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Jack Connely, JD
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Jack Connely, JD
John R. (Jack) Connelly is consistently named to the Best Lawyers in America, and ranked in the top lawyers in Washington State. Jack has been practicing law in the Puget Sound for over 39 years, entirely in representation of plaintiffs. He received his B.A. n Human Biology / Psychology from Stanford University and his JD from the University of California Hastings College of the Law.
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Bruce Kendall, co-chair
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Bruce Kendall
Bruce is the driving force behind the Tacoma Pierce County Economic Development Board, where he serves as President and CEO. He's an impassioned liaison to the board members and the broader community, enthusiastically advocating for regional economic opportunity in Tacoma-Pierce County. To schedule a meeting with Bruce, please contact Deborah Kelly.
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Dan Kyler, JD, Co-Chair
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Dan Kyler, JD
Partner Dan Kyler’s practice is predominantly plaintiff’s personal injury, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents and plaintiff’s medical negligence work. A portion of Dan’s practice continues to include business tort litigation and business contract litigation, including matters involving unfair business practices, trade secrets and non-compete agreements. Dan obtained his law degree from the University of Puget Sound in 1982. He obtained his undergraduate degrees, a double major in business and philosophy from Montana State University, in 1979 and 1980. Following law school, Dan become employed at Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler, where he had previously worked as an intern during law school. Dan became a partner with the firm in 1987, and served as Managing Partner from 1995 to 2013.
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Judge Lisa Mansfield, JD. Co-Chair
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Judge Lisa Mansfield, JD, Co-Chair
Judge Lisa H. Mansfield was appointed as the Municipal Court Judge in September of 2020. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Mansfield served as President of the Pierce County Minority Bar Association and as Community Outreach Vice President on the state-wide board of Washington Women Lawyers. She also served as a Pierce County Bar Association Trustee. Most of her legal career was spent as a Public Defender in the Criminal and Dependency arenas.
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Valarie Zeek
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Valarie Zeek
Valarie Zeeck joined Gordon Thomas Honeywell in 1997. Her primary areas of practice are employment law and litigation. She advises and provides training to owners, managers and employees in employment law in order to help them reduce litigation expense and risk. She also defends employers in employment-related litigation, focusing on extracting clients from litigation at the earliest possible stage.
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Seth Dawson
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Seth Dawson
Seth Dawson is an attorney with Terrell Marshall Law Group, where they practice complex civil litigation focusing on consumer protection and civil rights. Seth graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 2019 and then clerked for Justice Debra L. Stephens on the Washington State Supreme Court from 2019 to 2022. Before law school, Seth served as Senior Legislative Assistant to Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) in Washington, D.C., where their policy portfolio included federal civil rights legislation, labor and workforce protections, and federal efforts to restore the Puget Sound. Seth grew up just south of Tacoma and now lives in Hilltop with their spouse.
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Judge Diana Kiesel
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Judge Diana Kiesel
Judge Kiesel has been a Pierce County Superior Court Judge for four years and, prior to that, spent eleven years as the Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner. She is deeply committed to the Pierce County legal community and takes great pride and pleasure in encouraging students interested in legal professions.
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Andrew Yi
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Andrew Yi
Andrew Yi spent seven years as a public defender at Thurston County Office of Public Defense and is now a deputy prosecutor at the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.