Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt – one of the Pacific Northwest’s top law firms – recently announced the opening of their newest office in Anchorage, Alaska. By doing so, they have expanded their Transportation, Ports, and Maritime industry group to 29 attorneys, strengthening their presence along the West Coast. Herbert Ray, Philip Lempriere, and Zach Berne were hired for the Alaska expansion and bring to the table a combined total of over 60 years in the maritime industry. With their regulatory and environmental knowledge, and years of service in all 13 International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs as well as China and Korea P&I clubs, the three attorneys will complement Schwabe’s maritime practice.
Ray has practiced in Anchorage for almost 30 years where he developed a diverse general litigation practice that includes environmental, securities, maritime, commercial, insurance, malpractice, and white collar criminal matters. Serving as lead counsel during response operations, Ray represents clients in casualty responses in Alaska and along the West Coast of the United States. He practices before administrative agencies, in state and federal courts, and in commercial arbitrations. Berne focuses on environmental, maritime, security, and insurance affairs and is eager to learn about all maritime matters. Lempriere is a shareholder in the Seattle office. He served as both a third officer and deck cadet aboard U.S. ships, and has legal experience in almost every aspect of maritime law.
Together, the three plan to grow Schwabe’s presence in Alaska and assist clients specifically in the transportation, ports and maritime; natural resources; and real estate and construction industries.
