KAWLAWYERS.COM - Key Persons
Cassandra Thomson, better known as "Cassie," is our legal assistant. Cassie coordinates meetings, organizes client files, maintains the office's filing system, and provides administrative support as needed. When she finds a rare moment of spare time, she enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her dog.
Charles Arndt brings a diversity of legal experience, out-of-the-box thinking, and small-town common sense to his practice. He believes the law is a powerful tool to help solve problems, even when it takes a unique or novel approach to get the job done.
Charles graduated from the University of Washington Law School in 1990 after pursuing undergraduate work in music and philosophy. He moved to the Island shortly after graduation to work in public defense. He spent many years in public defense before moving into private work.
Nowadays, Charles's practice includes estate planning, probate, litigation, and civil and criminal work. Charles also practices in the area of personal injury on a limited basis. Charles has served on many local non-profit boards to improve life and the environment on Whidbey Island. He is also an avid cyclist, a jogger, and a father of two girls. He prides himself on being a small-town lawyer who cares about his clients.
Doug practiced law for over 40 years, retiring at the end of 2021. Along with his J.D., Doug holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington, which he earned in 1972. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University School of Law) in 1976, he served as a Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Cowlitz County for two years. He then moved to Whidbey Island and worked with Lee Wright. He established his own practice in 1980 and, since then, has represented the City of Langley, the Port of South Whidbey, and a number of other water districts. He has represented numerous homeowners associations. Over the last 20 years, Doug focused his practice on land use, land development, estate planning, and probate, and litigation in each of those areas. He has legally established and served on the boards of several non-profit organizations on South Whidbey Island.
Doug worked with his partner, H. Clarke Harvey, for over 20 years. After Mr. Harvey retired from private practice to serve as Island County Court Commissioner, Doug joined with Matthew Walker and Charles Arndt to form the current firm: Kelly, Arndt and Walker. Doug retired from the practice of law at the end of 2021.
In his life away from the law office, Doug is a family man who spends much of his time with his wife, his 99-year-old mother, his children, and his grandchildren who live on South Whidbey. He enjoys biking, hiking, and fly fishing, as well as supporting local arts and the community.
Matthew Walker grew up in the Chicago area of Illinois, which instilled in him traditional Midwestern Values of honesty and integrity. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2002 to finish his legal education at Seattle University. During his time at law school, Matthew co-authored two law review articles which appeared in the Indiana Law Review and the University of Kansas Law Review. Before practicing on Whidbey Island, Matthew clerked for the now-retired Honorable George Bowden and worked at a civil law firm in Everett.
Matthew has focused his practice on real property matters such as homeowners associations, well associations, boundary line disputes, unlawful tree cutting, easement, land development, purchase and sale agreements, common interest ownership formations, and other land matters. He also assists clients in setting up their corporate structures with LLCs, non-profits, partnerships, and corporations. In addition, Matthew has over 15 years of experience in family law matters, including dissolutions of marriage, prenuptial agreements, protection orders, and child related issues.
Sarah O'Farrell McCarthy (who generally shortens her name by dropping the "O'Farrell") is the firm's newest partner, with 10 years of law practice under her belt. Sarah's primary practice areas include estate planning, probate and post-mortem estate and trust administration, and Title 11 guardianships. Sarah works with individuals, families, and small businesses in both litigation and non-litigation matters. A Whidbey Island native and graduate of South Whidbey High School, Sarah is honored to have returned home to be of service to the South Whidbey community.
Sarah received her law degree from Stanford Law School (Class of 2009, with Pro Bono Distinction), and her B.A. from Whitman College (Class of 2002, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with departmental Honors in Philosophy). Sarah has served in judicial clerkships at both the appellate and trial court levels, as clerk to the Honorable Mary Kay Becker of the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division One (Seattle, WA), and to the Honorable Jennifer Gee, District Chief Judge of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Administrative Law Judges (San Francisco, CA). Prior to bringing her practice home to Whidbey, Sarah practiced at Anderson Hunter, the largest law firm in Snohomish County. Before law school, Sarah spent significant time abroad, and enjoyed many adventures during her time living in various locations in Mexico, France, and Ireland.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys outdoor cleanup work, getting chores done, creating firewood with her chop saw, chasing her kids, and enjoying her husband's artwork (Sarah is married to local artist Cormac McCarthy).
Shannone Lovell is our paralegal. She works directly with clients, assisting Matthew Walker with family law matters and Charles Arndt with probate, criminal, and litigation matters. She is originally from NW Indiana and has previously lived in Philadelphia. In 2001, Shannone moved to Coupeville, Washington, and in 2007 began working for Arndt & Walker Attorneys. When Kelly & Harvey merged with Arndt & Walker, Shannone also made the transition. When not in the office, Shannone enjoys spending time with her husband, children and two dogs.