Cougar Business Lawyers

Before earning her law degree, magna cum laude, from Gonzaga University School and joining GTH in 1991, Margaret Archer was a financial analyst for Westinghouse Hanford Company. She puts her business acumen and insight into the world of finance to good use in her position as Chair of our Board of Directors and in her practice areas of land use, real estate litigation and commercial litigation.

Michael T. Smith advises individuals and companies of all types and sizes regarding the proper formation and structure of a business entity (corporation, limited liability company, etc.), their general business and corporate matters, issues related to the purchase or sale or lease of real property and transactions to purchase or sell their business. Michael also focuses his practice on assisting people prepare their estate plan, including wills, trusts, community property agreements, durable powers of attorney, health care directives, and helping families navigate and administer a loved one's estate in probate proceedings. Michael can also assist with guardianship proceedings for loved ones...

I am a native of Olympia, and my family has been in the region for more than 100 years. I received my B.A. in Philosophy before graduating from Lewis and Clark Law School. I have been licensed to practice law since 1996 and have spent my career serving my community. I place an emphasis on attorney-client communication. This includes promptly responding to messages, regularly meeting with clients at my office, and providing an online portal through which clients may access their important records. I promise this level of communication to each and every client I serve.

Conor McCarthy is an experienced Real Estate and Estate Planning attorney, and has spent nearly 15 years helping his clients navigate and resolve complex transactions and disputes. Serving clients large and small, private and public, Conor prides himself on taking the time to listen and fully understand a client’s challenges and goals.

Conor began his career as a civil litigator zealously advocating in contract, construction, real estate, land use and commercial disputes. He then transitioned to become a skilled municipal and transactional attorney negotiating and closing complex commercial and real estate deals, and resolving difficult land use challenges. After managing...

Clients value Erik for his sense of strategy, diplomacy and willingness to jump into the trenches with them to truly understand their actual legal needs.

Erik's practice areas include contract drafting; small/mid-size business counsel; general litigation including personal injury pre-litigation and trial work.

He is heavily involved on the front lines of the cannabis industry, having been introduced to the industry during the legalization phase in Colorado and following this up with providing business counsel to the top retailers and producer/processors in Washington State.

Erik has a long track record of pro-bono public legal service, gaining him recognition in both Colorado and...

About Bob Schroeter
Bob Schroeter has provided management, legal and government relations services to clients in Oregon and Washington State for over 25 years. Bob has experience as an Assistant Attorney General, Municipal Counsel, Corporate Director of Government Affairs, Division Director at a State Agency, CEO and Government Relations professional and County Bar Association President, as well as Presiding officer and director for non-profit organizations.

Bob has handled cases before State Superior, Appellate and Supreme Courts & State and Federal District Courts for two decades, and has worked with legislators at the Federal level, and State Legislative, County...

Robert Dickson practices civil litigation, with a focus on issues related to business, real property and construction law. His clients are diverse, ranging from large corporations to residential homeowners. Recently, Mr. Dickson expanded his practice to include the representation of property owners in mediating their distressed property matters through the Foreclosure Fairness Act. Another element of Mr. Dickson's practice includes contributing to various legal publications. In particular, he serves as an editor and contributing author of the LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Real Estate Litigation (LexisNexis 2014) and a contributing author for the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual. At present,...

20 years litigation experience. I have helped thousands of clients get through very difficult situations

Travis’ practice focuses primarily on business and real estate transactions, with an emphasis on entity formation, governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Travis believes that a good process is the best way to arrive at good results. Thus, before he can provide effective legal advice, he must first carefully listen to the client’s particular situation and understand exactly what the client both needs and wants. Only then can a comprehensive strategy be crafted to help resolve the client’s current legal needs but also allow the client to continue working towards the client’s aspirations. Travis’ practice gives him great satisfaction because he...

Mr. Hummer is lawyer in Yakima, Washington whose practice emphasizes civil litigation, business, real estate, bankruptcy, probate, and estate planning. Mr. Hummer is committed to providing distinguished representation and insightful advice to his clients.

Ms. Duncan graduated from Seattle University School of Law. She has experience in criminal law and guardianship, trust, and estate litigation. Before entering law school, Ms. Duncan taught middle school Special Education in San Antonio and in Seattle Public Schools. While in law school, she placed first in the American Bar Association Moot Court Appellate Competition, was a King County Bar Association Scholar, and received the Jeff Robinson Equity and Racial Justice Award. Ms. Duncan also worked for the Honorable Chief Justice Steve Gonzalez at the Washington State Supreme Court and prosecuted misdemeanors at Seattle City Attorney’s Office and the...

MULTILINGUAL ATTORNEY FOCUSED ON ASSISTING CLIENTS IN WEALTH CREATION AND PROTECTION

• Member, Washington State Bar Association, since 1992
• Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Transnational Business Practice
• Professional Linguist, since 2004

For business clients, I am able to draw on the experience I've gained as an attorney in private practice and as in-house counsel for a Seattle-area export company, including:

• Drafting and reviewing (in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French) a wide variety of contracts/documents in the domestic and international setting. Examples are: (1) corporate agreements/documents, such as shareholder, LLC or partnership agreements, powers of attorney, notary deeds in the international context, corporate minutes/reports; (2)...

I have practiced in Yakima County for twenty-eight years. I have experience in state and federal court throughout the state of Washington. I am also admitted to practice in Oregon.

At Iddins Law Group, our skilled team is dedicated to providing client-focused services in Probate, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Personal Injury, and DUIs.

Auburn Lawyer, L.L.C. is a small legal services office that caters to individual clients who have Family Law or other personal and some small business legal matters. We do not handle felony criminal matters, bankruptcy, employment law or collection matters. Mike Pratum has extensive prior experience in the areas of Family Law, Personal Injury and Misdemeanor Criminal matters, as well as cases involving alcoholism or drug addiction. His goal is to make sure each client has a clearly defined budget for their hourly billed services, so an accurate forecast can be made...

Thomas Balerud, after 17 years with the same firm, has opened his own law practice, located in downtown Tacoma. Tom is a graduate of both Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound. Tom has enjoyed success in many well publicized high-profile State and Federal cases. He is currently serving as a Trustee to the TPCBA. Tom and his experienced staff are currently available to assist clients in his two practice areas: Criminal Law and Personal Injury.

Shawna Mirghanbari recently celebrated her 25 Year Law Anniversary. Shawna has been an Adjunct Professor of Business Ethics at Seattle University. Shawna has also taught Paralegal Studies, Family Law, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Justice, and Ethics Diversity & Conflict for the Law and Justice Department at Central Washington University. EDUCATION Juris Doctor, Seattle University School of Law, 1995 Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Seattle University, 1991 BAR Admittance: 10/17/1995 CREDENTIALS: Summa Cum Laude, 1991 Truman Scholar for Washington State, 1989 Honors Program 1987-1989 Academic and Soccer Scholarships Valedictorian, 1987

Chuck practices in both State and Federal Courts, as well as many Tribal Courts. Chuck is a semi-retired Tribal Court Judge, having acted for 16 years as a judge on specific cases for 32 different Indian Tribes located in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Chuck has also been appointed as a Special Master Judge for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in Connecticut. On occasion Chuck is still appointed by Tribes to act as a trial or appellate judge.

In addition to Indian law, Chuck has an...

About Thomas

I have been a practicing attorney in the state of Washington since 1998. Since that time I pride myself in being a problem solver for my clients. Clients come to me with a variety of problems and legal issues. It is my job to help solve those problems and to resolve their issues. Sometimes the answer to the problem is aggressive litigation while other times simple, competent assistance with legal transactions is all that is needed. Regardless of what type of problem or legal issue you have, I am here to help you solve...

I am a qualified securities attorney with over 33 years of experience representing and counseling reporting companies under the 1933 and 1934 Securities and Exchange Acts. My practice primarily focuses on serving as securities counsel, compliance counsel, and general counsel for corporate clients. I have extensive experience in preparing, completing, and filing Exchange Act reports with the SEC, ensuring timely and accurate compliance with all regulatory requirements. As compliance counsel, I develop, instruct, and monitor corporate insider trading policies, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance guidelines, and corporate ethics policies. In my role as general counsel, I advise companies on compliance with state corporate laws and...

Synthia Melton is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Dimension Law Group. Synthia’s practice focuses on Business Law and Commercial and Residential Real Estate, including Landlord-Tenant matters. Synthia works primarily with real estate investors and small business owners on matters involving complex transactional and litigation matters. She also serves as general counsel to various small to mid-size businesses throughout Washington State. Since 2016, Synthia was named a “Rising Star” each year by Super Lawyers, an award given to less than 2.5% of lawyers in the state. Synthia has a passion for working with Seattle’s small to mid-size business owners, assisting with...

Geniel M. Ashcraft has helped hundreds of clients complete their estates and assist in probate administration. Ms. Ashcraft is known for her service, attention to detail, and down to earth manner. Ms. Ashcraft mainly conducts her business through house calls. Her clients find they appreciate the convenience, her easy-to-understand approach, and personal attention. Geniel started her law practice in 2002. Geniel is admitted to practice in both Washington and Utah. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western Washington District and the United States District Court of Utah. She...

I provide legal services to the greater Kitsap and Pierce Counties with a modern approach. I have a innovative vibrant firm with high-energy attitude and an out of the box creative approach to client interaction and management. I talk to people in plain English and translate the confusing legal terms into understandable concepts.

Michael A. (Mike) Boswell is an experienced business attorney, advisor and litigator with more than 20 years of experience. He is licensed in both Washington and California. He is well versed in business transactions and operations, assisting companies with their formation, day to day operations, and ultimately the winding up of the company. As an addition to his business experience, Mike has extensive intellectual property experience having managed disputes dealing with all facets of intellectual property and technology, including trademark and copyright infringement actions, trademark opposition proceedings, and matters concerning trade secrets. Mike uses this extensive litigation...

For nearly a decade, Brad served as general counsel for Tacoma-based Associated Petroleum Products, Inc. In this capacity, he became an experienced advisor to directors, owners and senior managers in the petroleum distribution industry, dealing with the structuring, drafting and negotiating of corporate and commercial transactions, business and strategic initiatives, risk management, and litigation. After Associated Petroleum was acquired by Fortune 500 World Fuel Services, Inc., Brad continued to support both Associated Petroleum and World Fuel Services’ North America Land Division as senior counsel until joining GTH.

Brad focuses on business, commercial and transactional law at GTH, supporting the day-to-day...