United States: Lane Powell Elects New Shareholders

Lane Powell is pleased to announce that eight attorneys have been elected shareholders of the firm, effective January 1, 2023. These individuals are committed to providing outstanding legal counsel to clients on complex and significant matters while also demonstrating leadership that supports Lane Powell’s mission of being trusted advisors. This talented group, of which 50 percent are diverse attorneys, signifies Lane Powell’s ongoing commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive team.

Katie Bass (Seattle) advises clients on complex civil litigation matters in highly regulated industries. She has represented clients in federal and state court through all stages of litigation, including dispositive motion practice, jury trials, and arbitration. Bass has particular experience helping businesses develop strategies to manage and resolve disputes with their customers. She is included in the Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch” list in the area of Commercial Litigation and named a “Washington Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters in the area of Business Litigation. Bass received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her B.A. in Political Science and Comparative History of Ideas, cum laude, from the University of Washington.

John Coughlan (Seattle) advises clients on corporate and transactional matters from formation through exit, with an emphasis on capital strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Coughlan is active in the Puget Sound startups community, serving as a Rule 9 supervising attorney for the University of Washington School of Law Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, a position he has held since 2017. He was recently profiled in Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Next Generation in Law” series. Coughlan received his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Washington.

Liz Davis (Portland) advises businesses and nonprofits — from startups to established market leaders — on corporate and transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, business formation, corporate reorganizations, succession planning, and general corporate counseling. She is included in the Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch” list in the areas of Corporate and Nonprofit/Charities. Davis received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Albany Law School of Union University and her B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Union College.

Courtney McFate (Portland) provides timely, thoughtful, and strategic legal advice to clients regarding a wide variety of employment matters. An Oregon native, McFate enjoys helping employers find practical solutions to challenging legal problems. Prior to joining Lane Powell, McFate was in-house employment counsel for a large consumer services company in California, acting as a strategic legal partner for human resources and all business units. She is active in her local community, serving on the Board of Directors for both The Portland Montessori School and Community Pathways, Inc. McFate received her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law, her M.A. in Communication Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, and her B.A. in Women’s Studies from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Paul Ohainle (Seattle) counsels individuals and high net worth families on estate and gift planning, estate and trust administration, and business succession issues. Prior to joining Lane Powell, Ohainle was Director of Estate Planning Education at a wealth management company, where he applied his estate planning experience from Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington to guide wealth transfer strategies in relation to estate tax and gift tax planning. Ohainle received his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington, his J.D. from the University of California at Davis School of Law, and his B.A. in History and Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.

Rishi Puri (Portland) provides practical and strategic advice regarding a wide variety of employment matters, including employee data privacy. Puri works with small and large employers, and advises clients with respect to claims involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, disability accommodation, ERISA and non-ERISA employee benefit claims, and wage/hour claims. He counsels clients on a broad scope of issues ranging from top-down corporate policy to management of data breaches and creation of data security policies. Puri also has deep expertise with California wage and hour issues, including compliance and litigation of single employee claims to complex representative actions. He also serves as a Pro Bono Attorney for the ACLU. Puri received his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and his B.S. in Economics and Finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.

Aaron Schaer (Seattle) counsels clients on matters involving commercial litigation, class actions, health care law, franchise matters, and environmental law. Clients appreciate Schaer’s objective approach to solving problems and his ability to efficiently identify the pivotal issues in each case. Schaer describes his approach as deliberate, ensuring that he has a deep understanding of the law, the facts, and the client's needs to tailor his recommendations. He is included in the Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch” list in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Administrative/Regulatory and named a “Washington Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters in the area of Business Litigation. Schaer serves on the Board of Trustees for the Frankel Jewish Academy. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A., cum laude, in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University.

Hank Stebbins (Portland) represents public and private corporations in complex litigation and labor and employment matters in federal and state courts. His experience includes enforcing employment arbitration agreements, independent contractor agreements and discrimination claims, wage and hour class actions, and non-competition enforcement and trade secret litigation. Stebbins also regularly provides businesses with strategic advice regarding regulatory issues affecting their day-to-day operations. He is named an “Oregon Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters in the area of Employment & Labor. Stebbins received his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Indianapolis.