Gordon & Rees LLP, a law firm founded in San Francisco in 1974, has been on the fast track of national expansion, with its 16th office opening in Seattle effective March 10. The new Seattle office follows closely on the heels of the opening of a Chicago office earlier this year.

Miles Scully, Strategic Growth Partner of Gordon & Rees, noted, "Seattle has been on our radar screen for some time; we have been seeking experienced lawyers whose culture and clients are similar to ours. We have found that with David Silke and Donald Verfurth."

Firmwide Managing Partner Dion Cominos added that "establishing a strong foothold in Seattle to bolster our existing office in Portland and presence in Oregon was a key part of our strategic growth strategy for the Pacific Northwest. We are fortunate to be able to bring on such talented attorneys whose practices so closely compliment our own."

Commenting on their move to Gordon & Rees, Silke and Verfurth pointed out that the firm's Pacific Northwest, national, and international presence will allow them broad support for their clients.

Silke and Verfurth, both former partners from Carney Badley Spellman, will lead Gordon & Rees' Seattle office as Co-Managing Partners. Silke and Verfurth will be joined by partners Neal Philip and Linda Clapham and associate Sarah Turner, who are also making the move from Carney. The office will initially focus primarily on employment, insurance coverage, commercial litigation, environmental/toxic tort and appellate law. Silke and Verfurth expect to expand the capabilities of the Seattle office to service the needs of the firm's clients.

Silke's specialty is employment law, including litigation and advice on wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour laws, and insurance coverage litigation related to employment matters. He also has extensive experience with class action litigation, and environmental law representing municipalities and private companies.

Verfurth's practice focuses on insurance coverage, and he also represents numerous businesses and municipalities in a variety of environmental matters, including regulatory issues, toxic torts and general environmental defense.

Neal Philip practices in the areas of insurance coverage, environmental law, toxic tort litigation, and appellate advocacy. Linda Clapham has extensive insurance coverage experience, primarily on behalf of London Market Insurers. She also has an active appellate practice. Sarah Turner specializes in employment litigation and advice.

Silke, Verfurth and Philip are licensed in Washington and Oregon and all three maintain active practices in both states. Gordon & Rees intellectual property partner Richard Sybert will also be practicing out of the Seattle office as well as Gordon & Rees' California and Oregon offices. Sybert has litigated a number of high-profile cases in the past year including successfully securing the trademark name MALIBU PIER for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the name SURF CITY for the Huntington Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The last six years have witnessed a steep growth curve for Gordon & Rees as new offices have opened in Phoenix, Portland, Dallas, Houston, Denver, New York, Newark, Long Island and Chicago. Correspondingly, the attorney count has grown to more than 350 attorneys, putting the firm at number 148 in the National Law Journal's list of the country's largest firms.