Burien Lawyers

Ellis McGehee Carter is a distinguished attorney specializing in corporate and tax matters for nonprofit, tax-exempt, and mission-based businesses, alongside advising donors on major gifts. With a profound dedication to serving organizations that make a significant impact, Ms. Carter leverages her extensive experience in nonprofit governance, tax law, and business transactions to provide unparalleled legal guidance. Her expertise extends to navigating complex tax issues for exempt entities, ensuring they remain compliant while advancing their mission. Ms. Carter's adeptness in handling intricate business transactions for nonprofits is evident through her work on reorganizations, the creation of affiliates and subsidiaries, and facilitating mergers,...

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...

Welcome. My goal is to listen to clients and deliver effective and cost efficient high quality legal services, focusing on maximizing results either through negotiation or litigation, whichever is appropriate for the circumstance. Many cases can be resolved amicably through settlement. This office offers a free initial telephone with a lawyer to discuss your legal issue: (253) 272-1434. With over 20 years of experience in Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington, I represent clients in many other cities and states who are civilians, military servicemembers, and veterans. Because there is often so much...

Chris Van Vechten moved to Tacoma from Portland in 2004 to attend the University of Puget Sound. He studied history, volunteered in the community, worked as a legislative staff member for a state representative and later a state senator, and even personally ran for school board before enrolling in Seattle University School of Law. Prior to launching the Law Office of Chris Van Vechten, Chris worked as a Rule 9 prosecuting attorney with the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office and later with the Lakewood City Attorney’s Office. In addition, he interned with the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Civil Division...

Ryan has a passion for helping people navigate the complexities of litigation and ensuring they receive a just resolution of their personal injury claims. A just resolution holds a different meaning for each case and Ryan utilizes his diverse experience to help clients understand the nuances of their claim in order to determine the best approach to reaching a just resolution whether it be through mediation, arbitration or trial. He graduated cum laude from Seattle University School of Law where he was a Senior Staff Editor on the Seattle Journal for Social Justice. He was also a member of the...

James B. Feldman is an experienced trial and criminal defense attorney in Pierce, King, Kitsap and Thurston counties Tacoma and other areas of Western Washington. He is a graduate of the College of the University of Chicago and the University of Puget Sound School of Law. For twenty-eight years, he has been fighting to protect the rights of people accused of crimes both misdemeanors and felonies including DUI, domestic violence, property crimes, fraud and murder. He is a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association, The Federal Bar of the Western District of Washington, the...

Soon after passing the bar, Troy had the honor of working with pre-eminent plaintiffs’ personal injury attorney, Tom Chambers, who went on to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court. Troy went on to work for 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at the prestigious defense firm, Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer. There he defended insurance companies and their corporate clients against diverse claims for personal injury and wrongful death and property damage due to fire loss and construction defects. Since leaving FP&R, Troy has used this experience to represent and benefit his personal injury clients...

Bruce Pruitt-Hamm is an attorney who can litigate, mediate or collaborate.
Litigation- As an attorney with over 20 years experience, Bruce Pruitt-Hamm has been awarded the highest rating by the national lawyer-rating service, Avvo.com. Since graduating in 1994 from the University of Washington School of Law near the top of his class, he has litigated over one thousand cases in a wide variety of areas of the law. Bruce volunteers for the Washington State Bar Association’s “Moderate Means Program“, offering reduced rates to people of moderate means. Bruce’s standard rate is $280/hr.; but he offers discounts for those on legal insurance...

I have been practicing personal injury law in Seattle for more than 30 years and have successfully tried, arbitrated, and settled thousands of personal injury cases since 1986, helping clients recover millions of dollars.

The opportunity I have to serve, to help, to counsel people through their challenging times is humbling and satisfying. I love my practice and serving my clients and to make their lives better.

I’m also committed to mentoring a new generation of lawyers, and I’m proud of my work with Seattle University School of Law’s Solo and Low Bono Incubator Program and regularly speak about how to get...

I've been practicing family law in Pierce County since 2006, including divorces, custody, child support, modifications. I handle contested cases, agreed cases, and collaborative cases.

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...

Benjamin Cornell is an immigration attorney serving the greater Pacific Northwest. After receiving his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 2011, he began his legal career in Nevada, spending four years in a practice emphasizing supreme court appeals, post-conviction writs, and criminal defense.

In 2015, Mr. Cornell relocated to the Tacoma area, where he now focuses exclusively on immigration law. With an office just minutes away from the Northwest Detention Center, he seeks to provide the best possible representation to non-citizens facing the threat of removal from the United States. Mr. Cornell is dedicated to...

Ruth focuses her practice on labor and employment matters. Ruth has extensive experience litigating cases in both state and federal court involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment, retaliation as well as gender, race, disability, and age discrimination. Ruth specializes in litigating against corporate employers including, The Boeing Company, Microsoft, Costco, Facebook, Blue Nile, SAP, Amazon.com, Harborview Medical Center, T-Mobile, and Swedish Hospital, among others. Ruth also has experience negotiating severance packages and has a high settlement rate in mediation. Ruth handles the firm’s appellate work in employment and has experience in both Washington’s Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit....

May is a licensed Attorney and CPA with a J.D. degree, specializing in business law, financial, and tax advisory. With extensive experience in providing strategic guidance and practical solutions, May offers holistic advice tailored to the unique needs of individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Fluent in English, Mandarin, and conversational Japanese, May excels in effective communication and client service, catering to an international clientele. Known for meticulous attention to detail and maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards, May is committed to delivering tailored solutions that drive success in complex legal and financial landscapes.

Bilingual English and Spanish-Speaking Lawyer Specializing in Workers Compensation and Immigration Law.

Based in Tacoma and serving clients around all areas of Washington State. Represents injured workers in all aspects of workers compensation claims.

Seattle Divorce Services is dedicated to conflict resolution in complex cases. Our Seattle divorce attorneys believe that our clients are best served by an approach that reduces fighting and allows for agreement building. In high-conflict cases, our Seattle divorce mediation lawyers work to avoid escalating hostility. This approach is designed to reduce the trauma of the divorce experience and prepare clients to move forward in life, also setting the stage for more successful co-parenting.

Scott Semrau is the Managing Partner at Divorce Litigation Partners, a Seattle, WA law firm practicing exclusively in family law. Scott Semrau is an Honors Graduate of Georgia State University and Tulane Law School. Courtroom advocacy has been the cornerstone of his practice since 1994 when he tried his first murder. In 1995 Scott Semrau was awarded the Phelps Dunbar award for outstanding advocacy. Scott Semrau has been selected as a Super Lawyer and awarded an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubble.

Antonio Hill, a bilingual (Spanish) criminal defense attorney, is located in Tacoma, WA. With 20+ years experience in the criminal field of law, he is knowledgeable of the processes and procedures required to proceed through the legal process. Antonio Hill has worked as a public defender, a prosecutor, and now as a private criminal defense attorney dealing exclusively in criminal defense cases. Antonio Hill dedicates himself to getting the best possible results for his clients. He will guide you through every step of the legal process and offer professional, affordable criminal defense services.

Kevin G. Rundle is a well-established and highly respected Family Law Attorney, zealous advocate for his clients, and Commissioner Pro Tempore (temporary/fill-in Court Commissioner) for the Pierce County Superior Court (since 2011 in good standing).

As a family law attorney with Envision Family Law Group, Kevin focuses his practice on complex family litigation, domestic violence litigation, and sexual assault litigation. Prior to joining Envision Family Law Group, Kevin served as Director of the Legal Services Program for the YWCA Pierce County from 2005 through 2015 and an attorney with same beginning 2004 through 2015. Prior to employment with the YWCA, Kevin...

Rainer Frank is a Senior Attorney at McKinley Irvin who handles family law cases related to divorce, child custody, child support, relocation, and unmarried couples. Rainer represents clients with a variety of legal issues, including domestic partnerships, child support and parenting plan modifications, contempt proceedings, enforcement actions, and QDROs. He believes that the first priority in any family law matter is to get to know his client and understand their unique situation and needs. He works hard to avoid unnecessary adversity, but still treats each case as if he were preparing it for trial – an approach that he has...

Bill Lynn has been with GTH since 1979 and his approach has always been characterized by an emphasis on problem-solving. His primary areas of practice include land use and zoning, real estate, environmental law, and municipal law. He has provided land-use representation for large and small residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use projects throughout the Puget Sound area and is experienced at litigating matters under the State Environmental Policy Act.

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,...

Michael Austin Stewart has been practicing as a defense attorney for over 22 years. His practice is based on respect, rapport, accessibility, trust, and a keen understanding of the law. He has a solid record of successful outcomes in a wide variety of cases, ranging from murder cases to DUI cases. He is dedicated and committed to protecting your Constitutional Rights.

Thaddeus D. Sikes practices workers compensation law, fighting for the rights of injured workers trapped in an L&I bureaucracy captured by employers who exert inappropriate influence through their multiple agents and representatives, adjusters, third party administrators, retro groups, and defense attorneys. The balance of power has shifted to employers, to the overwhelming detriment of workers. Mr. Sikes has dedicated his education, training and life's work to resetting the balance. Mr. Sikes received his law degree from Seattle University School of Law, and subsequently obtained his license to practice in the State of Washington in 2003. He exclusively represents injured...

Originally from the Boston area, Ken Levey has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1980. He received his B.A. from the University of Washington in 1983 and received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University School of Law) in 1991. That same year Ken was sworn in as a member of the Washington State Bar. He opened his law practice in Tacoma in 1992.

Unlike many attorneys, Ken also is trained in collaborative law, represents families in CPS investigations and dependency actions, and has a great deal of experience and a high level...

Having worked as an attorney in the Puget Sound region for the past twelve years, Brian McCormick has spent his career working with a wide range of clients. Brian spent the early years of his career defending citizens in criminal matters. After moving into private practice, he focused on assisting individuals and small businesses achieve their business objectives. Brian is a 1997 graduate of the University of Washington, and received his law degree from Seattle University School of Law in Seattle in 2000. Prior to cofounding Henry, DeGraaff & McCormick, P.S., Brian worked as General Counsel and Director of business strategies...

A native of Lynden in Whatcom County, I have spent my career representing ordinary citizens, small business owners, and consumers in Washington in bankruptcy and civil cases. My primary focus is Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases involving rental properties, developers, and small business, although I am experienced in many areas of debt and consumer law. I am a 2001 graduate of Western Washington University in Bellingham, and received my law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego in 2005. Prior to cofounding Henry DeGraaff & McCormick, I worked in general practice at Libey, Enley, Esser & Nelson...

Bryan Smith grew up in Yakima, Washington. After obtaining a psychology degree from Western Washington University and a law degree from Seattle University, he came back to Yakima to practice law in the community where he was raised. Before becoming an attorney, he worked as an advocate for children suffering from mental illness. As an attorney, he continues to advocate for children and their families in the civil justice system. Bryan now represents victims of sexual abuse, medical malpractice, serious injuries, and wrongful death. He is also a graduate of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution mediation training program, and is...

Michael has dedicated his practice of law to representing individuals who have been injured or wronged by others. His representative clients have ranged from those injured in car accidents, to adults and children who have been sexually abused by those in a position of power, and those who have been catastrophically injured in falls caused by dangerous conditions created by cities, counties, or businesses. Michael practices in state and federal court and has recovered millions of dollars on his clients’ behalf in nearly two decades as a trial attorney. Michael has been recognized as a “Rising Star” six different years by...

I have been practicing law since 1990 when I graduated from a top-ranked Canadian law school, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. After 3 years as a trial lawyer in Canada I moved to California where I gained admission to the California State Bar. I practiced law in West Hollywood California for 13 years until my relocation to Redmond, Washington in 2007. Since 2008 I have practiced family law in the Seattle area, and I have extensive trial experience in King County. While I love being able to fight for my clients in the courtroom I also recognize that fair settlements...

The Law Office of Fred Martens offers consumers and small business clients effective legal representation with personal service in the following practice areas: Consumer Law & Debt / Collections Defense; Chapter 7 & 13 Bankruptcy

Nigel is a partner at Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC. He is proud to represent maritime workers at the same firm where he interned starting in high school. Born and raised in Seattle, Nigel has worked across the country for various law firms and on different matters. He graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. before working as a litigation associate for Milbank, LLP, a New-York based law firm with over 150 years of experience. After learning from top-tier attorneys at Milbank, Nigel went back to his roots by working for Stacey & Jacobsen, where he worked during the...

I was born in Washington and have always called Thurston County my home. I completed my undergraduate studies at Willamette University in Salem, where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and French. I then went on to earn my Juris Doctorate from the prestigious Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia. During my time there, I honed my courtroom advocacy skills while externing with a Circuit Court Judge. As an attorney, I possess the legal knowledge and tenacity required to represent my clients effectively in court. My professional practice is primarily focused on family law, where I...