A Full-Service Law Firm Committed To Your Journey For Life

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