Jan 05, 2024

Lane Powell

Motta-Wurst

McCurdy

Johnson

Cooper

Clark

Patterson

Lane Powell announced that six attorneys have been elected shareholders of the firm.

Julia Clark counsels clients in all stages of commercial real estate, including structuring and forming joint ventures and other business entities, acquisitions, construction, financing, leasing and asset management, and dispositions. Clark represents developers, real estate investment trusts, property owners, landlords, tenants, and other businesses in the office, multifamily, mixed-use, retail, and hotel sectors. Clark received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her BA in Political Science and Spanish Literature from Northwestern University.

Noelle Cooper focuses her practice on acquisition and financing transactions and general corporate matters for health care clients. Cooper represents buyers and sellers of senior housing facilities in complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, sale/leasebacks, loan financings, joint ventures, general corporate and securities law issues, and health care regulatory compliance. Cooper received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University.

Aaron C. Johnson represents multinational, U.S., and regional businesses in state and local tax matters including tax litigation, audit defense, appeals, and planning and structuring tax efficient transactions, and currently teaches federal tax at the University of Washington School of Law. Johnson received his LL.M in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law, his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and his BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, cum laude, from the University of Washington.

Devon McCurdy represents clients in complex commercial litigation and advises them on regulatory compliance, including in matters related to antitrust, trademark, fraud, class actions, products liability, and constitutional law. McCurdy initially joined the firm as a Summer Associate and Associate, and then returned to the firm in 2019 after clerking for the Honorable Scott Matheson, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. McCurdy received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, his Ph.D. in History from the University of Washington, and his BA in history, magna cum laude with distinction, from Carleton College.

Chris Motta-Wurst advises employers and individuals on a wide variety of immigration-related issues. Motta-Wurst's approach to immigration provides businesses and their employees with counsel throughout the employment-based immigration lifecycle, including all types of employment-based temporary visas and green card processes. Motta-Wurst received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law and his BA in Economics and History from St. Lawrence University.

Kellen Patterson is an experienced commercial construction attorney, who handles the full range of dispute resolution and litigation proceedings, with a focus on achieving efficient and pragmatic solutions to clients' construction-related problems. She has wide-ranging experience handling all aspects of complex litigation, including pre-suit claims and negotiations, large-scale e-discovery, mediation, motions practice, and appeals. Patterson received her J.D. at the University of Washington School of Law and her B. Ed. in Elementary and Special Education Teaching Certificates, magna cum laude, at Gonzaga University.

Lane Powell opened its doors in 1875 and has grown to be one of the largest law firms headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, with nearly 180 attorneys across more than 35 practice areas and industry groups.

Jan 04, 2024

Washington Wine Industry Foundation

Sara Higgins was named the new executive director of the Washington Wine Industry Foundation. Higgins brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership with a focus on planning, program management, and community outreach. “Sara's energy and drive combined with her nonprofit experience and familiarity with the wine industry are an excellent match for the Foundation,” said Bill Shibley, board chair, and senior agriculture officer, and vice president at Wheatland Bank, Pasco, Higgins is a Washington native, and has previously supported Foundation programs including the Party + Auction friend and fundraiser. As the Foundation's executive director, Higgins is responsible for implementing the board's strategic plan and developing and stewarding donor relations. Since 2002, the Foundation has been awarded over $3 million in grants supporting winemaking and winegrape growing, and awarded $480,000 in scholarships to over 250 viticulture and enology students. As only the second executive director in the organization's history, Higgins follows Vicky Scharlau who led the Foundation since its inception in 2000. Scharlau will continue in an of-counsel position, supporting federal and state grant management. The nonprofit Washington Wine Industry Foundation aims to foster a thriving Washington wine industry by investing scholarships, industry events, and sustainability such as pest control, clean plants, risk management, and safety.

Insight Distributing

Imperial Dade, a North American distributor of foodservice packaging supplies, industrial products, and janitorial supplies, has acquired Spokane-based Insight Distributing. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. With history dating back to 1941, Insight is owned and operated by Ken and Luke Pearlstein. The company's two locations will continue to service its customer base throughout Washington and Idaho, now with even a greater offering of products and solutions. Founded in 1935, Imperial Dade serves more than 120,000 customers across North America. Chairman Robert Tillis and CEO Jason Tillis assumed their roles in 2007.

Jan 03, 2024

Seattle Opera

The opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X will receive its West Coast premiere at Seattle Opera February 24–March 9, following critically acclaimed performances at Detroit Opera, Opera Omaha, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It was written in 1986 by composer Anthony Davis and librettist Thulani Davis to a story by Christopher Davis.

The production continues Seattle Opera's commitment to telling vital, modern-day stories by living American artists, joining A Thousand Splendid Suns ('23), Bound ('23), Blue ('22), Flight ('21), Charlie Parker's Yardbird ('20), The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs ('19), and The Falling and the Rising ('19) in just the last five years.

The opera puts a spotlight on crucial moments in Malcolm X's spiritual and political life through a series of vignettes, following the iconic figure from his interrupted childhood in Lansing, Michigan, to his tragic murder in Harlem, New York. The score, by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis, fuses elements of modernism, minimalism, and jazz, producing a sound world that is unmistakably individual.

Dec 29, 2023

Kitsap County Superior Court

Ferguson-Brown

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Cadine Ferguson-Brown to the Kitsap County Superior Court. She will replace Judge Sally Olsen, who is retiring from the bench effective Jan.1, 2024. Ferguson-Brown was first appointed by Inslee in 2022 to the Mason County Superior Court. During her tenure, she presided over four departments, hearing a variety of complex civil and criminal law matters. In the juvenile department, she worked with staff and stakeholders to create a more people-friendly courtroom and streamlined processes to reduce delays in other departments. Ferguson-Brown was also active in the Superior Court Judges Association, joining the Certified Professional Guardianship and Conservatorship Board, Minority and Justice Commission, the Bench Bar Press and other civil and criminal committees. Her prior work included serving as a superior court commissioner, as well as owning and operating her own practice where she focused on the areas of domestic relations, dependency, worker's compensation, and immigration. Ferguson-Brown served as a board member of Agape Unlimited, a Bremerton-based non-profit outpatient substance use disorder treatment program, and as a member of the Redress Committee for the Bremerton NAACP. She has volunteered with various local organizations such as Plates of Hope and New Day Ministries to serve the unsheltered, and with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the Moderate Means program to provide pro bono or low bono services. In addition, Ferguson-Brown has mentored girls through Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Jamaican High School students through Dream Jamaica. Ferguson-Brown earned her law degree from the School of Legal Studies at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom.

Waupaca Northwoods

Oldcastle APG announced it has acquired the Waupaca Northwoods facility in Nampa, Idaho. The Nampa facility will support APG's Lawn & Garden business in its expansion into the Western United States, providing a regional foothold for future growth. “We are excited to welcome Waupaca Northwoods' Nampa location to the APG Family, marking the debut of our Lawn & Garden business in Western states as we continue expanding our soil, bark, mulch and decorative stone portfolio across North America,” said Tim Ortman, president, Oldcastle APG. Oldcastle APG, a CRH Company, provides outdoor living solutions throughout North America. CRH provides building materials solutions in road and critical utility infrastructure, commercial building projects and outdoor living solutions, and operates locations in 29 countries.

Sound Transit

SoundTransit is offering special service on its Sounder trains for the Seahawks game day Dec. 31 and NHL Winter Classic Jan. 1. Special Sounder service is in addition to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Link light rail, ST Express, and King County Metro service to and from Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.

The special service will be available Sunday for the 1:05 p.m. Seahawks game against the Steelers, and Monday for the noon NHL Winter Classic. Sounder trains for the New Years Eve game depart Lakewood at 9:51 a.m. and 10:11 a.m., and also stop at all S line stations. The inbound N Line train from Snohomish County departs Everett at 10:45 a.m. with stops in Mukilteo and Edmond before arriving at King Street Station. An online schedule of the Sounder trains to NHL Winter Classic is available at soundtransit.org/nhl-winter-classic. Fares will not be collected for all Sound Transit services on New Year's Eve. Regular fares are required on New Year's Day. Rail riders can avoid the post-game ticket vending machine lines by purchasing a Day Pass at their originating station. One-way tickets and Day Passes can also be purchased with the Transit GO Ticket app.

Dec 28, 2023

Veda Living

Veda Living announced the acquisition of its 14th management contract, Emerald City Senior Living in Seattle. Emerald City Senior Living, a 119-unit, multistory senior living asset is a traditional private pay community located in West Seattle. Emerald City Senior Living will have a particular focus on catering to middle-market consumers and those relying on state-funded support as they age.

Seattle City Light

Lindell

Mayor Bruce Harrell has selected Dawn Lindell to serve as the next general manager and chief executive officer of Seattle City Light. Lindell brings more than 25 years of experience in the utilities industry, having served in executive leadership roles in Colorado and California. Lindell will join the Harrell Administration in February 2024. Lindell comes to Seattle from Burbank, California, where she served as the general manager of Burbank Water and Power.

Prior to her executive leadership role at the Burbank utility, Lindell was the senior vice president and Rocky Mountain regional manager for the Western Area Power Administration in Lakewood, Colorado. There she set strategic direction for more than 400 federal and contract employees of the Rocky Mountain Region for power marketing in 4 states, grid maintenance in 6 states and grid operation in 10 states with a $400 million+ annual budget.

Lindell has been recognized for her leadership and industry expertise, being named as one of Colorado's Top Women in Energy in 2019 and the 2022 WE3 Water/Energy Nexus Innovator of the Year. An 11-member selection committee was announced and convened to review top candidates from across the country. Members of the committee represented business, housing, labor, environmental, and energy leaders, many with experience in clean energy and environmental justice.

City Light is the nation's ninth largest publicly owned electric utility in terms of customers served.

NuScale Power

Breuer

NuScale Power announced that Jim Breuer has joined the company's board of directors. Breuer will replace Christopher Panichi, who has served on the NuScale board and the board of NuScale Power, since 2020. Breuer is president of Fluor's Energy Solutions business group and has spent more than 30 years in the engineering, procurement and construction industry with a special focus on nuclear project services. Breuer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Science degree and an engineer degree in construction engineering and management from Stanford University, as well as a MBA degree from Cornell University. Prior to his current role, Breuer served as president of the downstream business line within Fluor's Energy & Chemicals business group. NuScale Power is a provider of proprietary and advanced small modular reactor nuclear technology. Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland.