Stoel Rives Hires Two New Principals and Two Associates
5/2/2006

Stoel Rives LLP added two new principals to its California offices this week, Edward C. Duckers and Sherri M. Kirk.  The addition of these attorneys and the recent hiring of two new associates demonstrates the firm’s continued success in expanding its presence in California.

Ed Duckers joins the firm’s Litigation practice group.  Duckers relocated to the San Francisco Bay area in early 2005 and joined Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, after having practiced civil antitrust and commercial litigation for 18 years at Hogan & Hartson LLP in Washington, DC.  He has extensive jury- and bench-trial experience, including complex multi-defendant matters.  A particular focus of Duckers’ practice is antitrust issues involving oil and gas industry clients and unfair-competition claims related to franchising and distribution relationships.  He will work closely with Stoel Rives principal and energy litigator Stephen S. Walters, who recently relocated from the firm’s Portland, Oregon office, to its San Francisco office. Duckers’ practice also includes representing clients in merger and other investigations before the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. 

"Ed’s expertise provides the firm with additional breadth and depth to our trial and appellate practice in California," said Per Ramfjord, chair of the firm’s Litigation practice group.  "He will enhance our reputation in San Francisco as a go-to, high-stakes litigation firm."

Christopher Keele, managing partner for Stoel Rives’ California offices, added, "Ed’s special knowledge of oil and gas distribution networks and the litigation they face has won him loyal clients among the leaders in the industry.  His skill in court will serve our existing clients well."

Joining the firm as principal is Sherri Kirk, a prominent environmental lawyer and chairperson of the California State Bar Environmental Law Section.  Kirk is also involved in community and public service, including service on the Sacramento City College Foundation board of directors and as chair-elect of the Los Rios Community College Foundation. 

Kirk joins the firm’s Resources, Development & Environment practice group from The Kirk Law Firm, where she has been principal since 1997.  Before that she was with Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott LLP and Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard, both Sacramento firms.  Even earlier, Kirk was with Pachter, Gold & Schaffer and was in-house counsel for Metromedia, Inc.,  and the Atlantic Richfield Company.  Kirk also worked for four years in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

She practices environmental and complex litigation in the areas of hazardous waste, hazardous materials management and cleanup, environmental enforcement defense, underground storage tank and air quality regulation, environmental enforcement defense, Proposition 65, environmental insurance coverage and asbestos defense.  Kirk has an extensive background in biology and chemistry, and before entering legal practice was the first non-Soviet Bloc woman to serve as a chemistry/environmental safety officer at a commercial nuclear generating station.

"Sherri is among the most prominent and accomplished environmental lawyers in California," said Robert Van Brocklin, chair of the firm’s Resources, Development & Environment practice group.  "She joins a talented and experienced team of environmental and natural resources lawyers who together make Stoel Rives the firm of choice on environmental and natural resources compliance and litigation matters throughout the West."

"Sherri’s experience and science background will be invaluable to our environmental resource clients," Keele said.  "Stoel Rives is adding to its roster of experienced attorneys in both our San Francisco and Sacramento offices to serve our energy clients and our environmental resources and development clients."

Kirk received her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  She holds an M.A. in biology/biochemistry from Bowling Green State University and a B.S. in biological sciences from the University of California, Davis.

Duckers received his J.D. from Georgetown University, where he was editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and winner of the Beaudry Cup Moot Court Competition.  He holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Kansas.  Before practicing law, he was a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole.

In addition to the two lateral principal additions, Stoel Rives has recently added two associate attorneys to its California offices.  Melissa A. Verhaag joins the firm from Downey Brand LLP, where she practiced water, water quality and environmental law, as well as environmental litigation.  She received her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law and holds a B.A. from the University of California, Davis.  Christopher J. Callegari is a first-year associate who received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.  He also has an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management and a B.S. in geology from the University of California, Riverside.

Stoel Rives has four offices in California—San Francisco, Sacramento, Tahoe City and San Diego—as well as offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. In California, Stoel Rives represents entities and businesses ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups and municipal agencies.  The firm has depth and experience in many areas, including litigation and transactional counseling services in energy, natural resources, the environment, real property, commercial transactions, governmental relations, products liability and title insurance.

Stoel Rives LLP is a multipractice business law firm with operations throughout the western United States. With more than 350 lawyers, Stoel Rives is a regional leader in natural resources and environment, energy, litigation, corporate, and intellectual property law. For more information about Stoel Rives and its offices in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho, visit www.stoel.com.