Stoel Rives Welcomes OnRamp Fellows

Am Law 200 firm participates in “returnship” program

PORTLAND, Ore. — Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that two female attorneys, Sallie Lin and Alyssa M. Petroff, have joined the firm as OnRamp Fellows in the firm’s Portland and Seattle offices. Stoel Rives is one of only 29 law firms in the US, Australia, and the UK involved in this revolutionary program for female lawyers. The fellowship is a re-entry program for experienced women in the legal and financial services industries who want to return to those professions after a period of time away. It offers participants career development through education, training, and one-on-one coaching with career experts.

“Our clients are diverse and our law firm strives to be just as diverse. Programs such as the OnRamp Fellowship enable us to attract and retain top female attorneys,” said Stoel Rives Managing Partner James Torgerson.

The OnRamp Fellowship was initiated to close the gap between female and male lawyers in leadership roles at law firms. According to the American Bar Association, 36 percent of lawyers are women. In large firms, the genders are nearly evenly split at the entry level, but many women leave the legal profession after a few years. As a result, only 18 to 21 percent of partners are women. This “hidden brain drain” is often called the “leaky talent pipeline,” and the OnRamp Fellowship was initiated to enable women who have taken time off from their careers to reenter the profession.

The first OnRamp Fellow placed in the Seattle market, Lin focuses her practice on real estate law. She has closed numerous transactions for real estate acquisition and construction financing and counsels clients on minimizing and assessing risks. She has represented nonprofit organizations, investors and lenders, and her experience as a housing developer with the Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle gives her valuable insight into the concerns inherent in the development process.

Lin is a member of Washington Women Lawyers and the Mother Attorney Mentoring Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a master’s of business administration from Sydney Business School, and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

Petroff joins Stoel Rives as the first and only OnRamp Fellow placed in the Portland market. She focuses her practice on business law. Before joining Stoel Rives, she represented business leaders in various disputes including control contests, partnership disputes, derivative actions, removal of a general partner, claims of fraud and breaches of fiduciary duties. She also regularly negotiated contracts on behalf of a Fortune 100 company.

Petroff’s experience advising funds, investors, managers and limited and general partners gives her insight on issues affecting corporations and various private investment funds. She most recently collaborated with small wineries in the Willamette Valley and a Portland start-up snack food business to help grow their operations.

Petroff is a member of Oregon Women Lawyers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and French from Wellesley College, and she earned her law degree from the University of Virginia. 

About Stoel Rives LLP: Stoel Rives is a leading U.S. corporate and litigation law firm. One of the largest national firms focused on energy, natural resources, environmental and climate change, Stoel Rives also serves the agribusiness, food and beverage, health care, life sciences and technology industries. With more than 350 attorneys operating out of 10 offices in seven states and the District of Columbia, Stoel Rives is a leader in regulatory and compliance matters, business, labor and employment law, intellectual property, land use, real estate development and construction law. For more information, follow us @stoelrives or visit www.stoel.com.