| Foster Pepper Welcomes New Attorney John Sobba |
| Seattle – June 30,2008 – Foster Pepper PLLC recently welcomed John Sobba to its Seattle office. John joins Foster Pepper as an Of Counsel in its Business, Intellectual Property, Antitrust and Consumer Protection, and Health Care practice groups. Most recently an attorney in the Wenatchee office of Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC, John also practiced at Dorsey & Whitney LLP and has served as VP, General Counsel and Division Counsel for Nautilis, Inc.; Stellar One Corporation; and Intermec ... |
| Ninth Circuit Rules Employee Had Privacy Interest in Text Messages Despite ... |
| June 27, 2008 - Most employers believe that they have the right to review their employee’s electronic communications, as long as they have adopted an adequate policy advising employees that they have no privacy rights in communications made on the employer’s systems. However, the Ninth Circuit court's decision last week should cause employers – both public and private – to re-examine their policies to avoid exposure for privacy claims. Public employers, who must also comply with constitutional requirements, ... |
| UPDATE – Two Largest Municipal Bond Insurers Downgraded |
| June 20, 2008 - In recent weeks and months, Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings have downgraded or withdrawn their ratings of several municipal bond insurers. This month, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s downgraded the two largest municipal bond insurers, Ambac and MBIA. This could require action by state and local governments, bond issuers and conduit borrowers of bond proceeds. There are three areas of particular concern: (1) compliance with continuing disclosure undertakings; (2) ... |
| Foster Pepper’s Sven Peterson Selected to 2008-2009 Leadership Tomorrow Program |
| Seattle, WA – June 19, 2008 – Sven Peterson, Associate in Foster Pepper’s Health Care practice group, has been selected to the 2008-2009 Leadership Tomorrow program. Leadership Tomorrow prepares, challenges and engages emerging and existing leaders through leadership development for the benefit of the Puget Sound region. The organization's programs enlighten, inspire and transform participants, who come from a diverse array of professions and communities, by convening productive conversations around critical issues ... |
| Superior Court Finds Key Provisions of Municipal Water Law Unconstitutional |
| June 12, 2008 - King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers issued a split decision yesterday in the closely watched litigation concerning the 2003 Municipal Water Law. Click here to see Judge Rogers' decision. In 2003, the State Legislature amended the State Water Code to, among other things, provide some certainty to municipal water purveyors and other water right holders holding what are referred to as "pipes and pumps" water right certificates. In many cases, purveyors and municipalities hold "pipes and pumps" ... |