Biography
Amanda’s practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration, and probate. She strives to help clients design and implement a plan that meets their unique needs and advises clients on thoughtful estate planning and minimizing estate taxes through lifetime gifting, marital deduction planning, trusts for future generations, and other tools as appropriate.
In her career before law school, Amanda was a Senior Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, DC, where she spent several years wrangling spreadsheets and crunching numbers in the Division of Monetary Affairs. She eventually found her way to law school, and after several years of practicing in real estate and land use, she found the perfect fit in estate planning. Amanda loves working with clients to develop a plan that balances tax considerations with the client’s individual goals and family dynamics. She particularly enjoys assisting clients with charitable gifting, including matters involving conservation easements and donations of real estate. Her real estate experience is often beneficial, for example, in helping clients manage rental real estate investments or resolve the occasional title issue that arises during the planning or probate process.
Amanda began her career at GTH as a summer associate in 2012. Before joining the firm full-time in 2013, she served as a law clerk in the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division of the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
Amanda was born in Tacoma and maintains strong ties to the South Sound community. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Tacoma Arts Live. She is also a past board member at the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County and past Co-Chair of Forterra’s South Sound Regional Leadership Council. Amanda’s family now lives on Bainbridge Island, where they are slowly updating their “Brady Bunch” mid-century home.
Professional History
EDUCATION
Tax Law LL.M Program (select courses), University of Washington School of Law, 2021
Estate and Gift Taxation, Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates, and Estate Planning
J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 2013
Washington Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, Notes and Comments Editor
B.A., Willamette University, 2007
Mathematics and French with honors, cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Institute for the International Education of Students, Paris, France, 2006
JURISDICTIONS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
Washington State Courts
PROFESSIONAL & BAR ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
Washington State Bar Association, 2013 – Present
Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association
King County Bar Association
Tacoma Estate Planning Council
South Sound Planned Giving Council
Washington Women Lawyers
Estate Planning Council of Seattle
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Joined Firm in 2013
Summer Associate, Gordon Thomas Honeywell, 2012
Washington State Attorneys General’s Office, 2011
Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 2007-2010
HONORS & AWARDS
Distinguished Service by a New Attorney Award, Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, 2015
Selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars: 2023-2024
ARTICLES & PRESENTATIONS
“Estate Tax Planning 101 for Washington Residents”, Financial Insights Wealth Management, July 31, 2024
“Estate Planning around TCJA Uncertainty,” South Sound Planned Giving Council, May 15, 2024
“Estate Planning Basics,” Museum of Flight, March 2, 2024
Washington State Bar Association Real Property Deskbook, Contributing Author
Adverse Possession, Boundary Litigation, Encroachment and Trespass, Vol. 4, 4th Ed. (updated 2016)
Homestead, Vol. 3, 4th Ed. (updated 2015)
Community Activities
TACOMA ARTS LIVE
Member, Board of Trustees 2014-2017, 2023-present; Board Secretary, 2015-2017
FORTERRA NW
Co-Chair, South Sound Regional Leadership Council, 2015-2017
Member, Pierce County Trustees, 2014-2015
THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR TACOMA and PIERCE COUNTY
Member, Board of Directors, 2014-2017
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND PARKS & TRAILS FOUNDATION
Member, Friends of Moritani Preserve Advisory Committee, 2022 – present
Remembering Parks in Your Will, Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, November 2023
THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
Member, Legacy Advisors
