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Click here for articles authored by Eric E. Wohlforth

Eric E. Wohlforth is a founder of the firm and guided its public finance specialty from its beginning in 1967, having practiced previously with Hawkins, Delafield & Wood in New York City. His initial Alaska involvement was litigating a post-1964 earthquake test lawsuit to establish the public purpose of state bonds to pay off mortgages on destroyed homes. Subsequently, the firm served as bond counsel in all public finance litigation in the state as it grew to represent most bond-issuing clients in Alaska.

Mr. Wohlforth served as Alaska Commissioner of Revenue from 1970 to 1972 investing $900 million in lease sale proceeds. From 1995 to 2006 he served on the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Board of Trustees (the longest such service to date) and was elected vice chair and chair twice of that Board.

He currently serves as Chair of the University of Alaska Foundation Investment Committee, as well as a member of the UAA Chancellor's and College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Boards. He is also a trustee of the Alaska Pacific University. He has been chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska since 1972.

Admitted to practice law in New York and Alaska, Mr. Wohlforth has an AB from Princeton University, a law degree from the University of Virginia, and master's degrees from Loyola University New Orleans (religious education) and Fielding Graduate Institute (organizational development).

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Phone: (907) 276-6401
Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Click here for articles authored by Julius J. Brecht

Julius J. Brecht has been in private practice since completing his service as director of the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities in 1980. His principal areas of practice include state and federal securities law and business and finance law. He is presently the managing shareholder of the firm.

Mr. Brecht represents private business entities, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and Native corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. His work before the Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators involves registrations, filings, and opinions for clients, including ones having publicly traded securities. He advises clients on business structure and transactions. He was instrumental in organizing, and continues to advise, the Alaska Trust Company, the first independent trust company in Alaska.

Mr. Brecht serves on a special committee established by the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities to address comprehensive legislation to replace the current Alaska Securities Act. He was the drafter of the Alaska Municipal Port Authority Act.

Mr. Brecht enjoys his involvement in various civic and community organizations including, Great Alaska Council Boy Scouts of America, Anchorage Rotary, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, and Commonwealth North. He presently co-chairs the Anchorage Planet Walk Committee of Anchorage Rotary, formerly worked for NASA and has long enjoyed the pursuit of astronomy. See http://www.anchorageplanetwalk.org/.

Phone: (907) 276-6401
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Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Cynthia L. Cartledge joined the firm in 1988. Her principal areas of practice include public finance, municipal law, and real property law.

Ms. Cartledge has worked on municipal financings with the University of Alaska, the Alaska Student Loan Corporation, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, the Municipality of Anchorage, and other Alaska bond issuers. These financings include general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, student loan bonds, short term obligations and private placement obligations. Ms. Cartledge, through her bond counsel opinions, has validated billions of dollars of Alaska municipal debt obligations. Ms. Cartledge also serves as underwriter's counsel and represents local and national banking institutions involved in Alaska public finance transactions.

Ms. Cartledge's experience with real estate matters extends to mortgage loan transactions and commercial law, including complex contract, financial, securitization and title matters. She also assists in matters relating to the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Act Program. Ms. Cartledge is admitted to practice law in Alaska, California and Washington.

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Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Cheryl Rawls Brooking is a shareholder with the firm and offers expertise in municipal law, zoning and land use, public lands, environmental, natural resources, real property, native law, public finance, business and corporate law, admiralty and maritime law, and employment law.

Ms. Brooking's practice includes advising governmental bodies, business clients and other individuals on issues involving contracts, litigation, negotiations and compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. She is a regular speaker at various events, and offers a comprehensive legal background. She has presented on a variety of topics including the constitutional requirements and issues surrounding municipal curfew ordinances, Alaska hazardous waste law, estate planning, employment law, and starting a business in Alaska. For the past several years she presented annual seminars on Alaska Open Meetings and Public Records Law.

Ms. Brooking is a member of the Alaska Municipal Attorneys Association, International Municipal Attorneys Association, National Association of Bond Lawyers, and the Alaska Bar Association.

Phone: (907) 276-6401
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Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Michael Gatti is a shareholder with the firm, where he practices municipal law, public finance and general civil matters. He practices before local, state and federal judicial and administrative tribunals.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Gatti served as Counsel to the Anchorage Municipal Assembly and as Borough Attorney for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough where he advised many mayors, assembly members, managers, department heads and boards and commissions on all aspects of municipal law on a daily basis.

He serves as City Attorney for several municipalities and represents municipalities throughout the state on special projects. Mr. Gatti is admitted to practice in Alaska and Colorado. Mr. Gatti is listed in Best Lawyers in America, currently serves as the attorney representative to the Alaska Municipal League Board of Directors and is a past president and current member of the Alaska Municipal Attorneys Association.

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Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Leila R. Kimbrell joined the firm in 2008. Her practice places a strong emphasis in municipal law and involves all levels of civil litigation and appeals. Ms. Kimbrell is also involved in the transactional side of the firm including public finance, and real estate and business transactions. She is admitted to practice before all courts of the State of Alaska, the U.S. District Court or the District of Alaska, and the Ninth Circuit of Appeals.

Ms. Kimbrell has experience in all aspects of municipal governance, including planning and zoning, code enforcement, and resolution and ordinance interpretation and drafting. She assists local governments on a regular basis in the recovery and enforcement of delinquent sales and use taxes, unpaid fines and other collection matters. Ms. Kimbrell works with all levels of local government and advises boards, commissions, councils and assemblies.

Ms. Kimbrell is a life-long Alaskan born and raised on her family's homestead on the Kenai Peninsula. She is active in local bar association activities and was recently elected to the Board of the Anchorage Bar Association. She spends much of her free time volunteering for community service projects through these organizations.

Phone: (907) 276-6401
Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Mary B. Pinkel joined the firm as an associate in January, 2012. Her practice includes municipal, public finance, civil litigation and business law.

Before joining the firm, Ms. Pinkel worked as an attorney advisor for the United States Army in Alexandria, Virginia, where she provided legal advice to Army family programs in areas of tort, employment and ethics law and performed research relating to the use of non-appropriated funds. She also assisted with discovery in contract dispute litigation. Before working for the Army, she served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska where she represented the United States of America in Federal Tort Claims Act and discrimination cases. She also served in the Anchorage Municipal Attorney’s Office, where she represented the Municipality and individual employees in state and federal civil litigation and provided advice to municipal departments in regard to employment, public health, torts, construction, constitutional, election, land use and contract law. She has served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alaska and as a law clerk for the State of Alaska Superior Court.

Ms. Pinkel attended Amherst College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. She is admitted to practice law in Alaska state court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the Federal Bar Association and the Alaska Bar Committee for Fair and Impartial Courts.