Oakville Lawyers

Valarie Zeeck joined GTH in 1997. Her primary area of practice is employment law and litigation. She advises and provides training to owners, managers, and employees in employment law in order to help them reduce litigation expense and risk. She also defends employers in employment-related litigation, focusing on extracting clients from litigation at the earliest possible stage.

Valarie has written and co-authored several papers for legal publications and periodicals and has been a frequent speaker on legal matters at educational and business seminars. She is a member of the Pierce County chapter of Washington Women Lawyers.

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...

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.

Warren’s primary area of practice is labor and employment law. In this capacity, he represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, termination, wage-and-hour litigation, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and day-to-day advice.

If client loyalty and satisfaction are any measure of an attorney’s success, then Warren has a lot to proud of. After 30 years, he continues to represent his first legal client, a chain of locally owned grocery stores. In fact, he has worked for many of his clients for several decades. Some of his other long-term clients include Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Housing Authority,...

Rita is a founding partner and CEO of McKinley Irvin. With an eye toward the future, Rita works with the firm's leadership team to maintain McKinley Irvin’s commitment to excellence in law practice, client service, professionalism, and firm management. In addition to her work at McKinley Irvin, Rita is deeply involved in the Tacoma community and has served as a director on several local and professional boards. She currently serves on the Legal Pathways Community Advisory Board and as a Dressel Scholars Mentor at the University of Washington Tacoma. Additionally, Rita founded MI’s Black Law Student Mentorship Program where she...

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...

I am a criminal defense attorney with over 30 years of experience, deeply committed to justice and protecting the rights of the accused. Throughout my career, I have defended clients against a broad spectrum of charges, ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies, ensuring they receive fair treatment under the law. My approach to criminal defense is uniquely strategic, informed by my extensive understanding of both sides of the courtroom. Having previously served as a prosecuting attorney in King County, I gained invaluable insights into how the state constructs cases against defendants. Now, in my role as a criminal defense attorney, I...

Shelly focuses her practice on employment law and litigation, commercial litigation, products liability, construction law, insurance defense and coverage, and appellate advocacy. She represents individuals and businesses in all aspects of commercial and employment disputes and especially enjoys working with clients to help them understand the legal process. Shelly prides herself on being a tough advocate for her clients and finding strategic and creative solutions in tough cases.

Shelly joined GTH in 2011. A graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, she began her legal career in Alaska, first serving as a judicial law clerk for...

Before becoming an attorney, Reuben worked in the construction and building trade. He puts his prior life experience to good use in his practice areas of environmental and land use law. In addition to being a skilled attorney, Reuben is a compassionate advocate who loves working with his clients to solve problems and keep goals and objectives on track.

Reuben began his career at the Washington Supreme Court where he served as law clerk to Justice Charles W. Johnson. Prior to that, he served as an extern to Judge James L. Robart at the Federal District Court in Seattle.

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,...

I am a seasoned criminal defense attorney from Tacoma, Washington, with more than 26 years of experience in the field. My practice is primarily centered around criminal defense, where I have built a distinguished reputation for advocating for my clients and providing thorough legal guidance. In addition to my work in criminal defense, I have been a pioneer in cannabis law. I played a pivotal role in the legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis in Washington State. Currently, I am working to influence the state’s efforts to legalize and regulate psilocybin.

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...

A Seattle native, Amanda O’Halloran joined the firm in 1995, after graduating from Seattle University School of Law. She focuses her practice primarily on providing employment law advice to a diverse group of businesses, ranging from car dealerships and other retail establishments to healthcare providers, financial services companies, non-profits, and private membership associations. She is frequently called upon to provide advice on difficult employment terminations, conducting internal harassment and discrimination investigations, drafting employment agreements and other contracts, and developing anti-harassment policies and conducting training. Amanda works closely with Human Resource personnel, executive management, and business owners to resolve...

Andrea is a trial lawyer with an emphasis in business and employment litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. She has successfully represented clients litigating shareholder, non-competition, and employment discrimination disputes, and obtained pre-trial injunctions. She has achieved jury verdicts enforcing her clients’ contract rights, represented clients in trust and estates disputes, and obtained protection for vulnerable adults. She also regularly represents clients in the areas of regulatory monitoring and advocacy, including extensive work in alcohol regulation and policy, and with Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board.

Andrea joined GTH in 2005 after graduating from Seattle University School of Law,...

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...

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...

Paul has been a family law attorney for Morris Sockle Posadas for the past 16 years, and in January 2022, he became a partner at the firm. He continues to take on cases and prides himself on being a strong, pragmatic litigator. His clients, opposing attorneys, and judges know him as a calm, professional advocate who drives results in and out of the courtroom. From highly-contentious child custody battles to property division disputes, Paul is equipped to handle a variety of different family law cases. Paul was born in Baguio City, Philippines but spent a majority of his life in Washington state....

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.

I aggressively pursue legal remedies on behalf of my clients to the fullest extent of the law by providing forceful, commanding, and bold attorney representation; as a result, I GET results! At the end of the day, I hope to make meaningful connections with honest hard-working people. Ultimately, my goal is to form lifelong relationships with my clients--I'll work on your case as if I were a member of your family; I invite you to consider becoming a member of ours. My practice areas include the following: (1) Employment Discrimination; (2) Disparate Treatment; (3) Disparate Impact;...

Jonathan "Jonny" Baner focuses his practice on debt collection and personal injury. ?Jonny represents creditors that are individuals, businesses, and debt collection companies. The bulk of his practice involves discovering and garnishing or otherwise seizing assets of debtors for sale to the benefit of creditor clients. He represents creditors across all of Washington State including in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Spokane. He has had cases in almost every county in Washington. Growing up in St. Louis, Jonny was surrounded by the hard-working values of his parents. His father was a union autoworker and his mother worked in hospitality, instilling in Jonny a deep...

I am a resident of Gig Harbor, WA, and have lived in the community for over 20 years. I focus my practice on estate planning, including: wills, trusts, and probate administration.

Casey got his start as a lawyer with the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office where he won his first several jury trials. After working briefly with the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office, he was hired by the Hester Law Group where he worked for ten years – trying numerous misdemeanor, felony and civil trials – before joining Puget Law Group in February 2019 as a Partner. In January 2022, Casey became Managing Partner. Casey fights vigorously for his clients. He has been recognized for his fervent representation of his civil clients – having a 100% success rate at trial – and he has...

Jakob graduated cum laude from Gonzaga University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy. He then attended Gonzaga University School of Law, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He excelled academically, earning CALI awards in several courses including Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, and Real Estate Law. He also excelled in Moot Court competition, competing in the National Appellate Advocacy Competition twice, and winning the Gonzaga University Clarke Cup oral advocacy competition in 2012. During law school, Jakob volunteered for several organizations such as the Washington Moderate Means Program, the Center for Justice,...

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...

Immigration attorney with a focus on family-based immigration law. I'm passionate about helping people of different backgrounds acquire legal status and pursue the American dream. As an immigrant myself, I understand how complex and intimidating the U.S. immigration system can be. I enjoy helping people resolve their immigration issues so they can focus on building their future. I live in Tacoma, Washington with my wife and two daughters. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, spending time with my family, and working on house remodeling projects.

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...

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,...

Lindsay Noel is an attorney at McKinley Irvin’s Puyallup and Tacoma offices. As a divorce and family law attorney, Lindsay is experienced in a wide range of legal issues, such as custody, support, relocation, military family law, LGBT family law, and more.

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.

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...

Lindsay D. Camandona is a Partner at McKinley Irvin, the Pacific Northwest's premier family law firm. As a family-oriented person herself, Lindsay is able to identify with her clients and treat their cases as if they were her own. In Lindsay’s own words, “It is my priority to achieve a successful resolution my clients can live and be happy with.”

Ms. Benson focuses her practice on civil trial litigation in claims involving bodily injury and medical conditions, construction injuries, premises liability, product liability, real estate and neighbor disputes, automobile related lawsuits, retail and hospitality, and business litigation. She possesses extensive litigation experience, personally defending or prosecuting well over five hundred cases throughout the state of Washington. Yvonne has successfully tried cases in front of juries and courts throughout the State of Washington. Yvonne also has extensive experience in depositions, mediations, and arbitration. Her appellate work includes successful appeals to the Washington State Court of Appeals and Washington Supreme...

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...

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...