Perkins Coie Promotes 29 Lawyers to 2026 Partner Class

November 14, 2025

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Press Release

Perkins Coie Promotes 29 Lawyers to 2026 Partner Class

SEATTLE (November 14, 2025)—Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 29 lawyers have been promoted to partner, effective January 1, 2026. The class represents lawyers from eight key practice areas that reflect Perkins Coie’s core strengths, including corporate law, litigation, and intellectual property.

“This exceptional partner class is dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for clients navigating today’s most complex legal challenges,” said Firmwide Managing Partner Bill Malley. “Each of these lawyers has shown outstanding skill and leadership in their respective practice areas. Their commitment to exemplary client service reflects the continued strength of our firm and the trust placed in us by our clients.”

The class comprises both internal talent and strategic lateral hires. The group’s experience underscores the firm's ability to provide effective legal and business solutions for clients in diverse industries and markets.

The new partner class of 2026 includes:

Eric Ashcroft (Seattle) is a member of the Federal Tax practice. Eric counsels clients on federal income tax matters related to complex business transactions, advising strategic acquirers, private equity sponsors, venture capital funds, emerging growth companies, public and private issuers of debt and equity, and high net worth individuals.

Andrew Caridas (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Regulatory Compliance & Disputes practice. Andrew advises U.S. and international clients on import, export, and foreign investment matters, including tariffs and customs compliance, trade remedies, export controls, the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Outbound Investment Security Program, as well as represent clients in related regulatory enforcement matters and litigation.

Kathrine (Katie) Cramer (Denver) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy Law practice. Katie counsels technology and advertising companies on consumer privacy, state privacy laws, and advertising technology compliance, including General Data Protection Regulation and children’s privacy issues.

Michael C. Herrera (San Diego) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy Law practice. Michael advises global technology companies, hyperscalers, and innovators on complex technology transactions, IP licensing, and strategic collaborations spanning digital infrastructure, semiconductors, quantum computing, new space, clean tech, life sciences, and AI. Michael also co-leads the firmwide Data Centers and Digital Infrastructure team, guiding clients through complex, high-value collaborations that drive the next generation of technology.

Paul Jasper (San Francisco) is a member of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring, and Financial Transactions & Regulation practices. Paul represents debtors, creditor committees, indenture trustees, secured and unsecured creditors, plan fiduciaries, and asset purchasers in nationwide bankruptcy cases, out-of-court workouts and restructurings. He also advises indenture trustees and deal parties, such as monoline insurers, portfolio managers, and bondholders, in connection with defaulted corporate bonds, structured finance, asset-backed, and other complex financings, including related risk mitigation and commercial litigation.

Briana Loughlin Johnson (Austin) is a member of the Private Client Services practice. Briana represents taxpayers in federal gift and estate tax disputes and penalty litigation against the IRS. Briana also advises executors, trustees, and beneficiaries on estate and trust administration and fiduciary litigation.

Dmitry Kagan (New York City) is a member of the Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Counseling practice. Dmitry advises clients on all aspects of patent portfolio management, including strategy and planning, development, prosecution, analysis, and strategic protection in foreign jurisdictions. He works with both newly formed companies and sophisticated corporations in multiple industries including fintech, AI, cybersecurity, aerospace, and blockchain.

Brandon Kaster (Chicago) is a member of the Corporate practice. Brandon advises clients on a variety of complex transactional matters, including M&A, equity and debt financings, joint ventures, and corporate governance. He also serves as outside counsel to many of his clients, assisting them with the full spectrum of their corporate law needs.

Ruben Tyler Kendrick (Seattle) is a member of the IP practice. Tyler focuses on patent litigation in federal courts, post-grant proceedings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and investigations at the International Trade Commission. He represents clients in cases involving various technological areas, including gaming systems, fitness equipment, video coding and decoding, casino management systems, and semiconductor devices. Tyler also maintains an active pro bono immigration practice.

Matthew R. Koerner (Phoenix) is a member of the White Collar & Investigations practice. With a proven track record of success, Matt focuses on high-stakes litigation, high-profile governmental litigation and investigations, and appeals. He has extensive experience representing aircraft manufacturers, technology platforms, fintech companies, governmental entities and officials, and corporate executives.

Andrew (Drew) C. Kuettel (Phoenix) is a member of the Corporate practice. Drew advises clients in a variety of strategic transactions, including M&A, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, debt transactions, restructurings, joint ventures, and project financings. He also provides general business counseling and guidance to help clients thrive and grow.

Tara Kurtis (Chicago) is a member of the Patent Litigation practice. Tara represents clients in patent and appellate matters across a broad range of technologies, including database systems, machine-learning technology, video compression, telecommunications systems, biotechnology, and medical devices before district courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Michelle L. Maley (Seattle) is a member of the Product Liability Litigation practice. Michelle represents manufacturers, retailers, and clients in contract and product liability disputes, and has experience in alternative dispute resolution and pro bono advocacy.

Christian W. Marcelo (Seattle) is a member of the Trademark, Copyright, Internet & Advertising practice. Christian litigates business disputes focusing on contracts, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyright litigation, and manages large-scale enforcement programs protecting his client’s IP rights.

Shirin Malkani (New York) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy Law practice. Shirin advises media and sports industry clients on complex commercial transactions, premium content rights, and emerging cross-platform distribution models. She co-chairs the firm’s sports industry group and Women in Media & Entertainment initiative, and has extensive experience structuring live sports rights deals for top media brands and technology platforms.

John Morris (San Francisco) is a member of the Environment, Energy & Resources practice. John counsels clients in the decommissioning and repurposing of legacy industrial assets and developers of complex infrastructure projects needed for the renewable energy transition. He also advises clients on environmental risk management in M&A, financings, and real estate investments and divestitures.

Nisha Nariya (Seattle) is a member of the Private Client Services practice. Nisha advises high net worth individuals and families on estate planning, tax strategies, fiduciary matters, and family office structures. Her practice also includes advising on charitable entity formation and ongoing compliance. Nisha serves on the board for Seattle Arts & Lectures and is committed to building enduring relationships with her clients and within her community.

Geoffrey Palachuk (Seattle) is a member of the Construction practice. Geoff represents public owners and private developers in all phases of commercial construction projects, managing disputes and developing risk mitigation strategies for large, complex developments.

Kaci L. Peterson (Boise) is a member of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Law practice. Kaci advises a diverse clientele—including startups, established enterprises, private equity funds, and corporate investors—on sophisticated business structuring, corporate governance, capital raising transactions, and complex buy-side and sell-side M&A, providing strategic guidance across a comprehensive range of corporate matters.

Lena Petrovic (Palo Alto) is a member of the Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Counseling practice. Lena represents technology companies in patent prosecution, portfolio analysis, and trademark management. Her 10-year tenure working as an inventor and technical director lead at Pixar on movies including Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Brave, provides Lena with a deep understanding of technology, and informs her advice to clients.

Michael (Alex) Alexander Pratt (Dallas) is a member of the Labor & Employment practice. Alex represents management-side clients in the automotive, technology, financial services, and manufacturing industries, advising on labor-management relations, union organizing, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proceedings, and employment litigation. He advises on compliance, workplace policies, and investigations, and has significant experience before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the NLRB.

Jacob L. Speckhard (San Diego) is a member of the Product Liability Litigation practice. Jacob advises leading clients in the consumer products industry, delivering innovative and strategic solutions to complex legal issues. His practice is distinguished by a commitment to client services and a proven track record of guiding industry leaders through high-stakes litigation.

Aaron Ver (San Francisco) is a member of the Business Litigation practice. Aaron handles trade secret, contract, and real estate disputes, class actions, and post-closing M&A litigation, representing clients in arbitrations, and federal and state courts across the country. Aaron serves as outside counsel to AI, crypto, and other technology clients in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, mitigating litigation risks in emerging industries. Aaron previously served as a senior adviser to two governors, a cabinet official, and a presidential candidate.

Victor (Greg) Vogel (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Regulatory Compliance & Disputes practice. Greg advises clients on government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Authority agreements, and regulatory compliance, with a focus on defense, energy, and life sciences agreements, drawing on his experience as a former U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer.

Neva Wagner (Chicago) is a member of the Real Estate & Land Use practice. Neva represents owners, operators, developers, and family offices on commercial real estate matters in the retail, hospitality, senior and multifamily housing, mixed-use, data center, and renewable energy sectors. Neva advises clients on the full lifecycle of their commercial real estate assets, including acquisition and disposition, leasing, financing, development, and joint ventures.

Christopher Wassman (Seattle) is a member of the Corporate practice. Christopher counsels publicly traded and privately held companies on capital markets transactions, securities law compliance, and corporate governance matters.

David Watnick (Portland) is a member of the Business Litigation practice. David represents clients in trial court and on appeal and advises clients in high-leverage prelitigation settings. Colleagues and opposing counsel know David as a creative legal strategist keen at identifying novel arguments to reorient challenging cases and deliver successful outcomes under pressure. David’s clients acclaim him for his written and oral advocacy skills. David represents a wide range of clients with pressing litigation needs. He also specializes in Oregon government law and has extensive experience litigating against state and local government bodies.

Christopher Wieman (Chicago) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy Law practice and co-lead of the Emerging Energy Technology industry group. He advises technology enterprises, energy companies, hyperscalers, and innovators across a wide range of industries on product development, critical infrastructure procurement, and energy technology. Chris also counsels clients on complex services and outsourcing agreements, IP sale and acquisition, AI and software licensing, and commercialization across a wide range of industries.

Wei Yuan, Ph.D. (San Diego) is a member of the Patent Litigation practice. Wei counsels clients on patent infringement disputes before the International Trade Commission and U.S. district courts and represents clients in patent validity challenges before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He advises clients on complex IP issues and manages global patent portfolios, leveraging his extensive technical background, including a Ph.D. in engineering, as well as his experience as a patent examiner and agent.

Perkins Coie is a leading global law firm, dedicated to helping the world’s most innovative companies solve the legal and business challenges of tomorrow. Learn about our work and values here.

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