Columbia University School of Law, J.D. (1972)
Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, M.I.A. (1972)
University of California-Berkeley, B.A. (1968)

Washington State Bar, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Federal District Court-Western and Eastern Districts

Mel is a lawyer’s lawyer. He helps businesses as an imaginative problem-solver and resourceful litigator. Mel has particular experience in the areas of international distribution, copyright and trademark protection, technology licensing and foreign investment. Because of his excellent communication skills and business litigation background, he is frequently asked to serve as an arbitrator or mediator. Mel is a member of the Large Complex Case Panel for the American Arbitration Association and serves on arbitration panels for The British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre, High Tech Conflict Solutions, and King County Superior Court Mandatory Arbitration.

Mel was a moderator for a Symposium on Agents and Distributors in International Transactions, held in Chile by the Center for International Legal Studies. Mel has served as a volunteer attorney for Washington Lawyers for the Arts, Seattle Public Theater, Seward Park Art Studio and the Faces for Life Project of the Puget Sound Blood and Tissue Center. He was lead counsel for the firm’s representation of the "Best of the USSR Software and Technology Show" held in connection with the 1990 Good Will Games. Mel has authored or co-authored several articles and presented at seminars in his areas of special experience. Topics include Use of a Foreign Sales Corporation, Protection of Trademarks, Trade Names and Trade Secrets, Copyright Protection for Foreign Works, Intellectual Property on the Internet and Internet Privacy Policies. Mel is the author of the section Proof of Foreign Law for the "Washington State Civil Procedure Deskbook."

Mel had the honor of being named Boss of the Year by the Greater Seattle Legal Secretaries Association some years ago and has several times been selected by his peers as one of the Superlawyers of Washington State for publication in Law & Politics Magazine. On weekends you can find Mel in the outdoors. In the winter look for him skiing the backcountry of Crystal Mountain, Washington or in one of the four continents on which he has carved his turns. In the summer Mel usually grabs his road bike and takes a 50 to 60 mile loop in the scenic areas of Western Washington. He has participated in the Tour de Blast—a challenging ride on the access road up the Mt. St. Helens volcano, and in the Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. He also rides in the Trek Tri-Island, a three-day ride from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia through the San Juan Islands, as a fund-raiser for the American Lung Association of Washington.