Professional Overview

Joel’s practice focuses on public finance, with an emphasis on representation of governmental issuers and nonprofit borrowers in a wide variety of financings utilizing tax-exempt and taxable bonds. Joel also provides advice and legal representation to businesses, both large and small, in connection with business combinations and reorganizations, financings, federal and state securities compliance, and other commercial transactions.

Representative Matters

  • Represented Public Facilities Group and related nonprofit corporations in connection with the issuance of approximately $300 million in tax-exempt and taxable lease revenue bonds to finance a municipal office project and related facilities, and in connection with additional issuances of approximately $68 million in lease revenue bonds to finance public safety and library facilities.
  • Represented continuing care retirement communities, independent schools, universities, healthcare providers, social service organizations and other nonprofit organizations in connection with the financing and refinancing of capital projects utilizing tax-exempt and taxable bonds issued by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, the Washington Health Care Facilities Authority, the Washington Economic Development Finance Authority, and the Washington Higher Education Facilities Authority.
  • Represented National Development Council (Grow America) and related nonprofit corporations with respect to the structuring, development and financing of various housing and economic development projects, including student housing, medical laboratory facilities, government offices, and a multilevel parking garage which was sold to the City of Seattle as part of the Pacific Place Project in downtown Seattle.
  • Represented Horizon Airlines in connection with its initial public offering, a subsequent preferred stock offering, and additional securities transactions. Represented the principal shareholder of Horizon Airlines in connection with the acquisition of Horizon by Alaska Airlines.
  • Represented the developers of a 20-megawatt hydroelectric facility in western Washington in connection with the construction and term financing for the project and in connection with the subsequent restructuring of the ownership of the project and $45 million refinancing.

Professional and Civic Involvement

  • Washington State Bar Association
    Business Law Section, Chair, 1999 - 2000
    Executive Committee, 1994 - 2001, 2003 - 2017
    Committee on Third-Party Legal Opinions in Commercial Transactions,
    1991 - present
  • Intiman Theatre, Seattle, Washington
    Board of Trustees, 1993 - 2005, 2011 - 2015
    Co-Chair of Artistic Director Search Committee, 1999
    Vice Chair of Managing Director Search Committee, 2008

Honors / Awards / Prior Experience

  • Repeatedly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Public Finance Law and Corporate Law, most recently for 2026
  • Named the 2025 Best Lawyers in America® Public Finance Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Seattle
  • Named the 2021 Best Lawyers in America® Corporate Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Seattle
  • A/V Preeminent Lawyer, Martindale Hubbell
  • Law Clerk to The Honorable Dolores K. Sloviter, U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, 1981 - 1983

Education

J.D., University of Chicago Law School, cum laude, 1981 Order of the Coif 

  • Associate Editor, University of Chicago Law Review

    A.B., Harvard College, magna cum laude, 1976

      Personal

      English history, hiking, theatre, and travel.