Kristen joined the firm in 2013 and practices in both the Seattle and Anchorage offices, assisting clients primarily with workers’ compensation insurance defense issues, as well as some general employment law counsel. She specializes in issues related to the Washington State Industrial Insurance Act, Washington Industrial Safety & Health Act, and Industrial Welfare. This includes representation through every stage of an LNI tax audit and subsequent assessments, defense against wage claims filed by employees, negotiations and litigation of safety violations and resulting citations, and creative problem-solving concerning management and litigation of workers’ compensation claims. Kristen recently returned to Alaska and expanded her experience to more general legal matters under Alaska law with a variety of corporate defense issues.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Kristen had a lifetime of experience in and around the construction trades by virtue of participation in her family’s general contracting business in Alaska. Kristen also comes from a family of pilots and aviation enthusiasts with many related ventures, including development and operations of a private airport in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

During law school, she served as a Staff Editor for the Florida Coastal Law Review, a Moot Court Honor Board member where she received an award for Best Brief Fourth in the Elon Law National Moot Court Competition and received the Dean’s Merit Scholarship Award for her academic achievements.

Since joining the firm, Kristen has served as a board member and officer of Professionals in Workers’ Compensation, presented at a variety of legal forums, and is an ongoing contributor of state-specific material to Thomson Reuters Practical Law.