Douglas County Lawyers

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.

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...

Stefanie has spent the past thirty years in a courtroom fighting for justice for those without a voice. As a former prosecutor Stefanie understands how to hold people accountable for the harm they have caused. She has the respect of both her colleagues and the judiciary as a fierce advocate. While Stefanie has successfully taken the toughest and most tragic cases to trial, she is able to work on behalf of her clients to negotiate favorable settlements. Stefanie’s success is due in part to her ability to listen to and understand the needs of her clients. When not in a courtroom or...

John Guin has over 25 years of experience handling matters in the construction industry, including administrative appeals, trials, arbitration, and mediation. Matters handled include payment disputes, liens, bond claims, construction defects, delay and inefficiency disputes, professional negligence in design and construction management, safety violations, contract terminations, employment and labor issues, and insurance coverage matters. John Guin also serves as a mediator and arbitrator for construction and commercial disputes.

Tamarae Cooney Leong is a third generation lawyer and longtime resident of Spokane. As part of the Cooney Law Offices, P.S. team, she emphasizes her practice of law in the areas of Wills, Estate Planning, and Probate. Tamarae has experience drafting numerous estate planning documents such as Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Wills, and Health Directives; and works extensively on various Probates. In addition to her practice of law, Tamarae is also the Managing Officer for Cooney Law Offices, P.S.

In her spare time, Tamarae takes advantage of the activities and surroundings that Spokane has to offer. She enjoys running in Manito...

The Law Office of Nicholas Wood, P.S. is a premiere criminal defense, military law, and civil litigation firm located in beautiful downtown Vancouver, Washington. Attorney Nicholas A. Wood has vast experience dealing with the police, prosecutors and other law firms in litigation matters. As a result, Nick has achieved sensational results for his clients on a consistent basis. As a former prosecutor in Clark County WA (Rule Nine Intern), the United States Air Force (Trial Counsel and Assistant Trial Counsel) and U.S. Attorney's Office (Special Assistant U.S Attorney), Nick understands the methods, strategies and tactics commonly used by...

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...

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...

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.

Faye BreitReed is a passionate and skilled attorney committed to using her extensive knowledge and experience to help families in crisis resolve their legal matters. Faye puts her clients at ease with superior listening skills and a calming demeanor. Although she is a strong advocate in high conflict litigation, she strives to resolve cases outside of court whenever possible. Faye represents clients in all areas of family law and has specialized training in tax preparation. This experience makes her particularly effective when tax issues arise in family law matters.

As a family law practitioner, I am motivated by helping people through complex and emotionally difficult legal situations. I work with each client to define their goals and then provide an effective strategy well supported in the law to achieve those objectives. I focus my practice on family law issues, including divorce, child custody, child support, modifications, and relocation. I also handle collaborative divorce, de facto parentage and non-parental custody, step-parent adoption, and LGBT family law. Before becoming an attorney, I worked for the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office as a legal advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual...

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...

Lisa E. Martin feels rewarded when she has helped her clients recover their peace of mind.

“I am moved when clients who felt hopeless come out of the divorce process feeling like life isn’t so bad. It’s an overall feeling of ‘I’m going to be okay, and I’m going to land on my feet.’”

Lisa has twenty years of family law experience, and has litigated countless divorce cases in both Washington and Oregon. Her clients regard her as approachable and easy to talk to.

“I owe it to my clients to educate them and help them make the best choices, so that everyone...

I decided to become a lawyer after many years in education in Los Angeles. I was everything from a substitute teacher with a Kindergarten class to teaching English and P.E. to students just out of juvenile hall or on probation. After my time teaching, I knew that I wanted to continue to help others, but in a different way. I attended school to become a lawyer, attending Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. I enjoyed law school incredibly, and also excelled at it. Being a lawyer continues that good feeling for me. I get to do something I am passionate about...

I grew up in Portland, Oregon. I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and Portland State University. I left the Northwest to continue my education at Texas Tech University. There I obtained both a Master of Business Administration ("MBA") and a Juris Doctorate (Law) degrees. After graduating I returned to Portland, Oregon. I joined the Oregon State Bar Association in 1999 and the Washington State Bar Association in 2006. For almost 10 years my practice has focused on representing Oregon and Washington employees against their current or former employers and individuals against harassing debt collectors. I have represented my...

Angus Lee is a life long resident of Washington, except when he was serving in the USMC. He has twice been elected as a county prosecutor and now focuses his practice on criminal defense in South West Washington.

J.J. practices law throughout the State of Washington and North Idaho. His practice involves representing injured individuals and families who were injured or harmed by other people, corporations, or governmental entities.

Matthew Philbrook is a graduate of Clark College, Washington State University, and Gonzaga University School of Law. He has been a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association since 2001, and Oregon State Bar Association since 2005.

Matthew entered a career in law with a passion for protecting the legal rights of those in our community, with a competitive approach. He formed Philbrook Law Office, located in Vancouver and Battle Ground, Washington, in 2005, with the goal of championing the rights of people wrongfully injured or in legal jeopardy. Matthew’s years of dedicated service to his clients has...

Finding the right attorney to defend you in criminal matters is crucial. But how do you find a good, competent criminal defense attorney? Unlike plumbers or even physicians, it can be awkward or embarrassing to ask a friend or family member to recommend a criminal defense lawyer. That’s why I encourage you to call or schedule a consultation to find our how I can help. I am available evening and weekend hours when necessary by appointment. I have no associates, so your matter always gets my personal attention. I believe in being honest and...

As a child, Doug Williams spent a good amount of time on cruise ships when not in school, as his father was chief medical officer for a number of major cruise lines. These experiences gave Doug the knowledge and passion he needed to pursue a career in maritime law. After graduating magna cum laude from Florida State University and earning his Juris Doctorate, Doug accepted a position with a leading maritime law firm in Tampa, Florida. In Tampa, Doug handled commercial disputes and the defense of casualty lawsuits. In 2011, Doug and his wife relocated to Seattle, Washington, where Doug...

I joined Butler Beschen Law PLLC after spending several years at the Whatcom County Public Defender's Office. My work largely consists of criminal defense. I am experienced in all aspects of the criminal justice system -- from the first appearance with the judge to a case going to trial.

Butler Beschen Law is one of the leading criminal defense, employment law and litigation firms servicing the Pacific Northwest. Our firm is premised upon the belief that narrowing the focus of a law practice - in our case, criminal defense, employment disputes and litigation - and working hard to be the...

Nicholas Berning has practiced immigration law since January 2007. Nick has represented over 200 EB-5 immigrant investors and E-2 non-immigrant investors. He also has extensive experience with other immigrant visas (family and employer sponsorships) and temporary work visas. Before co-founding Boundary Bay Law, he served as the Practice Manager at T.D. Knowles & Associates, PLLC from 2008 to 2015.

From 2009 to 2015 Nick served on the Washington State Practice of Law Board, which is responsible for investigating the unlawful practice of law in Washington State. The Washington State Supreme Court appointed Nick to serve as the...

Jason Gray has 15 years of experience and his practice focuses on estate planning, business law, and real estate law. In addition to his legal practice, Jason has taught classes at the Gonzaga University School of Law and in the Paralegal Program at North Idaho College. He is a former Deputy Attorney General and served as a judicial law clerk in the Fourth Judicial District of the State of Idaho. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Gonzaga University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in Idaho and Washington.

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,...

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....

Attorney Shane P. Coleman (Shane) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He began his legal career as an in-house attorney for first an insurance company and then with a national mortgage servicer where he managed and negotiated claims, lawsuits, bankruptcy and adversarial matters covering all aspects of consumer lending law and managed litigation for the company. Shane relocated to Spokane, Washington to accept an attorney position with the oldest law firm in Washington and the largest in Eastern Washington. His practice built upon his experience in consumer lending...

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.

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.

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...

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....

Paul is the founding attorney of North City Law. Paul offers business, estate planning, probate, dispute resolution and litigation advocacy. Paul is curious in his clients, as he has built businesses himself, including North City Law. Based on his understanding of his client’s position, Paul gives strategic options to empower choices. During client intake and interviews, Paul listens for key gaps in a story to root out hidden issues. In disputes and litigation, Paul helps clients reframe the situation to conform to the applicable legal theory. When clients trust Paul with their business, Paul ensures money is spent wisely on...

As a personal injury lawyer, being an attorney and advocate is about addressing inequities and the imbalance of power that exists between individuals and large corporations or governmental entities, usually behemoth insurance companies. I have extensive experience in civil litigation, including torts (personal injury) and breach of contract (insurance bad faith), and find the story of David vs Goliath fascinating.

Lindsay Noel is a family law attorney at McKinley Irvin, serving clients in Tacoma, Seattle, and Puyallup. She represents clients in a wide range of family law matters, including divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, relocation, military family law, and LGBTQ+ family law. Known for her compassionate approach and strategic advocacy, Lindsay helps clients navigate complex and emotionally challenging situations with clarity and confidence.

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. ...

Aliya knew from an early age what she wanted to do with her life. Born in the former Soviet Union in what is now Kazakhstan, a large landlocked nation in Central Asia that gained its independence in 1991, Aliya's passion for law and justice led her to the legal profession. She attended Eurasian National University in Astana, the national capital and business epicenter of Kazakhstan, where she received a Law Degree in International Law. Upon graduation, Aliya traveled extensively and after concluding a trip to the United States, where she also acquired fluency in the English language, Aliya decided to...