Stoel Rives Promotes Nine Attorneys to Partner

Firm advances diverse group of five women, four men in key practices across U.S.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Stoel Rives LLP, an Am Law 200 law firm, today announced nine of its attorneys were promoted to the partnership effective January 1, 2021. This year’s class of new partners includes five women and four men who practice in the firm’s offices in Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Portland and Boise. Three are transactional attorneys, three are litigators, one is in real estate, one in labor and employment and one in the private client practice.

“Our new partners demonstrate the exceptional legal talent we have at Stoel as well as the firm’s client-first culture,” said Melissa A. Jones, Firm Managing Partner. “The depth and breadth of this partner class will be instrumental to shaping strategy and management of our firm as we look to the future.”

The nine new Stoel Rives partners are:

Boise/Portland

Susan Beckert Bock assists clients plan for the succession of their wealth both during life and at death in a tax-efficient manner. Her practice includes advising clients on income, estate, and gift tax issues, charitable planning, international estate planning, and the administration of estates and trusts. She also works with families and closely held businesses to promote business succession planning and the creation of small family businesses. While based in Portland, Susan spends time in the firm’s Boise office providing estate planning services to Idaho clients. A graduate of Duke University School of Law, Bock has successfully represented clients before the IRS and U.S. Tax Court regarding valuation of closely held business interests. She also represents numerous tax-exempt organizations. Susan is president of the Bryn Mawr Alumnae Club of Portland, a member of the Duke Portland Alumni Board, and is a Board Member and secretary of both the Oregon Recovery High School Initiative and Harmony Academy. Susan volunteers at Elder Law Clinics through Legal Aid Services of Oregon.

Portland

Crystal Chase focuses on environmental and natural resources litigation, condemnation and real property litigation, and appellate matters for clients in the manufacturing, natural resource, agribusiness, and energy industries. She also has significant experience litigating matters under Oregon’s Administrative Procedures Act. She helps clients navigate all phases of litigation, from motions practice through trial, and if necessary, appeal. A magna cum laude graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, she serves on the boards of the Classroom Law Project and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society.

Heather Stewart is a member of the corporate practice group and the Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group. She advises sponsors and developers in the financing of renewable energy projects, including the structuring and negotiation of construction and term debt facilities, mezzanine debt facilities, letter of credit facilities, and cash and tax equity investments, and has been involved in the financing of scores of solar projects throughout the U.S. Stewart also regularly advises clients in connection with the acquisition of operating and development stage renewable energy projects. She is a graduate of Duke University School of Law.

Salt Lake City

Mark Bonham, a member of the Corporate group, is co-chair of the firm’s Technology & Life Sciences practice. He provides counsel to technology, life sciences, software, internet-based, and electronics companies and the venture capital funds and strategic investors that finance those emerging businesses. He has significant knowledge of startups, venture financing, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, equity compensation, business strategy, IPOs, SEC reporting, and exit strategy. Bonham has strong relationships with tech startups and emerging businesses in Salt Lake City. Prior to joining Stoel, he had been a partner in a BigLaw firm for 20 years, was a principal in a business consultancy advising technology companies in all stages of business from startup to growth and succession, and served as a director of a NYSE-listed software company. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he has been awarded Utah Corporate “Lawyer of the Year,” Salt Lake City-area Venture Capital Law “Lawyer of the Year” and Salt Lake City-area M&A “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers^®.

Nate Hurlbut is a corporate lawyer whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and other transactions. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, he draws on his substantial technical and strategic experience to lead buyers and sellers through complex deals, offering unique perspectives and practical solutions to resolve obstacles. Nate also acts as outside general counsel to numerous clients and regularly advises companies and investors on the formation and structuring of new businesses, private equity and debt financings, recapitalizations, corporate governance, regulatory matters, executive compensation and complex commercial relationships.

San Francisco

Bao M. Vu is a consumer products attorney. He regularly helps clients comply with California's Proposition 65 and advertising and chemicals-related product safety laws and regulations established by federal agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, and California agencies, including the Air Resources Board, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Department of Toxic Substances Control, and Attorney General. He also advocates for stakeholders in rulemaking proceedings. His clients include industrial facilities and other manufacturers, packagers, distributors, and retailers of food, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, apparel, footwear, and fashion accessories. He has significant experience representing clients in trial and appellate courts too, representing clients throughout the U.S. when they are sued or are the subject of government investigation for alleged violations of consumer protection, competition, and environmental laws and regulations. A graduate of UC Davis School of Law, Bao is active in the community, regularly mentoring LGBTQ law students and serving as a director on the boards of organizations that provide services to those who are economically disadvantaged in the regional Asian-American community or living with HIV/AIDS.

Seattle

Rachel Groshong serves as Chair of the firm’s Transportation Subgroup of the Consumer Products, Manufacturing, and Transportation industry group. Rachel has experience trying cases in both federal and state courts in Washington, and has argued multiple cases before the Washington State Court of Appeals. She has extensive experience handling business and contract disputes and has also handled complex commercial disputes in the areas of healthcare, construction and design, environment, and real estate. Rachel also has significant experience with eDiscovery and has overseen the collection, review, and production of millions of documents and drafted and argued countless discovery motions to the courts and discovery masters. After earning a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law, Rachel clerked for Justice Charles W. Johnson of the Supreme Court of Washington (2013–2014). She was also an extern to the Honorable Beth Andrus in King County Superior Court (2012). Rachel recently served as the Chair of the Seattle University Public Interest Law Foundation Steering Committee and served for the last four years on the King County Washington Women Lawyers Board.

Sallie Lin is an attorney in the Real Estate group advising clients on a wide range of matters, including financing, leasing, acquisitions, and partnerships. She counsels clients on development and construction projects, including affordable housing projects that leverage Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), tax-exempt bond financing, state and local funding, and equity investment. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Lin represents nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, for‑profit developers, educational institutions, and lenders. She joined Stoel Rives as an OnRamp Fellow. Her prior experience as a housing developer with the Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle has provided her with valuable experience in the development process and a practical analysis of the risks in development. She is a Board member of the Boyer Children’s Clinic.

Christopher T. Wall has won jury verdicts in state and federal courts and prevailed in arbitration and administrative forums. Chris strategically advises employers how to preempt litigation before it starts and resolve employment disputes in the most cost-effective manner. Chris manages all aspects of employment litigation, with a focus on class actions, wage cases, and pay equity matters. Chris also has experience in state and federal trucking regulatory compliance. He earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and currently serves on the CFO Leadership Council Steering Committee and the Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference Planning Committee.