Runs, Hits, Connections: OSB Bulletin Features SFK and the Lawyer Softball League
Portland, Oregon (August/September 2023) — The Oregon State Bar Bulletin featured Sam Smith, Smith Foster King, and Portland's Lawyer Softball League in "Runs, Hits, Connections," a story about the collegiality, camaraderie, and community the league has built among Portland attorneys for nearly two decades.
The Lawyer Softball League runs for seven weeks every summer, bringing together firm attorneys, colleagues, and family members with the dream of a title but, more importantly, the goal of building relationships outside the office. For a newer firm like Smith Foster King, joining was an easy call.
"We joined the league about three months after launching our firm last year," Jaimee King, managing partner of Smith Foster King, told the Bulletin. "Playing softball has not only been really fun, but it has been a wonderful way to build more collegiality within our profession."
Sam Smith, a partner at Smith Foster King and the firm's softball coach, has been part of the league since joining as a summer clerk at Dunn Carney in 2007. He later convinced Dunn Carney's managing partner to let him restart the firm's team, and to fund the shirts, launching a tradition of legal puns and increasingly loud jerseys that Sam brought with him to Smith Foster King.
"This is a natural community-networking event. Legal professionals, staff members, family, we all interact in a much more relaxed environment," Smith said. "Being an introverted person and being dropped into this softball environment helped me with networking. Most firms have a rigid top-down structure. Senior partners may not get to know their staff members in a personal way. My entire experience is that this league brings everyone together. There is networking among the legal community but you also get to know the people you work with."
The article also highlighted the family side of the league. Jaimee King's son, daughter, brother, husband, and nephew have all played for Smith Foster King, and teams across the league regularly show up with snacks, pizza, or grills, creating what the Bulletin described as a company-picnic atmosphere that repeats six or seven times each summer.
"There have been multiple times this summer when I've reached out to someone in the league about help or a favor I need," King told the Bulletin. "I never would have been able to do that without first meeting them at a game."
Smith Foster King has continued the tradition every year since, fielding teams under names including Stranger Swings, Ballable Hours, Subpoena Colada, Squid Pro Quo, and Depo Babies.
About Smith Foster King LLC
Smith Foster King is a plaintiff's law firm representing individuals and businesses in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts. The firm's collaborative approach draws on decades of courtroom, litigation, and business experience to help clients navigate their most challenging legal disputes.
Smith Foster King handles a broad range of claims, including employment-related matters such as discrimination, retaliation, and workplace disputes, as well as cases involving sexual assault, elder abuse, and business conflicts. Sam Smith, Anne Foster, and Jaimee King leverage their extensive courtroom and boardroom experience to deliver effective, personalized representation and help clients navigate complex legal challenges. For more information, visit smithfosterking.com or call 503.567.7100.
