Kevin G. Clarkson

Kevin G. Clarkson had a distinguished legal career spanning 34 years in private practice before his appointment as the Attorney General for the State of Alaska. He graduated with honors from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1981 and then graduated cum laude, in the top 10 percent of his class, from Willamette University College of Law in 1985.

Following law school, Perkins Coie offered him a position as a civil litigator in the firm’s Anchorage branch office. Mr. Clarkson then left his home state of Oregon to make a new home in Alaska. He worked at Perkins Coie for 10 years doing a wide range of work before joining the firm Brena, Bell & Clarkson, P.C. in 1995 where he continued to hone his skills as the firm’s Senior Litigation Attorney. He ended his practice with the law firm upon his appointment as Attorney General in December of 2018.

Over the course of his long legal career, Mr. Clarkson has represented a myriad of clients—from individuals, to Fortune 500 companies, to Native corporations, to municipalities, to Electrical Utilities, to small businesses, to the Alaska Legislature, and the State of Alaska. Because of the general nature of his practice, he has covered a wide range of topics and issues. He has litigated disputes involving personal injury, wrongful death, employment, contract disputes, business dissolutions, construction disputes, professional liability, medical malpractice, and oil and gas related matters. He has defended constitutional amendments and statutes passed by the people of Alaska. He has appeared before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals including the en banc panel of the Court and before the Alaska Supreme Court on a number of occasions.

His many years of experience and his professional demeanor has been recognized by his peers. He has received the highest rating, AV Preeminent, with Martindale-Hubbell and has been admitted to Super Lawyers every year since 2014.

When he’s not working, Mr. Clarkson enjoys spending time with his family. He has four grown children, two of whom have settled down in Alaska. One of his sons is serving in the United States Navy, and one of his daughters is currently living in Ohio. Mr. Clarkson also has a five-year-old step-son with his wife Johanna. And, he speaks Spanish.