Fircrest Lawyers

James joined GTH after completing a clerkship for the former Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. He focuses his practice pursuing trials in the areas of personal injury, catastrophic accidents, employment law, and insurance coverage.

He has briefed and argued multiple appeals, including cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court. In his practice he has represented families in wrongful death cases, victims in sexual abuse cases, and many returning U.S. service members who face discrimination or retaliation in the workplace.

When he’s not working, he’s blazing trails, scaling peaks, and skiing with his...

Erin Lane is one of the founding partners of Washington Law Group. She is caring, compassionate, and devoted to her clients. She came from a working class background and understands that money doesn't grow on trees. This is part of why she ended up thriving in her bankruptcy practice. She loves helping good people get back on their feet.

She thrives on helping honest and hard-working folks, who, often through no fault of their own, suddenly find themselves falling on hard times. Bankruptcy is one of the most powerful financial tools on the planet. And, Erin knows the bankruptcy code like...

Over the course of his career, Mark Arend has filled the shoes of a businessman, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, and an attorney. Using his diverse vocational background, he helps clients facing high-tension, complex, and adversarial family law matters. Some of his practice areas include child custody, domestic violence, child support, relocation, high net worth divorce, and military family law.

Mark’s approach to family law is based on common sense, strong ethical standards, and the highest level of professionalism. His goal is simple: to “do better” for his clients than any other legal representative would do. Mark is...

Jemima has handled hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of real estate transactions involving almost every sector of the market. Her primary practice areas are commercial and real estate transactions. She has extensive experience with all facets of land use matters including title and survey review, development, and environmental studies and reports.

Her clients include private developers, landowners, purchasers and sellers, landlords and tenants, borrowers and lenders, regional and national banks, universities, non-profit organizations, assisted living facilities, hotels, and homeowner’s associations, each of whom have various business and real estate needs. With the passage of I-502, her work has also...

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,...

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...

Sal practices in state and federal courts throughout the state of Washington and has litigated most of the Western states as well. One focus of Sal’s practice is medical negligence, wrongful death, and serious injury cases. Sal has represented patients who have been injured as a result of doctors, nurses, and emergency room physicians making mistakes resulting in death, paralysis, brain injuries and loss of life or harm to babies. Sal has brought actions against Multicare, CHI Franciscan, Harborview, Children’s Hospital, and Swedish Medical center among others. Sal’s cases have involved surgeons, OBGYN doctors, Emergency Department...

Greg McLawsen is a Washington State attorney practicing only immigration law. His practice uses technology and creativity to serve clients effectively and efficiently. Greg serves in the leadership of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and in the Washington State Bar Association where he leads the 900-member small practice section. Greg publishes nationally on a range of immigration law issues and is a regular presenter at lawyer education seminars.

Eric represents victims of wrongful termination, unfair wage and hour practices, workplace harassment, and discrimination; whistleblowers who suffer retaliation after standing up for themselves or others; and entrepreneurs crossed by former business partners. As a civil litigator and class action attorney, he routinely assists individuals and entities in employment litigation, consumer protection actions, and complex business and contract lawsuits. Eric has prevailed in numerous appellate cases supporting worker rights, including before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court.

Mindful that most people seldom interact with the legal system, Eric uses his knowledge and experience to guide his...

I was a prosecutor for 15 years for the cities of Kent and Seattle. I serve or have served as a pro tem judge for the cities of Kent, Federal Way, Des Moines, Algona/Pacific and Issaquah. Since 2011 I have practiced as a defense attorney doing criminal defense, civil rights restoration, and protection order litigation. I represent individuals on cases from murder in the first degree to traffic infractions.

Jason Benjamin has spent the past 23 years immersing himself in the intricacies of Family Law and particularly Child Custody cases. He has personally handled more than 1000 cases where child custody is at issue. He particularly welcomes families who have emergency custody, domestic violence or restraining order issues, as he can typically obtain appropriate orders within hours to protect you and the children. From the beginning of his legal career, Jason has aggressively advocated on behalf of victims of domestic violence (even when domestic violence was not treated seriously by the courts). He understands the complexities of...

I enjoy helping people out, and my career as a divorce, custody, and personal injury attorney allows me to do just that. Clients need someone who they are comfortable around and who they can trust. I understand that family matters are deeply personal and that you are a real life person and not just another case.

I am the owner and lead attorney at Seacoma Law, PLLC with offices in Tacoma and Seattle. If you are looking for compassionate, candid, and personalized advice, you have come to the right place.

I have represented hundreds of clients...

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.

PATRICK A. PALACE is the owner of Palace Law, a firm of workers' compensation and personal injury attorneys. Patrick was the President of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) 2013-2014. He is a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (2014-present) that prepares and trains Bar leadership nationwide. Currently serving on the NCBP Executive Counsel. He is currently the co-chair of the 21st Century Lawyer NCBP committee. He chaired the WSBA Future of the Profession Committee 2013-2015. Additionally, he served on the WSBA Board of Governors from 2008 – 2011, the Washington Association of Justice Board...

Dianne’s practice areas include environmental law, real estate litigation, natural resources law, and land use. Her commitment to these issues also extends to her life outside of work. She has co-authored articles about environmental issues and litigation, and she served as a member and officer of the Board of Trustees of the AgForestry Education Foundation from 2007 to 2012. Dianne also served on the Point Defiance Zoo Society’s Board of Directors for 11 years, including as President, and was chair of the 2013 Zoobilee. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of the fabulous Symphony Tacoma.

Sandy Van is the managing partner and founder of Van Law Firm Injury and Accident Attorneys, a personal injury, mass tort, and sex abuse litigation law firm located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lakewood, and Yakima, Washington, and Legal Support Help, a legal staffing company. She is a personal injury attorney licensed to practice law in Nevada state and federal courts and Washington state and federal courts. She also has co-counsel relationships with attorneys nationwide and accepts cases nationwide. The growth and development of both Van Law Firm and Ms.Van’s personal career have not gone unnoticed. Nevada Business Magazine named...

Alan Macpherson’s primary area of practice at GTH is estate planning and taxation. He particularly enjoys working on projects that combine financial and tax as well as legal aspects, such as establishing and monitoring investment LLCs and generation-skipping trusts and helping clients build specific themes into their estate plans, like helping with the education of grandchildren.

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...

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...

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.

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,...

Attorney Cheryl Van Ackeren is passionate about protecting the rights of service members and ensuring that veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Long before graduating from Seattle University’s School of Law, Cheryl knew she wanted to be a lawyer. Cheryl enlisted in the Army at 18 to achieve her goal and hoped to take advantage of the “green to gold” program to become an officer, and eventually, a Judge Advocate General. Cheryl’s military career began in the signal corps with the 1st Calvary Division, Fort Hood, Tx. Her enlistment included a 15 month deployment to Iraq during the early days of...

JAMES F. CHRISTNACHT was admitted to practice law in the state of Washington in 1984 after having attended the University Of Puget Sound School Of Law. Mr. Christnacht has engaged in the general practice of law since his admission to the bar. He is admitted to practice before the Washington State Courts, Federal District Court and the Puyallup Tribal Court. His practice has included personal injury, probate, guardianship, wills and estate planning, will contests and estate litigation, misdemeanor criminal defense and traffic matters, real estate, and business law. Mr. Christnacht is a second generation lawyer. Having grown up with...

Nicholas (Cole) Douglas is a partner at Cochran Douglas, which has its offices in Tacoma, Washington. Concentrating his practice on personal injury matters, ranging from car accidents to product liability and wrongful death, he also takes on sexual abuse cases, serving clients throughout the state of Washington. Douglas is a compassionate and empathic attorney, taking the time to listen to his clients and answering all their questions. He provides personalized solutions for each of his clients cases and understands the pain they must be going through, especially when they are injured by another person’s careless actions. Graduating cum laude and with dean’s...

Kurt represents South Sound businesses and individuals in White Collar Crime matters. He advises clients on corporate criminal risks, federal grand jury investigations, financial crimes, securities frauds, bankruptcy crimes, government contract frauds, real estate schemes, Medicare frauds-and tax frauds. He is GTH’s authority on cybercrime and legal issues relating to cybersecurity and data privacy. His work includes assisting South Sound businesses in creating cybersecurity plans consistent with the US protocols issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He also advises clients on data privacy requirements arising from the European Union’s General Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR)...

His primary areas of practice at GTH include environmental law with an emphasis on negotiations, mediation and litigation involving responsibility for hazardous and toxic waste cleanup. Brad has extensive experience in complex securities and business litigation, he has prosecuted several successful class actions, and he is often asked to speak about hazardous waste issues, environmental master planning, and liability issues affecting real estate transactions.

I graduated Seattle University School of law and immediately began working at the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office. After two years with the Prosecutor's Office, I joined Durflinger Oliver & Associates where I help those who have been accused of committing crimes. I have handled thousands of cases ranging from domestic violence to DUI's. I have helped hundreds of clients keep or restore their driving privileges by prevailing in administrative hearings with the the Department of Licensing. I have also helped many clients vacate felony and misdemeanor convictions and restore their firearm rights. My previous experience as a prosecutor...

Over the past 25 years, Darrell Cochran has won a significant number of multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients, both in Washington state and around the country. His legal philosophy is guided by the desire to assist those severely injured or damaged by well-funded defendants who have abused their power or acted recklessly in their disregard for others. A few examples of his impressive casework include a $95 million class action verdict against the Washington DSHS for breach of contract, a $7.5 million class action settlement against Multicare Health System for deceptive billing practices, and his role in...

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.

Jordan K. Foster, Criminal Defense Attorney I started my career doing real estate, business, and construction law. A few years back, I decided a change of pace was in order and began practicing criminal defense law. Since entering the criminal defense arena, I have been voted a Rising Star in Criminal Defense Law by Washington Super Lawyers in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Today I focus primarily on criminal defense. I assist people facing misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic infractions. I am an active member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association, and...

A Washington State Traffic, Ticket and Criminal Traffic Lawyer since 2005, Antone Weber has personally appeared on over 7000 traffic ticket cases. We defend traffic tickets like speeding, running red lights, unsafe lane changes or speed to fast for conditions, and criminal traffic cases such as reckless driving, racing, hit and run, or driving while suspended. We appeari in most Seattle and King, Pierce, Skagit, Thurston & Snohomish County & City Courts within 75 miles of Seattle. Low $200-$250 Fee for most single Traffic Tickets. Most were dismissed, reduced or the charge negotiated to a non-moving...

My law practice is different than many law firms in that I personally prepare most of the bankruptcy documents with my client's involvement (as opposed to just handing over the case to a paralegal or legal assistant).

When clients have questions or concerns they speak directly to me. Although I have a busy law practice, I do not operate my firm as a "mill" but rather I strive to focus on each individual client's concerns.

The Law Office of Timothy Wilson is devoted to representing only individuals in need of filing either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. I have...

Darol Tuttle is an elder law attorney in Seattle, WA, Kirkland, WA and Tacoma, WA. Darol is an accredited attorney with the Veterans Administration, a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Washington State Bar Association, Elder Law Section. Education: • J.D., Seattle University, 1996 • B.A., University of Washington, 1993 • B.A., Washington State Univ., 1986 Professional Affiliations: • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys • Elder Counsel • Washington State Association for Justice • Elder Law Section, Washington State Bar Assoc. • Pierce County Bar Association • Washington...

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Holt moved gradually westward—with a 7-year stop in Iowa City to pick up his undergraduate and law degrees—until he got to Tacoma in 1970. He has lived and worked here in the Northwest ever since, joining GTH in 1971 after clerking for Judge William T. Beeks in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington.

His primary areas of practice include the purchase and sale of businesses and large commercial real estate projects, as well as intellectual property law, privacy and publicity law, public records law, and finance.

Lisa Kremer's practice focuses primarily on estate planning, probate, and guardianship. She particularly enjoys working with families to try to resolve issues with a minimum amount of stress and turmoil. Lisa also advises businesses, particularly on trademark, copyright and privacy issues, including HIPPA compliance.

Lisa began her professional career as a journalist. She was an award-winning reporter for The News Tribune. In 2005 she decided to move from writing about people’s problems to helping solve them. She commuted from Tacoma to the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle and graduated in 2008.

Lisa is a Trustee of the Tacoma-Pierce County...