Founded in 1999 by Jeff Smyth and Christopher Mason, Smyth & Mason is a broad legal practice with a strategic approach and big picture emphasis. Our philosophy is based on selectively taking on sophisticated clients, finding out what motivates them and what they are trying to accomplish, and then developing a practical and simple goal that makes sense. Once retained, however, we commit ourselves a
nd our resources to providing the highest quality legal services available anywhere. Smyth & Mason is a small firm with a core group of three attorneys who work together synergistically. We avoid the inefficiencies of big firms that move slowly with too many costly and often inattentive lawyers handling each case. We’re at home working outside our comfort zone and believe that taking risks means creating opportunities. In everything we do, we have the end game in mind. We’re problem solvers who love to negotiate and we do an excellent job at it. We understand the risks of litigation and constantly plan a resolution that benefits our clients with every move we make. We work very aggressively towards a resolution to avoid litigation altogether, using intuition and experience to predict opposing counsels’ moves and assess their motivations. We are Trial Lawyers. Very few Seattle law firms have our level of experience trying complex cases to judges, juries and arbitrators. We are not “process litigators” who see their job as pursuing a linear path of processing paperwork, to inevitable settlement. If we think settlement is prudent we recommend it, but we regularly try cases, and do not shy away from the courtroom. When we take on a case, we protect our clients’ flanks so they can focus on building and maintaining their businesses and their futures. If the risks and costs of litigation – either economic or emotional – are not in our client’s best interests, we’ll say so. We avoid fights when we can, but once we’re in a fight, we are in it to win.
