The International Alliance of Law Firms announced on May 22, 2015, that its members have elected Michael A. Herbst, a shareholder in the Seattle, Washington office of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, to serve as President of the organization. Herbst will lead the Alliance for a two-year term ending in 2017. Previously, Herbst served as First Vice President and Chair of the Alliance’s Expansion Committee.

Said Herbst, “The 63 Alliance member firms represent the gold standard of legal service in their respective countries. Together, our firms and lawyers deliver sophisticated, cross-disciplinary and crossjurisdictional counsel almost everywhere our clients’ business operations, investments and customer relationships take them. I am honored to serve in this very important role, and look forward to working with member firms and their clients worldwide.”

Notes outgoing Alliance president Michael Gorton, a principal in the Melbourne, Australia-based law firm Russell Kennedy, “The time is right for Michael to serve as leader of the Alliance. He understands the needs of clients at every level — regional, national and international — and will provide excellent direction for the organization as we move into the future.”

In his private practice at Schwabe, Herbst focuses on corporate and commercial business transactions for privately held businesses, including commercial lending, corporate formation, mergers, acquisitions and recapitalizations. He has significant experience in international transactions, including legal issues involved in selling and distributing goods across borders, joint ventures and other cross-jurisdictional business combinations, inbound investments into the United States, and business immigration.

AV peer-review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Herbst has served in numerous leadership positions that connect Washington State with the global economy. These include serving as chair of the Washington State Bar Association, International Practice Section, as a member of the executive board of the British American Business Council of the Pacific Northwest, and as president of the Canada-America Society of Washington. Herbst earned his J.D. from the New York University School of Law and a B.A. from Princeton University.

About the International Alliance of Law Firms

Founded in 1990, the Alliance is a network of prominent law firms that provides clients a seamless, rapid and effective response to their international business challenges. The Alliance has 63 member firms in 43 countries. For more information, visit www.ialawfirms.com.