Contact: Mark Fefer, Marketing Communications, 206.757.8583 or markfefer@dwt.com
AUGUST 3, 2020 – Alison Schary, counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, was named a 2020 D.C. Rising Star by the National Law Journal, which annually recognizes the top legal talent in the nation's capital, age 40 and under.
Ms. Schary, 38, has played a key role in a number of crucial matters on behalf of major clients in tech, digital media, and traditional media. Recent examples include:
- She helped win vindication for BuzzFeed in litigation over its publication of the much-discussed Steele dossier.
- She helped successfully defend Microsoft in high-stakes, right of publicity litigation arising from "Gears of War," one of the most popular Xbox games of all time.
- She was lead attorney on behalf of Rolling Stone in a $300 million defamation suit lodged by former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
- She was one of two lead attorneys defending Serial Productions in a right of publicity claim arising from "S-Town," one of the most popular podcasts ever created.
Schary regularly provides prepublication advice for new media clients including Slate, Vice, and the Markup. She also serves as principal outside counsel for the Online News Association. Her extensive pro bono work has included important cases that upheld the right of journalists and the public to record police activity in public settings.
This is the second honor in as many months for Schary, who was recognized in July by Law360 as a Rising Star in Media & Entertainment.
In an interview, Schary shared one of the "secrets of her success," saying: "I don't just focus on the task in front of me. I spend time getting to know my clients—how they assess risk, their public persona, core issues and challenges, tools and technologies they're adopting. All of this helps me provide tailored advice, in my client's language. They appreciate that."
Schary received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 550 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. The firm is widely recognized as having the leading media and First Amendment practice in the country.