Press Release

Each month the Business Journal spotlights some of the legal industry’s rising stars in the Puget Sound region who are helping the business community thrive.

Tina Scott | Associate 
Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt

Areas of practice: Real estate and construction
Years in the profession: 3

Tina says law is really about peacemaking. As a contract lawyer she assists clients at the front end of projects and drafts agreements that bring parties together to strategize in order to prevent disputes down the road. Tina faces the challenge most modern attorneys do: to have a thriving private practice and a present, engaged parent. She graduated from law school with three elementary-aged children, more than a decade after getting her undergraduate degree. Tina's passion for law comes in part from the fact that it "has the power to save people from unjust punishment but also empowers people to create and build companies."

Brian Edwards | Senior attorney
McKinley Irvin

Area of practice: Family law
Years in the profession: 10

Brian started his career in clinical psychology, where he often served as a court-appointed counselor for mentally ill patients. And while he found professional satisfaction from helping his clients, Brian says he came to realize that he could have more of an impact by advocating for them in the courtroom. "I chose family law because it really matters," Brian says. "It touches on the most fundamental pieces of peoples' lives: their family, their children and their financial security." Since 2021, Brian has been included in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list and distinguished as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. He is a court appointed special advocate for children and volunteer attorney with CASA of King County.

Andy Boes | Attorney
Schroeter Goldmark & Bender

Areas of practice: Employment law, personal injury and wrongful death, product liability
Years in the profession: 1.5

As the older brother to a sister with autism, Andy says he is deeply motivated to advocate for justice, recognizing that not everyone has been afforded the same opportunities he has enjoyed. "With the right advocacy, the law can make our community a more just, equitable, and inclusive place," Andy says after graduating from Harvard Law, Andy returned home to the Pacific Northwest to advocate for clients who have endured wrongdoing at the hands of powerful institutions. Andy says his passion for justice comes from his father who is also the most important mentor. "over time, I've noticed that he takes a two-step decision-making process. First, do the right thing. And if there's no right thing, do what makes for the best story. So far, I've been happy with the results."

MaryAnn Almeida | Associate
Davis Wright Tremaine

Area of practice: Litigation, with a focus on complex litigation in the tech industry and appeals
Years in the profession: 8

MaryAnn represents a wide range of clients, from tech giants to electricity transmission providers to members of Congress. She plays a key role in representing Renton-based Wizards of the Coast in trademark and distribution matters. MaryAnn is president of Washington Women Lawyers, which promotes the rights and opportunities for women in the legal profession and advocates for equality in the law. In pro bono efforts she's represented privacy advocacy organizations as amici in a case about surveillance of social media communications. The most important piece of advice she received from a mentor: "Trust yourself."

Anne Purkey | Associate
Seyfarth Shaw

Area of practice: Real estate law
Years in the profession: 9

Anne was one of the first 10 attorneys to join Seyfarth Shaw's Seattle office and is a culture-keeper and mentor who likes to integrate new attorneys into the firm. She started her practice solely focused on environmental law but expanded to expertise to include real estate development and leasing because she realized she could make a bigger impact on a project and its surroundings by looking at real estate on a holistic level. Anne is a co-chair of NAIOP Washington's programs committee. She loves real estate law because it gives her "the opportunity to build projects that are part of communities and create space for people to work, recreate and live."

Amanda Whitely | Associate
Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson

Areas of practice: Corporate, business, estate planning, trusts and probate
Years in the profession: 6

Amanda recently changed her area of practice from aviation transaction law to estate planning and corporate law to leverage the knowledge and skills she gained by pursuing an MBA and LLM in taxation. The time and patience it takes to build expertise in a new area of practice reminded her of advice she got from a mentor: 'You need to walk before you can run.' Amanda says Lasher has a great support system in place to assist with the learning curve. Amanda says she is passionate about the law because she is helping businesses and people reach their goals.

Read the full article in the Puget Sound Business Journal.

This article was republished with permission from the Puget Sound Business Journal.

This article summarizes aspects of the law and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice for your situation, you should contact an attorney.