City of Washougal set to hire new law firm

The city of Washougal is set to hire a new attorney.

The Washougal City Council will vote on a motion to authorize an agreement with Kenyon Disend, an Issaquah, Washington-based municipal law firm, on Monday, April 10.

The firm would replace Ken Woodrich, who recently announced his retirement after providing legal counsel for the City for the past seven years.

“It’s been great to work with Ken,” Washougal City Manager David Scott said during the Council’s workshop session on March 27, “(but we have an) opportunity now to move forward.”

The City received five applicants and interviewed three finalists — two firms and one individual — for the position.

“The team was very impressed with everyone that we talked to,” Scott said. “The other firm was really solid, and it was difficult to decide. I talked to a number of colleagues that receive services from both firms, and (the decision) really boiled down to what’s in front of us, the issues that we’ll be dealing with over the next period of time, and the skills that each (candidate) had. We felt that this was the firm to move forward with. I think it’s going to be great.”

The City will primarily work with Kenyon Disend attorney Robert Zeinemann but occasionally receive assistance from some of the firm’s other employees, according to Scott.

“We’ll probably use outside counsel less because they have a ‘bench’ and they have some expertise,” he said. “They are exclusively municipal attorneys, and they have a number of clients in the state. They are also sometimes used by cities as special counsel for litigation, and they’ve litigated a number of important cases related to municipal law, going to the Supreme (Court) with at least one, so they’ve got some chops. I’m really looking forward to working with them.”

Zeinemann earned a law degree from Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Law School in 2006. He worked for Tierney, Correa and Zeinemann, PC, a Mercer Island, Washington-based firm that defends cities, counties, special districts, and nonprofit organizations in state and federal courts, for more than 10 years before joining Kenyon Disend in 2021.

Zeinemann has experience with counsel and litigation involving contract disputes, land use, nuisance abatement, sewer and stormwater utilities, water rights and the Clean Water Act, open public meetings, public construction bid disputes and constitutional law, according to Kenyon Disend’s website.

Scott said that Zeinemann will most likely travel to Washougal for meetings several times per year but will assist the City through virtual means most of the time.

“(Attorneys don’t have) to be here in person (for meetings),” Scott said. “After COVID happened, a lot of clients saw the efficacy of the remote services and (told their lawyers), ‘Please don’t come to our meetings anymore,'” said Scott, noting that Woodrich provided most of his services in a virtual format during the past several years. “(Some of these firms) haven’t visited their clients in three years, and it’s working great. We kind of roll with the technology. I don’t think we’ll skip a beat, and I think we’ll enjoy some high quality.”

Council member Michelle Wagner indicated that she had some mixed feelings about the virtual set-up.

“I liked it when the lawyer was here in attendance at the meetings,” she said. “I just felt like I had more communal relations with them, and I could ask them questions about certain things. But (I also) like saving money (on travel).”

The City will pay the firm an hourly rate, “a little more than $50,000,” in 2023, for its services, according to Scott.

“With Ken, we had a retainer that covered his attendance at two meetings and then an hourly rate thereafter, (but) we would start (Kenyon Disend) with just an hourly portfolio,” Scott said. “We could look at a flat rate or retainer in the future as we move forward, but this hourly rate, I think, is the best way to start.”