One of my favorite things about being an ERISA attorney is the process of taking complex and often intimidating laws, breaking them down, and applying them to a client’s benefit plans in a practical and understandable way. It is most rewarding when I can explain the law and its impact in a way that not only makes sense but also provides comfort when new laws can be overwhelming. Where there are compliance challenges or complexities, I enjoy thinking creatively to come up with innovative solutions.

I have practiced employee benefits law for about 25 years, starting off at a large Seattle-based firm with a robust employee benefits law practice group. After moving to Montana, I spent about 15 years at a relatively large Montana-based firm, where I re-established and grew the firm’s employee benefits practice group serving clients in the Mountain State region. In 2019 I began a four-year break from practicing law, trying my hand at interior design and interior landscaping. Missing ERISA, I re-joined the practice full-time and with renewed energy at BMDD in 2023. At BMDD, I have the extreme pleasure of partnering with the same incredible attorneys I practiced with during my time in Montana.

I have given, and enjoy giving, employee benefits presentations and training sessions. I have authored numerous articles, mainly during the era of the Affordable Care Act. Throughout my career I have been active in the Western Pension Benefits Conference, and I am currently on the Seattle Chapter's Board of Directors. I also spent time in Washington D.C., participating in the federal regulatory rule-making process in my capacity as an appointed representative on the American Bar Association’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits.

I received my Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, where I majored in English, with honors, and minored in Spanish. I received my Juris Doctor from the University of Montana School of Law. I am licensed in Montana and Washington, and I reside near Alki Beach in West Seattle.