Lopez Island Lawyers

Steve is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, where he received High Honors, graduating in the top 5% of his class. Some history: Steve served two years for the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney as a criminal Deputy Prosecutor. Prior to that, Steve helped provide public defense for The Tulalip Tribes. In an externship, Steve has served as a law clerk for the State of Washington Court of Appeals in Tacoma and for the honorable Judge James K. Singleton of the Federal District Court of Alaska. He also worked for a summer at Holland...

Christon Skinner is the founding member of the Law Offices of Christon C. Skinner, P.S. The firm was established in 1996, when Mr. Skinner opened his own office after being a partner in the law office of Zylstra, Beeksma, Waller & Skinner, which he joined in 1979. Chris expanded his practice to San Juan County when he acquired John Linde’s law office in Friday Harbor in January of 2008. Chris has been actively engaged in the practice of law in Island, Skagit and San Juan Counties for over 32 years with a primary emphasis on business,...

Tough cases and just cases. No matter your legal problem, I will work tirelessly to insure a successful outcome for you. My motivation is to put my experience and training to work for my clients. I have over a decade’s experience representing families in custody and divorce cases, and in suits against corporations, insurance companies, banks and landlords. The vast majority of lawyers have never tried a case before judge and a jury. I have tried and co-counseled more than a dozen jury trials, resulting in hundreds-of-millions in settlement and verdicts for my clients.

Jennifer Brainard graduated from University of Washington School of Law and was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1980. After practicing in the Seattle area for over 20 years she returned to Oak Harbor, Washington, where she grew up. She practices law with an emphasis in these areas: Estate Planning, Family Law, Business, Bankruptcy, and Real Estate. She is President of the Island County Bar Association, sits as a Pro Tem Judge in Island County District Court and volunteers at the Volunteer Lawyer Program. She speaks to groups on Family Law and Bankruptcy and is an advisor for small...

Neli Espe assists clients in the area of estate and business planning and purchase & sale agreements for real estate and businesses. She focuses on comprehensive, creative, and cost-effective solutions and provides outstanding legal representation based on expertise, experience, and integrity.

I have been practicing law in Western Washington since 1997. Since my first day of practice my area of emphasis has been DUI law. My first few years of practice were as a Prosecuting Attorney then in 2001 I moved to private practice representing those accused of the crime. Since 2004 I have only practiced this DUI and Criminal Defense. My knowledge in this area is immense and has been helped by my work in completing more than DUI books including, "The DUI Handbook for the Accused" in 2007. I have two more books being...

Adam Deitz is a maritime personal injury attorney licensed to practice law in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, New York, and Connecticut. Adam is also a licensed mariner with experience navigating commercial passenger vessels on both coasts. He is proud to use his years of experience to represent individuals who were injured on or around the navigable waters of the United States, including Jones Act seamen, vessel passengers, longshoremen, and recreational boaters.

Over the past four decades, Michael John Tario has become one of the most highly respected and experienced practicing personal injury attorneys in Washington State. He opened his Bellingham practice in 1979, followed by his Mount Vernon office in 1988, and has earned the respect of his peers and the gratitude of the clients he has helped as shown by his many awards and high ratings. Mr. Tario practices plaintiff personal injury law with a passion for negotiating the maximum possible settlement for his injured clients. During his career, Mr. Tario has successfully represented over 5,000 clients. He has negotiated...

Roy Martin is a divorce and family law attorney in Bellingham, Washington. His practice is devoted to domestic relations issues such as divorce; legal separation; paternity; child custody, including the establishment and modification of parenting plans; relocation; non-parental custody; child support; spousal maintenance, prenuptial, postnuptial and cohabitation agreements; domestic partnerships; protective orders and the rights of grandparents. Mr. Martin believes his job is to thoroughly address legal issues in the most efficient manner possible. For this reason, he is committed to alternative dispute resolution techniques, such as Mediation and Collaborative Divorce, with their emphasis on negotiated resolutions. These approaches can lead...

I've Spent the last 12 years focused on DUI, Criminal Defense, and Personal Injury Cases. I've represented 1000's of hard working residents through some very difficult situations. Whether a Serious Auto-Accident or Serious Criminal Charge, each case can have a permanent impact on your future. Criminal Charges, like DUI or Felonies will create a permanent record that employers, schools, and banks are increasingly search as a matter of course in decision making. Applying my winning strategies, TODAY, in every case helps keep my clients on track for great future. In 2014, I published #DUI:...

Christopher C. Walton is an experienced and award-winning Personal Injury and Employment attorney. Chris aggressively pursues the compensation his clients need and deserve. Having spent several years defending insurance companies, Chris has unique legal insight and knowledge. He now dedicates his practice to fighting for the rights and interests of those harmed by the wrongdoing or negligence of others. Chris has been honored with numerous awards for his legal success. He has been recognized as a Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney, Best of the Bar, Client's Choice, Outstanding Trial Lawyer and Super Lawyer. Contact Chris for a Free Consultation. No fee unless...

CAREER: Before becoming an attorney, Emily worked in a church daycare; at Taco Bell; as a librarian at the Bellingham and Fairhaven Public Libraries; and as an office administrator. In 2007, Emily joined the law firm of Britain, Gallery & Vis in Bellingham as a paralegal. Over seven years BGV, Emily not only learned everything she knows about estate planning, probate, business and bankruptcy law but also completed the Washington State Law Clerk Program and passed the Bar Exam to become an attorney. Emily launched Limitless Law PLLC in 2014. EDUCATION: Emily is a proud graduate of Geneva Elementary School, Kulshan...

Call now for a free consultation (360) 220-2676. I grew up in Bellingham and learned to practice law at one of the preeminent law firms in San Diego. I handled a wide variety of cases from citations to serious felonies and family law. I have brought that experience back to Bellingham to advocate for the rights of my clients and to ensure the most favorable outcome for my client's cases. Family law and criminal law often go hand in hand. Domestic violence charges may impact time spent with your children, or bring up restraining orders. Being arrested for a...

I have been a Civil Litigator for over 20 years, having been first admitted to the bar in 1981. I specialize in Personal Injury cases and represent the rights of accident victims on a contingency basis. I have obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for my seriously injured clients.

Attorney Mark D. Nusz works hard to resolve your toughest problems - the ones that keep you awake at night. He strives to set the foundation for clients to prepare for a secure and successful future while clearing away the problems from the past. Whether it is reduction of debt, major tax issues with the IRS , or structuring an effective estate plan, he will sit down with you one-on-one and help you figure a way to achieve an excellent outcome.

A graduate of the University of Washington's Tax Law LL.M program, Mr. Nusz has extensively studied...

I grew up on Badger Mountain, in Eastern Washington, on a dry land dirt farm in an area the locals refer to as "Poverty Point." No TV. No electricity. No inside plumbing. But we did have books -- lots of books. I talked before I could walk, and carried a book everywhere, so my dad used to pat me on the head and say "This one's going to be a lawyer." He knew what kind of a lawyer I would be: a lawyer for real people, not a lawyer for big corporations -- a lawyer for the little guy...

After graduating cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1999, I spent a year clerking for a judge in Wisconsin before moving to Whatcom County in the summer of 2000. Before coming to the Elder Law Offices of Barry M. Meyers, I was in-house counsel for the Lummi Nation with my practice focusing on human resource issues, governmental administration and criminal prosecution. My practice now focuses 100% on Elder Law. It is exceptionally rewarding to provide guidance and support for people as they face the complicated issues associated with aging. The work is made even more...

Bob is an extremely skilled and dedicated attorney who focuses on defense of serious criminal charges in State and Federal Courts.

Joshua (Josh) Bruner, a dedicated Family Law Attorney, is renowned for his unwavering commitment to advocating for his clients and achieving exceptional results. With a formidable skill set encompassing client relations, negotiation, and litigation, Mr. Bruner consistently delivers favorable outcomes through effective communication and meticulous case strategies. A masterful negotiator beyond the courtroom and a formidable advocate within it, Josh relentlessly champions his clients' causes. He draws upon his unique background, extensive experience, strategic acumen, and exceptional skills to secure outstanding results while always upholding the dignity and respect his clients deserve. Josh's journey to law was preceded by a career as...

Vicki Oslund has been practicing family law for over 19 years. Vicki is highly regarded for her experience in both the legal and business communities, and for her ability to achieve favorable results for her clients. Vicki represents clients in all family law matters, with a focus on complex divorce cases that involve high value property, business, and financial distributions. Clients who work with Vicki appreciate her meticulous and compassionate guidance. Vicki is a trained mediator and has worked as an arbitrator with the Snohomish County Superior Court. She holds an MBA and worked as a corporate negotiator. She is...

As a founder and principle of the Schwarz~Garrison Law Firm I am committed to providing the highest quality representation to our clients. We listen to our clients and we pursue their goals tenaciously. Recent Verdicts: State v. Gipson: Assault Charge: Not Guilty, Self Defense: $256,000 in fees and costs reimbursed to client by the court following verdict. Dunakin v. Ronngren: Dog Bite: $229,015.73 jury verdict for plaintiff. Rollins and Hendershot v. King County Metro: Assault on Metro Bus: $250,000 Jury Verdict for plaintiffs, On appeal, plaintiffs were able...

Susan E. Skelton
“A Lawyer you can talk to.”

Practicing Law in Everett and Snohomish, WA

I graduated law school in 2003 in St. Louis, MO and opened my own firm, where I focused on personal bankruptcy (Chapters 7 and 13), debtor defense/consumer law, and estate planning, including wills, trusts, durable power of attorneys and probate matters. I had a very successful law firm for over 10 years in St. Louis, prior to moving to Washington.

My family and I moved to Snohomish in September 2013. For several years, I stayed at home with my young children and was extremely active in non-profit work...

Attorney Shane McKinnie is a former criminal prosecutor, and has experience working for both large and small law firms in the Seattle area. Shane approaches his cases from a practical perpective and above all, seeks to help his clients solve their problems in the way that best suits their circumstances and desires.
Shane is a fourth-generation Washingtonian and military veteran. He grew up in Snohomish County and attended Washington State University where he was a member of the Honors College and president of a fraternity. Shortly after graduating from WSU, he attended Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as...

I was born in an army hospital in Fort Knox, Kentucky. My father was in the army, and before I was a year old and my older brother two years old, my father had died in Vietnam. A widow at 24 years of age with two babies in diapers, my mother felt that the best education she could give my brother and me was real world experience. So for a year, when I was a junior in high school, we backpacked around the world. I traveled through numerous countries and regions (China, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia,...

I started my own firm over 15 years ago, after five years as a partner and associate attorney at a prominent boutique Family Law firm in Everett, Washington. For over 20 years, I have limited my Family Law practice to Snohomish County where I am uniquely acquainted with Family Law commissioners, attorneys, skilled mediators, and Snohomish County judges. I have maintained my commitment to the best resolution for my clients, whether in the courtroom or through mediation. I represent clients for divorce and separation, custody/parenting, spousal maintenance/alimony, alimony/spousal maintenance, and modification of court orders. In addition, I focus on what...

Samuel K. Darling is a general civil litigator whose practice emphasizes divorce, employment, and real estate law. Mr. Darling's legal experience also includes landlord tenant disputes, land use issues, personal injury, construction defect matters, creditor law, and business law. Mr. Darling received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 2002. In 2007 he earned his law degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota, where he graduated on the Dean's List with an "A" Average and was a Royal Stone Scholarship Recipient, a member of several student organizations, and a moot court Best Brief Nominee. Mr. Darling began his legal career with...

Emily C. Beschen is an Attorney at Beschen Law PLLC. Emily is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School and Western Washington University. During law school she focused her studies on criminal and privacy law. While there, Emily worked as a research assistant, assisting a local civil rights attorney with lawsuits involving law enforcement. She also served as an associate editor of the nation's oldest law review dedicated solely to animal law issues. Emily excelled at trial preparation, motion drafting, and research of complex legal issues. Her current practice focuses primarily on criminal defense. She handles both...

Breanne W. Martin is a graduate of Seattle University’s joint degree program in which she obtained a Law Degree and a Master of Business Administration. In recognition of her scholastic achievements, Breanne received Dean’s List honors and the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for legal writing. Breanne served as a contributing writer and editor for the Seattle Journal for Social Justice and was an active member of the Student Bar Association, Graduate Student Council, and Women in Business Association. Prior to attending Seattle University, Breanne graduated cum laude from Portland State University earning a Bachelor of Science in...

I provide hands-on, strategic, no-nonsense legal representation for individuals and businesses in employment disputes. Whether you're an employee with a concern over illegal employment practices such as discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, unpaid wages or other violations of wage and hour law; or a business who has been accused of violating employment laws, I can help. I offer understanding, skill and the power of the law so that justice can be achieved.

Bill Coats began his career in as a trail lawyer in 1995. After working as an Assistant Attorney General, he entered private practice 2001. Bill has been lead trial lawyer in over 60 jury trials. In 2006, he and Dean Brett formed Brett & Coats. In 2014, Bill started Bill Coats Law where he represents individuals and families with serious injury and wrongful death claims. Bill graduated with honors from Tulane Law School and served as Articles Editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. He grew up in Seattle and earned a BA degree from the University of...

My practice is focused is focused on resolving debt issues, protecting assets, and litigation regarding the same for individuals and small to mid size businesses. Prior to founding Washington Debt Law, PLLC, I worked at one of the largest creditor side law firms, representing financial institutions in bankruptcy, eviction, foreclosure, and litigation matters. Having both creditor and debtor side experience brings a nuanced approach in dealing with creditors as I am familiar with their tactics, budgets, resources, and how best to find an effective approach. Our major solutions focus on litigation, settlement, bankruptcy, and out of court...