Colin Folawn

I’m proud to represent great lawyers, law firms, vessel owners, and entrepreneurs, all while serving as general counsel to Schwabe.

For lawyers and law firms, I provide legal ethics and loss prevention/malpractice advice. I have served as an expert witness in cases involving lawyers. I represent lawyers in disciplinary investigations and proceedings. I lecture frequently on legal ethics matters, including such topics as client confidentiality, conflicts of interest, risk management, multijurisdictional practice, withdrawal from representation, lawyer marketing, time entry and billing practices, and artificial intelligence in the practice of law.

I represent and provide legal advice to vessel owners in cases involving the Jones Act, general maritime law, insurance matters, and contract disputes.

I represent and provide legal advice to entrepreneurs regarding insurance coverage, indemnity, contract law, and data breach response/notification.

I cherish every opportunity to represent my clients at civil jury trials in Washington and Oregon. I have authored and argued several successful motions in state and federal courts and won appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington Court of Appeals, and the Washington Supreme Court.

Memberships

• Washington State Bar Association Adjunct Disciplinary Counsel Panel, Member (2011–2016)
• Washington State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics, Member (2013-2018)

Awards

• Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Admiralty and Maritime Law (2025-2027)
• Selected to the Washington Super Lawyers List, Business Litigation (2016-2018); Transportation & Maritime (2019)

Managing Challenging Clients, Ethically
Ethics Hour, November 2025

Using Generative AI in the Practice of Law
Ethics Hour, August 2025

Representing Organizations
Ethics Hour, June 2025

Understanding Confidentiality
Ethics Hour, April 2025

Can You Spot (and Resolve) the Conflict?
Ethics Hour, August 2023

Can I Use Generative AI to Practice Law?
Ethics Hour, July 2023

How to Ethically Staff Your Law Practice
Ethics Hour, February 2023

How Do Lawyers Get Into Trouble?
Ethics Hour, December 2022

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Ethics Seminar
December 15, 2022

Ethical Issues in Litigation (Defense)
December 15, 2022

Do You Want to Know a Secret? (Confidentiality)
Ethics Hour, October 2022

Ethical Communications
Ethics Hour, September 2022

Do I Have a Conflict?
Ethics Hour, August 2022

Promoting Your Practice in a Post-Pandemic World
Ethics Hour, August 2021

Practicing Law Remotely in the Age of COVID-19
Ethics Hour, February 2021

I’m an In-House Lawyer (or About To Be), How Does That Rule Apply to Me?
Ethics Hour, July 2020

They’re Not My Client, But Do I Have a Duty?
Ethics Hour, June 2020

Practicing Remotely in the Age of COVID-19
Ethics Hour, March 2020

Recent Cases and Opinions
Ethics Hour, February 2020

Cum Res Errabis
Ethics Hour, February 2019

Case Law and Opinion Updates
Ethics Hour, January 2019

Conflicts of Interest
Ethics Hour, September 2018

Top Ten List
Ethics Hour, June 2018

Complex and Cutting Edge Ethics Issues and How to Deal With Them
Ethics Hour, March 2018

Conflict Updates
Ethics Hour, October 2017

Odds, Ends, and Lesser Known Gems
Ethics Hour, August 2017

Ethics of Loss Prevention
Ethics Hour, June 2017

Joint Representation, Concurrent Representation, and Other Consent and Waiver Situations
Ethics Hour, March 2017

Client Communications: Threats, Missives, and Reporting
Ethics Hour, October 2016

Can You Spot (and Resolve) the Conflict?
Ethics Hour, July 2016

Important Recent Cases and Opinions
Ethics Hour, May 2016

Lawyers’ Obligations to Safeguard the Client? Data in the New Age of Cybersecurity
Ethics Hour, March 2016