Orcas Lawyers

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...

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...

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...

Since joining the firm in 1994, Stephanie has worked on a wide variety of cases representing clients in employment, business and injury litigation, as well as estate litigation and business disputes. She also represents clients in matters involving misappropriation of trade secrets, noncompetition contracts, Consumer Protection Act claims, unfair competition issues, contract disputes and consults on matters of legal ethics.

In her commercial litigation practice, Stephanie focuses on complex business disputes, disputes between members of closely held companies and trust and estate litigation. She represents corporations, closely held businesses, fiduciaries as well as individual parties involved in these types of...

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.

Robert Gellatly joined the Luvera Law Firm in 2000 to devote his practice entirely to representing injured people. He has been a trial lawyer for over 25 years. Before joining the firm, he was a partner at Helsell Fetterman LLP, where he defended lawsuits against hospitals, doctors, and product manufacturers. He also represented insurance companies in coverage and bad faith cases. Today, he is an experienced and forthright advocate for plaintiffs, trying a variety of personal injury and medical malpractice cases in state and federal courts.

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)...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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.

There are two things that are more important than anything to Assistant Managing Attorney Jonathan Moffitt, his faith and his family. Because of these values and his belief that every parent has a right to be intimately involved in the lives and upbringing of their children, Jonathan chooses to practice family law as a primary component of his practice. As a husband and father of four, Jonathan understands the bond between a parent and child. This is a bond that should not be interfered with lightly and one that should be fought for vigorously. Additionally, there are two characteristics that Jonathan values...

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...

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...

Matthew White is one of the founders of South Sound Law Group, along with his father, William White and his sister, Erin White. As a family owned and run law firm, South Sound Law Group does things a bit differently, and it shows, as they have a reputation in the community for caring, effective, and lasting advocacy.

Although the main office is located in Tacoma, WA, Matt and the rest of the team at South Sound Law Group regularly handle both criminal and civil matters all over western Washington.

Matt represents Washington residents, as well as visitors, tourists, and military members, on...

I was born and raised in the Northwest. After graduating from the University of Washington with honors, I attended Gonzaga University School of Law where I was awarded a Thomas More Scholarship. As a Thomas More Scholar, I dedicated myself to helping others both in the local and international communities. My international work included a visit to Rome where I provided services for the homeless and co-leading a mission in Honduras where our group of students provided much needed repairs at local village schools, and distributed needed school supplies which our group had purchased through fundraising....

Alex grew up on his family’s apple farm in Brewster, Washington. He learned every trade required to run a farm, but specialized in being the certified “gopher.” Alex graduated from high school ranked 2nd in the nation and top 25 in the World for his age in downhill ski racing. Alex studied at Jerusalem University in Israel, completed undergraduate studies from Seattle Pacific University, and finished his legal education at Seattle University School of Law where he was the Graduation Speaker. Alex learned trial skills by working as a Prosecutor for King...

Since 1992, the Choquette Immigration Law Group (CLG) has assisted thousands of individuals and companies successfully navigate a complex and rather daunting immigration system. The firm’s founder, Paul Choquette, is intimately familiar with the immigration process from both the client and attorney perspective. Mr. Choquette was born and raised in Montreal, Canada and attended college and law school in the United States pursuant to a student visa. As a young immigration attorney he married an American citizen processing his own applications for conditional and permanent residence. Subsequently, he became a naturalized United States citizen. Never forgetting his...

Natalie Roberts has spent the entirety of her legal career mastering her skills in family law. She is well distinguished in the legal community and known for her persistent, intelligent and strategic litigation – both in the court room and in negotiations. When hand-crafting her legal arguments for the court room, Natalie keeps her client’s quality of life and financial stability at the forefront. She understands that every decision/request throughout a case can have major life impacts on her clients such as transporting your children to and from exchanges, ensuring you have enough spousal maintenance to pay your monthly...

Jason Murphy is a distinguished trial attorney with over a decade of experience litigating personal injury cases in New York City and now in Washington State. His practice focuses on complex personal injury litigation, specifically cases involving general negligence, wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, products liability, and construction accidents. Over the years, Jason has built a reputation as a steadfast litigator who never wavers from his goal of achieving justice for his clients and for their families.

In recognition of his superior litigation skills, Jason was named a Rising Star for New York’s Greater Metropolitan Area by the esteemed legal rating...

My practice provides clients with personal legal services in estate planning, real estate and business planning. I use a non-traditional style of doing business that is designed to meet clients' needs when they arise, through responsiveness and efficient, one-on-one communication.

Geoff founded Seamark Law Group after 14 years at one of Seattle's premier mid-sized law firms. He has successfully tried multiple cases in federal and state courts, and he has represented municipalities at more than a dozen inquests into deaths arising from officer-involved shootings or other law-enforcement activities. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Virginia's School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Geoff was a Navy pilot who managed safety, flight-training, and aircraft-maintenance programs. He is particularly proud of his work defending police officers and also enjoys cases that involve scientific,...

Jim Jacobsen is a partner at Stacey and Jacobsen, PLLC in Seattle, Washington. As a Washington native, it was his work in the maritime trades that sparked his interest in maritime law. Jim worked as a merchant seaman and Alaska fisherman from 1979 to 1984. He has worked as a deckhand and mate in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Puget Sound. He is licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Jim is a former member of the Inland-boatmen's Union of the Pacific as well as the Alaska Fishermen's Union.

Jim graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law...

Joe is a founding member of Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC. His practice concentrates on the representation of injured maritime workers, fishermen, blue water seamen, tug and barge seamen, tankermen, longshoremen, repairmen, maritime construction workers and pilebucks.

Joe was born and raised on the Maine coast. He attended the University of Maine in Orono, then traveled west to attend law school at Seattle University.

Joe has been married to Elizabeth since 1986. They have four children, three boys (in a row) and a girl. Joe has always been involved in his kids’ education, sports, and other activities. Joe has coached Little League...

Scott Ellerby is a partner in the firm. His main areas of practice are real estate litigation, probate, trusts and estates litigation, municipal law, creditor-debtor law, commercial transactions and commercial litigation. He has lectured at numerous legal seminars over the past 25 years on topics in his practice areas, and has represented a wide range of private clients and public entities in negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, and bench and jury trials. Scott was a contributing author of the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, and was chair of the King County Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section. He earned his B.A....

Stacey Romberg focuses her practice on estate planning, probate and business law. She earned her B.A. in 1985 from Idaho State University, graduating with High Honors; a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1987, graduating cum laude; and an LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991, graduating with distinction. Prior to opening her own law firm in 1999, Ms. Romberg drafted legislation for the U.S. Senate’s Office of Legislative Counsel and worked in private practice both in Washington, D.C. and Seattle. Ms. Romberg enjoys writing, and has published many articles in a variety of publications...

If I have learned anything during the course of my career, it is that with insurance companies, it will always be profit first. With Lloyd Injury Law, it will always be PEOPLE FIRST. After practicing personal injury law for almost a decade on both national and international personal injury cases, I have purposely chosen to scale back to a solo practice. I am seeking to get back to basics, to develop relationships with my clients so that we can work together to find solutions to their problems, and feel like I am making a difference, rather than just...

Donna has been representing individuals in claims for personal injury and employment discrimination since 2001. After practicing with another firm for fifteen years, she joined Emerald Law Group in April 2016. Like her colleagues at Emerald Law Group, Donna is dedicated to working for justice for her clients, and is grateful for the opportunity to help individuals who have been wronged. Donna grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, but she has been a Seattle resident since 1989. She graduated with honors from the University of Washington Law School, where she was a Managing Editor of the Law Review. Following law school, she...

Jonathan is a trial attorney who has practiced in virtually every area of personal injury litigation. Jonathan previously worked on behalf of insurance companies and now uses that knowledge to zealously represent individuals who have been injured and to collect money from those same insurance companies. In his years as a Plaintiff’s attorney, Jonathan has obtained millions of dollars for his clients in both state and federal court. Jonathan was raised near Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia before moving to Seattle upon admission to the Seattle University School of Law. Jonathan was an active and successful participant...

Attorney Moses has been defending juvenile and Family Law Clients in the courtroom since 1999. Whether your case is a divorce, legal separation, child custody and support, spousal support, domestic violence, or guardianship, he has the experience and resources necessary to achieve a successful outcome of your case. He has a strong background in defending the rights of individuals, and is competent to handle your case from beginning to end, with thoughtful attention to detail, whether it be at the negotiating table or in the courtroom.

Christopher Small is the owner of CMS Law Firm LLC, the Northwest's premiere estate planning, probate, and trust administration law firm. CMS Law Firm focuses on estate planning for one reason - legacy and family protection are at the forefront of their philosophy and beliefs. Christopher is the proud father of three kids, Blakely, Jackson, and Dillon, and understands how important it is to make sure families have the protection and safety they need to excel no matter the circumstances.

Some of the routine matters we handle include, wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, health care...

A Pacific Northwest native, I grew up on Whidbey Island before moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. I received my law degree magna cum laude from Vermont Law School and was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 2011. Prior to joining Gillin Law Group, I was of counsel at Genesis Law Firm for three years and an associate at Purcell Legal & Mediation Services for two years. Prior to that, I was an Assistant City Attorney with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office for three years.

I opened my private law practice Parnell Defense in 2006. However, before then I worked as one of WA’s leading criminal defense lawyers. After graduating law school in 1998 I started practicing criminal justice first as a public defender. Eventually I was hired as the former lead jury trial attorney for one of the busiest DUI defense law firms in Washington. I have extensive knowledge of the DUI process and am never afraid to go to trial. Over the last 22 years, I’ve tried hundreds of cases and spoken at numerous DUI seminars for WA attorneys. I am an active member...

I have helped over 600 Adult Family Home providers throughout WA state - in all manner of issues. Whether it is a weekend, evening, or holiday, I am available for any emergency call. I help providers with severe troubles that threaten their license. I quickly respond to calls and emails to help providers feel at ease. I give providers their options with potential outcomes. Issues involving: investigations, employment, lease and negotiations, Medicaid conversion, discharge or transfers, preventing potential complaints, caregiver problems, dealing with difficult POAs, removing citations, appealing revocations and summary suspensions, writing quality admission agreements. Informal...

My practice is designed to be able to deal with the issues that all too often arise and keep people from being able to enjoy their lives

With 30 years of experience representing people facing DUI and/or other criminal charges in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties, and elsewhere in Washington State, I understand how the system works, and what you and I need to to optimize your defense before your next court appearance. In the courtroom your criminal defense attorney may be your only friend. i go all out for optimal outcomes. Tactful, Tactical & Effective representation.