Bucoda Lawyers

We practice in Washington and Oregon. Our practice areas are plaintiff personal injury, business and health care law. I graduated from the UW School of Law in 1975.

Dean Swanson is a civil litigation attorney focused entirely on helping those who have been injured or wronged by others. He has represented individuals and businesses. Dean is a native of the Northwest US, and is a member of the Washington State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Committee. Dean is dedicated to getting justice for his clients.

Aaron Ritchie received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History & Political Science from The Colorado College in 1997, and his Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2004. While he attended law school, Aaron interned at the Vancouver City Attorney's Office where he prosecuted the full range of misdemeanor cases in District Court. Following his admission to the Washington Bar in 2004, Aaron assumed a full-time prosecutor position in the Clark County Domestic Violence Unit and was eventually promoted to Assistant Unit Coordinator. During his career as a prosecutor, Aaron handled thousands of domestic violence cases and won...

Kenneth V. Hoffman received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Cleveland Marshall Law School. He is licensed in the State and Federal Courts of Washington and Ohio. He began his legal career in the trust department of Ameritrust Corporation, at the time the largest bank holding and trust company in Ohio. Mr. Hoffman was hired by the Clark County based Northwest National Bank in 1979 to establish and administer its trust department. He was responsible for all aspects of probate and trust administration, investment and taxation, and also served as in house counsel for the...

Russ Mead is a business attorney who for the last several years has served as general counsel for two of the nation’s most notable animal welfare non-profits, Best Friends Animal Society and Farm Sanctuary. He is also a founder and general counsel for Animal Law Coalition. He is licensed as an attorney in Washington and Utah. Russ has represented a number of nonprofits as well as businesses as large as Chrysler and as small as a local shipwright. He counsels individuals on business matters. His practice has included business litigation and advising clients about organizational structure, business and entertainment contracts,...

Lisa Christoffersen assists northwest businesses and professionals with work visas, employment-based and family-based permanent residency, and citizenship. She is active with the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has been named a Washington SuperLawyer.

Chris has handled a wide range of damage cases, including wrongful death and serious personal injuries from roadway collisions, construction site hazards, unsafe products and drugs, medical malpractice, food pathogens, government liability, and all manner of accidents caused by carelessness. Chris seeks the maximum recovery consistent with his client’s wishes, whether by settlement or by trial. His practice includes an emphasis on legal malpractice and medical negligence claims. Chris began his career prosecuting attorney misconduct as bar counsel with the Washington State Bar Association. He served as a member and as the chairperson of the WSBA Disciplinary Board,...

Emma Kazaryan has a civil litigation practice with an emphasis on employment law. She has successfully represented clients in severance negotiations, workplace investigations, government investigations, and licensing matters. Her accomplishments include helping clients obtain professional licensure despite challenging obstacles and resolving a wide variety of matters (including workplace and government investigations) with stellar settlements for her clients. Emma’s pragmatic and focused approach to litigation has enabled her to resolve several cases with a motion for summary judgment. Emma’s transactional work – which includes drafting employee handbooks and policies for the firm’s employer clients and counseling them...