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71 Foster Garvey Attorneys Selected to the 2027 Best Lawyers® Lists; Six Named ‘Lawyer of the Year’

08.20.26 Foster Garvey Newsroom

Foster Garvey is pleased to announce that 71 attorneys across all six of the firm’s offices have been named to the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®, demonstrating the firm’s continued strength and reputation in the legal industry.

Additionally, several of this year’s honorees earned special distinction as “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective jurisdictions and areas of law. Those attorneys include Ryan Jensen, Sarah Mack, John Nelson, Steve Nofziger, Alice Ostdiek and Matthew Wells.

“We are delighted to see so many of our attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers, including our six Lawyer of the Year honorees,” said Firm Managing Principal Emily Gant. “These honors reflect the exceptional work that our attorneys do for clients every day and the strength of our team across practices, industries and offices.”

The firm congratulates the following individuals included in the 2027 Best Lawyers lists:

Best Lawyers® “Lawyers of the Year” 2027

Ryan Jensen | Corporate Law (Spokane, WA)
Sarah Mack | Water Law (Seattle, WA)
John Nelson | Litigation – Labor and Employment (Spokane, WA)
Steve Nofziger | Business Organizations, including LLCs and Partnerships (Portland, OR)
Alice Ostdiek | Public Finance Law (Seattle, WA)
Matthew Wells | Environmental Law (Seattle, WA)

The Best Lawyers in America® 2027

Portland

Jason M. Ayres | Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Bankruptcy
Larry J. Brant | Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Tax Law
Vincent P. Cacciottoli | Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Joy Ellis | Education Law; Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Daniel L. Keppler | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Securities
Steven D. Nofziger | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Tax Law
Tara J. Schleicher | Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
Paul H. Trinchero | Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Litigation – Real Estate; Litigation – Securities
Matthew J. Yium | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate; Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Seattle

Thomas F. Ahearne | Insurance Law
Bradley J. Berg | Health Care Law
George E. Bonini | Corporate Law
Michael S. Brunet | Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management
Lynne M. Cohee | Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Water Law
P. Stephen DiJulio | Appellate Practice
Bradford T. Doll | Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation – Environmental; Oil and Gas Law
Jason Donovan | Insurance Law; Litigation – Insurance
Greg Duff | Leisure and Hospitality Law
Christopher Emch | Litigation – Health Care
Tim J. Filer | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Securities
Gary E. Fluhrer | Real Estate Law
Michael J. Gamsky | Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Emily Gant | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Leisure and Hospitality Law
Marc R. Greenough | Public Finance Law
Claire F. Hawkins | Copyright Law; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Trademark Law
Bryan Helfer | Real Estate Law
Allen D. Israel | Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tina M. Kyle | Public Finance Law
Sarah E. Mack | Administrative / Regulatory Law; Energy Law; Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Land Use and Zoning; Natural Resources Law; Water Law
Lee R. Marchisio | Municipal Law
Christopher Napier | Real Estate Law
Scott B. Osborne | Real Estate Law
Alice M. Ostdiek | Municipal Law; Public Finance Law
Steven R. Peltin | Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Patrick J. Schneider | Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
Allison C. Schwartzman | Municipal Law; Public Finance Law
Diana S. Shukis | Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Robert B. Spitzer | Real Estate Law
Jacque St. Romain | Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
Nancy Stephens | Trademark Law
Bob Sterbank | Municipal Law; Real Estate Law
V. Rafael Stone | Derivatives and Futures Law; Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Lori A. Terry Gregory | Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Natural Resources Law
Jared Van Kirk | Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Michael K. Vaska | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Health Care
Chloe Villagomez | Native American Law
Ruth Walters | Advertising Law
Matthew D. Wells | Environmental Law; Oil and Gas Law; Water Law
Rylan Weythman | Commercial Litigation
Kinnon W. Williams | Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
Adrian Urquhart Winder | Appellate Practice; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Spokane

Philip J. Carstens | Tax Law
Ryan K. Jensen | Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Corporate Law; Real Estate Law
John R. Nelson | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Joseph Todd Reuter | Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate
Dan Wadkins | Corporate Law

Tulsa

R. Daniel Carter | Appellate Practice, Litigation – Environmental, Native American Law

Washington, D.C.

Brad C. Deutsch | Communications Law

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® 2027

New York

Katherine Cancelliere | Corporate Law
Alina Kipnis | Intellectual Property Law
Yeli Zhou | Commercial Litigation | Litigation – Intellectual Property

Portland

Justice J. Brooks | Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and; Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate
Chelsea J. Glynn | Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law

Seattle

Devra R. Cohen | Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; Litigation – Antitrust; Litigation – Environmental
Julia Doherty | Commercial Litigation
Anne M. Dorshimer | Transportation Law
Paul Heer | Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
Mikaela Louie | Health Care Law; Privacy and Data Security Law
Noah Mikell | Land Use and Zoning Law
Melia A. Preedy | Construction Law; Insurance Law

Spokane

William C. Lenz | Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Real Estate Law

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is a highly selective, peer-reviewed recognition of top legal professionals. Only 5% of U.S. lawyers and 3% globally earn this honor. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The Best Lawyers methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and legal practice area.

The “Lawyer of the Year” designation is an award bestowed to only one lawyer with the highest average of votes in their particular practice and region, indicative of a stellar reputation and work ethic.

Individuals receiving the “Ones to Watch” awards indicate attorneys who are earlier in their careers and have demonstrated outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.

Learn more about Best Lawyers and its recognition methodology at bestlawyers.com.

71 Foster Garvey Attorneys Selected to the 2027 Best Lawyers® Lists; Six Named ‘Lawyer of the Year’

Best Lawyers® “Lawyers of the Year” 2027

The Best Lawyers in America® 2027

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® 2027

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