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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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Robert M. ("Rob") Johnson is a shareholder with the firm whose practice emphasizes business transactions, labor, administrative law, and litigation. He represents diverse clients, including municipalities, pension funds, and contractors.

Mr. Johnson negotiates real estate, commercial transactions, and labor contracts on behalf of public and private clients. He represented the State of Alaska in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill litigation and is litigating tax issues on behalf of the State of Alaska. His labor law practice includes negotiating and litigating issues and acting as an arbitrator and hearing officer. Prior to private practice, he served as Petroleum Revenue Director for the State of Alaska, and handled labor and employment matters as an Assistant Attorney General. His experience includes securities law and fiduciary breach claims.

Representative clients of Mr. Johnson include the City of Seward, Kodiak Island Borough, and Anchorage Sand & Gravel Co.; he serves as outside counsel to the Alaska Retirement Management Board. He has litigated in all levels of state and federal courts in Alaska, and has appeared before numerous administrative agencies such as the State of Alaska Labor Relations Agency, municipal assemblies, zoning boards, and federal, state, and local equal rights agencies.

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Phone: (907) 276-6401
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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 has been involved in drafting agreements and legislation. He 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/

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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 Municipal Bond Bank, 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 works with Alaska communities on planning and zoning issues, lease assignments, recall petitions, ordinance interpretations and election matters. She also represents quasi-judicial boards on administrative appeal matters.

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.

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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.

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Michael Gatti is a Shareholder of Wohlforth, Johnson, Brecht, Cartledge & Brooking, where he practices municipal law, public finance and general civil matters. He practices before local, state and federal judicial and administrative tribunals.

Before joining Wohlforth, Johnson, Brecht, Cartledge & Brooking, 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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Clyde W. Hutchins is an associate attorney with the firm and has broad experience in civil litigation, contracts, corporate and business law matters. His practice includes work involving municipalities, investment funds, securities, public finance law and administrative law.

Highlights of Mr. Hutchins' experience include representing a developer in all facets of the construction business including the drafting of purchase agreements, construction contracts, covenants and related documents, resolving disputes with contractors and defending the developer in civil litigation. As part of a litigation team, Mr. Hutchins developed the framework for a successful "piercing the corporate veil" and "reverse piercing" case. Mr. Hutchins also played a major role in resolving a contract case involving misappropriated trade secrets in favor of a manufacturer client, resulting in a money judgment against and a public apology from the U.K. based defendant.

Mr. Hutchins practiced law in Wyoming before relocating to Alaska in 2007. In his pre-law life, Mr. Hutchins worked in the transportation industry. He also served with distinction in the U.S. Army for four years including two years spent in Bavaria, Germany. In his leisure time, Mr. Hutchins and his wife enjoy the outdoors, sightseeing, and are fans of Italian and Japanese food.

Phone: (907) 276-6401
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Fax: (907) 276-5093
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Leila R. Kimbrell joined the firm in 2008 as an associate attorney. Her practice involves all levels of civil litigation, as well as the transactional practice of the firm including business and public finance law and real estate matters. She has a strong focus in municipal law.

Before joining Wohlforth, Johnson, Brecht, Cartledge & Brooking, Ms. Kimbrell worked for the City of Soldotna where she gained significant experience in all aspects of municipal government, including annexation, planning and zoning, sign code regulations, and resolution and ordinance interpretation and drafting. She assisted in the creation and implementation of a program to collect unpaid traffic tickets, which resulted in recovery of tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding fines during the first year of the program. Ms. Kimbrell's municipal government experience includes working with local government boards, commissions, and governing bodies.

Ms. Kimbrell is a life-long Alaskan, who is born and raised on the Kenai Peninsula where she enjoyed growing up on her family's homestead. She is active in the Anchorage Young Lawyers Section, as well as the Alaska Bar Association's New Lawyer Division, and enjoys volunteering her time for many community service projects with these, and other, organizations.