Benton City 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...

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 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....

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

John Guadnola is a seasoned attorney with an extensive background and impressive record of success in his practice areas, which include antitrust litigation, alcohol regulation, copyright and trademark litigation, and complex litigation. As Executive Director and General Counsel of the Association of Washington Spirits & Wine Distributors, John is also actively involved in alcohol regulation issues on the legislative level and enforcement levels.

As co-lead counsel in a case of national significance (Costco v. Hoen), John represented distributor intervenors in a successful effort to defend Washington State laws governing distribution and sale of beer and wine against an antitrust claim brought...

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.

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...

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...

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)...

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...

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.

I began my insurance career as a casualty adjuster for Farmers Insurance in 1989. In addition to Farmers Insurance, I worked as a large loss property adjuster, supervisor, and claims manager for 21st Century Insurance and SAFECO, and have over sixteen years of property and casualty claims experience. In 2005, I received my J.D., summa cum laude, from Southwestern University School of Law, where I served as Lead Articles Editor for the law review. I earned my CPCU designation in 2008, and am currently serving as Vice President of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the CPCU Society....

I am a graduate of the University of Washington where I received my bachelor’s degree in 1989. In 1993 I graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law. After a brief stint working for the Pima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, I realized my talents and passions were better served to defend people and not prosecuting them. The “obtain a conviction regardless of the individual facts” mentality has never appealed to me and seems counterproductive to obtaining a just result. I moved back to Washington and began my criminal defense practice.

Though I have defended people who have been charged with...

Jacqueline Garcell is a senior partner and active trial attorney in maritime law for Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. She routinely handles passengers’ personal injury, sexual assault and wrongful death claims, as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. Ms. Garcell is the fastest attorney to ever make partner at the firm, having been promoted to the partner position after being with us for a decade. Ms. Garcell has helped settle hundreds of cases on behalf of both cruise ship passengers and crew members. She achieved one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in Florida in 2017 — this rare and...

Carol L. Finklehoffe is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies and Winkleman, P.A. who has been practicing for 30 years in both the state and federal courts throughout Florida, California and Massachusetts. Ms. Finklehoffe is an “AV” rated trial attorney who is a certified specialist in Maritime and Admiralty law. The main concentration of her practice relates to complex personal injury, resort law, wrongful death, sexual assault and medical malpractice. Ms. Finklehoffe is also a skilled maritime lawyer who has developed an expertise in cases involving cruise ship passengers and maritime crew members on various types of commercial and private vessels. Ms....

Robert V. Boeshaar is a sole-practitioner focusing on tax controversy work in Seattle, Washington. He helps individuals and small businesses find the best resolution of their disputes with the IRS and stay out of trouble. Prior to opening his own practice, he was an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel for over fourteen years. He is Past President of the Washington State Bar Association Tax Section.

I represent people and businesses. My practice focuses on civil litigation, plaintiffs' personal injury and business law, but I also handles a wide variety of other types of cases. If your case is out of my practice area, I will help you determine the type of lawyer you need to make sure you get to the right person. I earned my law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 2001 and my bachelors degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Washington School of Business, with a Finance concentration, in 1998. ...

Whether working hands-on with clients, or spearheading a novel legal matter, Elijah is dedicated to crafting meaningful and lasting legal solutions for his clients. He provides a wide range of legal services, including intellectual property, corporate, contract and litigation services. Over the years he has learned that the law cannot be practiced in a vacuum. Effective legal assistance requires an understanding of each client's unique business and personal realities. In addition to representing clients with their personal matters, he has successfully assisted with matters including trademark and copyright registrations, cease and desist letters and infringement, civil litigation, settlement negotiations, licensing...

Mark B. Saku, Esq. is a Seattle-based attorney whose practice focuses on copyright and trademark law and the protection of intellectual property in the the entertainment and new media industries. Mark received his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law with a focus in Intellectual Property. Mark's work commonly involves content and media licensing, business development, copyright and trademark law. Some of his recent work covered: contract negotiation involving media distribution and music publishing; legal counsel in the use of copyrighted images in live performances; and legal assistance in the development and negotiation of small business development and content licensing.

Kyle Drinnon is a Seattle personal injury attorney. He represents individuals who have been injured through the negligence of others in car accidents, slip and falls, and other incidents.

Kyle has represented injured clients throughout the Puget Sound region in jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations, and has successfully argued before the Washington Court of Appeals and Washington Supreme Court.

Kyle is a Puget Sound native and graduate of the University of Washington. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Seattle University School of Law located in heart of Seattle.

Sarah is a person (who happens to also be an attorney) fueled by compassion, curiosity, and the desire to see justice prevail. She started her path towards the legal profession at age 7 when she negotiated her first deal: to stay up past her bedtime. She did not win. Several decades later, she applied this and many other life lessons to the practice of law. In her spare time, you can find Sarah at the local dog park trying and failing to get her dog to fetch a tennis ball, playing on the water, listening to music, traveling around this...

I am a lawyer who helps small businesses, nonprofits and individuals with contracts, agreements and business/nonprofit formation and governance. I also am knowledgeable about government and environmental law. After working for an international law firm in New York, I decided I wanted to make a positive, local impact, so I opened my own law firm in Seattle. I earned my BA from Tulane University and my JD from the University of Chicago Law School. I have lived all over the US and am thrilled to called the PNW my home.

Britt Birkenbuel is a graduate of Gonzaga University and the University of Oregon School of Law. She originally started her career working on criminal defense and personal injury cases before obtaining a judicial clerkship with Judge Bruce I. Weiss in Snohomish County Superior Court. As a judicial clerk, Britt gained invaluable experience researching, briefing, and working with the Judge on trials and motions that came before the Court. By working within the court, Britt has hands-on experience understanding jury trials and the litigation process.

Britt is passionate about fighting for the “underdog.” She works tirelessly to battle insurance companies and big...

Brady Douglas is a lifelong resident of the State of Washington. He graduated from Seattle Pacific University (B.A., 2009) with a degree in Business Administration and received his law degree in 2014 from the University of Washington School of Law (J.D., 2014). He is licensed to practice law in the State of Washington. Brady has been with the Menzer Law Firm since 2020. His legal practice focuses on the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, vaccine, and insurance law. Prior to working for the Menzer Law Firm, Brady was an in-house attorney for Amazon. Brady also...

Early in his career, Don became a part of legal history when he served as counsel at the trial and appellate levels in the famous “snail darter” case (Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill, 437 U.S. 153 [1978]), litigated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The litigation resulted in a successful review by the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to practicing law in Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, Don has also taught law and served in senior administrative positions at the University of Puget Sound, University of Michigan, and University of Tennessee law schools.

Since joining GTH in 1982, Don’s practice...

Active personal injury and criminal defense practice. Read for the bar exam through the Washington State Bar Association’s Rule 6 Law Clerk Program under attorney Dean Standish Perkins in Seattle, Washington. Former special assistant to Representative Thomas S. Foley, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Taught English in Viet Nam. Member of Tribal Court Bars. Member of Phi Delta Theta.

Shana E. Thompson has achieved success by listening carefully, understanding her clients’ long-term objectives, and helping resolve dissolutions as amicably and expeditiously as possible.For the past 17 years, Shana E. Thompson has been proudly serving individuals in family law cases throughout the cities of Seattle, Everett, and Kent.

Her client base has been built on hard work and determination that has allowed her to become what she is today. She takes great pride in providing top-level service and promises your complete satisfaction when you choose her to handle your legal needs. Shana and her team...

I have been practicing law since 1996, primarily representing homeowners and commercial building owners with construction defect claims, property insurance claims, and other real estate-related claims. I also serve as local and national counsel for a variety of companies that supply construction materials or services.

In 2015, after a three-year legal battle, I settled the largest mass action lawsuit in Washington history on behalf of the owners of nearly 1,000 homes.

Our firm also practices general litigation, and for our construction supplier clients we handle preliminary notices, liens, and collections.

Jim Vucinovich is President and Managing Partner of Rossi Vucinovich PC located in Seattle, WA and Denver, CO. James is a nationally-recognized FELA attorney with over 20 years of committed representation of injured railroad workers and their families. From the beginning of his legal career Jim has focused his practice on the individual, recognizing that it is often the “little guy” who needs the most help in winning settlements and verdicts in personal injury cases. Every client is important and every case is unique and, therefore Jim approaches each and every one of his clients with compassion, honesty and commitment...

Bruce Winchell focuses his practice on business litigation, insurance coverage litigation, and business advice. Bruce has extensive trial, arbitration and mediation experience with a focus on preventing and efficiently resolving disputes.

Brad Thayer joined Schauermann Thayer in 2015 and became a partner in 2018. He was presented the 2018 Rising Star Award by the Clark County Bar Association. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in Sociology from Western Washington University and a Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from Willamette University College of Law. His practice focuses on personal injury, auto accident, dog bite, and wrongful death cases. Brad speaks Spanish at an intermediate level. He has studied it at various levels over the years in school and lived in Spain from 2009 to 2011 teaching English. In...

Deanna Rusch is a highly respected family law and divorce attorney in Vancouver, WA known for her intellect, humor, and straightforward yet kind approach to solving her clients’ challenges. Her practice includes all areas of family law, with an emphasis on complex divorce, relocation, inter-state, and UCCJEA issues. She is particularly skilled in assisting divorce clients who own businesses or other complex financial assets. She has been ranked a Rising Star by Washington Super Lawyers every year since 2010 and has been named a “Washington Outstanding Young Lawyer” by Seattle Met magazine. While the legal complexities of family law can...

Maritime Injury Lawyer James Beard has a unique understanding and compassion for the clients he represents. For 30 years his legal career has been devoted to representing crewmen and commercial fishermen who have been injured while working at sea. He is widely recognized as one of the most experienced maritime injury lawyers in the Pacific Northwest in handling maritime wrongful death and personal injury cases. He has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for his clients located throughout the United States.

Beard begins each maritime injury case by making sure that his clients are getting the proper medical treatment and care...

Lanning M. Trueb has spent almost 30 years representing seamen in plaintiff maritime cases arising throughout the North Pacific; including waters off Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Russia. In addition to practicing maritime law, Lanning owned and operated his own commercial fishing vessel in the Alaska commercial salmon fishery. Lanning has been involved in over a thousand maritime matters covering a wide range of maritime issues - from commercial fishing injury and death claims, to serious injury and death claims involving oil spill response, tug and barge, SERVS, off-shore supply, tankers, and cargo vessels. He's represented crew and family members...

Christopher D. Ramsay effectively represents and defends the criminally accused. In addition to being a highly experienced criminal defense attorney, he has served as an adjunct professor at Washington State University Vancouver, lecturing on the topic of criminal procedure and criminal law. From 1990 to 2003, Christopher D. Ramsay worked as criminal prosecutor in Denver Colorado.