When I went to law school in 1990, I was focused on becoming the kind of attorney who could help my family’s business, which was involved in real estate development, construction, and property management. I wanted to understand the legal issues facing these small companies, and learn real-world, practical ways of helping solve them. When I got out of school and started practicing, I discovered that many of the issues faced by small business owners are also frequently faced by individuals and families. And all of these people would eventually face the issue of passing their homes, land, investments, and/or businesses on to family or other loved ones.
As a result, my practice focuses on helping individuals, families and small business owners with all aspects of property and business ownership that we all face in our lives. Things like: buying or selling a house; buying, selling, leasing, or developing land or commercial property; starting a new business; buying or selling an existing business; handling a dispute with a neighbor over property lines or serving on a homeowner’s association board; and, working through the best way to leave your hard-earned assets to loved ones after death. For more than 20 years now, I have helped people sort through these issues and strive for their best results. I am licensed to practice in Washington and Idaho.
Before I formed Sullivan Stromberg, PLLC in 2010 (now Lucent Law, PLLC) with Brett Sullivan, I had worked in law firms in Spokane and Seattle. More importantly, though, I had also worked as in-house counsel, property manager and project manager for a family-owned real estate development, construction and property management company, and I was a small business owner in the restaurant and brewery industries. The experiences of running a business and managing construction projects and commercial property gives me a unique understanding of the issues faced by my clients, together with a pragmatic approach to resolving those issues.
I have spoken to fellow attorneys at continuing legal education seminars on the subjects of landlord/tenant law, deed of trust foreclosures, easements, and condominiums, and I co-authored a chapter for the Washington State Bar Association’s Washington Real Property Deskbook Series on the subject of lawyers’ ethical issues in real property matters. I served a total of eight years on the Downtown Spokane Partnership’s Board of Directors and its Business Improvement District Ratepayer Advisory Board. I am also a former member of the Executive Committee of the Washington State Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Section.
Education
- Juris Doctor, University of Washington School of Law, 1993
- B.A. in English Literature, University of Washington, 1990
Bar Admissions
- Washington State Bar Association, 1993
- Idaho State Bar, 1994
- U.S. District Court for Idaho, 1994
- U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Washington, 2011
- U.S. District Court for Western District of Washington, 2011
Professional Activities
- Washington State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Executive Committee, 2011-2013
- 2014 Real Property Co-Chair, Washington State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section Midyear Meeting
Personal
I enjoy cycling, skiing, and spending time on Lake Coeur d’Alene with my wife and 2 daughters.