ABOUT LISA

PROBATE | ESTATE PLANNING | BUSINESS LAW

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Go Steelers!). While in grade school, I moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, a small town in southeastern Idaho located near Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. After graduating from high school, I went north to Moscow, Idaho. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Idaho in 1984, graduating in the top 15% of my class. I believed in the quality of the education I was receiving from the University of Idaho, so I stayed on and graduated in the top third of my class from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1987. During law school, I gained litigation experience through my work as an intern at the Ada County prosecuting attorney’s office in Boise and by working for the University of Idaho to enforce the Student Code of Conduct.

Stacey and I met and became friends during law school. Who knew that we would both not only find ourselves living in Seattle, but also have the opportunity to practice together?!

After law school, I moved to Boise and clerked for two judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Blaine Anderson and Judge Stephen Trott. I relished the opportunity of a federal clerkship and used this time to further hone my research, writing, and analytical skills. After my clerkship, I moved to Seattle. I practiced law at a variety of Seattle area law firms, including the former Bogle & Gates PLLC and the Law Offices of Bruce W. Hilyer, PS.  During this time, I focused on civil litigation. I worked for several years on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Litigation in Alaska and also represented small business owners in connection with environmental cleanup costs, physicians with licensing issues, and police unions. I have been working with Stacey’s firm since 2005. I have enjoyed turning my focus from litigation to probate where I can provide assistance to our clients during a difficult time. I continue to enjoy working with small businesses, whether it is in the early stages of entity formation or in the development of business contracts.  I have now been working in the area of estate planning for nearly two decades and truly enjoy assisting our clients in preparing an estate plan that works best for them. The time has flown by, and it’s hard to imagine that I’ve now practiced law for over three decades!

I am married and am the mother of a son who attends the University of Washington.  In my free time, I enjoy traveling with my family, being outside for walks in my neighborhood, or reading my book group’s latest book selection.