EVERETT — The largest private law firm in Snohomish County is filling in as lead counsel for the largest city in the county.
City Attorney Ned Johnston, who has worked in the city attorney’s office for a decade, is retiring next week.
After emerging from a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning, the Everett City Council voted 6-1 to hire the Anderson Hunter Law Firm of Everett to fill Johnston’s position until a permanent replacement is found. Final terms of the contract were not immediately available.
City Councilman Ron Gipson voted against the move, saying the city attorney’s office already has lawyers on the payroll who can handle the responsibilities.
Usually cities smaller than Everett hire outside firms to serve in the city attorney role, said John Strait, an associate professor at Seattle University School of Law.
Still he said there’s no ethical dilemma for Everett to hire an outside firm to handle everything from contracts to litigation: “It’s a reasonable stop-gap measure,” Strait said.
Johnston announced months ago that he would be retiring in March. His last day is expected to be Tuesday.
Johnston served as assistant city attorney for eight years and as city attorney for the past two years.
In 45 years of practicing law, Johnston’s legal work has included consumer protection and fraud, securities fraud, municipal, environmental, insurance, superfund, American Indian, tax and criminal law.
Prior to his time at the city, Johnston was in private practice and provided legal advice to the city via contract for about 15 years. His career includes work in the prosecutor’s offices in Snohomish and King counties.
He also operated a private firm and practiced law in Seattle with the Schweppe, Doolittle, Krug and Tausend law firm. And, he served as assistant attorney general for the state of Washington. In addition, Johnston’s career includes legal work during his service as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Johnston has taught at Everett Community College, in the legal assistant program at Edmonds Community College and at Gonzaga University Law School covering local tax law.
He earned his law degree from Gonzaga and an advanced law degree from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C.
Retirement plans include spending time with family, working on special projects, beekeeping and traveling. Johnston has been married for 49 years to his wife Pat, and they have four children and six grandchildren.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
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