Derek A. Newman

Nathan Julius is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Nathan, who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nathan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Bruce Dick has been practicing business law for more than 30 years, with a focus on companies involved in energy or technology industries. His experience across this blend of industries helps his clients stay abreast of the most relevant legal topics for their business. Bruce’s energy industry experience includes representing independent power producers and utilities with regard to their conventional and renewable energy (including geothermal, recovered energy, solar and wind) projects ...

Jason P. Amala has dedicated his law practice to representing people and businesses who have been victimized by others. The majority of his work is on behalf of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but he continues to help people who have been severely injured and need an attorney and law firm who can navigate the most complex of cases and the most difficult of defense attorneys and insurance companies. Jason began helping survivors of childhood sexual abuse after the clergy sexual abuse scan...

Jim Flaggert focuses on estate planning, administration of trusts and estates, business-succession planning, charitable planning, and estate and trust disputes. He creates charitable trusts and foundations and limited liability companies and partnerships, and assists in creating and funding insurance trusts and qualified personal residence trusts. Jim assists clients with generation-skipping transfer tax planning, and with grantor retained annuity trusts, intentionally defective grantor trust...

BACKGROUND Lorraine received a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. EXPERIENCE Lorraine specializes in domestic and foreign patent protection in the mechanical and aeronautical fields. She assists clients in both utility and design patent procurement and enforcement, strategic planning, patentability, validity and infringement opinions, and conflict resolution. Lorraine has worked wit...

BACKGROUND Before entering law school, Steve worked on operating system development for IBM. After beginning his legal career at Seed IP, Steve helped to found Perkins Coie LLP's patent procurement practice, and served as Technology Committee chair. He returned to Seed IP in 2019 to lead its software patent practice. EXPERIENCE Steve Lawrenz is an AV-rated (Martindale-Hubbell®) patent attorney who works closely with his clients to develop business-aligned and highly-strategic patent portf...

Hillary is a Principal of the firm. She is an experienced trial attorney whose practice focuses primarily on family law litigation, including complex marital dissolutions of high net worth estates that involve business valuations and separate property tracing. Hillary has broad experience with contested parenting matters, including establishing residential schedules and child support, as well as post-decree modifications of parenting plans, child support orders, and relocation actions. She al...

Shylah R. Alfonso is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Intellectual Property. Shylah R., who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Shylah R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Professional Experience As chair of the firm’s estate planning and probate group, Laura Hoexter’s practice focuses on wills, trusts and estates. She works with individuals to help them establish foundational documents, such as tax-saving wills and living trusts, financial and health care powers of attorney, and health care directives. She addresses complex issues that may arise, including non-citizen status, retirement benefit planning and life insurance arrangements. Laura has si...

Elizabeth Hanley is a plaintiffs’ trial attorney and shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender in Seattle. She represents survivors of sexual abuse and discrimination, crime victims, and individuals and families impacted by wrongful death , serious injury, or unlawful treatment at work. Hanley is a past president of the Washington State Association for Justice and currently serves as secretary of the American Association for Justice’s Council of Presidents. She has been recog...