South Hill Lawyers

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.

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...

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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...

Darcel Lobo has served Normandy Park and the surrounding area’s legal needs since 2009. After working with other firms, she founded to better serve her clients. Darcel was born and raised in the area and is a graduate of Seattle University and Seattle University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Washington, as well as in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Darcel prides herself on her legal work, bringing practical solutions to real-life issues and helping clients plan for their financial future. She provides legal guidance in real estate matters and bankruptcy as...

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 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;...

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.

We are a dedicated team of legal professionals who are here to help you in your time of need and crisis. Our Washington State lawyers have the resources, the knowledge, and the experience to assist you with your legal matter in our practice areas.

Sal practices in state and federal courts throughout the state of Washington and has litigated most of the Western states as well. One focus of Sal’s practice is medical negligence, wrongful death, and serious injury cases. Sal has represented patients who have been injured as a result of doctors, nurses, and emergency room physicians making mistakes resulting in death, paralysis, brain injuries and loss of life or harm to babies. Sal has brought actions against Multicare, CHI Franciscan, Harborview, Children’s Hospital, and Swedish Medical center among others. Sal’s cases have involved surgeons, OBGYN doctors, Emergency Department...

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...

Sonny Nguyen is a Vietnamese American, the first generation of South Vietnamese immigrants in the United States. His father, Thu-Ba Nguyen, was one of the early refugees known as "boat people", who served and was loyal to South Vietnam. After many years of political imprisonment, Thu-Ba took his two-year-old son and fled from their beloved homeland.

Sonny is bilingual, he speaks and writes Vietnamese and English fluently. He earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 2015 and continued to Willamette University where he received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) with Mediation and Arbitration.

Growing up in Seattle, Sonny...

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.

There are few attorneys in the Pacific Northwest who possess as much knowledge and experience in the field of elder law as Eileen Peterson. In fact, she is the only attorney in Pierce County certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation since the program began in 1994.

Eileen has also served as Chair of the Guardianship Task Force for WSBA Elder Law Section from 2007-2013 and was the recipient of the WSBA Elder Law Exceptional Service Award in 2009. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on a wide range of topics including elder law, guardianship,...

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...

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.

As a dedicated partner at Novo Legal Group, Bryce serves clients across the United States, representing them before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the Department of State (DOS). With a strong commitment to immigrants' and workers' rights, Bryce actively collaborates with labor unions to assist their members with immigration issues. In addition to his legal practice, Bryce frequently shares his expertise by providing legal analysis and explaining immigration law and policy on local news and radio programs. Memberships and Affiliations: Colorado Bar Association, Member Denver Bar Association, Member American Immigration...

Greg McLawsen is a Washington State attorney practicing only immigration law. His practice uses technology and creativity to serve clients effectively and efficiently. Greg serves in the leadership of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and in the Washington State Bar Association where he leads the 900-member small practice section. Greg publishes nationally on a range of immigration law issues and is a regular presenter at lawyer education seminars.

Kenneth Gorton is a litigation attorney in Washington. He has dedicated his career to advocating for injured and disabled people. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, and represented hundreds of clients in personal injury, consumer protection, and other types of cases. Mr. Gorton received the highest possible rating by AVVO, one of the best-known ranking services for lawyers, which rates him as 10 out of 10 (superb). He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which only admits trial attorneys who have demonstrated “superior results in...

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...

Nicholas (Cole) Douglas is a partner at Cochran Douglas, which has its offices in Tacoma, Washington. Concentrating his practice on personal injury matters, ranging from car accidents to product liability and wrongful death, he also takes on sexual abuse cases, serving clients throughout the state of Washington. Douglas is a compassionate and empathic attorney, taking the time to listen to his clients and answering all their questions. He provides personalized solutions for each of his clients cases and understands the pain they must be going through, especially when they are injured by another person’s careless actions. Graduating cum laude and with dean’s...

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...

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...

For 40 years, Robert has limited his practice to the representation of people injured through the negligence of others, including while on the property of others, in motor vehicle and commercial truck collisions, in wrecks caused by drunk drivers, as well as those who have been harmed in nursing home and other care facilities. He has represented thousands of Arizonans and Washingtonians who have been injured by the misconduct of others. On behalf of his clients he has collected millions of dollars from large insurance companies, major corporations, and numerous others who have caused harm to those clients....

Justia Bio Daniela Lazar has over 20 years of legal experience, beginning in her native Romania. After practicing in Romania for seven years, Daniela moved to the United States with her family in 2006. She initially earned her Paralegal Certificate from the University of Washington and worked as a paralegal for several years before earning her LL.M (Master of Laws) degree from UW in order to work as an attorney in the U.S. Daniela is not only an attorney, but a counselor for her clients, tailoring her approach to her cases based on the client’s individual needs. ...

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...

Valarie Zeeck joined GTH in 1997. Her primary area of practice is employment law and litigation. She advises and provides training to owners, managers, and employees in employment law in order to help them reduce litigation expense and risk. She also defends employers in employment-related litigation, focusing on extracting clients from litigation at the earliest possible stage.

Valarie has written and co-authored several papers for legal publications and periodicals and has been a frequent speaker on legal matters at educational and business seminars. She is a member of the Pierce County chapter of Washington Women Lawyers.

Aaron VanderPol is a workers’ compensation (L&I) attorney that works at our Tukwila location. Aaron has a passion for labor rights. He works diligently to make certain that people who suffer workplace injuries get what they are rightfully owed. Aaron was raised in Washington. He studied political science at Washington State University and graduated with a law degree from Gonzaga in 2016. After graduation, Aaron interned for a criminal defense attorney and served on Spokane’s Police Ombudsman Commission.

In his free time, Aaron enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling to experience new adventures!

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,...

Alan Macpherson’s primary area of practice at GTH is estate planning and taxation. He particularly enjoys working on projects that combine financial and tax as well as legal aspects, such as establishing and monitoring investment LLCs and generation-skipping trusts and helping clients build specific themes into their estate plans, like helping with the education of grandchildren.

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...

James W. Armstrong, Jr. Attorney at Law ? James W. Armstrong, Jr., began his legal career in 2000 after graduating from Seattle University School of Law. Mr. Armstrong opened his law offices in Kent, Washington, in May of 2006 after being in practice for over six years. Armstrong Law Offices is a Professional Service Corporation that specializes in Workers' Compensation, Social Security and Personal Injury.

Meaghan Driscoll’s practice focuses on a broad range of civil litigation, including cases involving employment discrimination, civil rights, and complex personal injuries. Meaghan holds her B.A. from Seattle University, and received her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. While in law school, Meaghan served as a judicial extern to Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary E. Fairhurst and Chief Judge Rosanna M. Peterson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. In addition, she worked as a law clerk for the United States Attorney’s Office and a civil rights and personal...