Cheerful Catunao is an associate at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C. in Seattle, where she practices a full range of environmental and natural resource matters. Her practice includes environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and advising clients. Her litigation and regulatory compliance experience includes defending against citizen suits, enforcement actions, and rulemaking challenges. She has advised clients on matters arising under the CAA, CWA, SDWA, ESA, NHPA, CERCLA, TSCA, NEPA, CZMA, and SMCRA.

Prior to joining Schwabe, Cheerful served in the Office of the Governor of Guam as associate counsel and was an assistant attorney general with the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Ecology Division. During law school, she served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood of the U.S. District Court of Guam.

In 2023, she was selected to participate in the SEER Leadership Development Program (LDP). Participating in LDP provided a valuable platform to work on critical Indigenous issues related to environmental and natural resources law. Her LDP cohort developed the Environmental Law and Indigenous Peoples CLE Webinar Series. Cheerful serves as a vice chair on the SEER's Oceans and Coasts Committee and Indigenous Law Committee.

Cheerful is an avid freediver and enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and standup paddleboarding.