Business Law Section
The Business Law Section is committed to providing services that its members value, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, and enhancing the professional collegiality among all Washington business lawyers. Section members have access to certain restricted portions of this website, such as the Current Developments and Legislation pages. Members are also entitled to attend section events, participate on the Business Law Section list serve, and receive a semiannual newsletter and other publications prepared from time to time, including a sourcebook containing in-depth comments and legislative history on the Business Corporation Act (RCW 23B) and a report on opinion letter practice in Washington.
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Shape Your Section for the Future: Apply Today to Become a Section Leader
Application Deadline is 5 p.m. April 30, 2023.
The following section executive committee positions are open for applications. All terms begin Oct. 1, 2023.
- Chair-elect: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Secretary: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Treasurer: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- At-Large Member (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Communications Committee Co-Chair (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Corporate Act Revision Committee Co-Chair (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Financial Institutions Committee Chair (one position open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Privacy and Data Security Law Committee Co-Chair (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Legal Opinions Chair (one position open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Nonprofit Corporations Committee Chair (one position open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Partnerships and LLC Law Committee Co-Chair (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Securities Law Committee Chair (one position open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Uniform Commercial Code Committee Co-Chair (two positions open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
- Young Business Lawyers Committee Chair (one position open): one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and ending Sept. 30, 2024.
To learn more about roles and expectations for serving on the section executive committee, review this volunteer position description, which provides a general overview of section executive committee positions and may differ for each section.
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be a current section member and should be eligible to vote in accordance with the section’s bylaws.
Application Process: Go to the myWSBA portal to complete the online application for open executive committee positions. The Section has requested that each applicant submit a statement of interest with your application. These documents can be uploaded with your online application (pdf format only). Please be advised that application materials may be posted on this website for public viewing.
Note: If you are applying for more than one position on this or multiple sections’ committees, you must complete and submit all applications at the same time, as you will not be allowed back into the portal at a later time. Please make sure you are completing the applications within the application window for all of the relevant sections.
Nomination Process: The nominating committee shall nominate one or more persons for each of the elected positions on the executive committee and shall make a report of those nominations at the annual meeting of the Section. Each permanent and existing ad hoc committee will be expected to provide the nominating committee with its selection for chair or co-chairs of such committee.
Alternate Nomination Process: Other nominations for the same positions, whether self-nominations or nominations for others, may be made by anyone participating at the annual meeting of the Section, provided that such nominees are, both at the time of nomination and for a continuous period of one year prior to the nomination, voting members of the Section.
A section member may nominate another member by emailing Shaina Johnson and including the nominee’s statement of interest.
Elections Process: All voting members of the section will receive an electronic ballot sent to their email in June 2023. Visit this webpage in early June for election updates and voting instructions.
Questions?For more information about the Section, its executive committee roles, and elections process, please review the Section’s bylaws. You may also contact any member of the current Section Executive Committee or email sections@wsba.org.
Register Now!
CLE Program at the WAC: Meet the Securities Regulators, Nov. 15, 2022
Format: In-Person
Location: Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave., Seattle, Washington. View in Maps
Date: Nov. 15, 2022
Time: 3–5 p.m. PT; Reception to follow.
Credits: 2.00 Law & Legal Procedure
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Business Law Section's Securities Committee
The Washington State Securities Division is returning after a three-year absence to provide information on the Division’s enforcement, rule-making and inspections efforts. The program is an in-person event intended to provide members of the bar the opportunity to meet senior executives and other representatives of the Division.
Registration closes 8 a.m. PT Nov. 14, 2022.
Members-only Resources
Announcements
Executive Committee
Chair: Christina Catzoela (2022-2023) Chair-Elect: James Bishop (2022-2023) Secretary: Joanna Cleveland (2022-2023) Treasurer: Kelly Anne Lawton-Abbott (2022-2023) Immediate Past Chair: Shaina Johnson (2022-2023) | Young Lawyer Liaison: Thomas Garvey (2021-2023) Board of Governors Liaison*: Kevin Fay (2022-2023) and Serena Sayani (2022-2023) At-Large Members: |
Section Committees
Communications Committee Corporate Act Revision Committee Co-Chairs: Financial Institutions Committee Privacy and Data Security Law Committee Co-chairs: Jeff Hamilton and Kelly Anne Lawton-Abbott (2022-2023) Legal Opinions Committee | Nonprofit Corporations Committee David A. Lawson (2022-2023) Partnerships and LLC Law Committee Co-chairs Elisabeth Yandell McNeil and Matthew LeMaster (2022-2023) Securities Law Committee Uniform Commercial Code Committee Young Business Lawyers Committee** |
* Nonvoting members
** Ad hoc committee
All positions are for Fiscal Year 2022, except as otherwise indicated. Please contact subcommittee members for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.
Join Our List Serve
To join the section list serve and for general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. For more information and to get involved with the section, please contact Section Chair Christina Catzoela.
