Stokes Lawrence Places Highly Nationally and Locally in 2nd Annual U.S. News Law Firm Survey
We are pleased to announce that Stokes Lawrence once again rated highly in the U.S. News annual ranking of Best Law Firms. We received a National First-Tier Ranking in Litigation - Trusts & Estates; a First-Tier Ranking in Employment law - Individuals, Non-Profit/Charities Law and Trusts & Estates Law in the Seattle area; and a First-Tier Ranking in Trusts & Estates Law in the Yakima area. Rankings were based on client and peer surveys in the categories of responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether the individuals responding to the survey would refer others to the firm.
Stokes Lawrence Defends Fruit Growers Against Excessive Penalty
Brendan Monahan and Justo Gonzalez represent fruit growers who became liable under Washington’s Farm Labor Contractor Act after unwittingly using an unlicensed farm labor contractor to furnish seasonal agricultural workers. The contractor had represented to the growers that it was in fact licensed. The Act provides for penalties of up to $500 per violation. After a federal district court judge awarded statutory penalties well below the maximum, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel initially accepted the workers’ argument that the Act required the penalty to be at least $500 for each violation; this would result in a total penalty nearly ten times what the district court judge found the case merited. Brendan and Justo urged the Court of Appeals to reconsider and it agreed that these important state law questions would best be decided by the Washington Supreme Court. Read More.
Shelley Hall Advances Open Government Efforts in Recent Public Records Action
Shelley Hall’s open government efforts often include helping broadcast and print journalists obtain public records to keep the public informed on government activities. Seattle firm McKay Chadwell recently drew on Shelley’s experience by asking her to serve as an expert on the question of attorney’s fees the City of Seattle should pay when the police department failed to timely produce records required to be disclosed under the state’s Public Records Act. Her opinion on a proper award of legal costs helped McKay Chadwell obtain for its client a $129,000 award for legal costs incurred when the department failed to meet its duties under the law. Read More.
Stokes Lawrence Recognized Among Top Ranked Law Firms
Stokes Lawrence was recently included among Martindale Hubbell’s “Top Ranked Law Firms”; the new list, to be published in Fortune Magazine later this month, highlights firms with at least one-third of their attorneys having received Martindale’s highest peer review rating. Read More.
Ryan Griffee Joins Yakima Office as Associate
Stokes Lawrence is proud to welcome Ryan Griffee to our Yakima office. Ryan’s practice focuses on business and real estate transactions as well as civil litigation. He received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2010 and his M.B.A. from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management in 2009. Prior to joining Stokes Lawrence, Ryan was a legal intern at the New York office of Diamond McCarthy LLP.
Lisa Schaures Joins Stokes Lawrence as Associate in Business Group
We are pleased to announce that Lisa Schaures has joined our Business group. Lisa focuses on federal tax and corporate matters for private businesses, as well as issues related to non-profit organizations. She received her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2005 and her LL.M. from the University of Washington in 2006. Lisa joins Stokes Lawrence after being associated with the Seattle office of Perkins Coie.
Stokes Lawrence 2011 Diversity Scholars Head Back to School
We congratulate our 2011 Stokes Lawrence 1L Diversity Scholarship winners: Anthony Martinez - Gonzaga University School of Law; Karen Marin - Seattle University School of Law; and Rocky White - University of Washington School of Law. Our firm's Diversity Committee solicits applications from first year students at each of the state's three law schools. Awards are based on demonstrated promise for a successful career in law and a commitment to community involvement that promotes diversity. Each winner received $1,500 towards their fall tuition.
Super Lawyers at Stokes Lawrence
Stokes Lawrence takes pride in congratulating Carolyn Cairns, Shannon Jost, Brad Axel, Kelby Fletcher, Phil Ginsberg, Scott Johnson, Doug Lawrence, and George Velikanje who have been named "Super Lawyers." In addition, Carolyn, Doug and Kelby were chosen as Top 100 Super Lawyers for Washington State. Super Lawyers is a multi-phased selection process that includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. RoseMary Reed, Mat Harrington, Karolyn Hicks, Aviva Kamm, and Sean Griffee were recognized as 2011 Rising Stars.
Stokes Lawrence Ranks Highly in Corporate Giving
We are proud that Stokes Lawrence is one of the top ten most generous charitable donors among Washington companies with revenues under $20 million, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2011 ranking of corporate giving. Our firm giving emphasizes the Campaign for Equal Justice, which benefits legal aid programs statewide. In addition to cash contributions, Stokes Lawrence last year provided over $170,000 worth of in-kind legal work to pro bono clients and Legal Clinic users. We also look forward to going a little crazy each July during Food Frenzy, joining with other law and accounting firms to raise much needed summer funding for Food Lifeline.
Stokes Lawrence Works With Future of the Law Institute
Stokes Lawrence is proud to be an early sponsor of the Future of the Law Institute. FLI allows minority and economically disadvantaged high school students interested in learning about legal careers to interact with legal professionals through substantive legal workshops, career counseling, mock trials, and courthouse tours. Several Seattle law firms, including Stokes Lawrence, sponsor FLI students as summer interns. We realized an early return on our investment when we hired Joe Aguilar after his 2010 FLI internship at Stokes Lawrence. Long days working for his father as an auto mechanic during high school prepared Joe for working full time at Stokes Lawrence while also attending college with plans of eventually getting his law degree. Joe has played a key role on a large agricultural employment case arising in our Yakima office, conducting background investigations and helping to prepare witnesses for trial. Joe’s internship piqued his particular interest in helping to resolve legal issues involving mental health. He was also a featured speaker at FLI’s recent annual meeting. We also enjoyed hosting Alex Martinez, a recent graduate of Renton High School, as an FLI intern this summer.
Joan Hemphill and Olivia Gonzalez Join Stokes Lawrence
We are pleased to announce that Joan Hemphill and Olivia Gonzalez have joined the firm in our litigation group. Joan received her J.D. from University of Washington School of Law in 2008. She recently completed a clerkship with The Honorable J. Robin Hunt of the Division II Washington State Court of Appeals in Tacoma. She also worked as a law clerk at the Law Offices of Zulauf & Chambliss during law school, as a student attorney with the Tribal Court Criminal Defense Clinic in Tulalip, and a summer intern for the Washington Appellate Project. Olivia received her J.D. from University of Southern California School of Law in 2008. After being admitted to the Washington State Bar, Olivia accepted a Fulbright Grant to Spain where she and fellow Fulbright Scholars established the first-ever Model United Nations curriculum throughout secondary schools in Northern Spain. Olivia is fluent in Spanish.
ALERT: The Name "Stokes Lawrence" Is Being Fraudulently Used in a Financial Scam Targeting Individuals Throughout the U.S.
Individuals falsely identifying themselves as attorneys or other representatives of Stokes Lawrence have placed calls throughout the U.S. as part of a financial scam. Callers originate from various area codes and use a variety of ploys to seek payment from the victims, most frequently stating that the victims owe money on a past due payday loan or other financial commitment, and claim that Stokes Lawrence is acting as the collection agency. Stokes Lawrence has reported this scam to local law enforcement agencies. If you wish to report having received a fraudulent phone call from a caller claiming to be associated with Stokes Lawrence, please send an email with details of the call to inbox@stokeslaw.com.
Katie Groblewski Re- Joins Stokes Lawrence as Estate Planning Associate
Katie S. Groblewski has returned to Stokes Lawrence as a member of our estate planning practice group. Katie began her career with Stokes Lawrence, but spent the last six years in the Portland, Oregon area. She was an associate with the Portland office of Stoel Rives, LLP for five years and also an associate with the Landerholm firm in Vancouver, Washington. Katie practices in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and business succession planning. Her practice includes Washington and Oregon clients.
Stokes Lawrence Honored with AT&T Legal Department Diversity Award
The Seattle law firm of Stokes Lawrence, P.S. was recently honored as a winner of the first annual AT&T Legal Department Diversity Award. The award was open to all U.S. law firms who represent AT&T. This is the inaugural year of the award, which the AT&T Legal Department created to recognize law firms for their efforts to increase diversity and inclusion within their firms and in the legal profession generally. Stokes Lawrence won in the small firm category and was the only firm from the Northwest to be honored. Read More.
Mathew Harrington Serves as Trial Fellow
Mathew Harrington recently finished a two-month stint as a Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the King County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit. The Prosecutor’s Trial Fellowship Program enlists lawyers from law firms as trial attorneys assigning them a regular caseload of felony criminal trials. The Trial Fellowship Program helps attorneys hone their jury trial skills while allowing the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the public to benefit from the talent of the area’s leading law firms.
Stokes Lawrence Welcomes Seattle Business Attorney Sean Griffee
We are pleased that Sean Griffee has joined our Seattle office. Sean’s representation of business covers the entire life span of a company—from entity formation, through operation and management, and ultimately sale, merger, or other disposition of the business. He has represented clients in mergers and acquisitions in a variety of industries including manufacturing, retail and professional services. Sean will also work closely with our firm’s estate planning practice group on tax planning and business succession strategies for families with significant business and real estate interests.
Stokes Lawrence Wins Ninth Circuit Appeal for Client
The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed judgment in favor of our client, a long-time provider of financial transaction processing services, on its claims for cybersquatting, unfair competition, and violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act against a cybersquatter and self-described "internet entrepreneur." In a published opinion, the appeals court affirmed judgment for Vericheck on all claims as well as the award of attorneys’ fees, costs and maximum statutory damages. Shannon Jost represented Vericheck.
Attachmate Wins Important Ruling Protecting Software Licenses
Recent efforts by Stokes Lawrence attorneys to protect Attachmate against use of software beyond that authorized by a license may have settled a hotly disputed point of Washington law. Attachmate Corp. v. Health Net, Inc., C09-1161 (W.D. Wash. Oct. 26, 2010). Federal District Court Judge Marsha J. Pechman rejected defendant’s contention that Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code should apply to software license agreements, holding that a license for intellectual property is not a "sale" of goods. Properly analyzed under Washington state common law rather than Article 2, Attachmate’s separate end-user license agreements were valid, stand alone contracts. One of Attachmate’s license agreements expressly required payment, which the court held provided the "extra element" needed to avoid copyright preemption. Attachmate was represented by Shelley Hall, Leslie Ruiter, Brad Axel, and Theresa Wang.
Stokes Lawrence Throws with Grant Thornton
Our SL Bowling team figured it could best improve on recent performances by trying another sport. Thus we accepted a recent darts challege from Grant Thornton LLP. Though bested in spirited competition, SL was pleased to make a $1000 contribution to Grant Thornton’s chosen charity, Food Lifeline. Read More.
Five Stokes Lawrence Attorneys Named New Shareholders
Stokes Lawrence welcomed 2011 with Aneelah Afzali, Justo Gonzalez, Mathew Harrington, RoseMary Reed, and Kelly Wiley becoming new shareholders. Aneelah, Justo and Mat are each experienced commercial litigators, and all three practiced at Heller Ehrman before joining Stokes Lawrence over the last few years. RoseMary is well-known for her work in estate and tax planning and business succession planning. Kelly, a former prosecutor and civil litigator, now focuses her practice on representation of individuals and families in family law matters.
Stokes Lawrence Velikanje Moore & Shore Back in Downtown Yakima
The attorneys and staff in our Yakima offices are happy to have completed their recent move and look forward to welcoming you to their new location at 120 N. Naches Avenue. The return downtown brings Stokes Lawrence Velikanje Moore & Shore once again near Yakima’s courthouses and convenient to the many businesses the firm represents. George Velikanje, Morrie Shore, John Moore, Brendan Monahan and Sarah Wixson left their former firm, Velikanje Moore and Shore, in July 2007 to establish the Yakima branch of Stokes Lawrence. They have since been joined by associates Dustin Yeager, Andrew Heinz, Sean Russel, and most recently, Garon Jones. Says Kelly Twiss Noonan, managing shareholder of Stokes Lawrence and former Yakima resident, “Our respect for people—clients and employees alike—and the lasting relationships between them, distinguishes Stokes Lawrence from other law firms. We provide smart, practical, tailored assistance to our clients without unnecessary bureaucracy or formality.”
Shannon Jost and Leslie Ruiter Recognized as IP Leaders
Shannon Jost and Leslie Ruiter were recognized as leaders among state intellectual property lawyers in a Chambers USA survey recently featured in the Puget Sound Business Journal. Stokes Lawrence was listed among the nine leading Washington state law firms in the practice of Intellectual Property based on "its ability to cover a broad range of both IP transactions and disputes." Carolyn Cairns was also recognized as a Notable Practitioner in the Labor and Employment area.
Stokes Lawrence Rolls with Clark Nuber
Our Stokes Lawrence bowling team took on the Bellevue accounting firm of Clark Nuber P.S. with a contribution to the winner’s favority charity at stake. Competition was spirited but eventually declared a draw due to the reluctance of several bowlers to admit to their actual scores. Each firm donated $1000 to the other’s chosen charity, Northwest Harvest and LAW Fund/The Campaign for Equal Justice.
Eleven Stokes Lawrence Attorneys Among The Best Lawyers in America®
We are pleased to have nine attorneys from our Seattle office included among The Best Lawyers in America® (17th Ed.): Carolyn Cairns, Chris Farias and Kelby Fletcher in Labor and Employment, Shelley Hall in First Amendment Law, Doug Lawrence in Trust and Estates, Beth McCaw in Non-Profit/Charities Law, Rick Rasmussen in Alternative Dispute Resolution/Employment Law, Leslie Ruiter in Intellectual Property Law, and Susan Thorbrogger in Tax Law, Morris (Morrie) Shore in Corporate Law, and George Velikanje in Trust and Estates. The Best Lawyers listings are the result of exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Stokes Lawrence is proud to be so well-represented.
Stokes Lawrence One of Washington’s Best Workplaces
Stokes Lawrence has once again been named one of Washington’s Best Workplaces by Puget Sound Business Journal. The award recognizes best practices in the hiring and retention of great people. The Business Journal considers hundreds of companies based on surveys completed by nominee-company employees across the state and identifies Washington’s best based on their various employee benefit offerings, leadership culture, and work/life balance philosophies.
Stokes Lawrence Welcomes Eminent Employment Lawyer Kelby Fletcher
With over 25 years of experience in counseling individuals and employers, and negotiation and litigation in state and federal courts, Kelby Fletcher has a well developed understanding of how to solve problems in private sector employment relationships.
Mike Garner - Outstanding Mentor
Stokes Lawrence is proud to congratulate Mike Garner, named as a 2010 Outstanding Mentor by the King County Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Division. Mike was nominated for his ability to create equal partnerships with young attorneys providing them with quality work and feedback, ensuring both their development as quality lawyers and superior service to clients. We are always gratified when the strong mentoring relationships at our firm are recognized: Rick Rasmussen won the award in 2009 and Scott Johnson was also nominated for this year’s award.
Stokes Lawrence’s "Eclectic" Doug Lawrence
A King County Bar Association profile of our own Doug Lawrence describes his outstanding practice, teaching, and many contributions to the development of Washington trusts and estates law. We also learn about the office toys and myriad projects that Doug uses to tame his boundless energy.
RECENT SEMINARS
Commercial Real Estate from A to Z, presented by NBI
Michael Garner - "Purchase and Sale Agreements";
"Closing Commercial Real Estate Transactions"
Monday, December 12, 2011
2011 Washington Trust Act / Estate Planner's Guide to Sophisticated Drafting, presented by WSBA
RoseMary Reed - Program Co-Chair, Panelist
Katie Groblewski - "Drafting Tips for the 2011 Trust Act"
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
7th Annual Probate Administration, presented by KCBA
RoseMary Reed - "Controlling & Identifying Property"
Friday, November 4, 2011 - Rainier Square Conf. Ctr.
56th Annual Estate Planning Conference, presented by WSBA
Doug Lawrence - "Planning for the $2m to $10m Estate: A Potpourri of Planning Possibilities for Pusillanimous Penny Pinchers of Pecuniary Plenty"
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Consumer Class Action Litigation: Navigating the Evolving Landscape,
presented by Strafford Publications
Shelley Hall - "Leveraging Circuit and Supreme Court Developments in Certification, Causation, Class Waivers and More"
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Best Practices for the Estate Administration of Charitable Gifts,
presented by Washington Planned Giving Council
RoseMary Reed - "Probating Charitable Requests"
Monday, October 10, 2011
11th Annual Labor & Enployment Law Conference, presented by WSBA
Carolyn Cairns - "Best Practices for Successful Mediation"
Kelby Fletcher - Updates on Washington State Labor & Employment Case Law
Monday, October 10, 2011
Open Government in Washington State, presented by Washington Coalition for Open Government
Shelley Hall - Presenter & Moderator -"Redefining Open Courts in Washington"
Friday, September 23, 2011
Complying with Federal Mortgage Lending Laws,presented by Lorman Education Series
Michael Garner - "Recent Changes to Wash. Foreclosure Laws including the Foreclosure Fairness Act"
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Hiring, Firing, & Employee Handbooks, presented by WSBA
Kelby Fletcher - "Recent Cases & Developments"
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Estate Planning Fundamentals, presented by WSBA
RoseMary Reed - Co-Chair, "Interviewing Clients, Using Questionnaires, Avoiding Common Traps"
Andrew Heinz - "Drafting Wills & Common Trusts"
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Stokes Law Briefs - Legal Basics for Privately Held Businesses
Sean Griffee, "Corporate Governance for the Closely Held Business"
RoseMary Reed, "Estate Planning & Tax-Efficient Transfers of the Family Business"
Shannon Jost, "IP Issues for Business Owners"
Mat Harrington, "Managing Risk in the Employment Arena"
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
2011 Real Property, Probate & Trust Section Midyear presented by WSBA/RPPT Section
Karolyn Hicks - "Handling the Difficult Client"
Friday, June 10, 2011
Philanthropic & Legacy Planning for Financial Advisors, presented by Children’s Hospital Foundation
Rosemary Reed - "Amending Charitable & Other Irrevocable Trusts Using TEDRA"
Friday, June 3, 2011
King County Bar Intellectual Property Section Meeting
Shannon Jost - "Confusion Over Keywords - the Ninth Circuit Decision in Network Automation"
Thursday, May 5, 2011
18th Annual Employment Law Institute, presented by WSBA
Carolyn Cairns, Kelby Fletcher - "The Year in Review:
Key Developments in State & Federal Employment Law"
Friday, April 29, 2011
ArtsFund Leadership Training
RoseMary Reed - "Fiduciary Responsibilities of Not-For-Profit Directors"
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
We work hard, we get along. The quality of our work comes back to our culture.
BRENDAN V. MONAHAN, Stokes Lawrence Attorney
UPCOMING SEMINARS
9th Annual WSBA Trust & Estate Litigation Seminar
Karolyn HIcks - Program Co-Chair
Scott Johnson - "Debate on the Deadman Statute"
Friday, March 2, 2012 - The Conference Center, Seattle
Avoiding Mistakes & Traps in Negotiating & Documenting Commercial Loans, presented by Risk Management Ass'n
Tom Lerner - "Guarantors, Co-Borrowers, Accommodation Parties"; "When to Use Cross-Collateralization Clauses & Cross-Default Clauses"
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - Rainier Club, Seattle