John “Shaun” Corette III, a Montana cowboy who became a leading attorney in Washington, DC, died December 2 at age 81. Among his many clients was Snowsports Industries America (SIA), the nonprofit national trade association for the winter sports and resort industry.
Corette started working with SIA in 1980 and was named general counsel in 1982. He played a key role in helping SIA secure a bond to move from Washington, DC to McLean, Virginia, and in the successful campaign to have snowboarding included in the Olympics. He worked on trade and tariff policies that benefited the industry, developed contracts for the annual trade show in Las Vegas, and consulted on the 1989 merger—and 1992 de-merger—of SIA with the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
“Shaun helped to shape SIA’s progress on education, research, trade shows, membership and industry relations,” says longtime SIA president David Ingemie. “He had an amazing Rolodex—he knew everyone and everything.”
Born in Butte, Montana, Corette earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana in 1958, and his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1961. By 1969 he was general counsel for the Export-Import Bank in Washington, then in 1976 set up his own firm, Cole, Corette & Abrutyn. He retired in 2011 as a partner at the international law firm DLA Piper US LLP.
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