Foster Pepper has been nationally recognized as bond counsel for more than half a century — passing upon the validity and exemption from federal income taxation of interest on thousands of issues of bonds frequently marketed across the country by national underwriters. Foster Pepper PLLC’s public finance group has been listed by Thomson Reuters as first in the nation for “Top Bond Counsel – Competitive,” with 27 issues at $4.3 billion for the full 2012 year. Additionally, the group ranked fourth in the nation for “Top Disclosure Counsel” with 27 issues at $4.9 billion. Finally, the group ranked ninth overall for “Top Bond Counsel” with 112 issues at $7.1 billion. The 2013 U.S. News/Best Lawyers survey also listed the firm's public finance group as a Seattle Tier 1 practice.

Foster Pepper lawyers are well known to issuers, underwriters, rating agencies, and bond insurers, and were involved in the formation of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and the American College of Bond Counsel. We have served as bond counsel, underwriters counsel, and general and special counsel to more than 450 governmental agencies, including the State of Washington, counties, cities and towns, port districts, public utility districts, housing authorities, school districts, public hospital districts, water and sewer districts, irrigation and reclamation districts, fire protection districts, and other municipal and quasi- municipal corporations. And, the firm is the most active in affordable housing finance in Washington State.

We have also acted as bond counsel for tax-exempt issues on behalf of municipalities, public utilities, and nonprofit hospitals in Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. We regularly serve as underwriters counsel on transactions for which we are not bond counsel. Additionally, our Municipal Government attorneys provide special counsel services to virtually every type of municipality throughout the Northwest.

When we serve as special counsel or bond counsel, we are able to employ the great range of experience from within the firm, using, when appropriate, not only the lawyers who practice municipal law and finance but also those with significant experience in land use and environmental law, securities law, real estate and commercial transactions, employment and labor law, and general federal income taxation. We often form teams of attorneys to work on bond issues or transactions where specific knowledge and experience is required. Our diverse base of knowledge and experience allows us to offer our clients well-rounded representation that produces quality results.