According to GeekWire, veteran lawyer and community leader Pallavi Wahi has joined the firm Arnold & Porter to launch its new Seattle office and lead West Coast strategic growth. This move comes after her long tenure as a managing partner at K&L Gates. Arnold & Porter has signed a lease in the downtown U.S. Bank Center and aims to add at least 60 lawyers in Seattle within the next two years. The firm is targeting the region’s innovation economy, leveraging its deep regulatory expertise in areas like healthcare, tech, and antitrust. Wahi, who immigrated to Seattle 25 years ago, also serves on numerous local boards, including the Seattle Chamber and the Federal Reserve Bank.
The AI boundary line
Here’s the thing about AI in law: everyone’s trying to figure out the guardrails. Arnold & Porter is all in on using tools like Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude Enterprise, and their own in-house models for document review, research, and diligence. They’re piloting stuff, which is smart. But Wahi’s warning is the key takeaway. She basically says AI is a powerful assistant, but the moment you let it become the author, you’re in trouble. “You should not be filing briefs or doing anything which is generated by AI,” she states. That’s a firm line in the sand for the profession. It acknowledges the utility while fiercely protecting the core of legal work—human judgment, accountability, and authorship. You can feel the tension, right? The pressure to adopt tech versus the ethical and practical risks.
seattle-why-now”>Bullish on Seattle, why now?
So why is a major national firm like Arnold & Porter making this aggressive push now? Wahi calls Seattle “an incredible incubator of change” with a “fabric of electricity.” That’s not just booster talk. The play is clearly about the region’s dense cluster of tech, life sciences, and manufacturing companies—all navigating a minefield of new regulations. The firm’s specialty in FDA, antitrust, and cross-border trade is a direct response to that need. They’re not just opening an office; they’re deploying a regulatory SWAT team. And Wahi herself is a huge part of the strategy. Her 25-year journey from immigrant with no network to entrenched civic leader is the ultimate local credibility. She’s the connector.
The lawyer’s other job
Wahi’s philosophy extends beyond billable hours. Her message is that participation matters. She’s on boards for everything from the zoo to the theater, and even participated in a dance competition for charity. “We need to show up for more than doing our jobs,” she says. In a city sometimes criticized for tech insularity, that’s a powerful stance. It frames success as something built with and for the community, not just extracted from it. For a firm planting a new flag, that community-embedded mindset might be as valuable as any legal expertise. It’s how you build trust. And in a competitive market for talent and clients, trust is the ultimate currency.
