Gifford Lawyers

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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....

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.

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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 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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

I am a compassionate and empathetic individual, and I founded Akiona Law, PLLC to fully realize my passion for helping people in this turbulent and uncertain economic climate and to ensure people are being treated fairly and are not being taken advantage of. I practice family law in Snohomish County, Washington and my office is located in Everett. I support and encourage parties to work together to resolve their issues, especially when children are involved. The fact of the matter is when you have children, you are going to have deal with your former spouse for the rest...

Sharon Fields has been practicing law in the criminal justice system for over 14 years. Graduating in 1996 from the University of Utah College of Law. She began her career as a public defender for juveniles in Salt Lake County, Utah. In 2000, she was appointed as an Assistant City Prosecutor for the City of Salt Lake where she prosecuted DUIs, domestic violence cases and business corruption cases in the Utah State District Court. In 2001, Sharon was recruited to work as a Deputy District Attorney for the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office. She also worked on various felony...

My name is Lisa S. Tse and I was born and raised in Moses Lake, WA. I moved to Bellevue, WA for high school and attended the University of Washington at Seattle, WA. I went to Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, KS. This was the same alma mater that my father went to as an undergraduate. My father was an art professor at the local community college for 30 plus years. Growing up in a small town, living in a growing mid-size town, and then moving to the midwest, I have seen how Americans live and lead their...

Ronald L. Cohen is a Seattle native and practices law in Bellevue, Washington. He has more than 30 years experience and has an engaging and friendly manner in guiding individuals and families through their legal matters.

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...

Doug Weinmaster has taken numerous cases to trial in state and federal courts in counties across Washington state in his 25 year career as a trial lawyer. His trial-team record includes multiple verdicts and settlements in excess of $1,000,000 in courts throughout Washington State. Doug has represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, products liability, and other types of legal matters. While no reasonable person wants to experience the risk and added stress of a trial, the Insurance Industry knows what lawyers are experienced and capable of taking a case to trial, if a fair settlement...

Aaron began his career as a city prosecutor and then transferred to prosecuting felony crimes for the government. Aaron then went into private practice continuing to work on criminal matters including DUIs, Sex Crimes, White Collar Crimes, Drug Distribution, and more. He expanded his practice by becoming licensed in Utah and Washington and operating offices in both states. The firm expanded from just handling criminal matters to including bankruptcy, wills & estates, family law including divorce, child custody, and parental rights with all areas of criminal law. Aaron held many contracts working with the government including as a public...