WestCoast Hotels, the Washington State Bar Association and Legal Aid for Washington Fund Work Together for Equal Justice

Seattle, Washington, September 22, 2000 — WestCoast Hotels, The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) and Legal Aid for Washington Fund (LAW Fund) announce the creation of an innovative partnership to raise funds to support civil equal justice for low-income residents of Washington.

From September 15, 2000 through the end of 2001, WestCoast Hotels, the Spokane-based chain of hotels and hospitality suites, will make donations to LAW Fund based on the number of nights lawyers, judges and others associated with the Washington State Bar Association stay at any Washington WestCoast Hotel. By asking for the "WSBA rate," a donation is automatically made. LAW Fund, a statewide nonprofit organization that raises private funds for civil legal services, will use these funds to increase the capacity of civil legal services programs that assist low-income individuals with domestic violence, housing, health care, education and other problems.

WestCoast Hotel's President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Donald K. Barbieri said, "WestCoast Hospitality Corporation has had a long-term commitment to issues that affect the quality of life for our low-income citizens. We view affordable housing, daycare, education and mentoring as vitally needed support mechanisms to help pull our neighbors above poverty. We are proud to be assisting in this effort."

Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard P. Guy commended WestCoast Hotels. "The vitality of our justice system — and our democracy as a whole — depends upon the equal treatment of all our citizens, rich and poor alike. The rule of law is undermined when thousands of poor people do not have access to justice. WestCoast's effort is a powerful contribution toward our endeavor to make justice a reality for everyone."

Thanking WestCoast Hotels, Patricia Wagner, President of LAW Fund and a principal with Seattle law firm Heller Ehrman White and McAuliffe, said, "LAW Fund is a conduit that allows individuals and businesses to help their low-income neighbors achieve fairness in the justice system. LAW Fund deeply appreciates the generous commitment of WestCoast Hotels and its leadership in building public-private partnerships to benefit low income people."

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 26,000 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar exam, provides record-keeping and licensing functions, and administers the lawyer discipline program. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.

WestCoast Hospitality Corporation serves the western United States with 46 hotels in nine states. WestCoast provides entertainment services through TicketsWest.com, which encompasses computerized ticketing operations in five states, and aggregates content for travel and entertainment at www.TicketsWest.com. TicketsWest.com also includes WestCoast Entertainment, a Broadway and special event presenting company. G&B Real Estate Services is the real estate division of WestCoast Hospitality Corporation that owns 590,000 square feet of commercial real estate. The corporation manages 3.4 million square feet of company and third-party owned commercial real estate, and 2,000 units of third-party owned apartment and condominium properties.

LAW Fund was created in 1991 by members of the private bar in Washington. The mission of LAW Fund is to ensure equal justice by raising funds to preserve and expand civil legal services for low-income people in the state.