Estate Washington

Brittany S. Bitar is an attorney licensed to practice law in Washington state and California. She focuses on business, intellectual property, and real estate law, but also takes cases in various other areas. Brittany also holds her real estate brokers license in Washington state. In addition to having her own law firm, Brittany works as general counsel for a corporation in Seattle. She has litigated copyright infringement, contract, and real estate related cases, and worked on real estate, HOA, land use, and other contractual, business, and property related non-litigation matters. In addition to taking individual client matters, she also does contract work for other firms including in family law cases. Brittany has interned with Judge Morris at Dauphin County Courthouse and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Civil Litigation Section during law school. She additionally holds a certificate in Dispute Resolution. Brittany has worked with firms that practice in estate planning, business law, employment law, contract law, family law, torts, personal injury, intellectual property, trademark law, copyright law, civil rights, real estate law, copyright law, nonprofit organization law, landlord tenant law, RICO and fraud, breach of contract, civil racketeering, corporate law, commercial torts, and other areas. She has also done contract work in business and trademark law. In 2015, Brittany founded and managed a charitable nonprofit organization, Diëresis, which focused primarily on assisting the homeless in the greater Seattle area. She has also volunteered with the American Red Cross as a lead, Bread of Life Mission, Hopelink, and other nonprofit organizations. In her spare time, Brittany enjoys day hikes, resin painting, playing the acoustic guitar and piano, and playing with her dogs.

Minh Tran practice is focused on bankruptcy and civil litigation at the Arrow Law Group, PLLC. The law firm also represents clients in personal injury, criminal, and family law matters. Minh is admitted to practice law in all Federal Courts in Washington state.

James Doyle Kirkham Jr. earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Public Policy from Central Washington University, graduating in the year 2000. He then attended Gonzaga University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctorate in 2005. That same year, he was licensed to practice Law by the Washington State Bar Association. After working as an attorney in Spokane, Washington for three years, James relocated to Ellensburg, Washington, where he founded Kirkham Law Office, PLLC. James Kirkham is also a member of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Kittitas County Bar Association, and in 2009 received a Pro Bono Publico Award from the Washington State Bar Association. He also taught Business Law at Yakima Valley Community College.

Justine grew up in the small farming town of Woodland, California. She stayed in the area for college, graduating from the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Anthropology in 2013. In addition to scholarships and grants, Justine funded her undergraduate education with her job as a student bus driver. After graduating, Justine attended the University of Kansas School of Law on a full-tuition scholarship. While in law school, Justine excelled academically – earning election into the Order of the Coif, the 2016-2017 Robert E. Edmunds Prize in Corporation and Securities Law, the CALI Award in Secured Transactions for Spring 2017, and the CALI Award in Trusts and Estates for Spring 2017. Justine also participated in the 2017 Transactional LawMeet, in which her team won the Midwest Regionals, advanced to the National Finals, and won the National Best Draft Award. She also served as a Publications Editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and as a research assistant for J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law, Richard E. Levy. In addition to her academic pursuits, Justine worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable James. P. O’Hara, United States District Court, District of Kansas, and as an elder law intern with Kansas Legal Services. She also worked as a summer law clerk for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. and a general practice law firm in Lawrence, Kansas. Justine moved to the Tri-Cities shortly after law school graduation, joining her husband who works for the railroad. She joined Leavy Schultz Davis, P.S. in the fall of 2017 as a litigation associate after successfully passing the Washington State Bar Exam.

Mr. Brumbaugh is the senior shareholder of Walstead Mertsching. He joined the firm in 1992 and has been a shareholder since 1996. He primarily represents victims of motor vehicle collisions and medical malpractice. He is licensed in Washington and Oregon and practices in both State and Federal trial and appellate courts. He has successfully argued before the Washington State Supreme Court. His areas of focus include: wrongful death claims; automobile, motorcycle and trucking collisions; medical and nursing home malpractice; and defective product claims.

Ron A. Soriano, Jr. is a seasoned attorney who has been practicing in Western Washington for almost a decade. He brings passion to the office and courtroom, representing clients seeking a lawyer they can trust to take their most important issues and represent them with integrity and reliability. Ron Soriano Jr. began his legal experience in California. After attending the University of California, Los Angeles (Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, June 2002), he went on to graduate Whittier Law School (Juris Doctorate 2005). He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2010 where he has remained, being admitted to the Washington Bar (2010). He is a member of the Hispanic American Law Student Association, Vietnamese American Student Bar Association, Asian Bar Association of Washington, Filipino Lawyers of Washington and the Grays Harbor Bar Association, where he served as Treasurer (2013-2014). Ron incorporates his broad experiences to effectively relate with his clients he represents in criminal charges, all family law and domestic matters and immigration. Ron’s desire is to bring the best results to fathers, mothers, husband, wives, children, defendants, immigrants and businesses in our communities. Ron’s ease of relating brings a calm assurance to his clients as he represents their interests in Western Washington counties and area tribal courts. Ron is fluent in the Tagalog language and knowledgeable in basic American Sign Language.

Practicing for nearly twenty years in the areas of business law, estate planning, and tax law, Chris has worked with small business owners and start-ups to large corporations to solve problems involving legal and tax structuring and operational issues that may derail their success. He has advised hundreds of clients on setting up their businesses, growing their enterprises and ultimately retiring from their companies by selling them or passing them to their children. And, since a client’s business is only as successful as having a strong strategy for protecting what his clients have built, Chris develops working, practical estate plans including trusts and wills that provide certainty for asset preservation and tax minimalization. His passion for and extensive knowledge of his areas of practice allow Chris to provide guidance through the confusing, intimidating, while yet important steps of preparing the success of both businesses and ordinary lives.

I was born and raised in Seattle, and am pleased to practice in our great Pacific Northwest. This is my home. I graduated from law school in 1984 and went to work for the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. This provided an opportunity to develop trial skills and the ability to present cases to judges and juries. From 1986-1990, I was the managing attorney for the main Seattle Office for Hyatt Legal Services. This position provided an opportunity to analyze and solve various issues that confront a general practice such as: Domestic Relations, Criminal Defense, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, Wills, and miscellaneous consumer matters. It also provided many opportunities to practice in State and Federal court. From 1990-97, I was an insurance defense attorney for the Seattle law firm of Alexander & Bierman. For several years, I defended hundreds of cases on the insurance company's behalf. I know how insurance companies value claims and the techniques they employ in an effort to detract from the value of a claim. In 1997, I opened my own law practice. I specialize in representing people injured by the negligence of others against the insurance company. Let me use my experience from years of defending the insurance company to your advantage. Michael E. Mazon Attorney At Law Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. I had a case against a prominent hotel in the pacific northwest. The hotel itself was brand new and was celebrating its grand opening. My client fell on the stairwell within the hotel and incurred severe injuries. Others had previously been injured. by this stairwell. I brought suit and was able to obtain reasonable compensation for my client. The hotel completely reconfigured that part of the stairwell in question. How did you build a successful practice? I built a successful pracitce by focusing on one client at a time. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Ultimately, a client should look for a lawyer that is well versed in their specific field of practice. In other words, if a client has an injury claim, they want a lawyer that has dealt with that type of injury and the accident that caused it. It's kind of like choosing a doctor. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Local knowledge is important if the case goes to litigation. For example, an attorney should have knowledge of the local rules in the county where the case has been filed. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? I can provide all the information in a telephone consultation that I could in a live in-office consultation. I can educate the client in all aspects of the injury case starting with the claims phase all the way through a jury trial. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? Just the basics: date of the accident, location, liability, insurance, and type of injury. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? The fact that I had 8 years of experience defending the insurance company before I began representing the injured person against the insurance company. I can anticipate what the insurance company will do. I know their tactics and the tricks they attempt to pull. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Obtaining reasonable compensation for my client. Ultimately, that's all any personal injury attorney can do for their client. What are your other interests in addition to law? Music, travel, golf, family. Are you involved in your community? I'm a member of the Washington State Association for Justice and actively contribute to the American Cancer Society.

Attorney Griffin is a practicing lawyer in the state of Washington.

Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans forcing the evacuation of my family. Initially we moved to rural Georgia, then to Minnesota and finally to the Pacific Northwest. After undergoing my own divorce and multiple relocations due to Hurricane Katrina, I truly understood what it meant to put the “best interest of the kids” ahead of my own, I decided to focus my practice on family law and serving as a Guardian ad Litem advocating for children's best interest in high-conflict divorce and dependency matters. I pride myself on my ability to work through huge problems and major life transitions. If Hurricane Katrina did not stop me but instead propelled me to my passion - families - then no problem is too big and no transition too messy. I know what it's like to be a "stay at home" mom thrust back into work in order to survive. I know what it takes to juggle a demanding career and a large family. I strive to preserve civility and respect during the divorce process. I educate my clients on the impact of conflict on children so they can make the best decisions for the future health of their family. I work closely with my clients to ensure they understand their options and rights so that they can make informed decisions about their future. I bring a breadth of experience with high-conflict families to every family law case I handle. My goal is to serve each client on an individual basis. I strive to find real-life workable solutions for the families I serve, realizing that a marriage might be over but a family still stands. My practice involves all aspects of family law: preparation of postnuptial and separation agreements, parenting plans, child support, simple and complex financial cases, relocation, and blended families. I am collaboratively trained and have had 40 hours of mediation training. I have a deep understanding of complex parenting issues which clients may face when divorcing. I bring the attention to detail and experience required to capably handle complex financial cases. Families run full speed 24/7. Our team at Elise Buie Family Law Group does too. We are available to you when you need us. Family law feels like an emergency room at times; people popping in with unforeseen problems at all hours of the day, night and on weekends. You can always reach me- I give my cell number to my clients. Oftentimes when a client calls at the beginning of what seems like a crisis, we can divert the storm with a little creative problem-solving and education. Having an emotionally available attorney who understands your rights and will frankly explain your responsibilities is an essential resource during your divorce.