Firm Elects 17 New Partners

SEATTLE, Wash. (January 2, 2018) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 17 counsel and senior counsel have been promoted to partner. The new partner class of 2018 includes:

“The members of Perkins Coie’s 2018 partner class are highly talented attorneys who are recognized for their superior legal skills and their proven commitment to client service,” said John Devaney, Firmwide Managing Partner. “These exceptional attorneys personify the high standards and inclusive culture of our firm. I am delighted to welcome them into the partnership.”

Perkins Coie 2018 Partner Class

Tyler R. Bowen (Phoenix) is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. He counsels clients on patent and intellectual property litigation and represents companies in jurisdictions throughout the United States in cases relating to a wide range of technologies, including semiconductor and mobile telecommunications. He advises clients on cases involving complex antitrust and immigration issues as well as electronic discovery issues, including the collection, processing and production of large volumes of documents.

Nicole S. Dunham (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. She counsels clients on patent procurement, portfolio development and strategy, freedom to operate analysis and other intellectual property due diligence. Nicole has experience representing both investors and emerging companies from incubation through acquisition, and has prepared and prosecuted patents in a variety of technical areas, including medical devices, consumer products, software systems, semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, clean technologies, and other mechanical and electromechanical technologies. In the medical device industry, Nicole has particular experience advising clients in cardiovascular technologies, neuromodulation, therapeutic ultrasound, real-time marker tracking, and gastrointestinal devices.

Javier F. Garcia (Los Angeles) is a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice. He advises clients on litigation matters including cases involving race, age, disability and gender discrimination, wage-and-hour class actions, noncompete agreements, trade secrets, Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claims and collective bargaining agreement disputes. Javier counsels clients on employment issues involving employment policies and handbooks, employment contracts, and severance agreements. He represents clients in labor matters on collective bargaining agreements, including labor arbitrations, unfair labor practices, and National Labor Relations Board administrative hearings and appeals. Javier also represents financial institutions in financial services and consumer protection litigation in state and federal courts nationwide, including class actions.

Matthew P. Gordon (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice. He represents healthcare clients in complex civil litigation matters and provides regulatory and transactional advice to companies and individuals in the healthcare industry. Matthew has experience in all stages of the life cycle of litigation in federal and state courts and in administrative proceedings. He sits on the board of the Washington State Society of Healthcare Attorneys and is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association.

Andrew H. Grant (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Andrew represents innovative companies in the outdoor, retail, Internet of Things, interactive entertainment and virtual/augmented reality and technology service industries, counseling them on product launch, commercial contracts and risk mitigation and helping them focus on their strengths and creativity in order to meet and exceed their business goals. Andrew represents manufacturers and retailers in the outdoor industry and hardware manufacturers, developers and publishers in the interactive entertainment and virtual/augmented reality industries on strategy implementation projects and commercial transactions.

Priscilla (Polly) E. Hampton (Portland) is a member of the firm’s Environment & Natural Resources practice. Polly counsels clients with permitting, compliance and enforcement matters under federal and state environmental laws. She handles matters involving the investigation, cleanup and allocation of liability at contaminated sites, including state-led cleanups and major federal Superfund sediment sites. Polly counsels manufacturing facilities, energy infrastructure companies and property developers on various issues involving hazardous substance releases, air, water and waste management, Brownfields redevelopment, and Western water rights. She also helps businesses better understand and effectively manage environmental risks in real estate and corporate transactions.

Allison C. Handy (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice. She has experience advising public companies on corporate governance practices, disclosure matters and SEC compliance. Allison advises public and private companies in connection with securities offerings, including debt offerings, equity offerings and tender offers, and corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures. She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Society for Corporate Governance, Pacific Northwest Chapter, and is a frequent speaker and author on corporate governance and disclosure matters.

Jonathan G. Hardin (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Insurance Recovery Law practices. Jon litigates and settles complex disputes in jurisdictions throughout the United States and serves as lead trial and appellate counsel for clients in matters before state and federal courts. He also advises companies on insurance policy renewals and audits, coverage for first-party losses and third-party claims, and the insurance implications of business transactions. Jon’s clients have recovered more than $100 million from their insurers.

Seth H. Locke (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the firm’s Government Contracts practice. Seth protects clients’ rights and interests during bid protests, cost accounting claims, contract performance claims, and other disputes before the Board of Contract Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims and the Government Accountability Office. He counsels a wide range of clients, including defense contractors, global aerospace manufacturers, healthcare contractors and technology companies, on risk management and litigation prevention in the government contracting process.

Ann M. Nagele (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s International Transactions & Trade practice. Ann counsels clients on commercial- (dual-use) and defense-related export control licensing, compliance and enforcement matters, U.S. trade sanctions, U.S. Customs compliance and national security reviews of foreign investment in the United States. She assists with export control and sanctions-related matters that arise in transactions including mergers, asset acquisitions and stock purchases. Ann represents clients before U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division.

Daniel P. Ridlon (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Product Liability practice. Dan defends companies in product liability litigation and counsels on risk avoidance and regulatory compliance. He has represented a wide range of companies, from aircraft manufacturers to technology companies. Dan is a former JAG with first-chair courtroom experience.

Vinay P. Sathe, Ph.D. (San Diego) is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. His practice emphasizes patent prosecution and patent litigation in wireless communications, mobile devices, telecommunications, software, and semiconductor technologies. Vinay has an extensive engineering background in building products for the digital cable, satellite and wireless markets. He has participated in several standards-setting organizations, including MPEG, US broadcast HDTV (ATSC), MoCA, and OpenCable standards. Vinay has previously worked at several communications companies in lead technology roles. He is the co-inventor of two U.S. patents in the area of digital video.

Julie E. Schwartz (Palo Alto) is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice. Julie litigates business and consumer protection disputes for internet, technology, and social media companies, including under the Communications Decency Act, the First Amendment, and federal and state privacy laws. Julie is a member of the firm’s Electronic Communications Privacy Act compliance team and works with clients on data security issues and third-party requests for information. In addition, Julie litigates contractual disputes and intellectual property matters, and she maintains a California Proposition 65 law (Prop 65) compliance and dispute resolution practice.

Ryan M. Spear (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice. Ryan counsels clients on cutting-edge privacy and data security issues, including computer intrusion, biometric data and machine learning. He represents clients in individual and class action lawsuits involving the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other laws governing privacy and security. In addition, Ryan regularly represents clients in cases involving free speech and online publishing, including cases arising under the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment.

Kara E. Tatman (Portland) is a member of the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice. Kara manages complex transactions of strategic importance to her clients. Her mergers and acquisitions practice includes structuring and executing acquisitions, dispositions, divestitures and recapitalizations. Kara also advises public companies on corporate governance practices, disclosure matters and public offerings, and she counsels private companies on negotiated investments.

Scott H. Wallace (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Trust & Estate Planning practice. Scott advises on tax and estate planning for individuals, families and family offices. He works with clients to address estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes through the creation of wills, trusts, business entities and charitable organizations, as well as through the use of gifts, sales and other sophisticated wealth-transfer strategies. Scott’s practice also includes fiduciary representation, estate and trust administration, formation and administration of charitable organizations, and preparation of gift and estate tax returns.

Eric J. Weiss (Seattle) is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice. His practice has an emphasis in antitrust, unfair-competition, and consumer-protection law. Eric’s extensive trial experience has seen him advocate for clients in a variety of federal and state courts as well as arbitration forums nationwide; he is proficient in managing defense of class actions and matters before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. A former law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Eric also served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard and deployed to Pakistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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 our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we 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.

Media Inquiries: Please email Justin Cole, Head of Media Relations.