Stephen J. Kennedy
Attorney at Law
Bar Admissions
Washington State Supreme Court, 1986
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 2017
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 1986
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington, 1992
Education
JD - Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cum laude, June 1986
BA - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
With high distinction, May 1982
Professional Experience
Law Office of Stephen J. Kennedy
Solo Practitioner, September 2014 to present
Ater Wynne, LLP, Seattle, Washington
Partner, January 1994 to 2014
Senior Associate, October 1990 to 1994
Garvey, Schubert & Barer, Seattle, Washington
Associate, September 1986 to October 1990
Practice Description
Practice focuses on complex civil litigation and dispute resolution in both state and federal courts, and appellate advocacy before the Washington Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Extensive experience as a litigator and trial lawyer in a wide variety of business contexts, including commercial contracts, director and officer liability, shareholder and partnership disputes, real estate, construction, employment, and environmental matters.
Honors & Awards
Peer Review Rated AV® – Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
Rated “Excellent” by avvo.com
Seattle’s Top Lawyers, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, July 2010
NAACP Champion of Civil Rights Award, 2008
Service to Education Award, St. Joseph School, 2007
Ames Moot Court Competition Finalist, Harvard Law School, 1985
Phi Beta Kappa, University of Virginia, 1981
Publications
Significant Changes to Federal Rule 26 Will Protect Communications Between Counsel and Testifying Expert Witness, Northwest Business Litigation Blog, 2010
Conflicting Decisions in Washington Court of Appeals Regarding Fraudulent Transfer Liability, Northwest Business Litigation Blog, 2007
Washington Supreme Court Holds that Pregnancy is not a “Disability” Under Employment Discrimination Laws, Northwest Business Litigation Blog, 2007
On Your Own: Your Legal Rights (co-editor), The Legal Foundation of Washington, 1991
Senior Editor, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, 1984-1986
Community Activities
Volunteers of America Western Washington. Board Member and Vice Chair, April 2018 to present.
Vietnam Education Fund, a Washington non-profit corporation. Director and Vice-President, 2015 to present. The VEF provides scholarships to needy students in Vietnam.
Covington Crest Homeowners’ Association. Board Member, June 2016 to present.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Puget Sound. Volunteered five years as a Big Brother.
Junior Achievement. Volunteered three years as a facilitator of 7-8th Grade business and economics classes.