OUR TEAM

John Theiss brings the legal knowledge of a partner at a large firm paired with the first-hand industry experience running an international construction business. He has been a client himself and understands the CEO’s perspective. He founded Truss Faber because he is passionate about providing smart, practical legal solutions to the construction and manufacturing industries.

John earned his B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1988 and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago in 1992. Driven by his interest in the construction industry, he completed his Master’s in Construction Management from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1996. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Washington, and U.S. Court of Federal Claims. John is also the Co-Regional Director for the Seattle Region for Society of Construction Law North America.

Kevin Fowler is an experienced and skilled litigator who has successfully navigated his clients’ best interests in the areas of government contracts, construction litigation, commercial real estate lease disputes, breach of contract, Eighth/Fourteenth Amendment federal rights defense and personal injury. He has effectively represented general contractors, owners and subcontractors in every phase of construction. He has experience with both bench and jury trials, hearings, arbitrations, and mediations, having appeared in state and federal courts and U.S. Government Boards of Contract Appeals.

Abigail Staggers brings to her practice a diverse litigation background including construction disputes, breach of contract claims, real property disputes, commercial lease disputes, and land use appeals.  Her litigation experience has also provided insights useful for assisting with forward-looking negotiation and preparation of contracts and supporting the day-to-day needs of clients.  Abigail has worked with heavy civil construction companies, general contractors, owners, subcontractors and developers.

Suzanne Garner brings nearly 20 years of experience in international trade law and dispute resolution to Truss Faber PC. She advises clients on domestic and international regulations, investigations, and cross-border disputes, leveraging her background in trade policy and arbitration. Previously, Suzanne served in two administrations as an Associate General Counsel at the U.S. Trade Representative, where she represented the United States in trade negotiations and disputes. She also worked in global regulatory compliance at a top international law firm and founded Garner Global, advising on trade remedies and regulatory matters.

During his six decades of practice, Dale R. Martin has earned the reputation as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable construction lawyers in the Northwest. Dale has represented clients in all aspects of the construction industry from sureties, owners, contractors, design professionals and subcontractors.  Dale has resolved construction disputes through settlement, mediation, arbitration and trial for clients in 27 states.  He has successfully litigated more than 100 cases involving seven- and eight-digit claims and even defended against a claim of more than $50 million that resulted in a “zero” award for the claimant.  He has successfully completed both bench and jury trials, including trials in front of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Army Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals, the Department of Agriculture Board of Contract Appeals, the United States Claims Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Steven Vaughn brings extensive experience handling complex litigation matters, including class actions and multi-district litigation. Steven studied antitrust law and economics in law school and began his career on the defense side handling monopolization cases under Section 2 of the Sherman Act and large class-action price fixing cases under Section 1.

Steven earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2014 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2017. While in law school, Steven served as a judicial extern for United States Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, and as a law clerk for the United States Senate, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Steven also served as a Senior Articles Editor for the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois.

Jessica Venable brings ten years of in-house corporate administration experience as a paralegal at Fortune 500 companies to Truss Faber.

Her experience ranges from managing entity compliance to tax restructure and funding initiatives to supporting board meetings and shareholder relations. Jessica lends her expertise to business law and litigation matters as well as to coordinating administrative details.

After earning her Bachelor’s Degree at Pacific Lutheran University, Jessica spent 10 years in legal publishing before continuing her education with a Paralegal Certificate from Edmonds College.

Holly Theiss brings over two decades of excellent client service and legal experience, working as an administrator, paralegal and legal assistant for some of the top law firms in the Puget Sound area.

Holly oversees all business operations for Truss Faber, in addition to managing the firm’s legal team. Her extensive experience with construction and manufacturing legal matters positions Holly as a highly valued resource and a thoughtful and intelligent leader at Truss Faber.

Holly went to University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and continued her education at Central Washington University, studying criminal justice/psychology. Most recently, she attended Edmonds Community College for its paralegal associate degree program.