A native of Seattle, Ken began his legal career as corporate counsel to the Arabian American Oil Company, first in Houston and then in Saudi Arabia. While with Aramco Ken concentrated on drafting and negotiating commercial and construction contracts of values up to one billion dollars, and in assisting Aramco contractors in understanding both Saudi and US laws relating to business and commerce in the Middle East. On returning to the US, he entered private practice in 1978, continuing his construction related activities and using his commercial background to develop an active practice in business contracts, transactions and litigation.
Ken joined Simburg, Ketter, Sheppard & Purdy as a founding partner in 1984, where he continued his business practice, developing additional expertise in trademark and copyright law to assist his emerging technology clients.
Ken's practice stresses representing small to medium sized business in all of their legal needs, including corporate structuring and contracting, administrative and regulatory issues, and defense or prosecution of litigation. His extensive business and construction background has given him a feel for dealing efficiently and effectively with business contracts and transactions, including numerous mergers and acquisitions representing both the acquiring and acquired parties. He is an accomplished litigator with an ability to quickly understand and distill complex and technical issues for presentation to the court or jury.
In addition to his law practice, Ken has been a successful tech startup entrepreneur, and continues to own and operate a small business enterprise, which gives him an unusual understanding of the challenges and issues facing business owners. His business clients enjoy a single, expert point of contact for all of their legal needs.
Ken is the author of Construction Liens, published by the King County Bar Association. He has presented seminar topics on International Joint Ventures for the Seattle-King County Bar Association, and on International Arbitration for the Northwest Litigation Conference in Vancouver, B.C. He has also developed a specialty in administrative laws relating to aquatic lands and the shellfish industry. Ken has Martindale-Hubbell's highest individual rating - "AV".
Areas of Practice
Education & Bar Admissions
Education
- University of Washington, B.A., Economics (1971), J.D. (1974)
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- King County Bar
- Federal District Court, Western District of Washington
- Federal Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Personal Interests
Ken has a wide array of outside interests and activities. He is an expert woodworker and an avid rose grower and exhibitor, a past President of the Seattle Rose Society, and an American Rose Society Judge. Ken is also a major worldwide dealer in antique lithographs of Egypt and the Middle East by the nineteenth century Scottish artist David Roberts, using his art and conservation skills to restore and color these prints. He has worked with the Tate Gallery, National Geographic Magazine, and other institutions worldwide in presenting exhibitions, television programs, and publications involving these prints. For a view of more of his work, visit the web site for his print business at www.medinaarts.com. Ken designed, constructed and maintains that web site.
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