News & Events

We are thrilled to share some exciting news from Nicoll Black Altenbrun & Feig!

Please join us in welcoming four outstanding attorneys who have joined the firm as members:  Jonathan Thames, Pamela Schultz, Brad Pace, & Forrest Booth.

Their talent, dedication, and experience make them a perfect fit for our team, and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board.

As exciting — we’ve opened a brand-new office in the heart of San Francisco at 50 California Street! With this expansion to California, Nicoll Black Altenbrun & Feig has attorneys actively practicing in every west coast state (including Alaska and Hawaii), as well as many other jurisdictions across the United States. This expansion also broadens our experience and expertise, allowing us to continue to provide the exceptional service you’ve come to expect.

Each of these four new members brings a wealth of knowledge and a breadth of experience:

• Forrest Booth: A graduate of Harvard Law School, Forrest has decades of experience as a preeminent maritime attorney in San Francisco. Learn more about Forrest here.
• Brad Pace: A former ship Captain, Brad has extensive experience in a wide variety of maritime litigation and yacht sales and transactions. Learn more about Brad here.
• Pamela Schultz: Formerly the head of Kennedys U.S. Marine group, Pamela focuses on maritime law, inland marine and insurance coverage. Learn more about Pamela here
• Jonathan Thames: With over 25 years of experience, Jonathan focuses on marine & non-marine coverage, cargo recovery, and maritime litigation. Learn more about Jonathan here.

Our California headquarters will be located at 50 California Street, Suite 1616, San Francisco, CA 94111. The firm will continue to maintain its Seattle offices at 1325 Fourth Ave, Suite 1650, Seattle, WA 98101.

This is a special moment of growth for our firm, and we’re so grateful for the support of our clients, colleagues, and friends who make it all possible.

For questions about our expansion, please contact Larry Altenbrun.

The NBAF “family” gathered to celebrate Curt Feig’s retirement. The sparkling canoli served for dessert was a big hit. No one was injured. Curt has been a core member of the firm since it started in 2004. A great attorney, friend, and mentor – we will miss his counsel, calm and leadership. Curt and his wife Katherine have many plans for an awesome future, but those plans do not involve tackling the toughest coverage decisions. Thank you Curt!!!!

NBF attorneys Christopher Nicoll, Rivers Black, Curt Feig, and Larry Altenbrun were selected as 2025 Seattle Super Lawyers, which is a rating service identifying outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

NBAF was again ranked in 2025 for Litigation: General Commercial in Washington. You can take a look at the rankings at https://chambers.com/legal-rankings/litigation-general-commercial-washington-5:228:13365:1?l=en-GB.

NBAF is pleased to announce that Sarah Davenport has joined our insurance coverage practice group as a new junior member. With Sarah, Nicoll Black Altenbrun & Feig adds an experienced litigator in insurance coverage and bad faith matters to complement our practice and to expand the range of services we provide to our clients. We are fortunate to continue building our depth, services, and capabilities for a strong future. Sarah’s bio is here: https://nicollblack.com/our-team/sarah-davenport/. If you have a chance, send her a note to welcome her aboard.

NBAF attorney Rod Fonda is pictured below caught in the act of speaking in a panel discussion in New York on April 30 for the combined Marine Insurance and Carriage of Goods committees of the Maritime Law Association.

We are pleased to announce that Nicoll Black & Feig is officially changing its name to Nicoll Black Altenbrun & Feig, effective immediately. This change honors the exceptional contributions of attorney Larry Altenbrun, who has dedicated two decades of exemplary service to our firm and our clients. As we adopt this new name, we want to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to integrity, professionalism, and the highest standards of service. Larry has been a partner at the firm for over 15 years and his dedication and expertise have been instrumental in shaping our values and guiding us in our mission to provide you with the best possible legal representation. At Nicoll Black Altenbrun & Feig, we remain dedicated to serving your needs with the same passion and commitment you have come to expect from us. Our team continues to work diligently to uphold the trust you place in us, and we look forward to continuing to support you in all your legal endeavors.

NBF attorneys Rivers Black and Larry Altenbrun (bookends in the below image) reported that they had a great week in New Orleans at the annual River and Marine Industry Seminar. The Scialdone Law Firm (Gulfport / New Orleans ) and Nicoll Black & Feig (Seattle) welcomed the opportunity to host an evening of great Blues music at Felix’s Oyster Bar on Bourbon Street. This has now become a signature event during Seminar, sponsored by The Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association (“GNOBFA”). 

NBF hosted its annual Mardi Gras party at the Whisky Bar in Belltown. It was awesome. Entertainment from Nate Jester (Ace of Illusions) and Good Company (an awesome Jazz trio). If you missed it, you missed out … until next year.