WILLIAMS KASTNER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Counsel in the Seattle Office
ABIGAIL STAGGERS is Of Counsel in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner and a member of the business and real estate practice group. Her practice focuses on real estate and real property law, including real property disputes, land use, construction, and landlord tenant law. Abigail has a background in diverse litigation including commercial lease disputes, construction disputes, land use appeals, real property disputes, breach of contract claims, and personal injury claims. Her litigation background gives her useful insight in assisting clients with forward looking transactional and development work. She focuses on understanding client objectives and achieving results in a pragmatic and efficient manner.
Al Wallace is a Member of Williams Kastner's business and real estate practice group and has more than 25 years of experience counseling private and non-profit real estate owners, developers and investors in obtaining, protecting, and litigating real property rights. Using experience gained by working as a city planner prior to law school, Alan often uses long-established relationships with local government staff, attorneys and elected officials to efficiently obtain results for clients.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Seattle
ALLISON BOOKER is an Associate in the Seattle office. Allison graduated from Seattle University School of Law at the top of her class. While in law school, Allison acted as the lead procurement chair for the Seattle University Public Interest Law Foundation, along with being a member of the Access to Justice Institute. During law school, Allison spent substantial time zealously representing the underserved community of King and Snohomish County. She has volunteered with numerous organizations including the Snohomish County Legal Services Housing Justice Project and the Seattle University Domestic Violence Pop-Up Clinic. Along with her volunteer work, Allison also interned with Michael W. Bugni & Associates, learning to strategize and handle litigation.
Before law school, Allison graduated from Loyola University Chicago where she majored in Mathematics and minored in Statistics. At the young age of 15, Allison began her career in the law, working at her father's law firm. She hopes to follow in her father's footsteps as a zealous and dedicated advocator for her clients.
Memberships
American Bar Association
King County Bar Association
ASHLEY LANGLEY is an Associate at Williams Kastner, located in the Seattle office. Ashley has a broad litigation practice, including significant trial experience. She is admitted to practice law in Washington state, including the Western District of Washington's U.S. District Court. Before joining Williams Kastner, Ashley worked as an associate for two civil litigation firms. Ashley also practiced criminal law (2018-2021), serving as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (DPA) for the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. At the Prosecutor's Office, Ashley handled a variety of complex cases in both district and superior courts. Just prior to leaving the Prosecutor's Office, Ashley was assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit where she handled violent felony charges involving allegations of domestic violence. Ashley also served as a member of the Hiring Committee; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee; and as a DPA Liaison for a Washington law enforcement agency.
Ashley graduated from the University of Washington in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, as well as Law, Societies & Justice. While attending college, Ashley raced competitively for the University of Washington's Husky Ski Team. In 2018, Ashley graduated from Seattle University School of Law where she served as a Notes & Comments Editor for Seattle University Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Ashley was a recipient of the Washington State Law Scholars Scholarship; a member of the Order of the Barristers National Honor Society; and a recipient of the Outstanding Service Award for her pro-bono contributions during law school. Ashley was a regular participant in mock trial competitions during law school-locally, regionally, and nationally. Ashley notably came in Second Place in the 2018 National Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Seattle
BETHANY NOLAN is an Associate in the Seattle office. She is a member of the firm's Labor & Employment practice group.
Since graduating cum laude from Seattle University School of Law, Bethany has successfully tried a multitude of jury and bench trials with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in the areas of DUI, Assault, Domestic Violence, and Involuntary Treatment.
While attending law school, Bethany worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Justice Charles K. Wiggins at the Washington Supreme Court, a Rule 2 intern at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Western Washington, and as a legal intern at Holland America Group. She was a member of Law Review (Research and Technical Editor), the Student Bar Association (Faculty Liaison), and an active member of the Trial Team (winning the regional competition and advancing to nationals).
Before law school, Bethany was a Marketing Director for a network security company in Fullerton, California. Bethany enjoys exploring new places, cultures, and food with her spouse when she isn't playing with her dogs.
Memberships
QLAW Association of Washington, Board Member
Education
Seattle University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2019
Chapman University, B.A., Applied Studies, 2016
Blair I. Fassburg is a Member in the firm's Seattle office whose practice primarily focuses on counseling and representing clients in the transportation and solid waste industries, business litigation, administrative law, environmental law, regulatory litigation and corporate matters.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Williams Kastner in the Portland
BRAD HILL is an Associate at Williams Kastner in the Portland office. His practice focuses on civil litigation, including construction, product liability, and general insurance defense. Brad has experience in a wide variety of complex civil litigation matters involving construction liability, catastrophic personal injury, and first- and third-party insurance claims. He has represented clients throughout the Pacific Northwest before state and federal courts, arbitration panels, and mediations.
Brendan Vandor is a Member in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner and is a member of the firm's Business Litigation and Business and Real Estate Transactions practice groups. He has courtroom, arbitration and mediation experience in a broad range of matters including transportation, personal injury, commercial litigation, product liability and tribal law. His general litigation experience includes breach of contract cases and insurance coverage disputes. In line with his work defending local and national transportation companies, Brendan serves on the firm's Transportation Practice Rapid Response Team and has contributed to USLAW's Transportation Compendium of Law for Washington and Oregon.
Prior to joining Williams Kastner, Brendan taught middle school for two years as a member of Teach For America on the border of the Navajo Nation in Gallup, New Mexico. While in law school, he represented indigent clients as a clerk with the University of Michigan Law School's General Clinic. Before law school, he gained experience drafting and reviewing contracts as a Contracts Officer for GT Nexus, a provider of cloud computing platforms for supply chain logistics. Brendan can also offer advice on legislative and governmental legal issues after working for the Government Accountability Project in Washington, D.C. and the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and watching basketball, reading novels, running around Green Lake, and hiking.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Counsel in the Seattle Office
Christine J. Lee is Of Counsel in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner and a member of the Business Litigation team. Her practice spans commercial litigation, construction litigation/claims/contracts, government contracts, surety, real estate litigation and transactions, and federal subpoena practice.
Prior to joining Williams Kastner, Christine was an Associate at a national construction and surety law firm where she handled domestic and international dispute resolution and risk management matters, including litigation, arbitration, mediation, claims, and contract drafting and review. Prior to that role, she served as international corporate counsel for a major global engineering and construction company located in Seoul, Korea, where she worked on contracts and dispute management/resolution for multi-million and multi-billion dollar projects. As corporate counsel, Christine was responsible for risk management and dispute resolution for numerous types of projects across the globe, including power and desalination plants, hydrocarbon processing plants, industrial plants, nuclear power, civil infrastructure, and buildings and structures.
While in law school at the University of Washington School of Law, Christine served as Judicial Extern for the Honorable Marsha J. Pechman of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Memberships
International Bar Association (IBA) - International Construction Projects Committee Member
Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)
Washington State Bar Association - Litigation Section, Construction Law Section
Korean American Bar Association (KABA)
Education
University of Washington
School of Law, J.D., 2009
University of Washington
Dana Kopij is a Member who practices in Oregon and Washington. Dana serves as senior counsel with over 19 years of experience defending mass toxic tort and product liability claims for major national product manufacturers, suppliers and contractors. She has also assisted in a number of employment and general liability matters on behalf of some of the largest transit authorities in Washington State. Dana serves as local trial counsel for multiple clients and is a lead member of the National Coordinating Counsel team for several clients. She is currently the Chair of the firm's Product Liability and Mass Torts practice group and also serves on the lateral hiring committee. Dana is adept at developing and implementing defense strategies in state and federal courts for national asbestos products manufacturers, suppliers and contractors. Dana was selected as a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers magazine each year from 2008-2016.
Professional Experience
Williams Kastner, Member | 2016 - Present
Williams Kastner, Of Counsel | 2014 - 2015
Thorsrud Cane & Paulich, Inc, Shareholder | 2001 - 2014
Job Titles:
- Member of the Seattle
- Member of the Seattle Office
- Member of the Washington State Bar Association
Daniel Brown is a Member of the Seattle office of Williams Kastner and is a member of the firm's Business Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on creditor rights and financial institution litigation. Dan has extensive experience as a trial lawyer and in all phases of state and federal civil litigation, including discovery, motion practice, trials/arbitrations, and appeals. He has independently handled, or significantly assisted in, more than 50 trials and arbitrations on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants; and litigated and settled hundreds of cases, including claims for product liability, premises and construction liability, class actions, violation of trade secrets, noncompete agreements, employment cases, copyright infringement, all manner of real estate disputes, credit and banking issues, and condemnation actions. Dan has served as an arbitrator for the King County Superior Court for the last 20 years. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in 2010 and Washington Super Lawyers for 2010 - 2019. He has and continues to be Martindale-Hubbell "AV" top-rated by his peers in the legal community.
Dan grew up and lived on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Eastern Washington. His family still lives there, where his father was (and his father was before him) a cattle rancher and farmer. They did business in a time where contracts were made with handshakes, not notarized signatures and written agreements and your word was your bond, and you never, ever considered reneging on a deal. Though the world may no longer operate that way, it is how Dan chooses to conduct himself nonetheless. In his relationships with his clients, opposing counsel, and the bench, he holds himself-and them-to the highest standard of honor and integrity. It's just how he was taught by his father.
It is in this spirit that Dan has served hundreds and hundreds of clients, whether their issues are multimillion-dollar disputes or merely one "just for the principle of it." It is in this spirit that he has tried and arbitrated many cases, and mediated and negotiated many more, that he has represented big business, corporations, banks and financial institutions, highly compensated individuals, landowners, land buyers, land renters, individuals, and not-for-profit entities, both as defendant and plaintiff. And it is in this spirit that he conducts his personal life, be it with his civic duties or traveling and camping with his family.
Dan's wife, a descendant of the Yakama Nation herself, and he raise their children to revere the worth of a promise made and kept. He often times finds himself echoing the words of his father to his own young son and daughter, especially when one is blaming the other for the broken dish, for the mess in the playroom, or for starting the fight: "You are only as good as your word." That is how Dan practices the law.
After nearly 25 years of serving hundreds and hundreds of clients in their litigation and other business disputes, Dan's job has been and continues to be helping his clients solve a specific problem presented. Sometimes that means simply negotiating a fair resolution. Sometimes it means fighting tooth and nail for the client's best interests. He loves doing it all. He enjoys learning about his clients' businesses and understanding the clients' needs in both the dispute before him and the overall impact the dispute (or others like it) might have on the future of their business. Dan believes clients get great value when they hire him to help them. There are plenty of great lawyers in this city, but in choosing legal representation the lawyer needs to give the client everything he has in working the problems and getting the best resolution possible. That's what he does, and he has built his legal reputation on these principles.
Professional Experience
Williams Kastner, Member; Director of the Board; Lawyer Hiring Committee Chair; Contingent Fee Committee Chair | 2010 - Present
Pro Tem Judge for Numerous Tribal Courts and Court of Appeals through the Northwest Intertribal Court System | 2005 - Present
Miller Nash, Partner and Seattle Litigation Practice Group Chair | 1992 - 2010
Memberships
Dan is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and has served and continues to serve as special district counsel for the Washington State Bar Disciplinary Committee. He is admitted to the United States Federal Court of Claims, Ninth and Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and numerous United States district courts. He has served as an arbitrator for the King County Superior Court for the last 20 years.
Since 2005, Dan has served as a pro tem tribal court judge for numerous tribes, including the Skokomish, the Sauk-Suiattle, the Tulalip, the Quinalt and the Stillaguamish. Since 2006, he has also served as a court of appeals judge for NICS (the Northwest Intertribal Court System), a consortium of Indian tribes based in the Puget Sound Region that have joined their resources to ensure that each member tribe is able to have its own court by sharing related court services and resources.
He concentrated his pro bono work for many years by serving as an attorney for the King County Guardian Ad Litem program and with the Neighborhood Legal Clinics program.
David Shaw is a Member in the Seattle office. His practice emphasizes the defense of asbestos-related claims. Mr. Shaw serves on several national trial teams for asbestos defendants and has tried numerous such cases to verdict. He has tried cases in the states of Washington, Alaska, Tennessee, California, Texas, Illinois, Maryland and New York. Additionally, he has tried cases in the Federal District Courts of Alaska and Nevada, and the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington. Mr. Shaw has also argued at all levels of the Washington appellate court system, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Court of Claims, and in the Supreme Court of the state of Alaska. He has been recognized by the Seattle Met magazine as a "Top Lawyer" in Product Liability for 2010, a designation based upon Martindale-Hubbell's ranking of those practitioners in King County who have been judged by their peers to be "AV Preeminent"-the highest peer-review rating available.
Dave Wiley is a Member in the Seattle office and serves on the Board of Directors for the firm. His practice concentrates on representation of the transportation and solid waste industries and also includes regulatory and administrative law, employment, corporate and legislative matters. His list of clients includes solid, biomedical and hazardous waste carriers, motor freight carriers, commercial ferries, moving and storage companies, couriers, and buses among other public and private transportation carriers. Mr. Wiley represents clients before various administrative agencies including the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, the Washington Health Care Authority, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, the Washington Department of Revenue, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mr. Wiley has been named to Super Lawyers for 2004 and 2008 through 2013 by Super Lawyers magazine in its annual review of Washington's top lawyers. He has also been recognized by the Seattle Met magazine as a "Top Lawyer" in Transportation for 2010, a designation based upon Martindale-Hubbell's ranking of those practitioners in King County who have been judged by their peers to be "AV Preeminent"-the highest peer-review rating available.
Eddy Silverman is licensed to practice law in Washington and Nevada, and focuses his work on tort defense for corporate clients, doctors and hospitals, and transportation companies.
Eddy has a broad practice, with extensive courtroom experience. He employs a holistic approach, and specializes in fashioning creative solutions to effectuate positive case results.
In addition to litigation, Eddy has a wealth of mediation/alternative dispute resolution experience, as both a mediator himself and as an advocate for clients. He holds a Master's Degree in Dispute Resolution from The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law, which is routinely ranked as the top such program in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.
Away from the office, some of the things Eddy enjoys are movies, music, and spending time with his family.
Eliot Harris is a Member based out of the Seattle Office of Williams Kastner and serves on the Board of Directors for the firm. He is licensed to practice law in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Eliot is a commercial litigator and has represented a wide-range of clients in disputes involving insurance coverage, product liability, shareholder claims, commercial contract disputes, real estate transactions, intellectual property, premises liability, and professional negligence. Eliot regularly advises and represents clients in pre-litigation claim and coverage analysis, as well as litigating coverage disputes and insurance bad faith claims. Eliot has advised clients in insurance claims involving various lines of coverage, including CGL, EPLI, E&O, D&O, liquor liability, homeowners, commercial property, personal and commercial auto, and marine insurance. He has repeatedly been named a "Rising Star" by Washington Law and Politics Magazine.
Outside of his practice, Eliot has been active in various organizations, including ABA, DRI, IRMI, and CLM. He is a past-chair of the Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee of the ABA's Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), and is currently a member of the TIPS CLE Board Standing Committee and vice-chair of the TIPS Property Insurance Litigation Committee. Eliot is a former member of the Committee of Law Examiners for the Washington State Bar Association, and provided pro bono legal advice to countless individuals as part of the King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinic program. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) in the Northwest Region.
Education
Seattle University
School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2005
University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Member in Williams Kastner 's Seattle
Evan Loeffler is a Member in Williams Kastner's Seattle office. Evan is a seasoned real estate attorney with over 25 years of experience in landlord-tenant relations and litigation. His practice emphasizes landlord-tenant law and has assisted thousands of landlords, property managers and owners in Seattle and throughout Washington State to resolve difficult legal disputes involving evictions, litigation, post-foreclosure matters, leases and other landlord-tenant disputes.
He has practiced law in Washington since graduating from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1994. He is an author and contributor to several chapters on landlord-tenant law in the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual published and annually updated by the King County Bar Association.
Frank Harrison is a Member in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner. Frank handles complex commercial litigation, including bankruptcy matters, contract disputes, partnership disputes, construction litigation (representing design professionals, sureties, contractors, and owners/developers), health care litigation and real estate litigation, creditors' rights and collection matters, and class actions.
Memberships
American Bar Association, Business Law Section
Federal Bar Association
Job Titles:
- Cancer Research Center Northwest Industry Partnership
Heidi Mandt is a litigator defending clients in product liability, medical and other malpractice/professional liability claims, and toxic torts. Her practice covers general insurance defense and insurance coverage matters as well. She has tried more than twenty cases to verdict in both state and federal courts ranging from product liability to personal injury and commercial claims.
In addition, Heidi has significant experience handling complex matters, including construction liability and breach of contract claims, catastrophic personal injury and death cases, and first- and third-party insurance claims. Her experience and success in the courtroom has established her as a leader in major cases with high monetary exposure.
As such, she has regularly defended individuals, retail establishments, construction companies, automotive and commercial truck manufacturers and chemical companies in personal injury and product liability claims, as well as companies involved in commercial disputes.
Professional Experience
Williams Kastner Greene and Markley, Of Counsel | 2017 - Present
Memberships
Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
Membership Committee
2018 Mid-Year Meeting CLE Steering Committee
Volunteer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Former Member, Board of Directors, OSWIM Chapter; Coach, Captain & Mentor, Team in Training Program
Member, Oregon State Bar
Litigation Section
Hunter Abell is a Member at Williams Kastner whose practice emphasizes civil litigation, residential real estate, and Indian law. A native of Washington, Mr. Abell was raised on a ranch on the rural Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County. Prior to joining Williams Kastner, Mr. Abell served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps where he obtained extensive trial and litigation experience. His legal experience in the U.S. Navy includes his role as Liaison Officer in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq in Baghdad, Iraq where he worked to assist prosecuting insurgents accused of attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces.
Mr. Abell graduated from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA and earned his JD from Gonzaga University School of Law. Prior to serving on active duty in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Abell received his LLM from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Abell previously served as a member of the Gonzaga University School of Law Board of Advisors.
Mr. Abell is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and his personal military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Mr. Abell has served as an adjunct faculty member for Brandman University to teach courses on Western Legal Tradition and Social and Political Theory to military and civilian students.
Mr. Abell is the proud father of his daughters, Libby and Wynsome. In his spare time, Hunter enjoys hiking, waterskiing, horseback riding, and reading military history.
Jacek "Jack" Pawlicki is a Member in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner. Mr. Pawlicki's practice concentrates on commercial real estate transactions, particularly leasing, purchase and sales, financings, development and land use. These transactions involve office, retail, industrial, mixed-use and raw land projects. Mr. Pawlicki negotiates purchase and sale agreements for a variety of projects, as well as complex retail, office, medical, industrial and ground leases. In addition, Mr. Pawlicki is also experienced in general business and commercial law.
Mr. Pawlicki graduated with High Honors from the University of Michigan in 1991. He also received his M.S. in Atomic and Molecular Physics from Ohio State University in 1994, and his J.D. degree cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1997.
Mr. Pawlicki is a member of the King County Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and is also a member of the real property sections of those bar associations. Mr. Pawlicki was named to Rising Stars by Washington Law and Politics magazine for 2003 and 2004.
Professional Experience
Williams Kastner, Member | 2016 - Present
Williams Kastner, Of Counsel | July 2012 - 2015
Segale Properties LLC, Company Counsel | 2004 - 2012
Perkins Coie LLP, Associate | 2000 - 2004
Pedersen & Houpt, PC, Associate | 1997 - 2000
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Portland
- Jackson Brannon Associate
Jackson Brannon is an Associate in the Portland office of Williams Kastner. He is a member of the firm's Business Litigation practice group. His practice emphasizes insurance defense matters, specifically construction defect litigation. Prior to joining Williams Kastner, Jackson's insurance defense practice encompassed a variety of civil litigation matters including claims based on liquor liability (Dram Shop), premises liability, personal injury, wrongful death, the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, the Oregon Employer Liability Law, construction defect, subrogation, timber trespass, and property damage.
Jackson graduated from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, where he was a member of the Mock Trial team and worked as a student recruiter for the Auburn University football program. Jackson earned his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene, Oregon. Outside of the office, Jackson enjoys listening to live music and exploring the Pacific Northwest with his fiancé.
Education
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D., 2018
Auburn University
Job Titles:
- James Bulthuis Member
- Member of Williams Kastner Inland Northwest Practice
JAMES BULTHUIS is a member of Williams Kastner Inland Northwest Practice Team. James's practice is focused on the intersection of land and government. He helps landowners work with government agencies on matters such as eminent domain and environmental contamination.
James takes a pragmatic approach to meeting client needs, whether that be through an early resolution or prevailing at trial. James has represented both plaintiffs and defendants, which offers insight to advise his clients on the likelihood of achieving their goals. In addition, he has taken cases to jury trials and arbitrations and resolved hundreds of disputes at mediation. James works in both Seattle and Spokane, representing clients across the state.
Jeff Wells is a Member in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner, where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Labor & Employment Group.
Jeff's employment litigation practice focuses on defending large multi-national corporations, small businesses, and public entities in employment related matters. Jeff has defended clients against class actions, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, hostile work environment, wage and hour, and other employment related claims. His litigation experience includes all aspects of litigation, including arbitrations, jury trials and appeals.
In addition to litigating, Jeff also advises clients on employment practices, policies, discipline, accommodation, leave, termination, and other employment related issues.
Jeff also routinely provides outside investigation services for public and private entities. His investigation experience includes Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), Title IX, discrimination, retaliation and other school and workplace issues.
Memberships
Defense Research Institute, Employment Litigation Tactics Subcommittee
Williams Kastner Diversity Committee
King County Bar Association
American Bar Association
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Counsel in the Seattle Office
Jerome Rubin is Of Counsel in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner. His practice focuses on labor and employment law including NLRB proceedings, union negotiations, equal employment and discrimination claims before agencies and courts, employment at will, Federal Contractor Compliance, wage and hour issues, unemployment and workers' compensation cases, general personnel management and OSHA.
Jerry Edmonds is a Member at Williams Kastner and is based in the Seattle office. He has familiarity with numerous areas of substantive law and has served clients in a variety of industries including insurance, health care, banking, finance, leasing and transportation, as well as clients from a broad range of professional, manufacturing and distributing businesses. His experience includes advising, transactional work and litigation. Mr. Edmonds was named to Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine for 2003, 2004 and 2006 in its annual survey of Washington's top lawyers. He has also been recognized by the Seattle Met magazine as a "Top Lawyer" in Insurance for 2010, a designation based upon Martindale-Hubbell's ranking of those practitioners in King County who have been judged by their peers to be "AV Preeminent"-the highest peer-review rating available.
Jessie Harris is a Member in the firm's Seattle office. He is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on civil litigation related to employment law, catastrophic and personal injury, education law and mediations. Jessie has vast litigation experience consisting of numerous jury trials and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) proceedings. His employment practice consists of personnel investigations, risk management assistance, and defending employers against lawsuits alleging wrongful ter...
John Young is Of Counsel with Williams Kastner, working out of the Washington and Alaska offices. Mr. Young focuses his practice on business counseling and commercial law. He has extensive experience in counseling both start-ups as well as mature companies as to legal and capital structures, property matters, transactions, creditor and debtor relations and dispute resolution. He also has considerable experience in structuring international transactions having represented clients in negotiations in Asia, Central and South America and the Middle East.
Professional Experience
Williams Kastner, Of Counsel | 2015 - Present
Young deNormandie, Shareholder | 1989 - 2015
Essenburg & Staton | 1987 - 1989
Foster Pepper | 1982 - 1987
Education
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Seattle
- Joseph Toups Associate
Joseph Toups is an Associate in the Seattle office's Business Litigation Group. Joseph graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with Honors in Pro Bono Service. While in law school, Joseph worked for the Mediation Clinic, mediating community cases and cases at the King County Small Claims Court, as well as for Immigrant Families Advocacy Project. Following law school, Joseph worked as an associate attorney at a boutique insurance coverage and defense law firm before entering a local construction firm as associate general counsel. Joseph believes that legal and business advice should be accessible and understandable. To that end, Joseph provides pro bono services to artists and entrepreneurs at the Washington Lawyers for the Arts' clinic.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Seattle
- Litigation Counsel
JOSHUA TINAJERO is an Associate in the Seattle office. He is a member of the firm's Business Litigation Group.
Joshua obtained his bachelor's degree and law degree from Southern Illinois University. As an undergrad, he was a member of the SIU Salukis football team. When he transitioned into law school he became an editor for the Journal of Legal Medicine and worked as an academic advisor/counselor for at-risk college athletes. After law school, he spent a year clerking for the Honorable Michael P. McConahy of the Fairbanks Superior Court. Joshua then moved to the Anchorage District Attorney's Office as an Assistant District Attorney where prosecuted a wide variety of felony matters and took over 25 cases to jury verdict. He then relocated to Seattle, Washington and worked for a national law firm focusing on mass toxic torts and construction litigation matters.
Now at Williams Kastner, Joshua works as litigation counsel for a variety of clients. His prior experience as a prosecutor and civil attorney allow him to provide his clients with effective, meaningful, and realistic strategies to handle their complex matters.
In his free time, you can find Joshua exploring the beautiful mountains of the Pacific Northwest, either in boots or on skis. He grew up with parents born and raised in Vietnam and Mexico, respectively, and as a result, he thoroughly enjoys immersing himself in different cultures.
Kaitlyn Jackson is an Associate at Williams Kastner, located in the Seattle office and a member of the Business Real Estate and Transaction Practice Group. She is admitted to practice law in Washington State, United States District Court Western District of Washington, and United States District Court Bankruptcy Court. Kaitlyn's real estate law practice focuses on landlord-tenant law, lease review, and real estate purchase and sales.
Kaitlyn serves on the board of the Rental Housing Association of Washington, where she proactively advocated for her clients' interests at the Washington State Legislature and often creates and teaches content related to legislative and municipal legal updates to those participating in the residential rental market.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Seattle
LAURA BRINDLEY is an Associate in the Seattle office. Laura graduated from Seattle University School of Law where she was a lead article editor on the Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law. While in law school, Laura worked at the Allen Institute working as an intern in the legal department as well as serving as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Nelson K.H. Lee of the King County Superior Court. In addition, Laura volunteered with Communities Rise in the Greater Seattle Area and worked as an extern at Ventures Nonprofit while in law school. Before law school, Laura worked as a legal assistant at a boutique law firm in the Seattle area focusing on business, agriculture, and medical malpractice defense work. Coming from a family of attorneys, Laura always knew that the practice of law was in her future, and hopes to continue her family's legacy of zealous representation of clients and building connections throughout the community as a powerful advocate.
Laura is a lifelong runner and competed in collegiate cross country and track while at Wellesley College. Laura is also fluent in written and spoken French, and studied in France for five months while pursuing her degree in French.
Mark Myers is a Member in the Seattle office. His practice emphasizes environmental remedial actions and sediment cleanups, environmental contribution litigation, and toxic tort litigation. Mr. Myers has represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the state of Washington. He was named by Seattle Magazine as one of Seattle's "Top Lawyers" in Environmental Law. He has also been recognized by the Seattle Met magazine Who's Who Legal as a "Top Lawyer" in Environmental Law, a designation based upon Martindale-Hubbell's ranking of those practitioners who have been judged by their peers to be "AV Preeminent"-the highest peer-review rating available.
Mark Myers is available to act as a neutral in Mediation involving environmental law disputes, including environmental contribution litigation, implementing complex remedial actions, and Clean Water Act Citizen Suits. Mark also has experience in matters involving geologic movement/landslides, insurance coverage, and toxic tort litigation.
Megan Uhle serves as Of Counsel in Williams Kastner's Product Liability and Mass Torts practice group. Her practice focuses on product liability, toxic tort, asbestos and general civil defense litigation in Oregon and Washington, and she also serves as a member of the National Coordinating Counsel team for a major national product manufacturer. Megan also has experience in a wide variety of complex civil trial and appellate litigation before multiple state and federal courts and FINRA arbitration panels from her first few years of practice as a New York law firm associate.
Before joining Williams Kastner, Megan honed her strong writing skills and developed valuable Oregon appellate court experience during her clerkship with former Chief Justice Paul J. De Muniz of the Oregon Supreme Court, and tried two DUII cases to verdict as a pro bono attorney with the Metropolitan Public Defenders. She has also worked as a private investigator in Los Angeles and a divemaster in Curacao, dabbled in ice hockey, and played flyhalf on her college rugby team.
Outside of work, Megan enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two young children.
Memberships
OADC, Member
Feature Articles Editor: The Verdict
WDTL, Member,
Co-Chair, Asbestos/Toxic Torts Section
Job Titles:
- Partner and Seattle Litigation Practice Group Chair
Nicole MacKenzie is a Member in the firm's Seattle office. Her practice focuses on product liability and mass torts. Ms. MacKenzie manages several accounts, serves as local trial counsel for multiple clients and is a ...
Rod Umberger is Managing Director of Williams Kastner, and a Member in the Seattle office, where he chairs the Business Litigation Practice Group and serves on the Board of Directors for the firm. He is first and fore...
Sheryl Willert is a Member in the firm's Seattle office and served as the firm's Managing Director from 1996-2001 and again from 2006-2013. Ms. Willert continues to serve the firm on its Board of Directors and chairs the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group as well as the Diversity Committee. Ms. Willert concentrates her legal practice on counseling, investigations and dispute resolution. She has broad experience in all aspects of employment law for unionized and nonunionized employer...