Top Rated Estate & Trust Litigation Attorney in Seattle, WA

Honors/Awards:

• Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowship awarded by Harvard Law School. , 2003

Bar/Professional Activity:

• I chair the Amicus Curiae Brief Committe of the Washington State Bar Association. 

Pro bono/Community Service:

• (1) Guest lecturer at Seattle University for the Advanced Civil Legal Justice Seminar.  The topic covers access to justice issues faced by the elderly and disabled.  (2) Present litigation trainings to attorneys and paralegals at Northwest Justice Project on discovery and pre-trial issues. (3) Co-author amicus brief on behalf of Washington State Professional Guardians Association.

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• I presented on the following topics at Continuing Legal Education seminars in Washington during the past five years:  "Use of Vulnerable Adult Protection Orders" (WAELA 2010); "Recovering Assets from and Executing Judgments Against Former Fiduciaries" (Probate, Trust and TEDRA Litigation CLE 2009); "Making the Record in a Guardianship Action" (The Guardianship Institute 2007); "Tools to Use Against Third Parties -- the Vulnerable Adult Protection Act and the Power of Attorney Act" (Alzheimer's and Other Forms of Dementia -- How to Protect your Client 2006); "Medicaid Rules" (Basic Washington Estate Planning Skills 2004)

Transactions:

• Admitted to Practice: State of Washington United States District Court Western District of Washington United States District Court Eastern District of Washington Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Reported Decisions: In re Custody of Halls, 126 Wn. App. 599 (2005) – successfully defended the right to appointed counsel in civil contempt proceedings involving enforcement of parenting plans. In re Estate of Kessler, 95 Wn. App. 358 (1999) – successfully represented the personal representative in a will contest against claims of fraud, undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity. Estate of Haviland, 162 Wn. App. 548, 255 P.3d 854 (2011) -- successfully invalidated will for undue influence). Estate of Haviland, 177 Wn.2d 68, 79-80, 301 P.3d 31 (2013) (successfully argued that amendments to Slayer Statute RCW 11.84 apply prospectively to a petition filed after the effective date of the amendments, even though the decedent was financially exploited and died prior to the effective date of the amendments).

Educational Background:

• B.A. Smith College magna cum laude, government and economics (double major): 1983 J.D. Harvard Law School: 1986