For a while now, I’ve wanted to share with you a little about my background, how I became a lawyer, and what I do when I’m not working. So for this month’s blog, I thought I would do something a little different and answer a few questions about myself.
I hope you enjoy getting to know me a little better.
How did a kid from Belize end up becoming a lawyer in Washington State?
My ending up in Washington State, and in the legal profession, is a testament to never knowing (or even being able to predict) how your life will turn out.
I grew up in Belize with my parents and five siblings. Our family moved around a lot, including living on a small farm while I was in high school. Our house had a thatched roof, no running water, and an outdoor kitchen and toilet. While we were technically poor, it didn’t quite feel like it, because our parents raised us well. As with most poor kids, the way out of poverty was through education.
While attending junior college in Belize, I worked part-time as a reporter, and I applied for and received a full scholarship to study journalism in the US, where I met my wife. Nothing that I intended or could have predicted. After college, we both returned to live in Belize. We eventually moved to Washington State, where she is from, and started building our life here.
Why did you decide to become a lawyer?
I became a lawyer by default, somewhat. My first love is writing.
After my wife and I moved to Washington State in 2000, I took a job as a reporter at a weekly newspaper, making $10.87 an hour. It didn’t take long to realize that I couldn’t support a family on a reporter’s salary, and so I did what most people do when they’re not sure about what they want to do: I went to law school.
Going to law school wasn’t completely out of left field. I had a professor in college who suggested it, and a few classmates who went to law school, so going to law school was always in the back of my mind.
Some (perhaps many) lawyers hate law school and talk about it being the worst years of their life. Not for me. I loved law school, did well, and ended up getting an internship in the legal department at Starbucks corporate headquarters during my first year, followed by a job at a large Seattle law firm when I graduated.
It truly was a case of one good thing, i.e., making the decision to go to law school, leading to another, and many other good things flowing from it. I feel incredibly blessed.
How did you end up focusing on independent contractor law?
While at my former firm, I worked with an employment law partner and developed a specialty in independent contractor law matters and representing companies in ESD and L&I audits. As with many lawyers who find themselves specializing in an area, it really wasn’t something that I planned to do, but before I knew it, it had become my area of expertise.
After several years at the firm, I took a leap of faith and started my own firm focused on independent contractor law and representing companies in L&I and ESD audits. So really, I stumbled into my practice area while finding my way as a young associate, and 20 years later, it is still my thing. In fact, I still have a couple of clients who have been with me since those early days nearly 20 years ago.
I truly love what I do and the people I get to work with.
How would you describe your approach to helping clients?
My approach is one of caring deeply for the clients I represent, and representing them in a manner that lets them know that I care.
Beyond caring for my clients, I’m fortunate to have substantial experience in my practice area, which allows us to advise clients with a level of expertise they’re not likely to find anywhere else.
Now that I think about it, that really is our firm in a nutshell. We care deeply about our clients, and we bring a level of experience and expertise that is difficult to find elsewhere.
Tell us a little about your family?
My wife and I have been married for… [Nigel doing the calculations, including carrying the 1] …28 years, and we have two adult kids.
My wife is a first-grade teacher in the Bellevue School District. She’s an awesome mom and teacher, and any kid would be fortunate to be in her class.
My oldest son is 24 years old and a mechanical engineer at Boeing, and my youngest son is an accounting major who will be entering his senior year at the University of Washington.
We’re so very proud of our boys, now young men.
What do you do when you’re not practicing law?
I have something of a slight weekly addiction to hiking two Washington mountains, in particular. I’ve hiked Mount Si more than 150 times. More recently, I’ve turned my attention to Mailbox Peak, which I’ve now hiked about 25 times.
So if you have a legal emergency and somehow need to meet with me on a weekend, you’ll likely find me on one of my mountains. 😊
How often do you go back to Belize? Every couple of years, or so. We have a trip coming up shortly.
Who will win this year’s NBA championship? The Spurs (obviously?). The real championship was between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Who will win next year’s NFL championship? It would be nice if the Seahawks could repeat, but I’d bet (not literally) on the Los Angeles Rams.