Michael Caryl is a Seattle-based trial lawyer. With over 38 years of litigation experience, he has handled well over 600 civil, military, trial and appellate cases. Michael’s legal career began with criminal work in the early 70’s. He served 4 years active duty as an Army J.A.G.C., including a stint in the Airborne at Fort Bragg, where he tried several hundred courts-martial, and later handled several hundred appeals before the Army Appellate Court and the Court of Military Appeals in Washington, D.C. When his Seattle practice began in 1977, he focused on civil trial work including personal injury, commercial and construction litigation, collection work and insurance litigation.

Since 1995, the principal focus of Michael’s practice in Seattle has been on representing and counseling lawyers, law firms and clients in the area of attorney fee disputes. This practice developed out of his successful representation of Seattle attorney Fred Zeder and the law firm of Peterson Young Putra. Zeder prevailed after a successful 5-day trial, defeating an appeal to Division I of the Court of Appeals and a petition to the Supreme Court. Taylor v. Shigaki, 84 Wn. App. 723 (1997), pet. den. 132 Wn.2d 1009 (1997) The holding of this important case was that a client cannot defeat a contingency fee agreement by terminating the lawyer before the case is resolved, where the lawyer has substantially performed his contingency.

Since then, Michael has assisted lawyers and firms with the legal implications of lawyers leaving their firms and runs an active practice (hyperlink to “representative cases” section) in representing both clients and lawyers involved in fee disputes. His work over the past 14 years (link to “Legal Services Offered” section) has established him as an objective authority, providing assistance to Washington law firms and lay clients in their efforts conclude these difficult conflicts over fees. He also consults on both legal malpractice and attorney discipline issues involving attorney’s fee issues and frequently serves as an expert witness in courts and arbitrations on attorney fee dispute matters. Michael frequently speaks and writes (link to “Publications and Presentations” section) on fees and ethics issues.

Michael has been admitted to practice in Washington State, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1972) and his LL.M., with highest honors, from the National Law Center at George Washington University (1977). He has served on the Board of Governors of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (Now WSAJ), taught Litigation for Paralegals at City University in Seattle, and has been rated “AV” rated with Martindale Hubbell since 1983, that organizations highest rating. Michael is married to Seattle employment lawyer Claire Cordon and they have three grown children. They enjoy travel, the mountains of Washington, Washington wine and sushi.