Athan P. Papailiou

Attorney Athan Papailiou

Trial & Appellate Lawyer

Athan Papailiou is a trial and appellate lawyer who has successfully represented public and private clients in a wide array of complex disputes in state and federal courts. Raised in Oregon by his Greek family, Athan takes pride in delivering smart, practical advice to clients throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Athan focuses his practice in four areas: plaintiffs’ rights, corporate counsel services, appellate litigation, and professional liability, including representing individuals in complex employment disputes and defending healthcare providers in licensing investigations and peer review hearings. In addition to high-value matters, the cases Athan works on often have a political or constitutional dimension. In short, clients consistently rely on Athan to provide legal advice in difficult situations at all stages, ranging from pre-trial general counseling services, civil litigation, and if necessary, on appeal.

Before launching his own firm, Athan was a litigator at Pacifica Law Group, a spin-off of the international law firm K&L Gates. While at Pacifica, Athan represented public, private, and non-profit clients in constitutional, appellate, and governmental litigation. He successfully represented clients in a variety of complex issues involving public education, municipal liability, public records, business torts, and First Amendment claims.

Athan is firmly committed to public service and civic engagement. From 2016-2019, Athan served as a member of the Washington State Board of Governors. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest person to ever serve in the position. Athan has also served on a number of other corporate, governmental, and non-profit boards, where he has gained significant experience balancing political, business, and social objectives.

As a first-generation college student, Athan was the student body president of his high school and studied political science and biology at the University of Oregon, where served as the Student Senate President. He then earned his law degree from the University of Arizona, where he was named a Dan B. Dobbs Scholar for his aptitude in tort law and he served as a Writing Fellow and member of the Arizona Law Review.

After law school, Athan served as a law clerk to Justice Stephens at the Washington Supreme Court and Judge Howe at the Arizona Court of Appeals. As an appellate clerk, Athan drafted over seventy memorandum decisions and opinions on a wide array of legal issues, including the scope of the attorney-client privilege, shareholder and contract disputes, and constitutional challenges.

Outside of work, Athan enjoys traveling, Scandinavian design, and spending summers visiting his family in Greece. He lives with his exotic short-haired cat, Tommy.

Qualifications

Education

B.S., The University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

Dean’s Award for Leadership & Service
Dave Frohnmayer Scholarship

J.D., The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

magna cum laude
Arizona Law Review
Dan B. Dobbs Scholar

Admissions

Courts

Publications

Service

Awards

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