Rep. Bieter, ex-commissioner Walker, Werth form law firm

Idaho Rep. Dave Bieter, former Ada County Commissioner Frank Walker and former Blaine County Prosecutor Doug Werth have formed a law firm specializing in municipal law.
Bieter Werth & Walker, Attorneys & Counselors At Law, opened Aug. 8 in 900 square feet of office space in the Fronton Building, at 619 Grove St. in the Basque Block of downtown Boise.
The three see strong demand for local-government legal services – “an area we really enjoy” – in the Treasure Valley and elsewhere in Idaho, said Walker, a one-term county commissioner who was defeated last November by Sharon Ullman.
The firm offers services in a variety of legal areas, excluding bankruptcy.
“It’s exciting to be down here in a vibrant area, starting up a law firm,” Walker said.
“We’ve all been through land application processes, and can help clients through that,” Bieter added.
Though regional and large local firms have a strong presence in Boise, principals in the new firm know many people, he said, noting, “we still have a niche.”
The law firm’s space housed an engineering firm until the mid-1990s but has been used mainly for storage since, said Walker. The attorneys remodeled the space into six offices.
The three principals attended the University of Idaho Law School in the mid- and late 1980s, and have worked with each other often over the years. All have been elected to public office and have been active in the Idaho Democratic Party.
“Our careers have overlapped, and we have stayed in contact with one another over the years,” said Walker.
Bieter and Werth grew up in Boise, Walker in Twin Falls.
Walker, 42, served a four-year Ada County Commission term. This year he worked on a contract basis for Boise-based St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
Before being elected to the Ada County Commission in 1996, he worked as an Idaho deputy attorney general specializing in local government and intergovernmental affairs.
Bieter, 41, worked three years for Boise law firm Moore Smith Buxton & Turk. Before that, he worked seven years as a deputy in the Civil Division of the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, on issues including land use and zoning. He has represented the City of McCall for several years.
Werth, 40, served as Blaine County prosecutor in Hailey from 1995 until entering private practice in Ketchum last November. He will maintain his office in Ketchum and also do legal work in Boise.
Before serving as Blaine County prosecutor, the Boise native worked as a deputy in the Criminal Division of the Idaho Attorney General’s Office in Boise.
Werth’s office in Ketchum will help the firm serve the Wood River and Magic valleys, and eastern Idaho, said Walker.
Bieter replaced his father, Pat Bieter, in the Idaho House in early 2000 after Pat Bieter died in an accident. Dave Bieter was elected to the seat, representing District 19 in Boise, last November. He serves on the House Local Government and Judiciary and Rules committees. His family is active in Boise’s Basque community.
The Fronton Building, which also houses Design Associates, operated as one of about a dozen downtown Boise winter boarding houses for many Basque sheep ranch workers in the first half of the 20th century. A handball court within the building remains in use. RMH Co. and Adelia Simplot own the building.