Top State Lawyers Near Me in Spokane Area

I am a litigator practicing in state and federal trial and appellate courts all across Washington state and the Ninth Circuit. I litigate a wide variety of matters including trust and estate (TEDRA) disputes, commercial litigation, employment disputes and real property matters.

GCPeters Law, PLLC specializes in helping families and individuals protect Assets, plan for Long Term Care with financial assistance and Probate matters.  We also assist small business owners, physicians and medical group practices with health and business law matters.  Our firm is a client centered firm.  We carefully listen to the client's concerns and work together to develop possible solutions to help resolve the client's concerns.  We do not have set office hours because we realize problems and concerns do not always conveniently occur during normal business hours.  Like many other businesses, during COVID we do offer video conferencing as well or telephone conferences.. The initial consultation is free and if you retain our firm, in most instances our fee is a flat fee based on the scope of work.  In some cases, like a Medical Malpractice case, there is an initial retainer for expenses and a contingency fee agreement for the attorney fees.  If we are unable to help a potential client we will attempt to connect the client with a highly qualified attorney in the practice area needed for the particular matter.

Gary joined Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee, PLLC in 1992. His practice focuses primarily on complex taxation, probate, taxation, and property issues.  He assists in resolution of estate disputes and handles matters in business and commerical law.

Ellen Hendrick's life and career path are anything but traditional. Her childhood, family life, education, medical career, competitive endeavors and broad legal experience have helped mold her into the insightful, compassionate and successful Spokane attorney she is today. Specializing in family law did not come by chance, but rather was shaped by life experiences, helping her to better understand and serve her clients' needs, and to fiercely defend and represent their best interests. A mother, grandmother, professional and community activist, Ellen lives in Spokane with her husband Allan, a management consultant and a retired and United States Air Force Pilot. She attended the University of Washington School of Law, and served the King County Prosecutor's office as an extern for the federal trial team and thereafter as an intern at the district court level. Ellen was born the fourth of six children in a small, impoverished town in northern Maine . Life was difficult from the outset. Ellen's father left the family while she was still very young, and despite enduring heartache and struggle, her mother kept the family together through hard work and self-sacrifice. Sadly, poverty and lack of employment opportunities forced Ellen's mother to turn to the welfare system to ensure the family's survival. As a result, young Ellen came to learn that education and hard work were the keys to overcoming the limitations of her past and would help provide a better quality of life in the future. When Ellen was 11, her mother married for the second time, and the family relocated to Illinois . This event had a severe and devastating impact on Ellen and her brothers and sisters. Mother no longer wanted the responsibility of caring for all six of her children: she left Ellen's two oldest siblings behind. The younger four were prohibited from having contact with their older brother and sister and their bonds were permanently severed. Soon thereafter, the four younger children were forced to endure the physically and emotionally abusive tendencies of their new stepfather on an almost daily basis. Instead of protecting her children from harm, Ellen's mother sided with her stepfather. These experiences profoundly impacted Ellen and kindled in her a desire to advocate for the safety and well being of children exposed to similar patterns of abuse. Despite that toxic and debilitating environment, Ellen excelled in school. When teachers and school officials learned of the circumstances at home, they provided her with much needed love and support, helping her gain confidence in her abilities to succeed in school and in life. Ellen graduated high school with honors and soon entered college. She earned her bachelor's degree in science and nursing with honors from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She has been a registered nurse ever since, with experience at a level one trauma center in San Antonio, Texas, and as a flight nurse -- flying with a team of medical and rescue professionals into remote areas to retrieve and stabilize patients and transfer them to medical centers. Ellen looks back at her nursing career as an experience that has taught her to effectively prioritize courses of action, to make critical decisions under pressure, and to practice compassion. A fierce competitor with varied interests, Ellen activities have included playing on national champion softball team, a competitive Latin dancer, a competitive body-builder, and a world traveler. But, understanding the importance of giving back to one's community, Ellen experienced something profound during her time as a volunteer court-appointed special advocate (CASA), looking out for the best interests of children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect - an experience that hearkened back to the difficult family life she endured as a young girl. Ellen and her husband Allan moved to Seattle in 1999 where she attended the University of Washington School of Law. While at the UW, Ellen participated in the Child Advocacy Clinic, worked for the King County Prosecutor's office as an extern for the federal trial team, and then as an intern at the district court level. As if that weren't enough, while still in school, Ellen trained to become a certified basic mediator and a certified marriage and family law mediator. As a mediator at the Snohomish and Island County Dispute Resolution Center , Ellen mediated numerous family law, landlord/tenant, contract and small claims disputes. She graduated in 2002, relocating with Allan to Spokane shortly thereafter, and was promptly offered positions at two of Spokane 's most prestigious law firms. Ellen, however, had a different idea and chose to commence her legal career as a solo practitioner. Ellen now has her own thriving divorce and family law practice. A large portion of her practice involves mediation of family law related disputes and other non-family law issues. She believes that when parties are empowered through mediation to create their own agreements based upon their own unique needs and circumstances, the best interests of all involved are much better served. That said, Ellen understands that not all parties or circumstances are amenable to mediation. When this is the case, her background as an accomplished and aggressive litigator will ensure her clients' best interests are protected. Ellen continues to volunteer her legal services at the Volunteer Lawyer's Family Law Advice and Divorce clinics. If you or someone you know is in need of legal advice, call or contact us today for a free consultation.

Dan advises a wide variety of businesses, from startups to well-established companies, in the areas of corporate, securities and financing, trademark and brand protection, intellectual property protection and commercialization, IP licensing, wine beer and spirits, and commercial transactions. Dan has a passion for helping startups and emerging companies navigate the complex business and legal landscape and is able to assist clients in every stage of the business lifecycle, from formation and financing to a successful exit. Dan also has considerable experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial transactions in the areas of manufacturing, services, agriculture, SAAS and technology development. In addition, Dan regularly counsels and assists clients with the strategic acquisition, protection, registration, commercialization and enforcement of all types of intellectual property rights.

Dalton Reynolds joined Winston & Cashatt in 2020.  Dalton graduated magna cum laude from Gonzaga University School of Law.  Dalton's practice focuses on civil litigation, business and real estate transactions.

Chris Crago is a probate, estate planning, and corporate attorney with an LL.M in Taxation from the University of Washington.  He has significant experience providing tax, transaction, consulting and planning services for large Fortune 500 corporations, large estates, financial institutions, closely-held businesses, domestic partnerships and individuals.  His practice includes estate planning, trust and estate litigation, tax controversy audit defense and litigation, business succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring of domestic and international business operations and ownership. Mr. Crago is admitted to practice in Washington and the United States Tax Court.. Mr. Crago is an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, teaching courses in both legal research and writing (transactional drafting) and the taxation of gifts and estates.  Mr. Crago is also co-coach of the Gonzaga University School of Law Moot Court Tax Team.  Recent speaking engagements for Mr. Crago include, trust and estate planning issues, legislative tax updates, and business planning.. Prior to starting his own firm, Chris worked as a tax controversy specialist with Deloitte Tax LLP in San Francisco, California, and a business and estate planning attorney with Winston & Cashatt and Paine Hamblen in Spokane, Washington.  In addition, Chris has experience working for major production studios and talent agencies in the entertainment industry in the areas of feature film production and creative development for feature films and television, and the representation of actors, writers, and directors.

Catherine Kardong joined Winston & Cashatt, Lawyers in 2019 and became a partner at the firm in 2022. She focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, and guardianships. She is passionate about supporting her clients and ensuring they fully understand their estate plans or the court proceedings they are involved in.. Catherine graduated first in her class from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2013 and began her legal career at the Washington State Supreme Court, where she clerked for the late Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary E. Fairhurst. She was then selected as an honors candidate at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and spent two years in Olympia representing areas within the Department of Social and Health Services that serve the aging and disabled populations of Washington. Catherine and her family relocated to Spokane where she continued on with the Attorney General’s Office and began representing various institutions of higher education, most recently acting as lead counsel for Eastern Washington University. Catherine is originally from Spokane, having graduated from Lewis and Clark High School before venturing to the east coast to earn her undergraduate degree from Boston College. During law school, she was a Thomas More Scholar and a member of the Gonzaga Law Review. She was admitted into practice in Washington in January of 2014 and Idaho in 2019.

Brian's practice is broad and emphasizes the fields of municipal law, public finance, health care law, corporate and transactional law, labor and employment, real estate, and litigation and arbitration.

Brad is a 1986 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law. He joined the firm in 1991 after five years of practice in Seattle and Olympia. His practice encompasses all areas of civil law suits and disputes with emphasis on insurance coverage and defense, bad faith law suits, construction defect disputes and trials, and commercial and residential leases. Brad was formerly a business lobbyist in Olympia, and remains actively involved in legislative matters through the Washington State Bar Association and local Chamber of Commerce. He has been a board member of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association for the last three years. He has been certified through the National Association of Fire Investigators, and works with professional fire investigators in insurance/arson disputes and trials. Brad is a member of the Washington and Idaho Bar Associations, as well as the Washington Western/Eastern Districts of the U.S. Federal Court, and the Ninth Circuit. Brad has been happily married to his wife Carol Ann for over twenty years. They have three sons, two currently in college, and the youngest in high school. He is active in the Boy Scouts, loves camping and hiking in the beautiful Inland Northwest, and still pretends that his golf game has not suffered since his days as a single man.

Born and raised in Spokane, Thor graduated from Washington State University in 2015 with a degree in Business Administration – Finance before moving to Seattle, WA. Thor worked at the Costco Corporate Office near Seattle for 3 years before attending Law School. Thor graduated with Honors from Gonzaga University School of Law in May 2022 and was a member of Gonzaga’s National Trial Moot Court Team and the Moot Court Honors Counsel. During Law School, Thor clerked for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, handling both criminal and civil cases. Thor received his LL.M. (Masters in Taxation) from Georgetown University Law Center in 2024. Thor's practice focuses on Estate Planning, Probate, Tax, and Litigation. In his free time, Thor enjoys traveling to new countries and spending time with his wife and two children.

Becki Wheeler grew up in Spokane and attended Lewis and Clark High School before attending Vanguard University where she played varsity basketball and received degrees in both Biology and Chemistry in 2001. Becki returned to Spokane to attend Gonzaga Law School, where she was a member and associate editor of the Gonzaga Law Review. During law school, Becki practiced as a Rule 9 intern with the Spokane firm, Morris & Morris, P.S.. Becki joined the McNeice Law Office in 2008 and subsequently has become a partner at McNeice Wheeler, PLLC. Becki is licensed to practice in the state courts of Washington and is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Spokane County Bar Association.. In addition to her work for the firm, Becki is also active in the community with several local organizations. She remains active with the Gonzaga Law Review, and also is a member of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and is on the Board of Directors for the Angel Ball Foundation for Juvenile Diabetes. Becki has also spoken in front of the Spokane Mother’s Club on the topic of estate planning as well as a guest speaker at Gonzaga University School of Law on the “Business of Law”.. McNeice Wheeler continues to be a supporter of the Angel Ball Foundation, Pink Shamrock Foundation, Central Valley School District Literacy, high school athletics, The Washington Scholarship Foundation/Children’s Miracle Network, The Modern Theater Spokane and Coeur d’ Alene and MS, Ride for the Cure.

Attorney Jason Chenette's practice is centered on providing comprehensive estate planning and probate services to the Spokane community.. Jason's passion for estate planning and probate emerged during his time with Gonzaga University School of Law's legal clinic, where he worked with indigent seniors on a wide range of legal matters. Prior to joining Johnson Law Firm in 2021, Jason worked for a boutique elder law firm in Wenatchee, as well as a litigation-based firm in downtown Spokane.. Jason is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, where he was a member of the International Moot Court Arbitration Team.. Born and raised in a small farming town in rural northern Michigan, Jason traded the Great Lakes and the life of a craft cocktail bartender for the serene beauty of the Pacific Northwest and a career in the legal field in 2017.. Jason is an avid basketball fan, and otherwise spends his free time writing short stories, snowboarding, and nurturing a mildly unhealthy disc golf obsession. He also tries his hand at ball golf, on occasion.

Angelle Gerl graduated from Gonzaga Law School in 2009 and is licensed to practice law in California, Washington, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Angelle has experience as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney - giving her a unique perspective on the criminal justice system. She has also held positions as a Department of Licensing Hearing Officer and a Pro Tem Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. Angelle has been the Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Cheney since 2014 and the Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Medical Lake since 2019.  Angelle takes private cases as well representing landlords across Spokane County and handling contractual disputes.  She is also active in her legal community holding positions on the Executive Committee of the Criminal Law Section of the bar association, Juvenile Offender Sub-Committee of the Juvenile Law Section of the bar association, and volunteering as the Director of the Cheney Youth Court.

Adam Kitz is an attorney at ELG Estate Planning, PLLC, focusing on estate planning, estate tax planning, and probate and trust administration. He holds a law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a minor in Creative Writing from Western Washington University. Adam’s approach to law is hands-on and client-centered, ensuring that his clients fully understand their documents and feel supported throughout the legal process.. Outside his professional life, Adam is passionate about music and writing, playing various instruments and working on novels. He and his wife, Hannah, recently welcomed their first son into the world. As a family, they enjoy supporting local sports teams and local restaurants. Adam is dedicated to providing peace of mind through meticulous estate planning and creative problem-solving.. Contact Adam Kitz today to ensure your estate planning needs are handled with care and attention.