Melissa Eckstrom

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.

Christopher T. Wion is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Intellectual Property. Christopher T., who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ronald Berenstain, a partner in the firm's Litigation practice, has been lead counsel in scores of high-stakes securities and corporate governance cases for more than 30 years. His practice is focused on representing public companies and their officers and directors, as well as underwriters and accountants in shareholder class action litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, merger and acquisition litigation, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) class action litigation, Securi...

Graehm Wallace, a partner with the firm's Litigation practice, has seventeen years of experience working in all areas of construction transactions, counseling and litigation. His work covers all aspects of contract drafting and negotiating, including preconstruction, architectural, engineering, construction-management, design-build, balance of plant (BOP), engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), turn-key, consultant, bidding, advice during construction, and claim prosecution and defe...

Michael Pfau, a Seattle-based lawyer with a national practice, has devoted a significant amount of his 30-plus year career to helping childhood sex abuse victims find justice, compensation, and closure through the legal system. He has brought hundreds of successful lawsuits on behalf of children—and adults who were sexually abused as children—against the predators and perpetrators that have hurt them, including the powerful institutions that ignored, covered-up, or acted in secrec...

Lincoln is a founding partner of Connelly Law Offices. He is a seasoned plaintiff trial lawyer with an in-depth knowledge of personal injury, civil rights and insurance bad faith law. Lincoln’s track record lists dozens of jury trials and settlements that far exceed multi-million dollar results on behalf of his clients. His powerful courtroom reputation brings him some of the best, most complicated cases in Washington state. He has a passion for taking on cases that involve the abuse of...

BACKGROUND Eric Harwood is the Chair of Seed’s Chemistry and Biotechnology Group. His practice focuses on chemical, pharmaceutical, and life science patent prosecution, strategy, and diligence matters. Eric earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at Davis ( summa cum laude ), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Organic Chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle. He received a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, where he now serves as an Adjun...

Matthew Gerend practices in the firm’s nationally recognized Complex Litigation Group, representing employees, benefit plans, and consumers in litigation to enforce antitrust laws and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”). Matt has represented plaintiffs in federal courts across the country to redress harms stemming from breaches of fiduciary duties, investment fraud, anticompetitive conduct, and other misconduct that harms employees, benefit plans, and consu...

Professional Experience As managing partner of Helsell Fetterman since 2001, Scott Collins understands the operational aspects of business and how legal issues must be addressed within greater business considerations. Utilizing that perspective, he provides clients with cost-effective legal counsel achieving practical results that serve their business goals. Scott began his career representing lenders and vendors in the fishing and boating industries of the Pacific Northwest. These were tumul...

Steve Koh chairs the firm's International Arbitration practice. In addition, Steve handles product liability, civil fraud and class action matters. He has represented clients such as The Boeing Company, OfficeMax , Boise Cascade Corporation, T-Mobile and Honeywell . Steve also acts as arbitrator in commercial matters.