2009
Summer Associate Bios
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PORTLAND
Sara Bergan
Sara has completed her second year at the University of Minnesota Law School where she is a Donald G. Marshall and Stone Scholarship recipient and a member of the environmental moot court. After graduating cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College with a B.A. in environmental studies, Sara served as a human rights intern for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, as an intern with the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor with the International Labor Organization, and as an energy intern for Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy. For eight years she worked for the Great Plains Institute, first as a program associate from 1999 to 2000 then as the executive director from 2000 to 2007. Sara holds a M.P.P. from Princeton University. Recently, she has volunteered with Common Grounds and the Student Hurricane Network.
Catherine Gonzaga
Catherine returns to the firm after completing her second year at the University of Washington School of Law, where she is vice president of the International Legal Society. During her second year, she helped organize a seminar for the student body and Seattle legal community called, "The Legal Side of Social Lending: The Role of the Legal Professional in Microfinance." The event was both a fundraiser for the organization and a Washington State Bar CLE accredited course. Catherine also participated in the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic as a second-year research assistant, researching the development of a new for-profit/non-profit business entity, the L3C. Catherine graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in communications and theatre from Hawaii Pacific University and cum laude with a B.A. in French from the University of Texas. Before law school she worked as a coffee, tea, and chocolate buyer for Whole Foods Market in Austin, Texas and Chicago. She is also a thespian and was a comedy writer, an actor, and a magician’s assistant with Esther’s Follies based in Austin. Catherine enjoys capoeira, running with her dog, and cooking.
Rachel Hoffman
Rachel has completed her second year at Lewis & Clark Law School where she is on the Editorial Board of Environmental Law and earned an award for best oral advocate in the first-year Appellate Advocacy Competition. For the past year, she has worked at Bonneville Power Administration as a law clerk in the transmission section of the Office of General Counsel. Rachel graduated with honors with a B.S. in environmental engineering from Tulane University where she was an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and involved in post- Hurricane Katrina restoration efforts. In her free time, she enjoys live music, exploring the Pacific Northwest, playing cards, and yoga.
Daniel Kwak
Daniel returns to the firm after finishing his second year at the University of Oregon School of Law where he is the Sports and Entertainment Law Forum’s assistant entertainment director and a member of both the Minority Law Student Association and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. He received his B.A. in speech communication from the University of Washington. His endeavors before law school included working at the University of Oregon as a campus staff intern for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, as a national accounts sales administrator for Loud Technologies, Inc., and most recently as the creative director of New Wine Records, Inc., an independent music label specializing in artists involved with nonprofit organizations and community service. Daniel has also volunteered for Boys and Girls Club of America and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Nathan Moceri
Nathan has completed his third year of a four-year joint M.B.A./J.D. program at Pepperdine University where he is a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and the International Justice Mission, and director of the Social Entrepreneurship Workshop at the Graziadio School of Business and Management. He earned his B.S. in business administration, also from Pepperdine. Prior to law school, he worked as a museum assistant for the Fredrick R. Weisman Museum of Art, and after his first year of law school, he spent the summer in London as an intern at Mischon de Reya, a firm that practices art law. From January until May of 2009, he has served as NIKE’s legal extern. Nate has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of America and enjoys painting, playing and producing music, and singing. Several of his instrumental compositions have aired on MTV.
Hana Nielsen
Hana has completed her second year at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law where she is a member of the Boalt Hall Women’s Association, Berkeley Health Law Society, and Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in sociology also from the University of California, Berkeley. After earning her B.A., Hana lived in Yinchuan, China and worked as an English teacher for a year at Ningxia Agricultural College; then from 1999 to 2001 she lived in Kunming, China and studied Mandarin Chinese at Yunnan University. Prior to law school, she worked as a benefits analyst for Milliman Inc. in the Employee Benefits/Health & Welfare Group. She also spent time in Washington D.C. working for the World Resources Institute as a project coordinator for the Digital Dividends Project. Hana’s volunteer experience includes interning for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration in San Francisco, being a counselor for the Bay Area Women Against Rape, and interning for the Benton County District Attorney’s Office in victim services. She speaks Chinese and Spanish and enjoys skiing, scuba diving, and social dancing.
Brant Norquist
Brant has completed his third year of law school at the University of Oregon where he is enrolled in the four-year joint M.B.A./J.D. program. He graduated maxima cum laude with a B.A. in political science and philosophy from the University of Portland. A Northwest native, Brant was a business partner in WeatherGreeter (a small business that provided weather forecast display service to more than 80 hotels and coffee shops) from 2001 to2008. As an undergrad, Brant attended the University of Notre Dame in Australia on a study abroad program and worked on Congressman David Wu’s reelection campaign. After his first year in law school, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Christopher R. Bauer, Oregon’s Sixth Judicial Circuit. Brant’s activities at the University of Portland included serving as the mock trial team’s vice president and national team captain, and founding and leading the chess club. He is a staff editor for the Oregon Law Review and a member of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law Program.
Mike Owens
Mike has completed his second year of law school at Willamette University where he is a law review executive editor, a Moot Court Board member, and the winner of the First-Year Appellate Competition in oral argument. He graduated with a B.S. in journalism from the University of Wyoming where he was the assistant coach of the debate team. As an undergrad, he worked his way from reporter to the editor-in-chief of the University of Wyoming’s newspaper. He also worked as a member of a group home support service staff for Ark Regional Services, Inc. and as a faculty lecturer and graduate assistant for an argumentation course and debate team at Oregon State University. Most recently, he has worked at the Appellate Division of the Oregon Department of Justice. Mike has an M.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Oregon State University.
Rob Teel
Rob returns to the firm this summer after completing his second year at the University of Michigan where he is a member of the Native American Law Student Association, the Business Law Association Finance Committee, and the Intellectual Property Student Association. Before law school he worked as a software engineer at L-3 Communications in Salt Lake City and as a venture analyst and student associate at Lassonde New Venture Development Center. Robert also worked as a software engineer at Colmek Systems Engineering in Salt Lake City and as a law office intern at the Law Office of Kara Daley where he researched personal injury cases and prepared memoranda on applicable law. Robert has an M.B.A. from the University of Utah and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Oregon State University.
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SEATTLE
Christina Asavareungchai
Christina returns to the firm after completing her second year at Yale School of Law. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English with an African studies minor from the University of Washington where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. As an undergrad, Christina received seven journalism and writing awards, received the Mary Gates Leadership Award for creative leadership and public service, and was a member of the English Departmental Honors Program. Before law school, Christina worked as an immigration paralegal at Microsoft. In addition, Christina has worked as a reporting intern for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and a youth opinion writer for the Seattle Times. Christina’s hobbies include writing, reading, trail running, playing with her dog, and appreciating good food.
Amena Jefferson
Amena has completed her second year of law school at the University of Washington School of Law. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with honors with a B.A. in American studies with an emphasis in race, law and social movements and a minor in African American studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007. Amena is the current president of UW Black Law Students Association and has been instrumental in working on initiatives to address issues of diversity at the law school. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and is the 2008-2009 Charles Z. Smith Scholarship Recipient. This summer in addition to returning to Stoel, Amena will be working at the King County Prosecutor’s Office as a Rule 9 Intern. Amena enjoys ballet and jazz dancing, cooking, participating in mock trial competitions, going to movies, and spending time with family.
Alex Oh
Alex returns to the firm after completing his second year at the University of Wisconsin Law School where he was elected vice president for community affairs of the Student Bar Association and is the senior submissions editor of the Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society. Alex is also pursuing an M.S. in biotechnology and is a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry. He was awarded "Best Respondent Brief" in the Skadden Arps Foreign Direct Investment International Moot Competition and his brief will be published in the Vale-Columbia Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy 2008-2009. Alex is the senior managing editor for the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Symposium Law Journal and treasurer for the Intellectual Property Student Organization. Alex received his B.S. in neurobiology and his B.A. in communications from the University of Washington. Alex enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Brooke Densmore Williams
Brooke has completed her second year at the University of Washington School of Law where she is the president of the GreenLaw environmental law society. She was a law clerk at Puget Sound Energy and served as an extern to the Honorable Ricardo Martinez in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Brooke received a B.A. in geology from Vassar College in 2002 and worked for several years as a Congressional staffer for Rep. David Wu (1st District-Oregon) and Rep. Jay Inslee (1st District - Washington) prior to entering law school. Brooke has a longstanding interest in public policy and environmental issues, and is thrilled to be working as a summer associate at Stoel. She enjoys yoga, novels, cooking, walking with her dog, and those rare Sundays when she can make it all the way through the New York Times.
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SALT LAKE CITY
Jose Abarca
Jose has completed his first year at the University of Iowa College of Law. He graduated with a B.S. in psychology from Brigham Young University and a M.S.W. from the University of Utah. While earning his graduate degree, Jose worked as a research assistant investigating the connections between serious mental illness, prison recidivism, and mental health treatment for persons released from Utah State Prison. Before attending law school, Jose worked in the Utah criminal justice system with offenders suffering from addiction. When he has free time, Jose enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family.
Adrienne Bell
Adrienne has completed her second year at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. She graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in art history, and earned an M.S. from the University of Texas at Austin in community and regional planning. She recently completed internships with Justice Jill Parrish of the Utah Supreme Court and with the Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office. Before law school, she spent several years working as a Baltimore city planner and then as a development director for a regional real estate development firm that specialized in historic preservation and brownfield redevelopment. Adrienne enjoys exploring Utah’s amazing scenery with her family, growing heirloom tomatoes, and cooking Mexican food.
Timothy Considine
Tim has completed his second year at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. He graduated with honors with a B.Sc. in pharmacology with a minor in biochemistry from the University College Dublin. Before law school, Tim worked for 15 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries designing and running clinical development programs for a variety of investigational drugs. Last summer, Tim clerked at Howrey LLP in Salt Lake City. He is a member of the Utah Law Review, was recently awarded best oralist and best brief in the Traynor Moot Court Competition, and will represent the College of Law on the national moot court team next year. Tim enjoys spending time with his family and, when time allows, participating in Ironman and half- Ironman triathlons.
Justin Flanagan
Justin has completed his first year at The George Washington University Law School. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in electrical engineering. Prior to law school, Justin became a registered patent agent and has continued working part-time during law school. He spends his free time with his family relaxing and playing. Justin also enjoys everything outdoors, especially backpacking, fishing, hiking, and snowboarding.
Jeffrey Gritton
Jeff has completed his second year at Harvard Law School. He graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in physics and with an M.S. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Last summer he worked at Vinson & Elkins in Austin, Texas and Foley & Lardner in Boston, Massachusetts. He spent last year as a student fellow at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School.
Terrece Pearman
Terrece has completed her first year at the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in biochemistry and from St. Louis University with a Ph.D. in pharmacology and physiology. She spent 12 years as a research scientist in both the academic setting and biotech/pharmaceutical industry. Along the way, Terrece became interested in IP law and the business side of the tech industry. Terrece is the treasurer of SIPLA, the patent law club at the College of Law. She enjoys riding and training with her horse and being the "support staff" for her husband’s marathon hobby.
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SACRAMENTO
Emilio Camacho
Emilio has completed his first year at the University of California, Davis School of Law where he was a staff editor and on the Article-Selection Committee for the Business Law Journal and a member of the King Hall Intellectual Property Law Association. He is the CLEO Fellowship and Scholarship Recipient for 2008-2011. Since September, Emilio has worked as the GAAAP Director for UC Davis as well as serving as a translator/interpreter for the Sonoma County Office of Education, Santa Rosa for the past two years. Prior to that, he worked as an administrative assistant and CELDT trainer for the same office. Emilio graduated with an A.B. in philosophy from the University of California, Davis where he was the president of La Raza Pre-Law Student Association. He enjoys sports, dancing, and playing music.
Juliet Cho
Juliet has completed her second year at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law where she was the public relations chair for APALSA, a member of the mock trial competition team, and a member of the Environmental Law Society. She has been selected as a student associate for the Consuelos Callahan American Inn of Courts. This past year, Juliet worked as an extern at the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division as well as the McGeorge Crime Victims Clinic. She was a student teacher for the Street Law International Course at Sacramento High School and a research assistant for Professor Linda Carter. Juliet graduated with a B.A. in political science with a minor in communications and music performance from the University of California, San Diego. She worked at the University of California, Irvine in the School of Medicine and as a volunteer in the Alternate Defender's Office in Santa Ana, California. In Atlanta, she volunteered at an after-school program and at the Georgia Justice Project. Juliet enjoys cooking, reality television, yoga, and playing the cello. She is also fluent in Korean.
Jake Storms
Jake has completed his second year at the University of California, Davis School of Law where he is a member of the National Native American Law Students Association. He decided to go to law school after spending years as a professional actor in New York City, during which time he performed in over 40 stage productions and independent films as well as helping to found and run a theatre company. After leaving the acting business, Jake spent two years as a corporate paralegal in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and the Seattle office of Perkins Coie. He is a senior articles editor for the Journal of International Law & Policy and the president of Law Capella (the school choir). Jake has traveled extensively, was a kung fu instructor, and was a contestant on Jeopardy!
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