Seattle lawyer William H. Neukom ’67 was named president-elect of the American Bar Association (ABA) at the association’s August annual meeting. Active in organized bar work for more than 35 years, Neukom will be ABA president-elect for one year and then serve a one-year term as ABA president beginning in August 2007. When nominated, he had been serving his third term as the Washington State Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates.

Neukom, who retired from Microsoft as executive vice president of law and corporate affairs in 2002, was named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers” by the National Law Journal and one of the top general counsels by California Lawyer. In fall 2002, he returned to Preston Gates & Ellis LLP as a partner in the firm’s business law practice. Today, he serves as chair of the firm, a post he has occupied since January 2004.

A member of the Dean’s Strategic Council since 2000 and a member of the Board of Visitors Executive Committee since 2003, he endowed the William H. Neukom Professorship of Law in 2002. The chair supports faculty working in Neukom’s fields of interest: human rights, intellectual property rights, ethics and legal responsibility, global rule of law issues, and antitrust and consumer protection. Neukom recently pledged to donate $20 million to the law school for construction of a new administration building.