Van Ness Feldman is pleased to announce the election of three new partners in our Seattle office: Clara Park, Steven Willock, and Chris Zentz.
"We are delighted to welcome Clara, Steven, and Chris as our newest partners. Clients appreciate the energy and legal insight each of them brings to their representations," commented Co-Chair Doug Smith. "These are great additions to our land use, real estate, and energy regulatory practices that will fortify our teams for years to come," added Co-Chair Nancy McNally.
"Clara, Steven, and Chris have distinguished themselves not only through their professional accomplishments, but by their relationships with clients and colleagues," said Seattle Managing Partner Tadas Kisielius. "They reinforce the firm's collaborative culture."
Clara Park is a member of the firm's land use practice group and has extensive experience representing developers, property owners, and municipal clients in the areas of land use, environmental, real estate, and municipal law. Her practice focuses on securing and defending permitting for energy facilities and other major infrastructure projects facing significant opposition, helping clients navigate issues arising under the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Shoreline Management Act, Growth Management Act (GMA), and other local, state, and federal land use and environmental laws. She counsels clients on developing comprehensive permitting strategies and regularly litigates before local adjudicators, state administrative tribunals, and state and federal courts. Clara serves as the firm's Pro Bono Co-Coordinator.
Steven Willock has over 20 years of experience representing a variety of business clients, real estate developers, municipalities, housing authorities, and Fortune 500 companies with real estate transactions, commercial and office leasing, secured financing, real estate development matters, and business and corporate matters. Over the course of his career, Steven has served as both in-house and outside counsel, which allows him to provide clients a diverse perspective and broad base of knowledge and experience in additional legal areas that are critical to the operation and protection of his clients' business and financial interests. In addition to his work representing clients in the Pacific Northwest, he also provides counsel to clients in California from the firm's Bay Area office.
Chris Zentz represents energy industry clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Bonneville Power Administration, and state and local regulators. Chris has a wide-ranging electric practice. He provides counsel on transactions, due diligence, corporate transaction authorizations under Section 203 of the Federal Power Act, rate and tariff filings under Section 205 of the Federal Power Act, market-based rate authorizations, and compliance with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. Chris works on transmission and ancillary service rate cases, Open Access Transmission Tariff compliance and the Standards of Conduct, and trasmission planning. His experience includes renewable resource development along with the negotiation of transactions involving power, transmission, and storage resources.