Larissa Chan has joined the firm. She worked with the firm previously as a paralegal and now rejoins the firm as an Associate Attorney with the Family Law group.
Mike Longyear will speak on October 25th, 2011 at the KCBA's Settlement Guardian ad Litem Training CLE.
Mike Longyear, Eric Brunstrom and Claudia Gowan will speak on November 4, 2011 ar the KCBA's 7th Annual Probrate Administration CLE. Mike will speak on Insolvent Estates; Eric will speak on Ethics, Fees and Costs of Administration: Factors to Consider; and Claudia will speak on Taxes: Tax Elections, Income and Estate.
Claudia Gowan will speak on November 15, 2011 at the Nation Business Institute's Trusts 201 CLE regarding revocable and irrevocable trusts.
Michael Longyear spoke for Ameriprise Financial on October 01, 2011 regarding Domestic Partner Tax Issues.
Jenna Ichikawa continues her internship at Reed Longyear as she begins the Autumn semester of her Law program at the University of Washington.
Claudia Gowan spoke for Society of Financial Services regarding updates to the law for federal and state estate planning purposes.
Michael Longyear spoke for the WSAJ legal staff section regarding Probate and Personal Injury Practice.
The firm is proud to announce our 2011-2012 renewal to KCBA's Pillars of the Bar.
Fred Reed was awarded Highested Possible Peer Review Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards. Fred earned this award by being rated by his peers as AV Preeminent for 25 years. AV Preeminent is the highest ranking of professional excellence through a peer review rating process that is managed and monitored by Martindale-Hubbell.
On July 16, 2011, Claudia Gowan will be speaking on Estate Planning in 2011: What Now? Selected Guidance on What You Need to Know When Advising Your Clients before the Washington State Bar Association’s 6th Annual WSBA Solo and Small Firm Conference to be held at Ocean Shores, Washington.
On July 20, 2011, Mike Longyear will speak on Avoiding Conflict of Interest at the WSBA Avoiding Elder Law Malpractice CLE Seminar.
On May 23, 2011, Mike Longyear spoke on Public Criticism of Guardians at the Washington Association of Professional Guardian"'s 2011 Spring Training.
On May 6, 2011, Michael Longyear spoke at the KCBA 2011 Title 11 Guardianship Guardian ad Litem Training. Michael spoke on legislation affecting Guardianship and Guardian ad Litem cases.
On April 22, 2011, Mike Longyear spoke on estate planning, wills and trusts at the Qlaw CLE Partners Through Time: Using the Law to Support LGBT Relationships.
On April 21, 2011, Claudia Gowan spoke before the Estate Planning Council of South King County. Her talk, entitled FROM LIMBO TO LIMBO: Catching Up, Update on Estate Tax (and other) Legislation, focused on new laws affecting estate tax planning and related matters.
RLMA hired Susie Tamfu as a legal assistant. Previously a job coach for one of the firm's office assistants, Susie will be assisting attorneys in Estate Planning and Guardianship law.
On March 18, 2011, Mike Longyear spoke at "So You Think You're a Fiduciary?", a CLE sponsored by the KCBA Guardianship & Elder Law Section about the challenges of representing professional & non-professional fiduciaries. Mike spoke about "Unique Fiduciary Duties/Challenges in Probates, Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Guardianships." More information available at the KCBA web site.
On March 3rd, Dominik Musafia was invited to be on a panel called "Making Up and Breaking Up" for Questionland.com to respond to inquiries about divorce.
On March 13, 2011, Claudia Gowan testified before the Washington State House Judiciary Committee in support of SB 5849. The subject matter of the proposed legislation was the same as that for which Claudia had previously testified before the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
March 4th through 6th, office assistant Mark Scheibel Jr. competed in the Washington State 2011 Special Olympics Winter Games. Mark competed in the cross country 10k and 5k races and the 4 by 1k relay.
On February 25, 2011, Claudia Gowan testified before the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee, in support of SB 5849, proposed legislation to amend state estate tax law to correct an ambiguity raised when new federal estate tax law took effect. Under the legislation, which was signed into law in April, 2011, a court can hear testimony on a 2010 decedent’s intent related to estate tax planning.
On February 24, 2011, RLMA was proudly named as a Table Sponsor for the 2nd Annual Lifelong AIDS Alliance Benefit Breakfast
On February 22, 2011, Claudia Gowan spoke on Income Taxation for Trusts and Estates, a continuing legal education seminar sponsored by National Business Institute on "Tax Planning for Trusts and Estates."
Michael Longyear presented at the Volunteer Reviewer Training for King County Superior Court Ex Parte Department on probate administration for attorney volunteers for the King County Superior Court Probate Review Calendar program. The training was held on February 4th at the King Country Superior Court. Attorney volunteers are trained to review pending court files and to assist pro bono parties in meeting court filing requirements.
Michael Longyear spoke at the Elder Law Best Practices CLE sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association on Janaury 21, 2011. Mike will be co-presenting on the topic of "Best Practices When Serving as a Professional Trustee or Guardian of the Estate."
Michael serves as an independent trustee and as a professional guardian as well as estate administrator in contested or complex guardianship, trust and estate matters.
On February 17, 2011, RLMA was proudly named as a Champion Sponsor for the Family Law Casa 6th Annual Breakfast.
On January 11, 2011, Claudia Gowan testified before the Washington State Senate on proposed amendments to Washington law that would provide certain State academic faculty and administrators with the same estate planning opportunities available to other State citizens.
Dominik Musafia’s article Family Law Experts Add Dynamic to Dissolution, comparing the use of experts in litigation and collaborative practice, was published in the January edition of the King County Bar Association’s “Bar Bulletin.”
Melissa Macdonald, co-chair of the Washington State Association for Justice Legal Staff section, is pleased to announce the Annual WSAJ Legal Staff Section CLE seminar, “The Electronic Office Tool Box.” To be held on February 24, 2011 at the Tacoma Marriott Courtyard, the seminar will cover topics such as Electronic Discovery, going paperless, and technology and ethical issues surrounding metadata and imbedded information in files. The seminar handles issues that affect all legal professionals, both attorneys and legal staff. WSAJ membership is not required to attend. For more information, visit the WSAJ web site: WSAJ | The Electronic Office Toolbox.
Danan G Margason has joined the firm as Associate Attorney. Danan's areas of practice include Entrepreneurial Law, Commercial Law, Small Business Law as well as Landlord-Tenant Law. He is a member of the Washingon State Bar Association and the King County Bar Association.
Danan is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law where he was Notes and Comments Editor for the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, a member of the Student Bar Association and a student representative on the Law School Admissions Committee.
Danan worked as an intern at the firm from October 2009 to December 2010.
Claudia Gowan presented on the recently enacted "Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010." Her talk was entitled From Limbo to ... Limbo, Update on Federal Estate Tax Legislation. The seminar, "Estate Tax Updates and Practice Pointers: The Lawyers Toolbox" was co-sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association and the WSBA Section of Taxation.
Julie Sommer spoke on November 13, 2010 and December 4, 2010, at the "Elder Law and Wills Project" sponsored by the King County Bar Association, Pro Bono Services program and the Loren Miller Bar Association. Julie spoke on Wills, Living Trusts and the Probate Process.
Mike Longyear, Eric Brunstrom and Claudia Gowan were speakers at the King County Bar Association 6th Annual Probate Administration Seminar held October 22nd. In addition to co-chairing the program, Mike gave a presentation on Administering Insolvent Estates; Claudia spoke on Tax Considerations During the Probate Process, including tax elections, income and estate taxes; and Eric discussed Fees & Costs of Administration: Factors to Consider and related Ethical Issues.
Melissa Macdonald has joined the firm as a paralegal. Melissa is working with the firm’s personal injury and litigation team on a variety of cases. She is also a co-chair of the Legal staff section of the Washington Association for Justice.
Dominik Musafia co-chaired and presented at the King County Bar Association “Dissolution from A-Z “Seminar. His topic for the program was on “Family Law Dissolution Time Table, Timing Issues and Choice of Action”.
Christina Corwin has returned to the firm to continue her Family and Collaborative Law practice. She is returning from maternity leave after the birth of her second daughter.
Claudia Gowan spoke on The Mechanics of Drafting and Executing Trusts at a National Business Institute continuing legal education seminar on "Navigating the Trust Process from Start to Finish."
Claudia Gowan was reappointed by the Washington Bar Association's Board of Governors to a two year term on the WSBA Legislative Committee. The Legislative Committee reviews and considers proposals from any section of the Bar Association relating to the improvement of the law and makes recommendations to the Board of Governors for a position on proposed legislation.
The firm is pleased to announce the launch of our re-designed website.
Fredric D. Reed, Michael J. Longyear, Michael C. Malnati, and Douglas W. Ahrens appear this month in Seattle Met magazine's 2010 Top Lawyers. The publication's annual list compiles the most respected lawyers in the Seattle area. The list is developed by the peer-review experts at LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbel, whose 140 year-old database includes over 1 million lawyers from 160 countries. The list includes "only those practitioners in King County who have been judged by their peers to be 'AV Preeminent' — the highest peer-review rating available."
Shane L. Yelish joined the firm as Associate Attorney in the Business & Commercial, Business Organization, Litigation, and Real Estate Groups. Shane’s practice is concentrated in general civil litigation and represents clients in the areas of construction disputes, contract disputes, landlord-tenant disputes, general business disputes, real property disputes, and collection. Shane is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, including the Litigation Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Section.
Shane is a graduate of the University of Washington, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, and a graduate of Seattle University School of Law.
John Vaughey is serving on the King County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Committee. The Committee is reviewing the administration of the program and the lawyer referral services.
We are pleased to announce that Gary L. Wolfstone joined the firm as Of Counsel. Mr. Wolfstone is no longer engaged in the private practice of law and has transferred his law practice to Reed Longyear Malnati & Ahrens.
We are pleased to announce that Dominik Musafia has joined the firm as a Senior Associate. Mr. Musafia's practice will focus on Family Law, Real Estate Transactions and General Business Law.
We are pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2009, Eric E. Brunstrom, Claudia A. Gowan and John R. Vaughey have become Members of Reed Longyear Malnati & Ahrens.