Attorney Intel is pleased to announce the Top 25 Attorneys of Washington for 2024. Situated in the very northwest corner of the United States, Washington has been consistently ranked as one of the top states to work and own a business. Largely known for its booming lumber industry, Washington is also the birthplace of technology genius, Bill Gates and the location for Microsoft’s headquarters.
With corporations in multiple key sectors establishing roots in Washington, the need for business-minded attorneys has never been greater. The awardees from this region have more than answered this need with equally impressive educational backgrounds and career track records.
Among this year's awardees is Tahl Tyson, who is licensed to practice in both the United States and parts of the United Kingdom. Tyson is known for her pragmatic approach to advising multinational clients on numerous employment matters. Also awarded this year is Jessica Hoerschelmann, senior attorney for one of the largest private owners of timberlands since 1900, Weyerhaeuser. Finally, Ankur Tohan who served as assistant regional counsel at the US Environmental Protection Agency (Region 10), and before that as assistant attorney general at the Washington Attorney General's Office.
The competition among this year’s finalists made narrowing this list quite daunting. There were so many incredible legal minds to choose from, and we do not doubt that those awarded will continue to excel. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the Top 25 Attorneys of Washington for 2024.
1. Tahl Tyson
Partner, Littler
Tahl Tyson is a Partner at Littler. Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, representing management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serving as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating, and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for more than 80 years.
Tyson is an experienced international employment lawyer, admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales as well as the United States. Tyson provides pragmatic advice to multinational clients based on her practical experience with various international and cross-border matters. Her litigation experience has included noncompetition and trade secrets disputes, high-stakes individual and large class action employment lawsuits, jury and bench trials, and appellate arguments to higher courts. She has been an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), represented unionized employers in grievance arbitration, and represented parties in mediation.
Additionally, Tyson has served pro bono as co-counsel with the Office of Public Defense of King County, Washington in felony criminal cases; co-counsel with Washington Protection and Advocacy Services in a class action case brought on behalf of patients at Western State Hospital seeking constitutional standards of care; and co-counsel with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project on multiple deportation cases. Tyson is a frequent speaker on global workplace topics. Tyson earned a JD from the University of Washington School of Law and an undergraduate degree in Chinese studies from Yale University.
2. Andrew Serafini
Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Andrew Serafini is a Partner at Kilpatrick. He is an intellectual property lawyer focusing on strategic and comprehensive intellectual property counseling and management for biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, medical and surgical devices, and various other diverse clients. For several years, his practice has also focused on the nexus of artificial intelligence with health care, life sciences, and medical devices. Serafini has been recognized for several years as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA, in Washington, and nationally in Managing Intellectual Property, a top patent practitioner by IAM Patent 1000. He was also recognized as an IAM Strategy 300 Global Leader and recognized in the area of patents in The Legal 500 United States.
Serafini’s practice includes preparing and prosecuting US and international patents; performing due diligence and freedom to operate analyses associated with mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and other private and public financings; drafting opinions on patentability, non-infringement, and patent validity; providing product development guidance; and supporting patent infringement litigation, post-grant proceedings, and International Trade Commission investigations.
Serafini received his law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, his Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University School of Medicine, and his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Case Institute of Technology of Case Western Reserve University. Outside his law practice, he is an Adjunct Professor of Law and Patent Faculty Clinic Supervisor for the US Patent Office Law School Clinic Certification Program at the University of Washington School of Law. Serafini is also a Director on the Boards of Life Science Washington (LSW) and the Antibody Society of Korea, and President of the Board of Directors for the Washington Rush (WA Rush) Youth Soccer Club. He is a past member of the Seattle Trade Alliance Advisory Council and the China Policy Committee for the Washington Council on International Trade.
3. Bill Christiansen
Partner, Cooley
Bill Christiansen is a Partner at Cooley. Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law. Cooley has more than 1,300 lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia, and Europe, and a total workforce of nearly 3,000.
Christiansen advises pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clean energy, and medical device companies, as well as universities, non-profit research institutions, and investors, concerning complex intellectual property matters and market exclusivity strategies. Christiansen specializes in patent matters, with particular emphasis on worldwide patent procurement, strategic management of patent portfolios, investment due diligence, early-stage company counseling, competitive patent position analysis, and intellectual property value creation. He also advises litigation teams on technical and patent-specific issues.
Before joining Cooley, Christiansen was a partner in the biotechnology and chemistry practice group at Seed Intellectual Property Law Group PLLC. He obtained a PhD in biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied the structure/function of various coagulation factors, including human Protein C. He was named an American Heart Association Fellow for his final two years of graduate study and won the Graduate School Award in Science and the Rohm and Haas Outstanding Graduate Student Award.
4. Tyler Hollenbeck
Partner, DLA Piper
Tyler Hollenbeck began his professional career 17 years ago. Today, he is a Partner at DLA Piper. DLA Piper is a global law firm capable of taking care of the most important legal needs of clients wherever they do business. With offices throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, they represent more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than virtually any other law firm in the world.
Hollenbeck's practice focuses on securities and corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate counsel, with an emphasis on the representation of emerging growth companies and venture capital firms. In addition to advising clients on general corporate governance matters, Hollenbeck has significant experience in entity formations, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and SEC reporting and disclosure. His clients include early-stage, venture-backed, and public companies, as well as venture capital investors and corporate investors, and acquirers.
Hollenbeck graduated from Harvard Law School with a JD and from the University of Washington with an undergraduate degree in business administration and finance.
5. Christie Matthaei
Partner, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear
Christie Matthaei is a Partner at the law firm of Knobbe Martens, one of the most respected IP firms in the country. In her practice, Matthaei represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property disputes, with a focus on patent litigation. She also counsels clients on pre-litigation matters, including analyzing patent infringement and validity. Matthaei works with clients across an array of industries, particularly those in the chemical and life sciences spaces. In addition to her client-facing practice, Matthaei serves as chair of the firm’s recruiting committee, helping to ensure that Knobbe Martens continues to attract top talent in the intellectual property law industry.
Matthaei earned her JD from the George Washington University Law School, during which time she interned for the White House, working in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before law school, Matthaei worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a chemical engineer on projects related to alternative energy and green chemicals.
6. Davis Bae
Regional Managing Partner, Fisher Phillips
Davis Bae is the Regional Managing Partner of Fisher Phillips. He first joined the company in 2015. The attorneys at Fisher Phillips are committed to providing impeccable counsel to their clients. They do one thing - represent employers in labor and employment matters. Founded in Atlanta, they're national with 37 offices and more than 500 attorneys. Their attorneys practice before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in virtually every state.
Bae is the managing partner of the Seattle office. His practice focuses on providing effective immigration solutions for companies in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States. His clients are leaders in fields such as software, design, construction, manufacturing, utilities, fine arts, sports, international trade, and engineering. Previously, Bae was a partner at Jackson Lewis P.C. and before that a founder and managing attorney at The Bae Law Group, PS. Earlier in his career, he worked with Washington IT, LLC as a CEO. Bae earned a JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and an undergraduate degree in psychology from UCLA.
7. Kemper Diehl
Partner, Susman Godfrey
Kemper Diehl is a Partner at Susman Godfrey. He began his career in 2006. Susman Godfrey is America's premier litigation boutique firm. Their talented group of lawyers handle high-stakes litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants nationwide. Because they work on both sides of the docket, they can anticipate what their opposition is thinking. With more than 150 trial lawyers in four offices from coast to coast, they handle the most challenging cases nationwide.
Diehl is an accomplished trial lawyer who represents clients in complex business disputes and high-stakes litigation. His recent cases include patent, trade secret, securities fraud, breach-of-contract, and environmental tort suits. Diehl has a track record of wins in trial and appellate courts for clients ranging from individual investors and entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies.
Previously a management consultant at Bain & Company, Diehl developed strong industry experience in financial services by advising private equity, insurance, and consumer lending clients. After Bain, Diehl joined the private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, where he contributed to the financial analysis of billion-dollar portfolio company acquisitions. Diehl graduated from Columbia Law School with a JD and from Dartmouth College with an undergraduate degree in history.
8. Hugh Barber
Managing Partner, HKM Employment Attorneys
Hugh Barber is the Managing Partner at HKM Employment Attorneys. HKM is a national employment law firm that represents individuals and workers in all aspects of employment law. The firm’s attorneys offer a wide array of experience and forward thinking to fully represent any client’s interests.
Barber has spent his entire legal career trying cases. For 30 years as a criminal prosecutor, Barber brought justice to countless victims and survivors in the Pacific Northwest. For three years as an Assistant Attorney General and 27 years with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Seattle, he tried well over 100 felony cases including aggravated murders, serial rapes, sexual and physical abuse of children, and domestic violence, Barber has joined HKM to lead its National Trial Practice. Barber graduated from Seattle University School of Law with a JD and from the University of Colorado Boulder with an undergraduate degree.
9. Christina Catzoela
Partner, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Christina Catzoela is a Partner at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe. She first joined the company in 2018 as a senior associate. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a global law firm focused on serving the technology & innovation, energy & infrastructure, and finance sectors. Leading companies and new entrants call on their teams in 25+ markets worldwide for forward-looking, pragmatic advice on transactions, litigation, and compliance matters. They bring distinctive quality, teamwork, and value to the table – and innovate in everything they do.
Catzoela focuses her practice on advising emerging growth technology companies and venture capital firms on a variety of issues, including formation, venture capital financings, mergers & acquisitions, IPOs, and other corporate and securities law matters.
In the four years before joining Orrick, Catzoela acted as Senior Corporate Counsel to Zillow Group, Inc. While at Zillow Group, Inc., Catzoela focused her practice on technology transactions, public reporting, and compliance. She started her practice as a corporate associate in the Silicon Valley office of Gunderson, Dettmer, Stough, Villeneuvue, Franklin & Hachigian, LLP. Catzoela earned a JD in law from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, and an undergraduate degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley.
10. Jessica Hoerschelmann
Senior Attorney, Weyerhaeuser
Jessica Hoerschelmann is the Senior Attorney at Weyerhaeuser. Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. They own or control approximately 10.5 million acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. They are also one of the largest manufacturers of wood products in North America. In 2023, they generated $7.7 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,300 people who serve customers worldwide.
Before joining Weyerhaeuser, Hoerschelmann served as corporate counsel at Privateer Holdings and before that was an associate attorney at Lane Powell PC. Earlier in her career she worked with Graham & Dunn as an attorney. Hoerschelmann graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with a JD in law and from the University of Puget Sound with an undergraduate degree in international political economy and business administration.
11. Nicole Demmon
Partner, Gordon & Rees
Nicole Demmon began her professional career 19 years ago. Today, she is a Partner at Gordon & Rees. As the only full-service law firm with offices and attorneys in all 50 states, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani delivers maximum value to its clients by combining the resources of a national firm with the local knowledge of a regional firm. With more than 1,200 lawyers nationwide, they provide comprehensive litigation and business transaction services to public and private companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 corporations.
Demmon’s practice focuses on employment litigation where she represents employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters. Demmon practices in both state and federal court.
Before joining GRSM, Demmon practiced civil litigation at a Seattle-based law firm, where she handled complex commercial litigation, as well as school, employment, and personal injury law. In addition to her busy practice, Demmon serves as a volunteer attorney for the King County Bar Association’s Housing Justice Project and at one of the bar association’s legal clinics. She is also a member and former board member of a local women’s organization, Women’s Philanthropic Investment Group of Seattle. Demmon graduated from Seattle University School of Law with a JD and from the University of San Diego with an undergraduate degree.
12. Eva Yin
Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Eva Yin is a Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. They represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. Her practice includes conducting FDA and healthcare regulatory due diligence for corporate transactions; providing legal counsel to manufacturers regarding FDA approval/clearance for various products—including medical devices, mobile apps, and drugs, FDA compliance, regulation of promotional materials and labeling, and manufacturer compliance under federal and state healthcare laws, e.g., the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, Sunshine Act, state licensing laws, corporate practice of medicine, etc.; reviewing contracts and compliance policies for manufacturers; and providing legal analysis and risk assessment of business models and fee arrangements involving patient assistance programs, healthcare professionals, or hospitals/clinics under federal and state healthcare laws and regulations.
Before joining Wilson Sonsini, Yin worked as an associate in the healthcare group of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco, where she advised pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers on healthcare regulatory compliance, risks under the AKS, risks of off-label marketing, and Medicare coverage and reimbursement matters, as well as represented pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in government investigations. Yin earned a JD from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, an MPH from The Johns Hopkins University, a PhD from Yale University, and an undergraduate degree in chemistry and biology from Emory University.
13. Phillip Wang
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Phillip Wang is a Partner at Fox Rothschild. With bold growth, Fox Rothschild brings together 1,000 attorneys coast to coast. They offer the reach and resources of a national law firm combined with the personal touch and connections of a boutique firm. They consistently provide creative solutions and excellent client service.
Wang began his career in 2006. Wang generally defends employers in a variety of labor and employment matters, including national wage and hour class and collective actions, and senior-level executive terminations. He handles complex litigation in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
Wang also regularly drafts and negotiates a range of employment agreements, including separation agreements, independent contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements, invention and assignment agreements, and restrictive covenants. In addition, he represents clients in union avoidance, unfair labor practice charges, and in representation hearings. Before joining Fox Rothschild, Wang was an associate at DLA Piper. Earlier in his career, he worked with Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. as an associate. Wang graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in history.
14. Jessica Kamish
Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
Jessica Kamish began her professional career 15 years ago. Today, she is a Partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. Established in 1979, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP is a national, full-service law firm with more than 1,600 attorneys and 54 offices in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Their national practice is sophisticated, multi-faceted, and well-versed in current legal trends, while their state practices provide vast resources and knowledge of procedural and legal nuances.
Kamish has extensive experience litigating in a broad variety of areas, including insurance defense, commercial litigation, personal injury, premises liability, eminent domain, construction defect, timber trespass, environmental, and federal and state discrimination claims. Before joining Lewis Brisbois, she worked for a mid-size insurance defense firm where she gained significant trial (both first and second chair) and arbitration experience and had the opportunity to draft appellate briefs and responsive petitions to the Washington Supreme Court.
Her current practice focuses on defending complex personal injury claims including traumatic brain injury, and claims against long-term care facilities. Kamish has gained a reputation for building strong relationships with her colleagues both on the defense and plaintiff side, while tirelessly advocating and achieving the best results for her clients. Kamish graduated from The George Washington University Law School with a JD and from The George Washington University with an undergraduate degree in journalism and international affairs.
15. Ankur Tohan
Partner, K&L Gates
Ankur Tohan is a Partner at K&L Gates. He first joined the company in 2012. K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants, and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations, and individuals.
Previously, Tohan was an assistant regional counsel at the US Environmental Protection Agency (Region 10). Earlier in his career, he worked with the Washington Attorney General's Office as an assistant attorney general. Tohan earned a JD in law from Lewis & Clark Law School, an MS in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Vermont.
16. Jodi McDougall
Managing Partner, Cozen O'Connor
Jodi McDougall is a Managing Partner at Cozen O'Connor. Ranked among the top 100 law firms in the country, Cozen O'Connor has more than 825 attorneys in 31 cities across two continents. They are a full-service firm with nationally recognized practices in litigation, business law, and government relations, and their attorneys have experience operating in all sectors of the economy.
McDougall represents insurers in complex coverage disputes and maritime matters and has extensive experience defending bad faith claims. She primarily practices in Washington and Oregon, two venues that are notoriously difficult for insurers to operate. She has successfully litigated hundreds of cases, including two of the largest coverage cases in Washington state history.
McDougall served two terms on the board of directors for Cozen O'Connor and has been the managing partner of the Seattle office for the past 16 years. She serves on the firm’s Diversity Committee and is a mentor for the Women’s Initiative. McDougall received her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California and her law degree, cum laude from the Seattle University School of Law. She also studied the Law of the Sea and International Law at Cambridge University in England.
17. George Ngengwe
Partner, Shook Hardy & Bacon
George Ngengwe began his professional career 13 years ago. Today, he is a Partner at Shook Hardy & Bacon. Shook, Hardy & Bacon has long been recognized as one of the premier litigation firms in the country. For more than a century, the firm has defended companies in their most substantial national and international product liability, mass tort, and complex litigation matters. The firm has leveraged its complex product liability litigation expertise to expand into several other practice areas and advance its mission of “being the best in the world at providing creative and practical solutions at unsurpassed value.”
Ngengwe focuses his practice on patent prosecution, counseling, litigation, and technology transactions. He helps clients acquire, protect, manage, and enforce their intellectual property, with a particular emphasis on patent-related matters. Ngengwe has significant experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in several diverse technology fields, including artificial intelligence, distributed/cloud computing, cloud security, internet analytics (search, ads, maps, and social), user interfaces, gaming, complex event and data processing, medical software, telecommunications, athletic equipment, business methods, and mechanical arts. Ngengwe’s practice also includes analysis of patentability, patent infringement, and patent validity, as well as performing patent portfolio evaluations for licensing, assertion, and acquisition due diligence.
Before law school, Ngengwe worked as an analyst and project manager evaluating and implementing various information technology systems. He also earned a master of arts degree in broadcasting, telecommunications, and mass media from Temple University, where as a graduate student he undertook various media technology research projects that required designing studies, video-documenting fieldwork, and analyzing and interpreting research findings. Ngengwe’s experiences with computer information systems, project management, telecommunications, and media analysis give him a broad and practical perspective when providing technology-based IP services.
18. Kat Duncan
Partner, Fenwick & West
Kat Duncan is a Partner at Fenwick & West. She first joined the company in 2010 as a corporate associate. Fenwick provides comprehensive legal services to ground-breaking technology and life sciences companies – at every stage of their lifecycle – and the investors that partner with them. They craft innovative, cost-effective, and practical solutions on issues ranging from venture capital, public offerings, joint ventures, M&A, and strategic relationships, to intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, antitrust, and employment and labor law. For more than five decades, Fenwick has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become and remain market leaders.
Duncan advises emerging and high-growth companies on a wide variety of issues, including corporate governance, financings, equity and employment issues, and licensing and commercial matters. She also represents late-stage private and public companies, as well as underwriters in public offerings, and counsels public companies on corporate governance, securities, and compliance issues. Duncan earned a JD in law from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and an undergraduate degree in political science from UCLA.
19. Bryan Glover
Partner, Stoel Rives
Bryan Glover is a Partner in Stoel Rives’ Corporate group, where he focuses his practice on commercial and bankruptcy litigation. Stoel Rives is a leading U.S. corporate and litigation law firm providing services to sophisticated business clients at every stage of their evolution. With 350 attorneys in seven states and Washington, D.C. Stoel Rives is a nationally recognized leader in the energy and natural resources industries.
Glover provides clients with practical, business-oriented legal advice and has experience in commercial reorganizations and workouts, receiverships, real estate litigation, and general business-related litigation matters. Glover regularly represents all forms of stakeholders in insolvency proceedings, assists creditors and debtors in the restructuring of performing and distressed credit facilities, defends lender-liability claims, represents purchasers of assets both inside and outside of bankruptcy court, and defends fraudulent and preferential transfer actions in bankruptcy court.
Before joining Stoel Rives, Glover was a creditors' rights and bankruptcy attorney at Foster Pepper PLLC. Earlier in his career, he worked with Burr & Forman LLP as an associate attorney. Glover graduated from Emory University School of Law with a JD and from Hampden-Sydney College with an undergraduate degree in history.
20. Ian Taylor
Partner, Seyfarth Shaw
Ian Taylor began his professional career 30 years ago. Today, he is a Partner at Seyfarth Shaw. Seyfarth Shaw’s high-caliber legal representation and advanced delivery capabilities allow them to take on their clients’ unique challenges and opportunities―no matter the scale or complexity. Whether navigating complex litigation, negotiating transformational deals, or advising on cross-border projects, their attorneys achieve exceptional legal outcomes. They have been first-to-market on many legal service delivery innovations―and they continue to break new ground with their clients every day.
Taylor counsels public and private clients regarding real estate leasing, development, purchase and sales, and regulatory compliance. He has extensive experience negotiating and drafting lease agreements and purchase and sale agreements, monitoring and managing property leases, providing advice and drafting documents related to land development, overseeing environmental contamination cleanup and remediation projects, litigating eminent domain cases, and providing advice on legislative and regulatory issues.
Previously, Taylor was a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Civil Division of the King County Prosecutor’s Office where, for 16 years, he represented numerous King County Executive-level agencies, including the Executive Branch, Department of Transportation, Metro Transit, Facilities Management, and the King County International Airport – Boeing Field. Before that, Taylor was a criminal prosecutor with the King County Prosecutor’s Office, where he tried approximately 40 felony jury trials. Taylor also served in the United States Marine Corps, receiving numerous merit-based awards and commendations. Taylor graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a JD and with an undergraduate degree.
21. Yiheng Li
Partner, Seed IP Law Group
Yiheng Li is a Partner at Seed IP Law Group. He first joined the company in 2019. At Seed IP, they value the relationships they've built with every one of their clients over the past 60+ years.
Li focuses his practice on patent procurement, prosecution, licensing, and strategic intellectual property portfolio management in software and other computer-related matters. Previously, Li was an associate at Perkins Coie LLP and before that an associate at Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP. Li received a computer science and technology from Tsinghua University and an M.S. in knowledge discovery and data mining from Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science. Li holds a JD from the University of California, Davis School of Law, where he received multiple Witkin Awards for Academic Excellence.
22. Stephania Denton
Attorney, Lane Powell
Stephania Denton is an attorney at Lane Powell. Lane Powell is a Pacific Northwest law firm with a national — and international — reach. Their approximately 200 attorneys are trusted counsel, advocates, and advisors for individuals, and small and large businesses, including Fortune 50 companies. Since 1875, clients have relied on Lane Powell's exceptional legal acumen and forward-thinking approach to resolve their most complex business, litigation, and regulatory challenges.
Denton focuses her practice on complex insurance disputes. She has more than 25 years of experience advising insurers and litigating cases involving every type of policy, from commercial liability to first-party property to ERISA-governed plans.
Denton provides sound practical advice while creatively and aggressively exploring avenues to protect her clients’ interests. She has successfully argued before the Washington State Supreme Court, as well as state and federal trial and appellate courts, and handles coverage and bad faith litigation in both Washington and Oregon. Denton graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with a JD and from the University of Washington School of Law with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
23. Courtney Schirr
Attorney, Perkins Coie
Courtney Schirr began her professional career 16 years ago. Today, she is an attorney at Perkins Coie. Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions, and extraordinary client service on matters vital to their clients' success. With more than 1,200 attorneys in offices across the United States and Asia, they provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world's most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.
Schirr is experienced in complex product liability litigation, commercial contract disputes, post-accident investigations, and strategy and risk assessment. She defends manufacturers of complex products in a range of industries, with an emphasis on serving clients in the aviation, construction, and consumer products industries. Schirr represents clients on both the plaintiff and defense sides of matters in a variety of forums, including federal and state courts and private arbitrations.
Schirr first got her start in 2008 as a high school math teacher at Jefferson County Public Schools. From there, she went on to clerk for the United States District Court, her most recent position before joining Perkins Coie. Schirr is a proactive problem solver who draws on her experience as a former high school math teacher to communicate complex technical and legal information clearly to all audiences. While attending the University of Washington School of Law, she served as editor-in-chief of Washington Law Review and worked as a judicial extern for the Hon. James L. Robart of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. After earning her JD, she clerked for the Hon. Mary Beck Briscoe of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the Hon. Madeline H. Haikala of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
24. Felicia Craic
Attorney, Keller Rohrback
Felicia Craic delves deep into the issues at hand to get concrete results for her clients. As an attorney in Keller Rohrback’s nationally recognized Complex Litigation Group, Craic can combine her interest in people with her drive to hold opposing parties responsible for any wrongdoing.
Keller Rohrback’s Complex Litigation Group has a national reputation as the go-to plaintiffs’ firm for large-scale, complex individual and class action cases. They represent public and private investors, businesses, governments, and individuals in a wide range of actions, including securities fraud, fiduciary breach, antitrust, insurance coverage, whistleblower, and environmental and product liability cases. Founded in 1919, Keller Rohrback has seven offices across the country in Seattle, Oakland, Santa Barbara, Phoenix, Portland, New York, and Missoula. Over the past century, their firm has built a distinguished reputation by providing top-notch representation. Keller Rohrback has won verdicts in state and federal courts throughout the nation and has obtained judgments and settlements on behalf of clients over $87.4 billion.
Before joining Keller Rohrback as an attorney, Craic received her JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where she served as an Executive Article Editor of the Harvard Law & Policy Review. Craic gained practical legal experience as a clinical student attorney, representing low-income survivors of domestic violence in family court and prosecuting criminal cases in state court, and as a summer associate at Keller Rohrback. Driven by the work of complex litigation and the firm’s justice-oriented community, Craic returned to Keller Rohrback after her clerkship with Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst.
25. Benjamin Obomanu
Attorney, Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson
Benjamin Obomanu is an attorney at Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson. HCMP opened its doors in 1971 and has grown to be one of the most recognized law firms headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. With over 50 attorneys, it offers a broad array of legal services, providing insightful counsel to individuals and organizations doing exciting things in the Puget Sound region.
Obomanu began his career in 2006 and is currently focusing his practice on real estate finance. He is an integral part of the firm’s growing Financial Services Group, representing regional and national banks and private lenders in real estate-secured and commercial and industrial financing transactions.
Obomanu’s extensive experience in business administration provides him with a fundamental understanding of all transactions involved in business ownership, encompassing processes relating to entity formation, limited liability companies, business transactions, and entrepreneurship. He also has considerable experience working in the technology sector, where he helped build and implement financial programs to help businesses better utilize massive quantities of data to facilitate the marketing of their products. Obomanu graduated from The University of Alabama School of Law with a JD, an MBA in business administration and management and finance from Kaplan University, and from Auburn University with an undergraduate degree in finance.
