Foster Garvey is pleased to announce that Principal Dan Keppler has been promoted to General Counsel following the retirement of Cinda Fernald, an industry veteran who has spent close to four decades with the firm and held the position for nearly 14 years.
Dan, who is based in the firm’s Portland office and has served as Associate General Counsel alongside Cinda since fall 2021, has more than 25 years of experience in securities litigation, legal malpractice defense and complex business litigation. In addition, he has regularly counseled professional and institutional clients on risk management issues, particularly involving securities liability and professional liability.
Active in the Portland legal community, he has held a variety of leadership positions for the Oregon State Bar, including chair of the Securities Regulation Section, the Legal Ethics Committee and the Uniform Civil Jury Instructions Committee.
In his new role as General Counsel, Dan will oversee and implement Foster Garvey’s professional responsibility, client intake and risk management programs. He will also advise and educate the firm’s attorneys and staff on legal ethics and best practices.
“Dan’s outstanding leadership and his depth of legal and risk management experience is a tremendous asset to the firm, and we anticipate great things from him as our new General Counsel,” said the firm’s Co-Chair Rafael Stone. “Foster Garvey has undergone a significant evolution these past few years, and Dan will play a key role in developing new policies and programs that will help take us into this next phase of our growth.”
Cinda Fernald joined the firm’s Seattle office as a litigation attorney in what was then known as Garvey Schubert Adams & Barer in 1983. Over the years, she held various roles within the firm that included Associate, Of Counsel and Executive Director before being named the firm’s General Counsel in 2008.
Deeply committed to public service, Cinda coordinated the firm’s pro bono and community service program from 1989-2002, including updating and implementing its pro bono policy, establishing and strengthening relationships with referral sources, overseeing pro bono matters, and marketing the program. True to her dedication to public service, Cinda has joined the firm’s Next Chapter program through which retired Foster Garvey lawyers provide pro bono legal and community service.
“Cinda has been an integral part of the firm for nearly 40 years, and we are so grateful for the many contributions she has made to the firm and to the hundreds of clients and colleagues she has worked tirelessly for over her career,” said Foster Garvey Co-Chair Diana Shukis. “In keeping with her legacy of leadership and service, we are thrilled she has agreed to continue with us in a pro bono capacity, providing her wealth of legal insights to individuals and organizations in our community.”
