October 2007

WSBA Welcomes New Officers and Governors

by Stephanie Perry

Stan Bastian Sworn In as WSBA President

On September 20, 2007, Stan Bastian was sworn in as the WSBA’s 117th president by Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander. The swearing-in took place during the WSBA’s Annual Awards Dinner and Business Meeting, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seattle, where many prominent members of the legal community gathered to honor their colleagues.

Bastian has contributed many years of service to the WSBA and to the legal community. He was elected to the Board of Governors for the 2004-2006 term representing members in the 4th District. His community involvement includes serving as president of the United Way of Chelan and Douglas County and as president of the Chelan-Douglas County Bar Association. He was a board member for Legal Aid for Washington (LAW) Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring the promise of equal justice for residents of Washington state regardless of income level.

Born in Beaverton, Oregon, Bastian earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, and his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1983, the same year he was admitted to the WSBA.

From 1984-1985, Bastian served as law clerk for The Honorable Ward Williams, Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I. He also served as a public defender with the city of Renton. From 1985-1988, he served as the assistant city attorney for the Seattle City Attorneys’ Office, Criminal Division. Bastian is a shareholder in the Wenatchee firm of Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward P.S., which he joined in 1988. His practice focuses on civil litigation, labor and employment law, police liability, and municipal law.

Bastian is married to Chelan County District Court Judge Alicia Nakata. They have two teenaged daughters, Audrey and Elenore.

Bastian previously shared his views on leadership in an article about the WSBA Leadership Institute (August 2007 Bar News): “Individual leaders have their own characteristics and styles, but when those differences are stripped away, these similarities remain. . . . Leaders identify the goal early and stay focused on achieving it. They recognize that adjustments may be necessary along the way, but the end goal is always in sight,” he wrote. “Good lawyers and leaders don’t back down in the face of adversity, but are willing to compromise when necessary. . . . Leaders give proper credit and recognition to others on the team such as partners, associates, paralegals, and secretaries. They help train new lawyers and inspire others with their ideas, vision, and dedication.” As his term begins, Bastian will no doubt be revisiting these themes and applying them to his own presidency.

As president, Bastian does not intend to introduce any new initiatives, but rather to focus on developing the programs already in place. “My primary goal as president of the WSBA is to continue the process of long-range planning and strategic review,” said Bastian. “The intent is to identify the issues most important to the Bar Association and then tailor Bar programs and efforts to meet those goals. This will help create a more focused, efficient, and effective organization. -Issues such as access to justice, diversity, the Justice in Jeopardy Initiative, lawyer services, and professionalism/civility have always been, and will remain, important to the WSBA.”

“Stan and I have worked closely together over the course of the last year, and I know that he will serve the WSBA with vision, insight, a warm heart, and a deep commitment to the membership,” said outgoing President Ellen Conedera Dial.

Mark A. Johnson Named New President-Elect

Seattle attorney Mark A. Johnson has been elected president-elect for 2007-2008. He assumed the office of president-elect at the close of the WSBA Annual Meeting on September 20, 2007 — when 2006-2007 President Ellen Conedera Dial passed the gavel to 2007-2008 President Stan Bastian — and he will assume the WSBA presidency in September 2008 for a one-year term.

Johnson, a partner in the Seattle law firm Johnson•Flora, was admitted to practice in Washington state in 1978. He focuses his practice on the representation of plaintiffs in tort claims, primarily medical and legal malpractice claims.

Johnson previously served on the Board of Governors from 2003-2006 and was the WSBA’s treasurer from 2005-2006. He chaired the WSBA Character and Fitness Board, as well as a task force that drafted the first comprehensive set of rules, adopted in 2006, for determining character and fitness of applicants for the Bar and for petitions for reinstatement after disbarment. Johnson also served on the Executive Director Search Committee and is currently the chair of both the Trust Account Responsibilities and Retainers Task Force and the Law of Lawyering (malpractice, ethics, and risk management) Conference.

Johnson stated: “As president, I will serve by leading the development of a fiscally responsible agenda consistent with the foundational values of our profession and the justice system: inclusion of all, independence of the Bench and Bar from inappropriate influences, equality of access to justice, and professionalism and ethics.”

G.Geoffrey Gibbs Is New 2nd District Governor

G. Geoffrey Gibbs has been elected the new governor representing the 2nd District on the WSBA Board of Governors. As governor of the 2nd District, Gibbs represents Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties.

Gibbs is a shareholder in the Everett law firm of Anderson Hunter. His practice is focused primarily on litigation, with an emphasis on family law, probate, and boundary litigation. Formerly a senior partner in the Seattle firm of Ogden, Murphy & Wallace, Gibbs moved to Snohomish County in 1989 and resides in Everett.

Gibbs served multiple terms on the WSBA Rules of Professional Conduct Committee. He has served as a Board member of the Snohomish County Bar Association (SCBA) and was its president in 2005-2006. He has also served as the SCBA liaison to the WSBA Board of Governors since 2005. Gibbs has served for many years as a judge pro tem for the Snohomish County Superior Court, Snohomish County District Court, and Everett Municipal Court, and as a Superior Court commissioner pro tem. He actively arbitrates and mediates cases as part of his practice.

Lori S. Haskell Is New 7th-Central District Governor

Lori S. Haskell has been elected as the new governor representing the 7th-Central District. Haskell received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington. She earned her law degree from Seattle University School of Law while still employed in the news department at KOMO TV. During her 10-year career in television, she was a news cinematographer and editor, as well as a writer, producer, and special topics producer. Since entering private practice, she has concentrated solely in the area of tort litigation, with an emphasis on personal-injury and employment law. Haskell served on the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (WSTLA) Board of Governors for many years in a variety of capacities, including vice-president for public affairs and judicial relations. She authored the WSTLA Diversity Policy, helped to found the first Diversity Committee, and organized Diversity Round Tables where lawyers could meet and share experiences and ideas. She has also represented the WSBA on the Bench Bar Press Committee of Washington, and has served on the WSBA Editorial Advisory Board.

“I see diversity in law as part of the larger access to justice issues that face our justice system, and if we are going to continue as a free and just society, we must maintain a constant vigilance and strive to be inclusive,” Haskell wrote in her nomination materials.

David S. Heller Is New 9th District Governor

Burien attorney David S. Heller has been elected as the new governor representing the 9th District. Heller received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his law degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Currently, Heller’s practice emphasizes litigation of personal-injury and insurance cases and criminal defense. He has served on the Access to Justice Task Force, the Washington State Supreme Court’s Commission on the Judiciary, and the Washington State Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice. Heller is an experienced speaker who has given lectures for Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Continuing Legal Education and WSBA Continuing Legal Education.

Brenda Williams Is New At-Large Governor

Brenda Williams has been elected the new governor-at-large. Williams is a public defender in King County Superior Court and Seattle Municipal Court, representing indigent clients in areas including adult felonies, misdemeanors, juveniles, dependencies, and special offender commitments. She also managed the Defender Association’s Legal Intern Program for six months, where she trained law students and guided them through their first criminal trials before juries. She has also served as a part-time instructor for the University of Washington’s paralegal certificate program and pro tem administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings.

In addition, Williams was a co-founder of the National Latina/o Law Student Conference, now in its 11th year, and she has served as a Latina/o Bar Association of Washington Board member from 2004-2005 and as its president in 2005 and 2006. She served on the WSBA Civil Rights Committee from 2003-2004; served on the WSBA Court Rules and Procedures Committee from 2005-2007; and currently serves on the WSBA Bar Examiners Committee for the 2007-2010 term.