Rochester 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...

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.

Ashton Dennis is a litigation and trial attorney focusing on representation individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury or wrongful death. Ashton handles a wide range of cases often holding corporations, the government and individuals accountable for their actions. Ashton has litigated cases across the United States in both State and Federal Courts.

Ashton earned a dual degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Washington State University. He went on to obtain his law degree from Seattle University.

In 2014 and 2015, Ashton was named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in Washington State, which is reserved for just...

Joe Gordon, Jr. joined GTH in 1968 and has been a pillar of the firm and of the legal community in the Pacific Northwest for many years. He has tried superior court cases involving a wide range of civil litigation matters in 26 of Washington’s 39 counties. As a Washington State Assistant Attorney General, he served as a trial attorney for the Department of Labor & Industries in both the Olympia and Seattle offices.

In private practice, Joe has regularly represented rental property owners and management companies on landlord-tenant matters. He has also represented both employers and injured workers on industrial...

A Seattle native, Amanda O’Halloran joined the firm in 1995, after graduating from Seattle University School of Law. She focuses her practice primarily on providing employment law advice to a diverse group of businesses, ranging from car dealerships and other retail establishments to healthcare providers, financial services companies, non-profits, and private membership associations. She is frequently called upon to provide advice on difficult employment terminations, conducting internal harassment and discrimination investigations, drafting employment agreements and other contracts, and developing anti-harassment policies and conducting training. Amanda works closely with Human Resource personnel, executive management, and business owners to resolve...

For the past 30 years, she has represented businesses and individuals interfacing with the government; she helps businesses and individuals obtain all types of zoning and land use permits, assists individuals facing government compliance and penalty actions and represents individuals with property disputes about easements, boundaries and adverse possession. She also obtains licenses for all types of business enterprises. Ms. Koler frequently challenges arbitrary requirements associated with government compliance and land use permitting. See Guimont v. Clark, 121 Wn.2d 586 (Washington Supreme Court invalidated state law imposing mobile home relocation fee on developer); Berst v. Snohomish...

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.

In more than 24 years of practice, Lisa Seifert has built Seifert Law Offices into a firm nationally and internationally renowned for its skill and knowledge in immigration and nationality law. Ms. Seifert is admitted to the Washington State Bar Association, the U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Seifert is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) both regionally and nationally. She was awarded the AILA Joseph Minsky Award for outstanding contributions in the field of Immigration and Nationality Law. She is a regularly featured writer and speaker at AILA...

Michael T. Smith advises individuals and companies of all types and sizes regarding the proper formation and structure of a business entity (corporation, limited liability company, etc.), their general business and corporate matters, issues related to the purchase or sale or lease of real property and transactions to purchase or sell their business. Michael also focuses his practice on assisting people prepare their estate plan, including wills, trusts, community property agreements, durable powers of attorney, health care directives, and helping families navigate and administer a loved one's estate in probate proceedings. Michael can also assist with guardianship proceedings for loved ones...

Before becoming an attorney, Reuben worked in the construction and building trade. He puts his prior life experience to good use in his practice areas of environmental and land use law. In addition to being a skilled attorney, Reuben is a compassionate advocate who loves working with his clients to solve problems and keep goals and objectives on track.

Reuben began his career at the Washington Supreme Court where he served as law clerk to Justice Charles W. Johnson. Prior to that, he served as an extern to Judge James L. Robart at the Federal District Court in Seattle.

Sandy Van is the managing partner and founder of Van Law Firm Injury and Accident Attorneys, a personal injury, mass tort, and sex abuse litigation law firm located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lakewood, and Yakima, Washington, and Legal Support Help, a legal staffing company. She is a personal injury attorney licensed to practice law in Nevada state and federal courts and Washington state and federal courts. She also has co-counsel relationships with attorneys nationwide and accepts cases nationwide. The growth and development of both Van Law Firm and Ms.Van’s personal career have not gone unnoticed. Nevada Business Magazine named...

Bill Lynn has been with GTH since 1979 and his approach has always been characterized by an emphasis on problem-solving. His primary areas of practice include land use and zoning, real estate, environmental law, and municipal law. He has provided land-use representation for large and small residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use projects throughout the Puget Sound area and is experienced at litigating matters under the State Environmental Policy Act.

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...

Over the past 25 years, Darrell Cochran has won a significant number of multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients, both in Washington state and around the country. His legal philosophy is guided by the desire to assist those severely injured or damaged by well-funded defendants who have abused their power or acted recklessly in their disregard for others. A few examples of his impressive casework include a $95 million class action verdict against the Washington DSHS for breach of contract, a $7.5 million class action settlement against Multicare Health System for deceptive billing practices, and his role in...

Ellis McGehee Carter is a distinguished attorney specializing in corporate and tax matters for nonprofit, tax-exempt, and mission-based businesses, alongside advising donors on major gifts. With a profound dedication to serving organizations that make a significant impact, Ms. Carter leverages her extensive experience in nonprofit governance, tax law, and business transactions to provide unparalleled legal guidance. Her expertise extends to navigating complex tax issues for exempt entities, ensuring they remain compliant while advancing their mission. Ms. Carter's adeptness in handling intricate business transactions for nonprofits is evident through her work on reorganizations, the creation of affiliates and subsidiaries, and facilitating mergers,...

Eric represents victims of wrongful termination, unfair wage and hour practices, workplace harassment, and discrimination; whistleblowers who suffer retaliation after standing up for themselves or others; and entrepreneurs crossed by former business partners. As a civil litigator and class action attorney, he routinely assists individuals and entities in employment litigation, consumer protection actions, and complex business and contract lawsuits. Eric has prevailed in numerous appellate cases supporting worker rights, including before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court.

Mindful that most people seldom interact with the legal system, Eric uses his knowledge and experience to guide his...

Mark L. Fowler represents local, national, and international clients in a variety of industries including software, SaaS, real estate development, and real estate sales. Mr. Fowler has extensive experience with contracts including negotiating all forms of corporate commercial contracts and real estate development contracts to litigating breach of contract actions. He is known for finding successful solutions to highly complicated commercial, real estate, and litigation matters. Mr. Fowler’s effective handling of difficult legal issues is built on his years of experience in the District of Arizona, District of Oregon, and Washington State.

After being admitted to the Washington State Bar Association, Ms. Ramirez practiced law in the private sector with emphasis on family law, bankruptcy, estate planning and elder law matters. Ms. Ramirez compassionately advocates on behalf of her clients while she assists them in successfully resolving difficult disputes and navigating through litigation and complex legal issues.

Professional Memberships/Organizations
Ms. Ramirez is licensed to practice in the State of Washington and the United States District Court. She is also a member of the following professional associations:
Washington State Bar Association, Member
King County Bar Association, Member
Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Member

Education
Seattle University School of Law,...

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...

Robert Dickson practices civil litigation, with a focus on issues related to business, real property and construction law. His clients are diverse, ranging from large corporations to residential homeowners. Recently, Mr. Dickson expanded his practice to include the representation of property owners in mediating their distressed property matters through the Foreclosure Fairness Act. Another element of Mr. Dickson's practice includes contributing to various legal publications. In particular, he serves as an editor and contributing author of the LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Real Estate Litigation (LexisNexis 2014) and a contributing author for the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual. At present,...

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,...

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've been practicing family law in Pierce County since 2006, including divorces, custody, child support, modifications. I handle contested cases, agreed cases, and collaborative cases.

Andrea is a trial lawyer with an emphasis in business and employment litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. She has successfully represented clients litigating shareholder, non-competition, and employment discrimination disputes, and obtained pre-trial injunctions. She has achieved jury verdicts enforcing her clients’ contract rights, represented clients in trust and estates disputes, and obtained protection for vulnerable adults. She also regularly represents clients in the areas of regulatory monitoring and advocacy, including extensive work in alcohol regulation and policy, and with Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board.

Andrea joined GTH in 2005 after graduating from Seattle University School of Law,...

Erin Lane is one of the founding partners of Washington Law Group. She is caring, compassionate, and devoted to her clients. She came from a working class background and understands that money doesn't grow on trees. This is part of why she ended up thriving in her bankruptcy practice. She loves helping good people get back on their feet.

She thrives on helping honest and hard-working folks, who, often through no fault of their own, suddenly find themselves falling on hard times. Bankruptcy is one of the most powerful financial tools on the planet. And, Erin knows the bankruptcy code like...

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.

Bilingual English and Spanish-Speaking Lawyer Specializing in Workers Compensation and Immigration Law.

Based in Tacoma and serving clients around all areas of Washington State. Represents injured workers in all aspects of workers compensation claims.

Mr. Brumbaugh is the senior shareholder of Walstead Mertsching. He joined the firm in 1992 and has been a shareholder since 1996. He primarily represents victims of motor vehicle collisions and medical malpractice. He is licensed in Washington and Oregon and practices in both State and Federal trial and appellate courts. He has successfully argued before the Washington State Supreme Court. His areas of focus include: wrongful death claims; automobile, motorcycle and trucking collisions; medical and nursing home malpractice; and defective product claims.

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...

JAMES F. CHRISTNACHT was admitted to practice law in the state of Washington in 1984 after having attended the University Of Puget Sound School Of Law. Mr. Christnacht has engaged in the general practice of law since his admission to the bar. He is admitted to practice before the Washington State Courts, Federal District Court and the Puyallup Tribal Court. His practice has included personal injury, probate, guardianship, wills and estate planning, will contests and estate litigation, misdemeanor criminal defense and traffic matters, real estate, and business law. Mr. Christnacht is a second generation lawyer. Having grown up with...

Travis’ practice focuses primarily on business and real estate transactions, with an emphasis on entity formation, governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Travis believes that a good process is the best way to arrive at good results. Thus, before he can provide effective legal advice, he must first carefully listen to the client’s particular situation and understand exactly what the client both needs and wants. Only then can a comprehensive strategy be crafted to help resolve the client’s current legal needs but also allow the client to continue working towards the client’s aspirations. Travis’ practice gives him great satisfaction because he...

Andy Kralios is a medical malpractice and personal injury attorney at Washington Law Center PLLC. Andy previously worked in a large insurance defense law firm advising hospital risk management departments. He then ran his own successful practice in the Northeast where he led trials on behalf of injured hospital patients. More recently, Andy worked at the General Counsel’s Office of MultiCare Health System.

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...

Alden Byrd is a litigation attorney focusing on worker’s compensation claims for individuals that have suffered workplace injuries. Alden diligently pursues injured worker’s claims when the Department or Employers attempt to deny those workers the benefits to which they are entitled. Alden previously clerked for United States District Court Judge Thomas S. Zilly in the Western District of Washington.

Alden obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography from The Ohio State University and graduated cum laude from the Seattle University School of Law.

Alden grew up in Ohio, but moved to Seattle in 2009 to attend law school.

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.