Ms. Zobel has supervised the firm's workers' compensation defense practice group for more than 25 years. In addition to her many years of practice before the Alaska Workers' Compensation Board, Ms. Zobel also actively practices before the EEOC and federal and state courts in the area of employment law. This includes wrongful discharge, discrimination claims and ADA defense. She has also been involved in medical malpractice, attorney malpractice and complex personal injury cases in Alaska state court trials. In the area of workers' compensation, her practice has been exclusively on behalf of employers. Many of the cases in which she has been involved have centered on complex medical and causation issues.

Ms. Zobel has handled approximately 50 appeals to the Alaska Supreme Court in the area of workers' compensation and employer liability. Her reported cases include: Williams v. Abood, -- P.3d --, WL 1880684 (Alaska 2002); Twiggs v. Municipality of Anchorage, -- P.3d --, WL 1354257 (Alaska 2002); Justice v. RMH Aero Logging, Inc., 42 P.3d 549 (Alaska 2002); Safeway, Inc. v. Mackey, 965 P.2d 22 (Alaska 1998); Ribitzki v. Canmar Reading & Bates, Ltd. Partnership, 111 F.3d 658 (1997); Sweet v. Sisters of Providence in Washington, 895 P.2d 484 (Alaska 1995); Rydwell v. Anchorage School District, 864 P.2d 526 (Alaska 1993); Vienna v. Scott Wetzel Services, Inc., 740 P.2d 447 (Alaska 1987).

Ms. Zobel has been actively involved in the formulation of the State of Alaska workers' compensation regulations and has testified regarding changes in the Alaska Workers' Compensation Act for over 17 years. Ms. Zobel was a member of the legislative committee for the Workers' Compensation Committee of Alaska, which was instrumental in preparing modifications to the Workers' Compensation Act adopted in the year 2000. Ms. Zobel participated in a legislative audit of the workers' compensation system in Alaska and she has been a frequent lecturer in the areas of workers' compensation, employment law and the Americans With Disabilities Act. She is one of two attorneys responsible for preparing for and presenting the workers' compensation update seminar on an annual basis for the Alaska Bar Association. Ms. Zobel has also been a state reporter for the National Committee of the American Bar Association for Workers' Compensation and Employer Liability, a committee whose purpose is to provide continuing legal education.

Ms. Zobel has an A-V rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating an attorney can obtain under this independent rating system. It is believed that she is the only attorney in Alaska who practices in the area of workers' compensation who has this rating. She is also the first female attorney in Alaska to be conferred this rating. In addition, Ms. Zobel was recently selected by her peers as a Best Lawyer in America in the field of workers' compensation law.

Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D., Summa Cum Laude and first in her class, 1978, Winner of the Linden Cup Moot Court Award, Law Review Associate Editor, and winner of numerous American Jurisprudence awards

University of Iowa, B.A., Communications, 1971
Carlton College, 1967-68

Alaska Bar Association (Workers' Compensation section) International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Alaska Association of Women Lawyers

Admitted to practice in Alaska
United States District Court for the District of Alaska
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Supreme Court

Director, Susitna Council of Girl Scouts
Six-year member (three years President), Anchorage Library Advisory Board
Six-year member, Alaska Women's Resource Center
Alaska Bead Society