Each month the Business Journal spotlights some of the legal industry’s rising stars in the Puget Sound region who are helping the business community thrive. Here they are, including details of their accomplishments.

Allen Benson | Litigation Associate
Schwabe

Area of practice: Real estate and construction
Years in profession: 6

Before he was an attorney, Allen Benson was a commercial truck driver. He now counsels real estate and construction clients on an array of legal concerns, including claims and disputes. He also assists and advises clients in the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts and change orders. When litigation is necessary, Allen helps clients move efficiently and strategically through the many stages of the litigation process. Allen’s exceptional attention to detail and wide range of experience make him a trusted adviser to his clients. During law school, Allen was a member of the Gonzaga Law Review and authored several articles related to new developments in the law governing various types of contracts. The most important advice Allen’s been given by a mentor: Read Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.”

Ronak Chokhani | Associate
Stoel Rives

Area of practice: Health care transactions, regulations
Years in profession: 3

Ronak provides guidance on a wide range of regulatory and corporate transactional matters to medical groups, managed care companies and other health care entities. He is first vice chair of the Washington State Bar Association, Health Law Section’s executive committee. Ronak’s commitment to client service and expanding his understanding of the law is unparalleled. A respected firm citizen, his peers and clients rely upon his guidance as a trusted strategic adviser. The best piece of advice Ronak got from a mentor, paraphrased: “Excellent lawyering occurs beyond the confines of the letter of the law and requires a deep understanding of your client’s business. … Work hard to know your clients and deliver solid advice, but don’t forget to have fun while doing it.”

Fabio Dworschak | Special Counsel
Miller Nash

Area of practice: Environmental and commercial litigation and appeals
Years in profession: 6

Fabio Dworschak is a member of the firm’s energy and shipping team, which represents private and public clients in a wide variety of environmental regulation compliance disputes. Fabio also helps clients investigate possible environmental contamination on current and legacy sites, and advises on possible liabilities related to enforcement and litigation. Before law school, Fabio served as an Army medic during deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, earning the Combat Medic Badge in Iraq for medical services rendered while under hostile fire. Fabio’s two most important pieces of advice he’s received — “Do your own independent legal analysis and consider that you may be wrong.”

Cynthia Park | Associate
Ogden Murphy Wallace

Area of practice: Litigation
Years in Profession: 2

Cynthia Park works with a variety of clients to navigate the different stages of litigation from discovery to appeal. Cynthia approaches each client’s concern with the respect and consideration needed to guide them through the process toward a successful resolution. While in law school, Cynthia interned with Amnesty International and assisted asylum seekers in federal immigration court. The piece of advice that Cynthia always carries with her is, you don’t know what you don’t know. She says (it) “encourages me to ask questions and not to make assumptions. Second, the advice also encourages me to exercise some compassion toward myself. The advice is a humbling token of inspiration that though I may not know all things, I can endeavor to learn more.”

Sam Page | Senior Attorney
McKinley Irvin

Areas of practice: Family law
Years in the profession: 9

Sam has been distinguished as a Washington Rising Star by Super Lawyers, included in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list for the past three years and maintains a 10.0 “Superb” rating on Avvo.com. He is a go-to speaker on Washington’s new minor guardianship statute and is presenting on the topic at the upcoming Tacoma Pierce County Bar Convention and Domestic Relations Attorneys of Washington’s annual meeting. Passionate about helping underserved populations, Sam has been published on family law in tribal court and served as an adjunct professor for Seattle University’s applied family law and applied domestic violence protection orders practicum, helping to provide pro bono family law services to those in need.

Read the full article in the Puget Sound Business Journal.

This article was republished with permission from the Puget Sound Business Journal.

This article summarizes aspects of the law and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice for your situation, you should contact an attorney.