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Williams Kastner
Founded in 1929, Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC is a regional law firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with an additional office in Portland, Oregon.
Williams Kastner
Founded in 1929, Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC is a regional law firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with an additional office in Portland, Oregon. The firm employs more than 65 lawyers and engages in a broad-based commercial practice. The firm sponsors and administers a participant-directed retirement plan for its legal professionals and staff, which functions as a self-directed benefits vehicle rather than an institutional investment pool. The retirement plan invests primarily through participant-directed accounts, meaning individual employees allocate assets among a curated menu of mutual funds and investment options typical of corporate 401(k) and profit-sharing plans. The plan's investment posture reflects standard fiduciary guardrails for a professional-services sponsor — diversified, liquid, and governed by plan documents rather than a dedicated internal investment committee publishing a strategic asset allocation. There is no public record of the plan making direct investments in private companies, venture funds, or real estate outside of publicly offered securities. In September 2023, the firm continued its support for the Campaign for Equal Justice, a legal-aid funding organization in Oregon, reinforcing a community-rooted footprint that defines the firm's civic identity. Attorneys Stan Foster and Heather Van Meter represent the firm in professional networks including the Oregon Women Lawyers association. While the retirement plan itself operates without a disclosed CIO or separate investment staff, plan governance likely falls under the purview of the firm's partnership and its external recordkeeping and advisory vendors. The plan's distinction lies in its ordinariness — it is a retirement benefit for a regional law partnership, not a separately branded investment entity. Unlike single-family offices or endowment-style pools, it carries no disclosed direct-investment program, co-investment club, or multi-generational wealth mandate. Its structure is that of a regulated employee benefit plan under ERISA, subject to Department of Labor oversight, with fiduciaries drawn from the firm's partnership ranks.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1929
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Seattle
Corporate office
Seattle, WA, United States
Additional offices
Portland, OR, United States
Principals
Stan Foster
Attorney
Heather Van Meter
Attorney
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who oversees investment decisions for the Williams, Kastner & Gibbs Retirement Plan?
The plan does not publicly identify a chief investment officer or dedicated internal investment staff. As a participant-directed retirement plan sponsored by a law firm, fiduciary oversight is typically provided by a committee of firm partners, who retain external recordkeepers and investment advisors to curate the plan's fund menu. The plan is governed under ERISA, with named fiduciaries responsible for selecting and monitoring investment options.
Does the retirement plan make direct investments in private companies or venture funds?
There is no public record of the Williams, Kastner & Gibbs Retirement Plan making direct investments in private equity, venture capital, or real estate assets. As a participant-directed plan, its investment offerings are limited to publicly available mutual funds and similar vehicles selected by plan fiduciaries. The plan does not operate as an institutional limited partner making fund commitments.
How is the Williams, Kastner & Gibbs Retirement Plan related to the law firm's operating business?
The retirement plan is a sponsored employee benefit of Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC, the Seattle-based law firm founded in 1929. The plan covers the firm's attorneys and staff across its Washington and Oregon offices. It is not a separate investment entity or family office, and its assets are held in trust exclusively for the benefit of plan participants.
What is the plan's size in terms of assets under management?
The Williams, Kastner & Gibbs Retirement Plan does not publicly disclose its total plan assets. Like many private professional-service firm retirement plans, it files annual reports with the Department of Labor, but these filings may not be broadly indexed or publicly accessible. Without a disclosed AUM figure, the plan's scale remains a private matter.
Does the firm maintain any affiliated foundations or philanthropic structures?
Williams, Kastner & Gibbs supports community organizations including the Safe Crossings Foundation and the Campaign for Equal Justice in Oregon, where the firm has been a long-term donor. These philanthropic relationships are managed by the law firm directly rather than through a separate foundation associated with the retirement plan.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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