Steve Edmiston
Of Counsel
Although many lawyers possess business law and commercial litigation expertise, few have successfully started, built and managed a national consumer products company. Fewer have written and produced successful independent feature films.
Bracepoint Law attorney Steve Edmiston brings all these skill sets to his legal practice. His “real world” business and entertainment industry experience gives him unique insight into the practical challenges faced every day by creative entrepreneurs, from drafting licensing and distribution agreements, to negotiating angel and venture capital financing, to protecting the very “ideas” that drive creativity and innovation.
Before Bracepoint, Steve co-founded and served as president of Front Porch Classics, a creator, manufacturer and distributor of “coffee table games.” Steve managed Front Porch’s trademark, copyright and licensing portfolio with entities such as Major League Baseball, Twentieth Century Fox, and Sony’s Game Show Television Network. He guided the company through two rounds of venture capitalization, negotiated sales relationships with Target.com, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, and Amazon.com, and appeared on ESPN2, National Public Radio, in the New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. While with Front Porch, Steve developed several award-winning game titles, including Dread Pirate, Old Century Stretch Run, and Master & Commander (in connection with the Fox film release).
Although Steve previously specialized in complex litigation and legal exposure management—and served as lead counsel in numerous cases with multi-million dollar exposures—he points to his stint in business, and learning how to integrate development, management, contracting, intellectual property, and dispute resolution strategies, as the key to his success at Bracepoint.
In his “spare time,” Steve has written and produced four independent feature films (each receiving distribution), along with numerous award-winning short films. He has taught screenwriting at the University of Washington, and film producing at Seattle University for the Master’s degree programs at the Seattle Film Institute, and services on the IndieFlix and Northwest Screenwriters Guild boards. As a result of his involvement in film and game development, he says he “feels connected” to the creative people and entrepreneurs in entertainment and similar industries.
Steve speaks frequently on legal, business, entertainment, and history topics. He was selected for the 2021-2023 Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau on the subject of Prohibition in the Northwest.
EDUCATION
- Washington State University, Bachelor of Arts degree, Economics (cum laude), 1984
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 1987
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Of Counsel, Bracepoint Law (2014-Present)
- Of Counsel, Invicta Law Group (2005 to 2014)
- Co-founder and president, Front Porch Classics (2000–2005)
- Co-founder, Gordon & Polscer, commercial and insurance litigation (1994–2000)
- Partner, Bullivant Houser Bailey, commercial and environmental insurance litigation (1993–1994)
- Attorney, Betts, Patterson & Mines, commercial, securities and environmental litigation (1991–1993)
- Instructor – litigation skills in Continuing Legal Education programs, including the National Institute of Trial Advocacy
CREATIVE HIGHLIGHTS
- Writer / producer, “The Maury Island Incident” (2014)
- Writer / director, “The Periphery Project, Vol. I” (2016)
- Writer / director, “Reinventing the Patriot” (2014)
- Writer / co-producer, “Crimes of the Past” (2009; Lifetime)
- Writer / co-producer, “A Relative Thing” (2003; Audience Award Sedona Film Festival; Best Ensemble Phoenix Film Festival; jury finalist, New American Cinema, Seattle International Film Festival)
- Co-writer, “Farewell to Harry” (2001, Winner, Golden Needle, Seattle International Film Festival; distributed by Questar and Porchlight Entertainment)
- Board game designer, Old Century Dread Pirate, FamilyFun magazine Toy of the Year (2003); Master and Commander (2003); Old Century Stretch Run, Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games; Creative Child magazine Award of Excellence (2004); and Raceway 57, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Seal Award (2005)
- Board game designer – Barista, Potions and Martini for Discovery Bay Games (2009)