Perkins Coie Recognized for Work on Behalf of Washington Families Standing Together

SEATTLE (February 5, 2010) - Perkins Coie is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) to receive their first Special Recognition: Advocate for Social Justice Award for its work on the behalf of Washington Families Standing Together (WFST) and the Approve 71 campaign. 

WFST was founded in 2009 to preserve domestic partnerships in Washington State by urging voters to approve Referendum 71 (R71), an effort launched by the Washington Values Alliance to overturn Senate Bill 5688, also known as the "the enhanced domestic partnership law," through the veto referendum process. Senate Bill 5688 grants state registered domestic partners in Washington all rights, responsibilities and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples.

Because of the work of Perkins Coie attorneys and many others who assisted WFST during R71, Washington is the first state in the U.S. to have had a popular vote in favor of legal recognition for lesbian and gay families. 

The GSBA is the 3rd oldest and the largest LGBT Chamber of Commerce in the United States with over 1000 business and nonprofit members in the Greater Seattle area. In addition to providing business development for their members, GSBA provides advocacy on small business and civil rights issues and supports the next generation of leaders through our scholarship program, which on May 21st will reach $1 million dollars given out to undergraduates in Washington State. 

GSBA was on the coordinating committee for the Approve 71 campaign and helped raise money and awareness for the campaign.  Perkins Coie will receive the Special Recognition: Advocate for Social Justice Award on February 17, 2010 at GSBA's 29th Annual Business and Humanitarian Awards Dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle.