Stoel Rives Opens Alaska Office
11/12/2008

Stoel Rives LLP announces the firm's newest office at 510 L Street, Suite 500, in Anchorage, led by principals Jim Torgerson and Joseph J. Perkins, Jr., both of whom have well-established legal practices in Alaska. The office will focus on the representation of clients engaged in the exploration and development of Alaska's oil, gas and mineral resources, as well as provide the full array of business and litigation services to clients in a broad range of industries. Stoel Rives is taking over the lease from the dissolved Heller Ehrman LLP firm for its entire office space in Anchorage.

With the opening of its Alaska office, Stoel Rives, a 100+ year-old law firm, now has nearly 400 attorneys in 12 offices in eight states. Two leading annual guides for the legal industry provide current reflections on the firm from clients and peers: Best Lawyers 2009 ranks the firm 1st in more than 70 law practice categories in the states and cities where the firm has offices, as well as 1st in the U.S. in Water Law. The 2008 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, provides the following client quotes about Stoel Rives:

• About the firm's environmental and natural resources practice — "Some of the most creative practitioners around...Keeping up but also thinking ahead."
• About the firm's corporate practice — "Comprehensive array of professionals operating at an immensely high level."
• About the firm's litigation practice — "You go there when you simply must have the best."

Torgerson, who will serve as Stoel Rives Anchorage office managing partner, joins with Andrew F. Behrend, of counsel, and associates Yvonne Lamoureux and Wei-Drin Lee, all formerly with Heller Ehrman. Torgerson, who specializes in complex commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense, served as the Chief of the Criminal Section and the Chief of the Civil Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage before joining Heller Ehrman in 1998. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading litigator in Alaska, designated an Alaska "Litigation Star" by Benchmark: Litigation, listed in Super Lawyers for his Alaska litigation practice and is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America.

Torgerson represents the following clients, among others: Alaska Airlines, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, CIRI, Koniag Development Corporation, KPMG LLP, NANA Development Corporation and Peak Oilfield Service Co.

Joseph Perkins joins Stoel Rives with land assistant Joel Stratman; both were previously with Guess & Rudd. Perkins has practiced natural resources law in Alaska for nearly 30 years. He has worked for virtually every major mining, oil and gas company active in Alaska, for their lenders in particular transactions and for several Alaska Native regional corporations. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the area of natural resources law. He has also been listed in Chambers USA for his accomplishments in environment, natural resources and utilities law, in Who's Who Legal—The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for his mining experience and in Super Lawyers for Alaska for his energy and natural resources practice.

"Alaska's oil, gas, coal and hard rock minerals will be crucial components of the nation's energy strategy and economic well-being for the foreseeable future," said Perkins. "I look forward to enhancing Stoel Rives ability to serve clients engaged in the responsible exploration and development of these resources."

"We're really pleased to be a part of establishing Stoel Rives office in Anchorage," said Torgerson, Stoel Rives new Anchorage office managing partner. "Stoel Rives already has a superb reputation in Alaska after serving its energy and natural resource clients here for many years from its Seattle and Portland offices. This move gives us the opportunity to continue providing service to our existing Alaska clients and to be a part of Stoel Rives deepening commitment to the Alaska marketplace," Torgerson added.

"We have represented oil and gas companies, hotels, hospitals, ski resorts, utilities, retailers and manufacturers in Alaska for years," said Robert Van Brocklin, Stoel Rives managing partner. "Opening a new office in Alaska was a natural next step for us. These well-known and respected attorneys bring sophisticated litigation, corporate and energy law experience to the firm's Alaska practice. We look forward to the possibilities for our clients to work with them."

Additional bio information:

Andrew F. Behrend practices general litigation and employment law, including employment disputes, large contract disputes, business torts, misappropriation of trade secrets, insurance coverage, antitrust violations, employee pension benefits and violations of environmental law.

Yvonne Lamoureux's practice encompasses a variety of litigation matters, including contract disputes, environmental litigation and white collar criminal defense.

Wei-Drin Lee represents business entities in patent litigation suits, utility clients in energy-related litigation and other general litigation matters.

Joel Stratman, a professional geologist, has more than 20 years experience as a legal assistant and landman. He is experienced in retrieval, examination and analysis of public land records needed in connection with petroleum, mining and right-of-way projects in Alaska.

Stoel Rives LLP is a business law firm providing corporate and litigation services to a wide range of clients throughout the United States. The firm has nearly 400 attorneys operating out of 12 offices in eight states. Stoel Rives is regarded as a leader in energy, real estate, project development, land use and construction, natural resources, environmental, litigation, corporate and intellectual property law. The firm has offices in: Anchorage, Alaska; Boise, Idaho; Denver, Colo.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Tahoe City, Calif.; Vancouver, Wash. For more information, visit www.Stoel.com.