Mr. Burrows was a lifelong Husky fan, former president of the Seattle Tennis Club, and long-standing member of the Fircrest Golf Club. Memorials may be made to Mt. Rainier National Park (Tahoma Woods, Star Route, Ashford, WA 98034).

Henry Louis Kotkins Sr. died June 9 at age 90, while vacationing in Portugal. Mr. Kotkins graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 1935, and had managed his family business, Skyway Luggage, since 1936. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he served as a Port of Seattle commissioner and worked to make the port important in international commerce. He served on the boards of numerous organizations, including Lakeside School, the Seattle Symphony, Temple DeHirsch Sinai, Planned Parenthood, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and Junior Achievement.

James Stanley Munn died June 30 at age 79, following a heart attack. He was active in Republican politics, serving as delegate or alternate to the national convention for 20 years. As a King County prosecutor in the 1960s, he won six of six murder trials. As a defense attorney, he successfully defended six of six murder suspects. In 1981, he began focusing on business consulting, and continued to practice law until his death.

Former state legislator Jonathan Frank Whetzel died June 9 at age 75. He served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 1965 to 1970 and the state Senate from 1971 to 1974. Mr. Whetzel was a member of the Seattle City Council in 1977, and served as president of the Municipal League of King County from 1978 to 1980. Memorials may be made to Seattle Opera (PO Box 9248, Seattle, WA 98109); Friends of the Cedar River Watershed (6512 23rd Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98117); or Skiforall Foundation (1621 114th SE, Bellevue, WA 98004).