Colin Folawn

General Counsel

With a passion for the law and my clients' goal as my compass, I help them to stop worrying about disputes so that they can get back to business.

How I represent clients at Schwabe

With a penchant for troubleshooting, I help clients resolve complex disputes, often involving the maritime and technology industries. I handle cases involving privacy and data security breach matters, maritime and admiralty law, and complex contract issues that include insurance and commercial matters. I also provide legal advice to lawyers regarding legal ethics and loss prevention.

I have tried civil jury cases to verdict in Washington courts and have written and argued several successful motions in state and federal courts. I’ve also won cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington Court of Appeals, and the Washington Supreme Court.

Education

  • Willamette University, Bachelor of Music degree‎ (1996)
  • Seattle University, School of Law, Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude (2003)

Admissions

  • Oregon State Courts
  • Washington State Courts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - District of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of ‎Washington

Memberships

  • Washington State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics, Member (2013-2018)

Awards

  • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Admiralty and Maritime Law (2025)
  • Selected to the Washington Super Lawyers List, Business Litigation (2016-2018); Transportation & Maritime (2019)

Additional Publications

Cloud Security, Data Integrity, and the Law
Portland INTERFACE Conference
March 13, 2014

Transaction Traps: Legal Ethics for Business Lawyers
Ethics Hour, February 28, 2014

Cloud Security, Data Integrity, and the Law
Greater Seattle Chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance, February 27, 2014

Ethics Considerations in Licensing and Negotiations
Washington State Bar Association, February 4, 2014

The Top Ten List: Exploring Ways that Lawyers Get into Trouble
Ethics Hour, January 24, 2014

Panelist, 11th Annual Law of Lawyering Conference
December 20, 2013

Developments in Maritime Law: Punitive Damages and Unseaworthiness
December 6, 2013

Legal Ethics and Social Media: Common Dilemmas Faced by Lawyers
Washington Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, December 4, 2013

Identifying and Managing Legal Risks of Cloud Computing
Seattle INTERFACE Conference, December 5, 2013

Playing Well with Others: The Legal Ethics of Association and Supervision
Ethics Hours, October 31, 2013

New and Emerging Ethics Issues for Trial Lawyers
National Business Institute, August 15, 2013

Legal Concerns Involving Cloud Computing
Greater Seattle Chapter of the Cloud, Security Alliance, May 23, 2013

Developments in Maintenance and Cure Law: Dean v. The Fishing Company of Alaska
May 30, 2013

Additional Events

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Ethics Seminar
December 15, 2022

Ethical Issues in Litigation (Defense)
December 15, 2022

Ethics Hour: Top Ten Ways Lawyers Get Into Trouble
December 2, 2022

Outside Interests

Composing music when inspiration strikes.

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