Family Law

• Guardianship

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Special Master Mr. Aoki has served as a court-appointed Special Master for civil and criminal matters in both state and federal court. As Special Master, Mr. Aoki has addressed disputes pertaining to discovery issues including making recommendations to the Court regarding sanctions for discovery violations. He has also overseen the distribution of real and personal property pursuant to a court order.
• DUI/DWI
• Wrongful Death
  Mr. Aoki’s practice has expanded to include personal injury matters, focusing on permanent injury and wrongful death claims. His business litigation practice includes representing a broad range of clients from start-ups to nationally known Seattle based companies, including a major league sports team. He was co-counsel for a class action lawsuit against Expedia that resulted in a $123.4 million settlement for consumers. Mr. Aoki served as Chair of the Washington State Bar Association’s Escalating Cost of Civil Litigation Task Force, which examined cost effective strategies to contain the cost of civil litigation.
• Fraud
  U.S. v. Krane, 2010. Tax-fraud avoidance scheme for $1.3 billion in capital gains. Conducted privilege review of computer and electronic data seized from defendant.
• White Collar Crimes
• Misdemeanors
  Both the state and federal constitutions provide that all criminal charges be tried before a jury. For misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges, the trial is before a jury of six. Felonies are tried before a jury of twelve. If you waive your right to a jury, your case will be decided before a single judge. A person can waive their right to a jury trial at any time. However, once it is waived, you will likely not regain the right to a jury trial. Therefore, never waive your right to a jury trial without first consulting with an experienced trial lawyer.
• Assault
• Murder
  There are actually three types of criminal charges. A misdemeanor is any criminal charge that has a maximum penalty of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. A gross misdemeanor has a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. A felony is defined as any criminal charge that has a maximum penalty of a year and a day in jail up to life, with the exception of Aggravated Murder cases in which the death penalty is sought. The maximum fine for a state felony is $20,000.

Employment Law

• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Litigation
  Our experience in business litigation has led us to represent well-recognized locally based companies. We address employment issues, breach of contract, conversion, interference with business expectations, and corporate officer responsibility.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Both the Washington state and the federal judicial system have specific deadlines for filing a lawsuit. For most personal injury actions there is a three year statute of limitations. However, intentional acts have a shorter statute of limitations. Once the statute of limitation has passed, you will not be able to file suit to recover damages for your injuries.

Trusts and Estates

• Wills
• Power of Attorney