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Attorney Colleen M. Frei

Colleen M. Frei

Partner 

Practicing Since 2005

Contact Me:

Practice Areas:

  • Agricultural Law
  • Business Law
  • Estate Planning
  • Intellectual Property
  • Real Estate
  • Succession Planning
  • Water Law

Biography

Colleen has practiced ag law at JDSA for over 15 years. As a partner & member of the firm's management committee, Colleen can attest that JDSA proudly represents its clients and serves at the forefront of agricultural law, advising on a variety of issues for over a half-century.

Colleen is passionate about what she does & the people she interacts with, fully committed to the agriculture industry & being part of the team to help ag clients be successful. Her legal work in support of ag clients involves all aspects of the operations & business, from land to crop to harvest, & from business conception & funding through succession planning, including:

Operational Matters:

  • Land & real estate-real estate purchase & sales, row crop & orchard land leases, crop profit sharing arrangements
  • Water rights-Bureau of Reclamation water & RRA reporting, WA Department of Ecology water rights permitting, certificates, change applications with Water Conservancy Boards, Trust Water Rights Program
  • Crop financing
  • Ag labor matters-H-2A temporary ag workers, employee housing, employment policies & benefits, farm labor contractor licensing, farming management operations
  • Variety patent licensing, trademarks, nursery contracts
  • Warehouse grower contracts, fruit handling agreements-WA Commission Merchants Act, PACA licensing, pooling & account sales
  • Crop liens
  • Marketing & sales, preferred supplier agreements, distribution & trade, IC DISC structuring, food labeling & packaging
  • USDA FSA & Farm Bill programs, including TAP, MFP, CFAP
  • Vendor agreements-retailer, producer, supplier, brokerage agreements
  • Ag insurance-crop insurance, product liability, recall insurance

Business & Structure Matters:

  • Business structure-taxes & organization
  • Merger & acquisition-stock & asset purchase, due diligence & feasibility
  • Foreign ownership implications-BEA, AFIDA
  • Financing & lender relations-operating lines, land & development loans, equipment leases
  • Succession planning, including estate & tax planning

Farming is Colleen's family legacy. Her maternal grandparents were dairy farmers & her fraternal grandparents were row crop farmers. She loved driving combine & grain truck during her youth (albeit, it's much better with AC in the cabs now!) & the deep satisfaction of a good day's work in the fields. While farming is key to Colleen's upbringing, her education & experience in the ag industry continues to fuel Colleen's commitment to agriculture, the people & the products.

When Colleen isn't practicing law, she enjoys outdoor sports- skiing, hiking, camping, rafting and snow-shoeing. Her loves include her family, traveling, reading and gardening. 

Education

  • University of Idaho College of Law, Moscow, Idaho
    • J.D. - 2005
    • Honors: magna cum laude
    • Honors: Bankruptcy Moot Court Team
  • University of Idaho
    • B.S. - 2002

Bar Admission

  • Washington
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Washington

Published Works

  • Wenatchee Valley Business World - Technology + Agriculture = Success (July 2019)

Professional Awards

  • Colleen was selected by her peers as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2010 & 2013
  • Washington State Bar Association Leadership Institute, 2010 Fellow
  • Wenatchee Valley Business World, 30 Under 35 Award for 2012
  • Chelan Douglas Bar Association, 2016 Professionalism Award
  • Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services, Attorney of the Month - August 2017

Presentations and Teaching

  • Community Foundation of NCW Seminar - Advice on Creating/Updating Your Will (Jan 2019)
  • Wenatchee Valley College Center for Entrepreneurship presentation- How to Navigate Business Law for New Entrepreneurs/StartUps (2018)
  • Agriculture Law Seminar Presentation - Irrigation Update and Bureau Water (2017)
  • Agriculture Law Seminar Presentation - Insurance for Ag Businesses (2017)

Community Board Memberships and Volunteer Activities 

  • Chelan-Douglas Volunteer Attorney Services, Board, past-President
  • Chelan-Douglas Volunteer Attorney Services (Board, past-President)
  • Numerica Performing Arts Center, Board, past-President
  • Festival of Trees
  • Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
  • Wenatchee Valley Follies Guild
  • Community Foundation of North Central Washington, Professional Advisor
  • University of Idaho, College of Natural Resources, Advisory Board of Trustees
  • Estate Planning Council
  • Washington Farm Labor Association (WAFLA)
  • Washington State Veterans Will Clinic for Wenatchee

Professional Associations

  • Chelan Douglas Bar Association, Past-President
  • Estate Planning Council

Current Employment Position

  • Partner