Top best L Lawyers in Bellingham | 302 available

Maureen Toomey practices law in Whatcom County, specializing in  Family Law,  Mediation/Settlement, and Adoption.. Maureen Toomey was born and raised on the East Coast and has lived in four countries and five states.  She is very excited to call Washington her final destination.  Maureen had several careers before law: managing homes for the developmentally disabled, consulting and mediation services, and owning a water filtration business.  She has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Writing, and a Master's degree in Counseling and Mediation.. Maureen was an Editor on the Law Review for the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. She graduated in 2012.  Maureen worked for the federal government in land use, the Utah state government in employment law and land use, and for Coconino County (civil) in Flagstaff, Arizona.  During school, she participated in the Family Law Clinic and worked in several family law firms.   Lastly, she became the Acting Director for the Colorado Independent  Ethics Commission, investigating complaints about public officials and providing legal analysis.. Maureen returned to family law after working in domestic violence agencies in both Colorado and Washington.  She realized how difficult it was for victims to obtain divorces and/or parenting plans due to the dynamics of domestic violence and the prohibitive cost of hiring attorneys.  She spent a year volunteering for Law Advocates in Bellingham, Washington.  Access to legal services is the foundation of a just society.. Maureen is licensed to practice law in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. Currently, she is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Family Law and Solo Practice sections, Washington Women Lawyers and the Whatcom County Bar Association.

Mark Bratlien started his criminal justice career in 1976 as a military policeman in the U.S. Army.  He was stationed in Germany for his three year tour of duty.  After being honorably discharged, Mark worked his way through college.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Business Administration/Finance from California State University at Dominguez Hills.In addition to his military police experience, Mark worked for two years as a civilian contract military police officer for the U.S. Air Force while attending college, followed by several years as a police officer in So. California.  Mark was assigned to patrol and made thousands of traffic stops and hundreds of DUI arrests.  Mark finds this experience extremely valuable in his representation of clients charged with DUI and traffic related offenses.  It is real world experience that cannot be learned in law school or from a book.Mark graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2002.  He worked for the Whatcom County Public Defender for over five years.  Through his skill and hard work, he achieved a winning record of trial victories.Mark Bratlien lives in Bellingham, enjoys running, and golf.

Lacy’s lifelong experience as an advocate for children and vulnerable adults is integral to her family practice. She is driven to help families in crisis find meaningful, durable solutions to complex problems through collaborative or mediated problem-solving. When cooperative work fails, Lacy utilizes litigation skills attained as a former prosecutor and works passionately on behalf of clients in the courtroom.. A 2005 University of Oregon Law graduate, Lacy served as the elected Student Bar President and liaison to the Dean. Upon graduating, she accepted the role of Assistant City Attorney in Yakima and in 2008 opened her own long-running practice focused on foster-adoption, Guardian ad Litem work, and support for vulnerable adults and their families. After a brief hiatus from practice to focus on her children, Lacy reinstated her license in 2018 and joined Betsy Brinson's long-time family law practice.. Brinson & Heinz Family Law Attorneys focus primarily on divorce, parentage and adoption with special attention to collaborative work. Lacy is a member of Collaborative Professionals of Washington and the Whatcom Collaborative Law group.

Kirsten practices in the areas of business and employment law and brings over 20 years of legal experience to her work. She joined Barron Smith Daugert, PLLC in 1998 and became a partner in 2004. She takes a practical, solution oriented approach to all aspects of her practice.. Kirsten advises businesses, large and small, often serving in a general counsel role. Her business work includes entity formation and structure, general corporate governance, contract drafting and review, transactional work and ownership disputes.. Kirsten represents both employers and employees in all aspects of the employment relationship. She has represented employers with as few as three employees and as many as 500 employees. Her employment practice includes representation of unionized and non-unionized employers.. Certification:. Certified in Internal Investigations – Council on Education in Management in association with The George Washington University. Education:. James Madison University (B.A. 1987) University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law. Community Service:. Washington State Access to Justice Board of Directors, Member and Chair Washington State Supreme Court Public Trust and Confidence Committee, Member LAW Advocates, pro bono/access to justice, Board Member and former Chair Southside Soccer Board of Directors, former Member Pickford Film Association, former Board Member Slum Doctor Programme, former Board Member Allied Arts of Whatcom County, former Board Member YMCA, former volunteer. Awards:. 2009 Local Hero Award from the Washington State Bar Association 2012 Joe Pemberton Award for Service from the Whatcom County Bar Association. 2015 Legal Foundation President's Award

Katti Esp has practiced law in Bellingham since 1996, designing and implementing individualized estate plans and assisting clients with the probate process. She collaborates with families and individuals and their financial planners to retain the greatest amount of wealth for family, friends, and charities. Katti also helps her clients limit the assets transferred to the government or unintended beneficiaries. She develops estate plans designed to reduce federal and state estate and gift taxes.. Katti Esp also assists her clients with transferring closely held family businesses and regularly assists non-citizens with their estate plans. She is licensed to practice law in Washington and California.. Katti Esp received her Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida. She earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Gonzaga University School of Law, where she received academic honors for her achievements in estate planning and secured transactions. Katti graduated fromWestern Washington Universitywith a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2013 Katti received the Estate Planning Law Specialist  designation from the Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc. an organization accredited by the American Bar Association.* In 2012, Katti received the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.*. * The Supreme Court of Washington does not recognize certification, of specialities in the practice of law and the certification, award or recognition is not a requirement to practice law in the state of Washington.

Karen Funston is a founding partner of Buri Funston Mumford,PLLC.  She focuses her practice onemployment and business law, advising individuals and businesses on a range ofissues including business formation and personnel matters.  She has extensive experience working with andadvising nonprofit organizations. Karen’s experiences working with a variety of organizations in theprivate, public and nonprofit sectors give her a broad understanding of thepractical issues businesses face.  She isskilled at advising businesses in long term planning and routine transactionsas well as assisting businesses and individuals faced with a crisis.. Karen is involved in a variety of community organizations.  Karen is a member of the Society for HumanResource Management, the American and the Washington State BarAssociation.  She served as the InterimDirector for Equal Employment Opportunity Services at Western Washington University in 2004.  She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Western WashingtonUniversity, and her J.D. degree fromthe University of Washington.    Karen is married to Craig Funston, owner ofRedpoint Structures.  Karen and Craighave two sons, Kjel and Peter.

Jonathan W. Charnitski represents clients in litigation and business general counsel matters.. Previously, he was a partner at Andy Brown & Associates, PLLC in Austin, where he litigated real estate, construction defect, and general commercial contract disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants. In his time there, he earned multiple take-nothing jury verdicts defending against 6- and 7-figure claims and obtained judgments as high as $1.4M fon behalf of plaintiff clients.. Before he began practicing in Austin in 2013, Mr. Charnitski covered telecommunications and intellectual property as a journalist on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., worked for Fannie Mae in governance and compliance during the housing market recovery, and was involved as an attorney in large-scale litigation and government investigations.. Mr. Charnitski received his J.D. in 2008 from Villanova School of Law outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was President of the Intellectual Property Law Society and research assistant for Professor Penelope Pether. He holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned national recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists as an opinion writer and from the Associated College Press as Editor-in-Chief of The Daily.. In his spare time, Mr. Charnitski enjoys playing guitar, running, rooting for the Washington Huskies, and attempting to tame his back yard with his wife.

Jeffrey Lustick is an lawyer, former military JAG attorney, and part-time judge in Northwest Washington State. He is currently providing citiminal defense in Whatcom and Skagit Counties and aviation-related legal services to the aviation community nationwide. Jeffrey's services include:. -Defending individuals and corporations in actions by the FAA, NTSB, TSA and U.S. Customs.-Representation of individuals and corporation under investigation for alleged FAR violations.-DUI and Misdemanor Criminal Case Defense.-Establishment of aviation business entities, including airplane based partnerships and LLCs.-Assistance and advice regarding aircraft rental and leasing agreements.-Drafting aviation related purchase and sales agreements.-Drafting powers or attorney and wills and estates for pilots.. Originally from Mount Vernon, WA, Jeffrey graduated from Mounit Vernon High School and was a class valedictorian in 1989.  He is a 1997 honor graduate of Gonzaga Law School in Spokane, WA. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force and the Washington Air National Guard from 1997 to 2009.. Jeffrey is a provider member of the AOPA Legal Services Panel. He also volunteers as a Legal Officer and Public Information Officer for the Civil Air Patrol. He is a member of the American Leigon.

In 2009, David Brown joined Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers.  Mr. Brown graduated from the University of Washington and the University of Colorado School of Law before working for two years as a trial attorney with the Whatcom County Public Defender’s Office.  At Brett Murphy he will utilize his strong litigation experience and negotiation skills to help individuals deal with insurance companies to recover their losses in major personal injury and wrongful death claims.. In January of 2015, David became a Managing Partner of Brett McCandlis & Brown PLLC. The firm continues with its mission to deliver comprehensive legal support for personal injury and wrongful death clients across Washington State.

If you have been injured, through no fault of your own, then I am here to help you be made whole.  I know that no amount of money can undue a serious injury, a permanent disability or a wrongful death.  Nothing can correct the numerous ways your life changes once you have been in an accident.  So while , I can not change what has happened, I am able to request compensation from those who are responsible.  My goal therefore is to obtain the maximum monetary award for each every client.

I'v e been practicing law in Washington state for 17 years.  When working on a clients case, i bring years of experience and courtroom knowledge.  I work dilligently on behalf of all  my clients and strive to obtain the best outcomes in case.

I was born and raised on the prairie of Montana. My immediate family included four very active brothers, one of which is my identical twin. I graduated from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. The United States Navy brought me to Whidbey Island, Washington, to fly the A-6 Intruder during the Vietnam War. When I first crossed over the Deception Pass Bridge, I immediately fell in love with the area and never left.. After leaving the Navy, thankful for the G.I Bill and its commitment to education, I attended the University Of Puget Sound Law School (now Seattle University Law School). Immediately after graduating from law school in 1979, with honors, I opened my law firm in Whatcom County, Washington.. My interests include family, reading, skiing, and baseball. I am blessed with a remarkable wife, a beautiful daughter, an amazing son-in-law, and three perfect grandchildren. My grandchildren accept all of my flaws and appear to believe I am faultless; unfortunately, this very small minority is not likely to last.. I am also blessed to work with extraordinary people who care deeply about justice, what we do, and the legal issues our clients ask us to resolve for them. On a daily basis we get to write, speak and argue about justice, what a gift. We are able to participate in great conversations about profoundly important individual and community issues, while being challenged daily by the following words of a philosopher whom I first read in college:. “Our words, our phrases, our forms and processes and modes of thought, are common property, fashioned and perfected from age to age; an heirloom which every succeeding generation inherits as a precious deposit and sacred trust to be handed on to the next one, not unchanged but enlarged and purified, with some clear marks of its proper handiwork. Into this, for good or ill, is woven every belief of every person who has speech. . . . An awful privilege, and awful responsibility that we should help create the world in which posterity will live.”– William Clark Clifford THE ETHICS OF BELIEF

I was born and raised in Washington State and love living in the Northwest.  I attended the University of Washington where I studied politics and philosophy and earned my Bachelor of Arts degree.  I continued on to law school at the University of Idaho College of Law in Moscow, Idaho where I recieved my Juris Doctorate degree.. I went to law school to become a criminal defense attorney and am dedicated to what I do.  I can truly say the most rewarding part of my job is standing up for my clients when the State's prosecutorial powers are bearing down on them. My practice focuses on DUI and other vehicle or alcohol/substance related accusations but I have worked nearly every type of criminal case.. Additionally, I try to use both knowledge and creativity to solve problems associated with being accused with crimes and the very numerous consequences that evolve from such accusations or convictions.  Whether it be cleaning up a criminal record or figuring out how to get access to Canada so you can enjoy a family vacation at Whistler I am here to help you.. If I'm not in my office or answering emails on my iPhone you'll find me playing with family, hiking in the Cascades, or listening to my music louder than my mother would allow.

I represent people and companies in a wide variety of matters concerning real estate. I do not get involved in landlord tenant issues or permitting, but otherwise if you have a real estate question, I probably can help you.

I have practiced primarily plaintiffs' injury law in my 18-plus legal career.  I now am involved mainly in alternative dispute resolution and legal journalism.  I am editor of the Washington State Bar Association Bar News and write the Bar Beat column, which appears in print and online.

I have practiced in Bellingham since 1994. In addition to my law degree, I also have a Masters in Taxation to help clients work through their estate planning, business planning, business succession planning, federal estate tax and state estate tax needs.. I work closely with clients and their estate planning needs, including the drafting of their Wills, Powers of Attorneys, Trusts, Trust administration, Probate administration and minimizing or eliminating federal and state estate taxes. I also form corporations, LLC's, other business entities, shareholder agreements, operating agreements and contracts for my business clients.

I have more than 23 years of experience in Washington State representing those accused of  DUI and driving crimes. It is a privilege representing people and I work very hard at gaining the best result for every client I represent. I have published more than 30 DUI and legal books, more than any other DUI attorney in Washington State. I am also a certified instructor for field sobriety testing and a local Pro Tem Judge. My practice emphasizes DUI, criminal driving charges, traffic tickets and personal injury.. Author of:. Please call for a free consultation and FREE DUI BOOK. My law practice takes a unique view of the practice of law.  Our DUI Defense look at each and every case from different perspectives.  Obviously we look at the DUI case from a Washington DUI Defense attorney's perspective and how we can defeat each case or portions of evidence, but we also like to think outside the box.  For example, there is always a chance that our client's story, the things that make our client unique and inherently good, cannot be ignored.  While this personal approach doesn't work in every case, there are many that it will. Therefore it cannot be overlooked.. Our DUI defense lawyers service most of Western Washington from Skagit County, Whatcom County and Snohomish County  We have two offices serving our clients.  For Skagit County DUI cases we have an office in downtown Mt. Vernon near the courthouse.  For Bellingham DUI cases we have a Bellingham office conveniently located next to the Jail, Whatcom County District Court and Bellingham Municipal Courts.. Our representation is not limited to these County courts however.  We have an active practice in Lynnwood Municipal Court and in fact, I have practice Lynnwood DUI cases since 1998 when I became the City's prosecutor.  I believe we have the best team of Lynnwood DUI attorneys because of intimate knowledge of the Lynnwood DUI system.  We have also represented hundreds of clients who have received a DUI in Mill Creek, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, Monroe and Arlington.. We have always maintained a very busy presence in representing those charged with DUI in Skagit County.  I had an office in Anacortes for more than 8 years and have represented hundreds of fine people charged with DUI in Anacortes and Mount Vernon DUIs for more than a decade. We maintain our busy Skagit County criminal defense practice so call today if you have been charged with a crime in Skagit County.. Finally, we work hard to earn our clients respect.  That is probably why they speak so highly of our group of lawyers in their client testimonials.  No matter if you have been charged with DUI, a misdemeanor criminal charge, or a traffic ticket, my practice an my fellow attorneys are here to help.

I have lived in Bellingham since 1992, when I came to attend WWU.  I am originally from the east coast and was born in New York and raised in Westchester County until age 12, when I moved to rural Lewis County, but I spent my summers in the City and on the east coast.  As a result, I have a particularly unique understanding of small town and big city issues, politics and customs.. I cut my legal teeth as a prosecutor intern in college and law school, trying cases in Whatcom County, as well as Lane County (Eugene) and Douglas County (Roseburg) Oregon.   I ultimately was appointed Assistant Chief Criminal Deputy and managed a division of the prosecutor's office, with four attorneys and four support-staff, while maintaining a full caseload of approximately 1000 cases a year.. In 2006 I moved into private practice at Belcher Swanson, and focused on civil litigation.  My trial and critical thinking skills gained as a prosecutor melded well with my current practice of commercial, real estate and land use litigation.. In my personal time I focus on spending quality time with my adolescent son.  One of our favorite past times is boating, exploring and fishing in the San Juan Islands and beyond.  I am an avid fisherman and annually head to the West coast of Vancouver Island to fish for any species I'm allowed to catch.

I have handled a wide variety of cases for individuals and corporations.  Each case and client are unique and I strive to work closely with clients to achieve the outcome that meets their goals and is in their best interest.  I want my clients to be informed about their case and to have all the information they need to make decisions at each crucial step.

I have been practicing real estate, land use, and business law in Bellingham since 1997. My main area of focus is now advising marijuana businesses, which I have been dong since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Washington State in 2012.When not advising her recreational marijuana clients, I can be found running and mountain biking on Galbraith Mountain in Bellingham, Washington.

I have been practicing law for over 40 years. My legal team and I have represented over 6,000 injured clients and recovered an estimated $600 million for those harmed through no fault of their own. I have negotiated thousands of favorable out-of-court settlements, but where settlement was not possible, I have taken hundreds of cases to trial; fighting hard to protect the rights and interests of my clients. My practice is focused on personal injury cases involving negligence: auto accidents, pedestrian accidents, other accident cases, wrongful death.. It would be impossible for me to list every case that I have successfully negotiated or taken to trial and won since 1979, but the cases listed in my profile provide some examples. Most injury cases are settled out of court because eventually I am able to get the insurance company to agree to pay my injured client fair compensation. Note that most of my biggest personal injury cases can't be listed on this website because commonly, with a very large settlement, the insurance company requires that the settlement remain "confidential." My clients get the money they deserve, but neither the law firm nor the client are allowed to discuss the terms or amount of the settlement with anyone.. Since the beginning of my career, I have always fought hard to protect my clients' rights. If you have an attorney who has not regularly fought the insurance companies in court, or an attorney who is afraid to go to trial and settles for whatever the insurance company offers, then you will definitely not be able to achieve the best possible result on your personal injury case. If the insurance company knows that your attorney is inexperienced, has no trial experience, or has not earned a reputation of knowing how to win a case in court; you will be greatly disadvantaged.. All attorneys are not the same! One thing that has always bothered me is that the general public has no way of knowing just how competent their attorney really is before hiring them. People often just don't know if their attorney has ever taken a case to trial and if the attorney can get the job done properly. It is a mistake to assume that if a person has gone to law school and has passed the bar exam that they will be able to competently represent you. Some attorneys are very competent and some are average, and some are less than average. You should be very careful when hiring an attorney. The skill, experience, and ability of your attorney matters very much.. You can learn more about me by looking at my personal profile on my firm's website or by reading reviews left by my clients. Remember: Any attorney can spend a ton of money on advertising or say how good they are. I can show you what I have actually done in and out of court over the last four plus decades. No attorney can "win" every case; some cases will always end up better than others. No attorney will ever make 100% of their clients happy 100% of the time either, but I am proud of my record of success and achievements over the last 40+ years practicing law. Thanks for listening to some of my thoughts.

I have always been interesting in a career in law, and after I finished my undergraduate degree  and worked in the mortgage banking and real estate fields for a while, I decided to go to law school. Having recently graduated from Seattle University School of Law, I am looking forward to working with clients to help them recover from injuries after a car accident, motorcycle or bicycle crash, or any other kind of accident.

I have advised cross border businesses for over a decade in relation to trademark matters and cross border business.. I am fully licensed to practice law in both the US and Canada, and I have extensive experience advising businesses on both sides of the border.. My legal experience includes handling corporate reorganizations, trademark registration and enforcement; multi-million dollar commercial transactions, and various business contracts. I also advise businesses on UCC /secured transactions, asset protection, and creditor protection.  In every case I strive to give my clients practical solutions, and not just the legal answers because an answer of "No , you can't do that" just isn't helpful to a business owner.

I handle major felony crimes, DUIs, assaults, drug cases, sex cases and other criminal matters in Whatcom and Skagit County.

I grew up in the small town of Conway, Washington creating strong bonds with the area and people.  After receiving my transfer degree from Skagit Valley College, I attended Western Washington University and double majored in Political Science and Psychology.  It has been my longstanding view that a lot of the people that should become lawyers tend to shy away from the field. Coming from a less traditional background as a Commercial Fisherman, I decided to pursue law as a profession and attended Pace Law School in White Plains, New York. It has always been my goal to represent common people, rather than large corporations.  In addition, I prefer being a solo attorney where I can directly interact with my clients, and you can be assured your case will not get passed to someone less qualified.