HALVERSON NORTHWEST LAW GROUP - Key Persons
Rob Faber started practicing law at Hart and Winfree in Sunnyside in 1999 and joined Halverson Northwest upon the merger of the two firms in 2012. His practice includes assisting clients in all phases of real estate transactional matters, business formation and transactional matters. Mr. Faber also guides clients through estate planning and probate procedure and represents landlords in landlord/tenant matters. He also has experience in private lender foreclosures and assists private lenders in that process.
Mr. Faber graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in May of 1999. Following his graduation from law school he moved to Sunnyside and was admitted into the Washington State Bar Association.
Professional and Community Involvement:
Current Board President, Sunnyside Christian School
Past Board Member, Sunnyside Dollars for Scholars
Past Council Member, Zillah Faith Community Church
Coach, AAU Basketball
Coach, Cal Ripken Baseball
Carter Fjeld has been practicing law since 1980. His professional experience is primarily in commercial, with an emphasis on corporate, agricultural, property and financial institutions.
Prior to the practice of law, Mr. Fjeld's career included bank branch management and three years' service in the Armor branch of the United States Army.
Joe Falk graduated from the University of Washington in 1964 and University of Washington Law School in 1967. He was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1973, during which time he was a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He engaged in the private practice of law beginning in 1973, when he first joined the firm Walters, Whitaker, & Finney (later known as Finney, Falk & Yarger) and concluded his practice with Halverson Northwest Law Group. His practice focused on estate planning and probate law, real estate law, and commercial law.
At the end of 2023 Joe Falk officially retired from the practice of law.
Professional and Community Involvement:
Member and Former President - Yakima Southwest Rotary
Former Member and President - Yakima Rotary Trust Board of Trustees
Former Member and President - Yakima School District Board of Directors (1991-1999)
Former Member - American National Red Cross Board of Governors (1994-2000)
Jay Carroll has been practicing law since 1987. He represents clients in civil litigation and administrative proceedings in state and federal trial courts. He has extensive trial experience successfully representing individuals and corporations in cases involving agriculture, business, insurance and wrongful death issues.
James Elliott has been practicing law since 1998. He has significant experience in a wide range of civil litigation, including employment, agriculture and contract disputes. His litigation experience includes practice before both state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. He also works with employers on employment issues including union negotiations and preventive measures for employment disputes.
Mr. Elliott has been named a "Rising Star" by Washington Law & Politics. He also has been active in community organizations and served as Board President for People for People. He has coached youth soccer through the Yakima Youth Soccer Association.
Larry Martin has been practicing law since 1989. His professional experience is in agricultural, business, corporate, real estate, and environmental matters. He also has worked with various irrigation districts, companies, and private entities on every aspect of issues related to water. He is regarded as one of the leading water and environmental attorneys in Washington. Mr. Martin has been recognized with an "AV Preeminent" rating by Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer review rating available. He has also served on the firm's Executive Committee for many years.
Experience:
Mr. Martin serves as general counsel to various business and corporations throughout Central and Eastern Washington. Representation focuses on all aspects of corporate governance including entity formation, acquisitions, sales, transactions, employee issues, and contracts, and board issues. He has unique experience in agricultural cooperatives and issues related to Capper Volstead and antitrust. His representation of corporations has included assistance in business disputes in numerous locales.
Mr. Martin has extensive experience in representation of water related entities. He serves as counsel for numerous irrigation districts, water companies, municipalities, and private individuals in Washington and Oregon. His significant experience includes water rights adjudications, assessment and transfer of water rights, and in literally every aspect of water law. This experience includes representation before the Acquavella adjudication court, the Washington State Supreme Court, and the Pollution Control Hearings Board. His water and environmental representation has included Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act permits and enforcement; administrative and judicial hearings; hazardous substances; wetlands; critical areas; and water sales, acquisitions, and transfers. Currently he is on the Board of Directors for the Washington State Water Resources Association and the National Water Resources Association where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Regulatory Committee and on the Litigation Committee.
Linda Sellers has been practicing law for over 24 years. Her professional experience includes extensive experience in probate, estate planning, trust and estate litigation, corporate law, banking and agricultural law. Her practice also includes advising fiduciaries in their duties and trust and estate litigation in order to resolve family conflicts that arise after death.
Ms. Sellers served for over nine years as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Yakima County District Court, giving her an inside perspective on what it takes to successfully present a matter in court.
Experience:
Garcia v. Henley; Washington State Supreme court upheld a landowner's right to eject a trespassing structure from their land in a decision that affirms the importance of a landowner's fundamental right to retain, control and possess his or her own private property.
Mearns v. Scharbach; Linda represented a deceased father's children in upholding application of RCW 11.07.010 which revokes beneficiary designations upon dissolution of marriage against a former wife's claim to insurance proceeds.
Gonzales v. Cowen; In a case of first impression, Linda successfully argued that an alleged father must support his child and otherwise take steps to establish paternity before the death of a child in order to receive a monetary share of the deceased child's estate.
Professional and Community Involvement:
YWCA of Yakima Board of Directors President
YWCA of Yakima Board of Directors Treasurer (2014-2016)
Yakima Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors representing Yakima Youth Symphony Orchestra (2014-2015)
Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau Board of Directors (2007-2012)
Yakima Estate Planning Council (President 2007-2008)
St. Joseph-Marquette School Parent Board (2002-2003)
Soroptimist International of Yakima (President 1994-1995)
Girl Scouts Mid Columbia Council (1996-1998)
Graduate Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce Leadership Yakima program (1997)
Yakima County Bar Association (Treasurer, Executive Committee Member 1991-1992)
Washington State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Long Range Planning Committee (1990-1991)
Mark Fickes has been practicing law since 1987. His professional experience is in commercial, agricultural, and residential real estate transactions, development, and finance. He works with property owners (buyers, sellers and their agents) to acquire, sell, lease and develop real estate throughout Central and Eastern Washington. He also is experienced in the formation and management of business entities used to own and operate commercial and agricultural real estate. Mr. Fickes regularly counsels individual, business and agribusiness clients on asset acquisitions, commercial law issues, and transactional and property tax questions.
Experience:
Successful negotiation, documentation and coordination of complex commercial real estate transactions, including large and small retail centers, multi-family, and mixed-use development (residential, recreational, commercial) in Central Washington.
Mike Shinn has been practicing law since 1984. His practice focuses on real estate, land use planning and permitting, business counseling and estate planning/probate. He has represented local and regional businesses, title companies, property owners and developers, as well as the local multiple listing service and the Yakima Association of Realtors®.
Experience:
Successful land use planning, negotiation and litigation for property owners and developers. Representation has included master planning for a hospital and medical campus - largest comprehensive plan and rezone in Yakima County history.
Raymond Alexander has been practicing law since 1984. Mr. Alexander focuses on family law where he has significant experience in marital dissolution (divorce), legal separation, adoption, child custody and visitation, parenting plans, child support, alimony/spousal maintenance, property division, qualified domestic relations orders, prenuptial agreements, post-decree modifications, domestic violence protection orders, paternity, non-parental custody, restraining orders, relocation, and mediation.
Steve Winfree has been practicing law since 1974. Before beginning his legal career, Steve was an officer in the US Air Force from 1967 to 1971. As an attorney, his professional experience involves conducting complex property transactions, assisting clients to develop estate plans, creating closely held businesses and representing cities on all matters related to municipal law.
Steve received both his Bachelor of Science and his law degree from the University of Oregon, and is admitted to practice in the states of Washington and Oregon.
Professional and Community Involvement:
Active member of Sunnyside Rotary Club
Active in support of the Sunnyside schools, including chairing the bond and levy citizen support committee frequently from 1984 to date
Serving on the athletic advisory board and ethics committee, and volunteering in the classroom
Terry Schmalz has been practicing law since 1965. His professional experience includes corporate law, wills and estate planning, real estate, and agricultural law.
Mr. Schmalz received a Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent rating highest ranking. He is a retired member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and selected for The Best Lawyers in America in corporate law for fifteen years.
Halverson Northwest Law Group is pleased to announce that Tim Allen has joined the firm as an Associate Attorney. Tim was born and raised in the Yakima, WA area, graduating from Naches Valley High School. Tim received his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from Central Washington University, and his law degree from the Gonzaga University School of Law. While attending Gonzaga University, he served as Treasurer and Social Media Editor of the Gonzaga Chapter of the Federalist Society, a group dedicated to promoting individual liberty, traditional values, and the rule of law in the legal community.