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Don joined Ashburn & Mason in 1983 and leads the firm’s real estate and business practice. Prior to joining Ashburn & Mason, Don worked as a law clerk for Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme Court and as an assistant attorney general for the State of Alaska in the transportation section, specializing in construction and condemnation litigation.

Don’s transactional practice includes real estate development, commercial leasing and financing, municipal law, and administrative law. He represents real estate appraisers, design professionals, commercial landlords, telecommunication companies, contractors, developers, businesses, and individuals on commercial matters, zoning and land-use planning matters, construction contract issues, and procurement disputes. Don has served as an arbitrator in real estate and commercial disputes and as a court appointed master in eminent domain proceedings. He has represented state agencies, municipalities, and landowners throughout the state of Alaska on eminent domain issues, and, in 1994-95, served as the chair for the Civil Rules subcommittee that extensively revised Alaska’s eminent domain procedural rules.

Don also guides clients on matters involving limited liability entity formation, governance, and dissolution and has provided merger and acquisition advice to target companies over the years.

He currently holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell; was selected for inclusion in Alaska Super Lawyers in the Real Estate, Eminent Domain, and Land Use/Zoning practice areas; is a band one leader in real estate in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business; and is regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Alaska Real Estate.

Don served on the Alaska Bar Association Board of Governors from 2008 to 2014 and was its president from 2011 to 2012. Don has served on a number of civic committees over the years. He is a current Board Member of Justice Not Politics Alaska, the Blood Bank of Alaska, and is a member of the Municipality of Anchorage Board of Adjustment. He earlier served as a former president and board member of Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, Inc., a Campfire Alaska Council Project volunteer, a member of the Honorary Board of Directors of the Alaska Youth and Parent Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Family Resource Center, and as an FRC Liaison with the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust.

Don has litigated several reported cases before the Alaska Supreme Court, the Alaska Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals:

• South Anchorage Concerned Coalition, Inc. v. Municipality of Anchorage Bd. of Adjustment, 172 P.3d 768 (Alaska 2007)
• South Anchorage Concerned Coalition, Inc. v. Municipality of Anchorage Bd. of Adjustment, 172 P.3d 774 (Alaska 2007)
• Marlow v. Municipality of Anchorage, 889 P.2d 599 (Alaska 1995)
• Corder v. Howard Johnson & Co., 53 F.3d 225 (9th Cir. 1994)
• Corder v. Howard Johnson & Co., 37 F.3d 550 (9th Cir. 1994)
• State v. Northwestern Const., Inc., 741 P.2d 235 (Alaska 1987)
• Contreras v. State, 718 P.2d 129 (Alaska 1986)
• Jacko v. State, 689 P.2d 506 (Alaska App. 1984)
• Ship Creek Hydraulic Syndicate v. State, Dep’t of Transp. and Public Facilities, 685 P.2d 715 (Alaska 1984)
• Irby-Northface v. Com. Elec. Co., 664 P.2d 557 (Alaska 1983)
• Kenai Landing, Inc. v. Cook Inlet Natural Gas Storage Alaska, LLC, 441 P.3d 954 (Alaska 2019)

Don won the Oberman Writing Award for best third year paper at Harvard Law School. In 2006, Don received the Robert K. Hickerson Public Service Award for his pro bono services.