Brian W. Esler

Barbara Mahoney is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Barbara, who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Barbara is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Craig Sims is a shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender and an accomplished trial lawyer with more than 25 years of litigation and leadership experience. He represents individuals and families in complex, high-stakes cases, securing multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, including the largest asbestos jury award in Oregon. A former Criminal Division Chief in the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and Senior King County Prosecutor, Sims has led major prosecutions and trial team...

Georges Yates, a partner and chair of the firm's International practice, focuses his practice on: international business transactions and joint ventures; mergers and acquisitions; cross-border business operations, investment and taxation; real estate acquisitions, syndications, finance, leasing and development; and corporate finance (equity and debt). He serves as outside general counsel to a number of public and private companies. He also coordinates strategic relationships between Perkins C...

BACKGROUND Marc C. Levy’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and disputes including trademark, copyright, and patent litigation. Marc’s litigation and trial experience extends to numerous federal courts across the country. Marc received his J.D. cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1989 and his A.B. in Philosophy from the University of California Berkeley in 1986. Marc is admitted in Washington and Colorado and many federal district and appellate courts. EXPERIE...

Joe Wallin advises founders, startups, growth companies, investors, and acquirers on the legal issues that matter most in building, financing, and scaling businesses. His practice spans the full business lifecycle — from company formation to exit — and includes counsel on equity compensation, angel and venture financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other significant business transactions. He also brings deep tax knowledge to his work, holding an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU and s...

Eric M. Stahl is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Communications Law, Copyright Law, First Amendment Law and Media Law. Eric M., who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tana Materi has been with Carney Badley Spellman since 1999, serving as a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Chair of its Business Department. Her practice focuses on corporate, finance, and M&A transactions, including representing buyers and sellers across a broad range of industries — retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, food and beverage, construction, dental services, aerospace, and more. She also works extensively with family-owned and closely held businesses on contract...

Derek Ko is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Information Technology Law and Technology Law. Derek, who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Derek is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rory D. Cosgrove is a Seattle-based appellate attorney at Carney Badley Spellman who focuses exclusively on civil appeals in state and federal courts. Recognized by Washington's appellate courts as the "Cadillac" of appellate lawyers, Rory has served as lead counsel in numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Washington's appellate courts, including the Washington Supreme Court. Rory is also the premier embedded appellate counsel in the Pacific Northwest &md...

Valerie Hughes, a partner with the firm's Labor and Employment practice, has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of employment litigation, discrimination and harassment litigation, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and administrative proceedings. In addition to her representation of private employers, Val provides general counsel representation to Washington school districts, including state and federal court litigation and administrative hearings.