Apr 08, 2025

Dorsey & Whitney

Maier

Philip Maier has joined Dorsey & Whitney as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions group in Boise. Maier represents clients in a full range of corporate and transactional matters, including capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, and financings. Maier has significant experience representing mining and project development companies, where he assists clients in complex business transactions, land acquisition and lease agreements, and secured loan facilities, together with general corporate matters. Maier has practiced mergers and acquisitions and mining law for nearly a decade. He received his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and his B.A. from University of Nevada, Reno. Maier's's arrival continues the growth of Dorsey's Boise office since it opened in 2023, bringing the attorney count in this office to more than a dozen. This includes the strategic expansion of its Intellectual Property group with Dana Herberholz and Jordan Stott, who joined Dorsey in 2024. Dorsey has locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Point B

Business innovation firm Point B named David Hanfland as its new chief executive officer. Hanfland will lead the company's ongoing expansion of accelerating customer outcomes with technology building on Point B's 30-year heritage of strategic execution. Hanfland joins Point B after more than 30 years in the industry, most recently with Kearney, where he has been a member of the firm's global leadership team for the past 10 years with roles on the board of directors, leading the Americas region and most recently leading strategy and corporate development of the firm. He brings experience scaling professional services businesses, including helping Kearney to strengthen its digital and analytics capabilities through targeted hiring and M&A. Hanfland holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a graduate of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where he has served on the Dean's Advisory Council for more than 23 years. Point B engineers customers' futures by combining industry expertise and advanced technologies to help mid-market and enterprise organizations in North America reimagine their business and its processes. Founded in 1995, Point B is based in Seattle with offices across the U.S.

Apr 04, 2025

SanMar

Weber

Issaquah-based SanMar Corp., a supplier of wholesale accessories and apparel, appointed Jim Weber to its board of advisors. Weber is a leader and author known for transforming large-scale businesses with a strong sense of purpose. As the former CEO of Brooks Running, he spent over two decades growing the company into a leading global running brand recognized for its innovation, high quality and commitment to the running community. His leadership helped shape Brooks Running into a successful, values-driven company. SanMar and Brooks Running share a commitment to growth, innovation, and community. With this appointment, SanMar further strengthens its board of advisors which includes regional leaders such as Phyllis Campbell, former chairman of the Pacific Northwest Region for JPMorgan Chase; Robert Christensen, former president of PACCAR; Marty Lott, founder and chairman of SanMar; Jordan Lott, president and CEO of Lake Washington Partners; and Jeremy Lott, resident and CEO of SanMar.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has launched a solution designed to enhance land mobile radio (LMR) and 911 communications by providing reliable, secure and manageable communications for emergency responders, public safety agencies and critical utilities. SEL developed its LMR solution in collaboration with Whitman County Emergency Management (WCEM). WCEM is located in Pullman, next door to the SEL campus. The collaboration began when SEL learned about the challenges WCEM had with its radio system reliability. The ability to use LMR to call for help is a vital safety concern for emergency responders, and the unreliability of legacy devices has challenged the sector. “At the end of the day, we needed three fundamental things for our infrastructure,” said then-WCEM Emergency Communications Manager Steve Krigbaum. “We needed reliable network security. We needed to know the health and condition of the radios out there in the world, and we needed precise timing. And SEL was able to provide that.” Whitman County is located in Eastern Washington, where temperature extremes in winter and summer frequently cause the legacy clocks WCEM relied on to fail. The first test of the solution came when SEL installed a prototype in Pullman in the summer of 2024. LMR systems can include multiple clocks for redundancy, automatically switching between clocks that provide the highest accuracy. SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. SEL, a 100 percent employee-owned company, has manufactured products in the United States since 1984 and now serves customers in 173 countries.

Foster Garvey

Foster Garvey added three new professionals to its Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental group in Seattle: Jacque St. Romain (principal), Lindsey Folcik (associate) and Heather Hattrup (legal practice assistant). The team's arrival strengthens the firm's ability to provide comprehensive legal counsel on real estate transactions, litigation, land use and regulatory matters. St. Romain brings extensive experience representing clients in real estate transactions and land use development. She works with a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to large international corporations, as well as single-family and multi-family property owners, landlords and managers of commercial properties. Her practice spans the acquisition, development and sale of single-family, multi-family, mixed-use and commercial properties. Folcik is an experienced litigator focused on resolving complex real estate disputes involving land use, eminent domain and commercial leasing. She has successfully represented clients in high-profile condemnation actions, commercial landlord-tenant conflicts and other real estate litigation matters. St. Romain, Folcik and Hattrup join Foster Garvey from Karr Tuttle Campbell. Foster Garvey has offices in Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., New York, Spokane and Tulsa.

Apr 03, 2025

PGIM arranges $71M loan for First Hill units

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Developed by Carmel Partners on First Hill, the 227-unit Victor apartments opened its doors to renters last summer. Now there's a new refinancing package in place. The nearly $71.2 million Fannie Mae loan came via PGIM Real Estate. Its Elizabeth Velazquez originated the funding, and she said in a statement, “We are excited to provide financing for The Victor, a high-quality multifamily development in one of Seattle's most sought-after neighborhoods. As the community approaches stabilization, we anticipate strong demand.” The new money retires the old construction loans from Citizens Bank and First Hawaiian Bank. Carmel's next big project will be the 569-unit Overlake Square, near Overlake Village Station.

Lynnwood, explained

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The once sleepy commuter suburb of Lynnwood, not to be confused with Alderwood, which is its shopping mall, is exploding with apartment growth. Most of that, by design, has been clustered around the new Lynnwood City Center Station. One example, from One Trent, is the eight-story, 361-unit Ember (pictured), which apparently opened to renters last year. And that's where a ULI Northwest tour will begin on April 16. The focus is all TOD. Bring your walking shoes. Other nearby TOD exemplars include the new 199-unit Koz on Alderwood and, from American Capital Group, the recent 239-unit Kinect. ACG is also now under construction on its companion, the 316-unit Enso. The tour, open to ULI members and non-members alike, begins at 3 p.m. You can even take the train to get there! Details and registration: northwest.uli.org

JLL finds $58M for Lynnwood seniors

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Lynnwood's 253-unit Quail Park senior community sold last year for $78 million. JLL recently disclosed that its Dean Ferris then brokered the deal, with IRA Capital Partners of California being the new owner. JLL also recently secured a $58 million refinancing package. Leading the effort were Alanna Ellis, John Chun and Zach Brantley. The bank loan is a three-year, floating-rate instrument. Ellis said in a statement, “Quail Park at Lynnwood stands apart from the market as a truly best-in-class community; the strong performance of the asset and relative value was extremely well received, garnering multiple financing offers from lenders.” The 15-acre campus offers independent living, assisted living and memory care units, with a long list of amenities.

Tarragon underway on Embark at Uplands

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Uplands, in the South Hill area south of Puyallup, represents an ongoing single-family housing development from Tarragon. That firm announced a new rental component, Embark at Uplands, with 86 townhouses. That began last fall, and leasing begins this month. Occupancy is expected this summer. Tarragon president Dennis Rattie said in the announcement, “Embark at Uplands represents an exciting next step in delivering high-quality housing within the Uplands master-planned community. These rental townhomes will provide a unique opportunity for residents to experience the vibrancy of South Hill.”

Avatar makes Manhattan Beach loan

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Local shop Avatar Financial Group continues to make loans up and down the West Coast. It recently shared a $9.5 million example down in the beachside community of Manhattan Beach, California. The bridge loan carries a nine-month term, a nearly 11% initial interest rate and a 62% loan-to-value. It'll allow the luxury homebuilder more time to complete and sell a six-bedroom luxury home, encompassing 6,874 square feet, with a 10-car garage. Avatar's T.R. Hazelrigg IV explained, “With its premier location and high-quality construction, this property is well-positioned for a successful sale, and our loan structure gives the borrower the flexibility needed to maximize their outcome.”

Foster Garvey adds to property group

Foster Garvey's Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental practice has three new members, the law firm recently announced. The trio departed Karr Tuttle Campbell. They are Jacque St. Romain, Lindsey Folcik and Heather Hattrup. St. Romain joins as a principal. The firm said in a statement that she “brings extensive experience representing clients in real estate transactions and land use development. She works with a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to large international corporations, as well as single-family and multi-family property owners, landlords and managers of commercial properties.”

Ogden Murphy Wallace

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Ogden Murphy Wallace (OMW) has significantly expanded its attorney team, adding 10 lawyers across a range of practice areas, including litigation, labor & employment, business law, and immigration. Tom Adams has a diverse litigation practice spanning commercial disputes, aerospace, and environmental law. Ché Dawson focuses exclusively on immigration law, advising clients on both business and family-based immigration matters. Kathy Feldman is a labor and employment attorney with experience counseling employers, conducting workplace investigations and defending clients in all types of employment-related litigation. Ron Friedman is a former federal prosecutor with deep industry knowledge. Friedman serves healthcare organizations, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, working on civil litigation, employment and regulatory matters. Bill Fuld is a seasoned trial attorney focused on catastrophic personal injury cases, with significant experience litigating complex matters on behalf of both injured individuals and major corporations. Scott Gary is a business and intellectual property attorney who advises clients on corporate transactions, trademarks, licensing, and strategic business formation. Josh Howard is an employment litigator who represents public and private employers in key workplace matters, including discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination claims. Derek Little is focused on employment and municipal litigation, with experience in employment law, health benefits, and representing local government entities such as counties and public utility districts. Medora Marisseau is an experienced labor and employment attorney with significant expertise in ERISA, employee benefits, and complex litigation, including class actions and fiduciary liability. She advises and defends employers, insurers, and plan administrators across multiple jurisdictions. Rick Omata has been an advisor in labor and employment matters for over 40 years, and serves healthcare organizations, businesses and municipalities with litigation, labor negotiations, and day-to-day compliance across a broad spectrum of workplace issues. In business since 1902, OMW now has a total of 85 attorneys across its Bellevue, Seattle and Wenatchee offices.

King County Superior Court

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Benjamin Santos to the King County Superior Court, his first judicial appointment since taking office in January. Santos' appointment fills the position being vacated by Judge Annette Messitt, who resigned from the bench March 31. Santos has more than two decades of experience as a senior deputy prosecutor in King County. At the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Santos has led the Misdemeanor and Special Assault units and currently serves as assistant chief deputy in the Juvenile Division. Prior to earning his law degree, Santos advocated for marginalized residents in Seattle's Chinatown-International District, where he helped mitigate the impacts of development projects. Santos has prosecuted a broad range of cases, and has collaborated with partners in the justice system to address the statewide sexual assault kit backlog and explore evidence-based strategies for reducing juvenile recidivism. Santos started his legal career as an intern with the Public Defender's Service and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. He served as a law clerk for current Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu when she served on the King County Superior Court. Santos also worked for a year as a consultant to the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development. He earned his law degree from American University in Washington, D.C.