Fred P. Corbit 

Mr. Corbit has practiced in the Pacific Northwest since 1980. He is presently practicing law in the Seattle office of the Northwest Justice Project ("NJP"). NJP provides civil legal services to persons of limited financial means. Prior to joining NJP in 2007, he was a shareholder in the national law firm of Heller Ehrman LLP and represented many companies and individuals in connection with issues related to the acquisitions and sales of businesses, creditor/debtor matters, and business litigation. He is a frequent lecturer on legal matters and has published numerous articles in legal journals. Mr. Corbit received his undergraduate degree from University of Washington (B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1977) and his law degree from UCLA School of Law (J.D., 1980). He was a law clerk to the Honorable Kenneth S. Treadwell, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Washington and an extern to the Honorable Robert F. Utter, Associate Justice of the Washington Supreme Court.

Deborah Eddy

Attorney and currently a state representative for the 48th Legislative District, Deborah Eddy is former executive director of the Suburban Cities Association (1999-2004) and a former Kirkland city councilmember and mayor (1994-1999). Her policy experience includes service on the Seattle-King County Public Health Board (1995-1998), the Regional Water Quality Committee and as a senior fellow at the Cascadia Center for Regional Transportation at the Discovery Institute. Presently, she serves on the House of Representatives' committees on transportation, technology, energy and communications and has been named vice-chair of the committee on local government. In the early 1980s, she was a founding board member and volunteer trainer of the Eastside Domestic Violence Program. She received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina (1979).

Judith A. Endejan

Shareholder, Graham & Dunn. For over two decades, Ms. Endejan has served communications related clients after working as a professional journalist. Her background is a unique blend of private and in-house experience. Most recently, she worked as General Counsel for Fisher Communications, Inc., a major Northwest broadcast corporation where her expertise in communications / media law was recognized when Seattle Magazine named her as one of the area's top 155 lawyers, in that area, in January 2007. Ms. Endejan also spent ten years with GTE Corporation (now Verizon) in the Northwest and California. She is a frequent speaker at meetings, conferences and Continuing Legal Education seminars and has published in the area of communications law. Most recently, she wrote two chapters for the "Public Records Act Deskbook," published by the Washington State Bar Association in 2006. She received a B.A. in Journalism and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bart Freedman (Board Secretary)

Partner, K & L Gates. Mr. Freedman's practice encompasses a broad range of environmental and business litigation in federal and state courts, as well as alternative dispute resolution. In the area of environmental law, his experience includes Endangered Species Act, natural resource damages, hazardous waste matters, cost recovery litigation under CERCLA, criminal defense of Clean Water Act enforcement, civil tort claims and regulatory matters. He has represented the Port of Seattle on issues including natural resource damage claims in the Duwamish Estuary and the impact of treaty fishing rights on the issuance of federal Section 404 permits for a major dock expansion project. His environmental practice includes natural resource damage litigation brought about by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Community leadership and professional honors include Super Lawyer 2000 and 2001, Washington Law & Politics; past chair, Seattle Metro YMCA Board of Management; graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. Mr. Freedman is a graduate of Carleton College (1977) and earned his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1982).

Mari Horita

Mari Horita is a Managing Director in the Seattle office of Major, Lindsey & Africa.  Prior to joining MLA, Mari practiced real estate law with K&L Gates and Dorsey Whitney.  She also has an extensive background in nonprofit and community service. She previously served on the boards of ArtsFund, Youthcare, the Asian Bar Association, the Japan America Society of Washington, the Japanese American Chamber of Commerce, Densho, and the Northwest Chamber Orchestra. Mari also served on the Campaign Cabinet for Denver's Mile High United Way. Mari holds a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University. Mari graduated Cum Laude from Pomona College, and also studied at Doshisha University, in Kyoto.

Robert Kaplan

Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Mr. Kaplan is a partner in Dorsey's Corporate practice group, where he focuses on international financing, privatization projects, and general business matters across continents. Mr. Kaplan has represented many clients in the seafood industry, both domestic and foreign; including participation in public financing and private debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions; and business operations. He has also been involved in infrastructure and corporate acquisition projects in the U.S., Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He is familiar with federal income taxation of nonresident aliens, foreign corporations, partnerships, and real estate transactions - knowledge vital to U.S. companies venturing and operating overseas. Mr. Kaplan has been named of the "Best Lawyers in America" for ten consecutive years. His many professional activities include serving on the Dean's Advisory Board at the UW School of Law, and as Past Chair of the Business Law Section of the WA State Bar Association. He received his A. B. from Brown University and his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1969.

Ron Knox

Partner, Garvey Schubert Barer. Mr. Knox is a partner and practices labor and employment law with Garvery Schubert Barer. Previously, he served as attorney to the National Labor Relations Board (1983-1985) and was a partner at Williams, Kastner & Gibbs LLP (1994-1996). He has been a trustee of the King County Bar Association, a member of the Loren Miller Bar Association, and serves as an advocate in the King County Superior Court's Special Advocate Program. He has been active in community, serving on the boards of the Epilepsy Association of Western Washington, Habitat for Humanity and Provail (aka United Cerebral Palsy of King and Snohomish Counties). He received his J.D. from Willamette University in 1981.

Paula Littlewood (Board President)

Paula Littlewood is the executive director of the Washington State Bar Association. Prior to taking her first WSBA post as deputy director, Ms. Littlewood was an assistant dean at the University of Washington School of Law, where she managed various departments and was instrumental in helping to secure public and private funding for the new law school building, William H. Gates Hall. Through both her position at the Law School and at WSBA she has been involved in various statewide Access to Justice Initiatives to help ensure access to legal services for all socio economic and ethnic groups. She previously traveled and worked extensively in Asia. Ms. Littlewood earned her J.D. and M.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington (1997).

Elizabeth McDougall (Board Vice President)

Partner, Perkins Coie LLC. Liz McDougall is a commercial litigation partner at Perkins Coie, a national law firm based in Seattle, Washington. Her practice focuses on civil litigation in Internet, wireless communication, and other high technology industries, including intellectual property and cybercrime civil suits and enforcement actions. Liz also handles complex commercial matters and appellate advocacy in both federal and state courts. Her pro bono commitments include prosecuting civil rights actions on behalf of low-income clients, serving as counsel for Court-Appointed Special Advocates for children in dependency and termination of parental rights proceedings, and representing victims of domestic violence in petitions for lawful immigration status. Previously, she practiced with Bogle & Gates PLLC, Seattle (1997-99) and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, New York (1993-96), and volunteered with Legal Services of the Blue Ridge, Inc. (1996-97). Liz was on the editorial board of the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce (1994-95), and served as managing editor of the NYU Environmental Law Journal (1992-93). She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law (1993).

Sharon Nelson

Sharon Nelson recently retired as the Chief of the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington Attorney General's Office and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Consumer Union. In past years, Ms. Nelson served as Director of the Shidler Center for Law, Commerce and Technology at the University of Washington School of Law. Her professional credits include chair of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (1985-1997), staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee (1976-1978). legislative counsel to Consumers Union of the United States (1978-1981); and staff coordinator for the Washington State Legislature's Joint Select Committee on Telecommunications (1983-1985). Ms. Nelson received her J.D. from the University of Washington.

Alice Ostdiek

Member, Foster Pepper PLLC. Alice Ostdiek is a partner in Foster Pepper's municipal law and public finance practice group, focusing on major infrastructure financings by governmental entities and by public-private partnerships, and advising local government entities on revenue sources and limitations. Before joining Foster Pepper in 2001, she served as a graduate research assistant with the Cascade Center for Public Service at the University of Washington's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs (1999-2001) and as a legal extern in the Office of Program Research in the Washington State House of Representatives (1998-99). Prior to that, she was the volunteer manager and a crisis counselor for Eastside Domestic Violence Program. Alice has served on the Advisory Board of the Immigrant Families Advocacy Project and has on multiple occasions authored amicus curiae briefs in coordination with the Northwest Women's Law Center. Alice received her J.D. and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington in 2001, and holds a B.A. from Grinnell College (1994).

Michael Pierson

Principal, Riddell Williams P.S. Mike's practice focuses on commercial and complex litigation. He has handled a wide variety of litigation matters, including contract, partnership, securities, unfair competition, environmental and land use, healthcare, fisheries, antitrust, real estate, personal injury, bankruptcy, and construction disputes. He is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), and has been a NITA faculty member. Mike has also provided pro bono legal representation to a variety of individuals and nonprofit organizations, including handling a successful Growth Management Act case before the Washington Supreme Court in 2005. Prior to joining Riddell Williams in 1985, Mike was a law clerk for the Honorable James A. Redden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Mike has been actively involved with a number of community groups. He is currently on the board of trustees of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society. He recently served as moderator of Plymouth Congregational Church, and he remains on its congregational council. He holds a B.A. from the University of Oregon and was a Fulbright Scholar to West Germany in 1978-79. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude.

Vanessa Soriano Power

Partner, Stoel Rives LLP. Vanessa Soriano Power is a partner in Stoel Rive's litigation practice group, focusing on complex commercial litigation. Previously, Ms. Power was an associate at Dorsey & Whitney LLP (2000-2003), an analyst for Washington State Senate Committee Services Education and Higher Education Committees (1999-2000) and law clerk for the Commissioners of the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 1 (1998). Currently, Ms. Power is a vice-president of Washington Women Lawyers, a cooperating attorney for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, works with the Gender and Equity Task Force and the King County Bar Association. She is the past president of the Northwest Women's Law Center's Board of Directors. Ms. Power received her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law (2000).

Dana Rasmussen

Dana Rasmussen is engaged in consulting with organizations on management, strategic and policy issues. She serves on several corporate and volunteer boards, including the Providence Health and Services Board and the Seattle Opera Board. In the early l990s, she served as Regional Administrator for Region 10 of the Environmental Protection Agency. In that capacity, she dealt with the full range of agency activities in the Pacific Northwest and in policy development at the federal level. She has also previously worked for US WEST as a lawyer and executive in the regulatory and public policy arenas in Washington, D.C, and at the state level in Oregon. While at US WEST, she led a team to handle major deals for the company. She is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Oregon Law School. She also completed and Executive Business Program at Stanford University.

Suzanne Skinner

Suzanne Skinner is the Director of the Civil Division of the Seattle City Attorney's Office, which provides legal services to the Mayor, City Departments and the City Council. From 1999-2001, Suzanne lived in Hong Kong where she was a founder of Civic Exchange, a public policy think tank focused on improving the quality of democratic dialog and public policy in Hong Kong. Suzanne has served as an Administrative Appeals Judge for the Washington State Environmental Hearings Office and has litigated hydropower and salmon issues for American Rivers, a national river conservation group. She has also served as an assistant US Attorney. She currently serves on board of Youth Theater Northwest and has served on the boards of the Trust for Public Lands and the Children's Campaign Fund, in addition to other community service. She received her J.D. from Northeastern Law School 1984 and undergraduate degrees from the University of Washington.

David C. Tarshes (Board Treasurer)

Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine. Dave Tarshes is a member of Davis Wright's Litigation Department, practicing in the Seattle office. His practice focuses on complex litigation and alternative dispute resolution. His civic involvement has included service on the boards of Leadership Tomorrow, the Municipal League of King County, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, Congregation Beth Shalom and the Duke Law School Alumni Association. He received his J.D., with distinction, from Duke University School of Law in 1981 and his B.S., with highest distinction, from Indiana University School of Business in 1978. He passed the Uniform CPA examination in 1978.

Bob Wagner

Bob Wagner is a Founding Member of MRW Advisory, LLC, a Seattle litigation support and management advisory firm. For the past seventeen years, Bob has assisted clients in complex commercial litigation assignments, as well as numerous forensic accounting investigations. Bob has served clients related to many industries, including real estate, financial services, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Formerly, Bob was an auditor for an international public accounting firm, as well as controller and financial officer for two privately held companies. Bob is a 1983 high honors graduate from Seattle University with a Business Administration and Accounting degree. He is an inactive Certified Public Accountant in Washington.

Louie Wu

Louie Wu is a managing director in the forensic and litigation consulting practice of FTI Consulting. Mr. Wu has over fourteen years of professional experience performing forensic accounting assignments, fraud investigations, financial analyses, and quantification of damages in commercial litigation settings. Mr. Wu has specific experience serving companies in the construction, insurance, software, wireless communications, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and retail industries, as well as local and federal government agencies. He is also a member of FTI's Construction Solutions group and has extensive experience performing construction contract audits, cost analyses, claim analyses, project monitoring, and project control reviews. Mr. Wu has a B.A. from the University of Washington (1994), is a certified public accountant, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also actively involved in the finance ministry of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow.