Current Employment Position(s)

Member, since 1990

Year Joined Organization: 1986

Lawyer Overview

Steve's practice focuses on litigation involving state and local governments; civil service and public employment; and, land use and environmental law. His particular experience includes representation of jurisdictions on eminent domain, utilities (water, wastewater, storm water, solid waste systems), local improvement districts, facility siting and contractor litigation.

Areas of Practice

• Municipal Government
• Land Use
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• Employment and Labor Relations
• Environmental
• Condemnation and Eminent Domain
• School Law
• Appellate Team
• Energy and Utilities
• Transportation
• Construction
• Education and Schools
• Right-of-Way
• Design-Build
• Sustainable Development / Climate Change

Representative Cases

• Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority v. Miller
• HTK v. Seattle Popular Monorail
• Rabanco v. King County
• Wong, et al. v. City of Long Beach
• Tiffany Family Trust v. City of Kent
• Grant County Fire District No. 5 v. Moses Lake
• Babcock v. Mason County Fire Dist. No. 6
• Little Deli Marts, Inc. v. City of Kent
• Silver Firs Town Homes, Inc. v. Silver Lake Water Dist.
• City of Seattle v. Shepherd

West Practice Categories

Municipal Liability, Municipal Employment -- Employee, Municipal Corporations, State Government, Land Use & Zoning, Litigation & Appeals, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Employment Law -- Employer, Labor Law, Environmental Law, Eminent Domain, Condemnation, Education Law

Bar Admissions

• Washington, 1976
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington, 1993
• U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 1976
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1980
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1976

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association (State and Local Government Law and Labor and Employment Law Sections) (Member)
• Washington State Bar Association (Environmental and Land Use Law and Administrative Law Sections) (Member)
• Washington State Bar Association (Rules of Professional Responsibility Committee, Continuing Legal Education Committee) (Member)
• King County Bar Association, 1986 - 1989 (Trustee)
• South King County Bar Association, 1986 - 1988 (Trustee)
• South King County Legal Clinic (Attorney Coordinator, 1985-1986; Volunteer, 1978-1989)
• Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys
• International Municipal Lawyers Association

Honors and Awards

• Super Lawyers® List, Washington Law & Politics, 2002 - 2008
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating

Classes and Seminars

• Speaker, LIDs: Nuts and Bolts, Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (WSAMA
• Speaker, Newly Elected Officials Workshop, Association of Washington Cities Yakima, Spokane, Lynnwood, & Tacoma - January 2008
• Speaker, Eminent Domain, Lorman Seminar - Tacoma, WA - September 2006
• Speaker, Knowing the Legal Territory, Association of Washington Cities, 1988 - 2006
• Road and Access Law in Washington, National Business Institute, 1999 and 2001
• Inverse Condemnation Issues in the Direct Condemnation Setting, Law Seminars International, Seattle
• Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs, Executive Officer Labor Relations Training Courses, 1998, 1993, 1992, 1989
• The People's War: In the Trenches with Nuisances, NIMBYs, and Essential Public Facilities, Washington State Bar Association, Environmental & Land Use Law Section - May 1997
• The ABCs of LUDs, Washington Public Utility Districts Association, Mt. Vernon - July 1996, 1997

Past Employment Positions

• Foster Pepper PLLC, Associate, 1986 - 1990
• City of Kent - Kent, Washington, City Attorney, 1982 - 1986
• City of Seattle - Seattle, Washington, Assistant City Attorney, 1977 - 1982

Education

• Seattle University, School of Law, Seattle, Washington, 1976
  J.D.
• University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1973
  B.A.
  Honors: Oval Club Scholastic Honorary

Published Works

• Author, Supreme Court Holds Boundary Review Board Cannot Add Territory To Proposed Annexation, Foster Pepper News Alert, November 2006
• Author, Supreme Court Holds Government Responsible for Construction Delays Caused by Utilities, Foster Pepper News Alert, October 2006

Address

1111 Third Avenue
Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101-3299

Phones

(206) 447-8971

Faxes

(206) 749-1927

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.foster.com