Masters Law Group, PLLC
Litigation and Appeals | Serving Bainbridge Island, WA
206-780-5033Masters Law Group, PLLC helps clients in the Bainbridge Island area with their Washington Litigation and Appeals needs.
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Bainbridge Island Litigation and Appeals Law Firm
Masters Law Group litigates civil appeals in every state and federal appellate court in Washington State. Mr. Masters was an appellate court clerk, Ms. Lemmel was a judicial extern in both state and federal courts, and Ms. Masters (Of Counsel) clerked for three appellate court judges. Our combined 50+ years of appellate experience – on both sides of the bench – enables us to guide you safely, efficiently, and intelligently through the appellate process.
Our appeals have involved nearly every area of life and the law, from accord and satisfaction to banking, class actions to constitutional rights (state and federal), contracts to covenants, deeds of trust to easements, election law to employment discrimination, family law to guardianships, health care to intellectual property, insurance coverage to jury trials, kayaks to landlords & tenants, malpractice (legal and medical) to negligence (personal injury plaintiffs & defendants), officers & directors (corporations) to partnerships, parental rights to probates, products liability to quiet title actions, railroads to real estate, securities to statutes, trusts & estates to usury, venue to water rights, wills to witnesses, and from workers compensation to zoning – and ZZ Top (yes, we represented that little ol’ band from Texas).
Contact us at 206-780-5033 today if you need legal assistance with Litigation and Appeals or Civil Rights to arrange your free initial consultation.
Attorney Kenneth W. Masters 
Bar Admissions:
- United States Supreme Court
- Washington State Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court, Western District of Washington
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- WSBA Treasurer and Governor
- Chairing the WSBA’s Rules & Procedures Committee (which oversees the court-rule-making process) and its Amicus Committee (overseeing appellate briefs filed on behalf of the Bar)
- Chaired the King County Bar Association’s Appellate Section (serving as Section President in 2008-09) and its Amicus Committee, and he co-chaired its Judicial Screening Committee (rating candidates for trial and appellate judicial positions)
- President of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association from 2007 to 2013
- Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Pro Bono Activities:
- Washington State Supreme Court
- Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation, 2004 – present
- WSBA Special Disciplinary Counsel, 2002 – 2003, 2008, 2018 – present
- Earshot Jazz, Seattle, Board of Directors, 2009 – 2012, 2019 – present
- President, 2011 – 2012
- Emeritus Board Member, 2013 – 2018
- Moot Court Judge, approaching 100 law school competitions, 1993 – present
- Volunteer Judge, We the People Constitutional Law Competition, 2004 – present
- Bainbridge Island Music Center, Board of Advisors, 2009 – 2011
- Board of Directors, Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council, 2006 – 2009
Education:
- J.D., cum laude, University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law, 1992
- Merit Scholar at entry
- Dean’s List
- Law review, Lead Articles Editor
- American Jurisprudence Awards in Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Legal Writing II (Appellate Advocacy)
- Highest Grade: A+, Jurisprudence
- B.A., Behavioral Science, Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO, 1984
Attorney Shelby R. Frost Lemmel 
Bar Admissions:
- Washington, 2002
- United States Supreme Court
- Washington State Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court, Western District of Washington
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- Washington Appellate Lawyers Association, 2014-present
- Co-president, 2017 – present
- “The Best Lawyers in America,” “Top Tier” Metropolitan Appellate Firm, 2013 – 2014
- Washington State, King County Bar Association, 2003-present
- Washington State, Kitsap County Bar Association, 2003-present
- Washington State Association for Justice, 2002-present
- Eagle, 2004-present
- Frequent recipient of the WSBA Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation
- Frequent recipient of Washington Law & Politics Rising Star
Pro Bono Activities:
- Lawton Elementary School Art Docent, 2014-present
- Seattle University Moot Court Judge and Regional Team Coach, 2002-2010, 2015-present
Education:
- J.D., magna cum laude, Seattle University, 2002
- Presidential Scholar, 1999-2002
- Dean’s List, Moot Court Board member and chair, Cali awards in Evidence and Trial Advocacy
- Judicial extern to Justice Charles Johnson, January – May 2002,
- Judicial extern to Judge Barbara Rothstein, Summer 2001
- B.A., English, University of Washington, 1998
Attorney Kara Masters 
Bar Admissions:
- Washington (1993)
- U.S. District Court, WDWA (1995)
- U.S. District Court, EDWA (2000)
- Idaho (2005)
- U.S. District Court, District of Idaho (2005)
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2003)
- U.S. Supreme Court (2010)
- Oregon (2013)
- Alaska (2013)
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- Washington State Bar Association (1993-present): Construction Law Section, Labor & Employment Section, Litigation Section, YLD Bono Committee (1994-1999)
- Idaho State Bar Association (2005-present)
- Oregon State Bar Association (2013-present)
- Alaska State Bar Association (2013-present): Appellate Section
- King County Bar Association (1998-present): Employment Section
- Kitsap County Bar Association (2014-present)
- Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association (1993-1996)
- Federal Bar Association (1995-present)
- American Bar Association (2006-present): Forum on the Construction Industry; Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (Committees: Insurance Coverage Litigation, Trial Techniques, Professional Liability)
- Washington Women Lawyers (1995-present)
- Defense Research Institute (2010-present): Lawyers’ Professionalism & Ethics Committee
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (2015-present): Insurance Section
Education:
- University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law, Seattle, WA
- Juris Doctor, 1993
- University of Texas, Arlington, TX
- Bachelor of Arts in English, 1998
Trueblue, Inc v. Marchel, 2020 Wash. App. LEXIS 1537 (2020) (successfully reversed summary judgment and obtained remand for trial on Wage and Hour claims), rev. denied (Jan. 6, 2021). https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/D2%2052665-4-II%20Unpublished%20Opinion.pdf
Cunningham v. Karwoski, 2020 Wn. App. LEXIS 1689 (June 2020): (successfully defended summary judgment of liability, and trial and appellate fee awards, regarding boundary dispute), rev. denied, fees awarded (Feb. 17, 2021). https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/797531.pdf
Shafer v. City of Seattle, 2020 Wn. App. LEXIS 809 (March 2020): successfully obtained reversal of summary judgment and remand for trial on injuries resulting from the city’s alleged negligence in maintaining its primary proprietary baseball field. https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/780158.pdf