Lawyer Described As Well Qualified In Harassment Issues

The lawyer investigating sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Mike Lowry is well qualified and has dealt with such issues before, colleagues say.

Mary Alice Theiler, a partner in the Seattle law firm of Theiler Douglas Drachler & McKee, is perhaps best known as last year’s president of the King County Bar Association. But she has an extensive background in challenging authority figures - and she’s no stranger to success.

Theiler, 45, was responsible for getting a Grant County District Court judge reprimanded after he made vulgar sexual comments. She also won the censure of a Tacoma Municipal Court judge who decided a speeding case by flipping a coin.

She was part of a team of lawyers who took on the Washington State Apple Advertising Commission and came away with a $617,000 settlement for luring migrant workers to the state with promises of jobs that were actually quite rare.

Working as both a counsel for the state Judicial Conduct Commission and as a hearing officer for the state bar association disciplinary board, Theiler has dealt with misconduct in the legal profession.