The law office of Daniel R. Fjelstad, PLLC is located in Seattle, Washington. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has successfully represented clients in personal injury, insurance, workers’ compensation, contract, and labor and employment matters. He is a dedicated attorney who offers his clients comprehensive legal counsel in litigation matters statewide.
Education and Experience
Mr. Fjelstad began his studies in law as an undergraduate at Pacific Lutheran University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and a minor in Spanish. He furthered his education as a graduate student at the University of California Berkeley in Latin American Studies. He then earned his juris doctor in 1988 from the University of Washington School of Law, graduating with honors. He served as a Notes and Comments editor on the Washington Law Review while in law school.
Mr. Fjelstad began his career in private practice in 1988. He has remained in private practice with a focus on litigation on behalf of individuals since that time. A recent appellate court victory is Staples v. Allstate Insurance Co., 176 Wn.2d 404, 295 P.3d 201 (2013). This case broadened protection for insureds in Washington who make property loss claims. A recent publication is a chapter in the Washington State Association for Justice’s Employment Law Deskbook (2017), entitled “Common Law Claims” (with Erica Shelley Nelson). A story about a recent civil rights case can be found here.
Approach
Mr. Fjelstad is dedicated to helping his clients understand and protect their rights. Whether they have been hurt in an accident or mistreated in the workplace, he knows that effective representation begins with listening to the client and trying to identify the most meaningful objectives for the client, which sometimes means something other than a purely monetary recovery. As an experienced litigator and negotiator, he has helped many clients achieve a successful, swift resolution of their case.
Biography
I consider myself lucky to have spent a career in a field to which I was attracted as a child, and which still provides me with plenty of reasons to look forward to going to work each day. Throughout my career, I have focused on representing individuals, rather than corporations. My clients have come from all walks of life, and all parts of the world. People of every personality type have walked through my door. I have represented both homeless people and corporate executives, proponents of civil disobedience as well as law enforcement officials. Despite their differences, the people I have represented have shared one thing in common: something to which they are entitled has been denied. Trying to restore what has been taken away from them keeps me motivated.
I have spent most of my life and all of my career in the Pacific Northwest, which I love. I was raised in various parts of Alaska and Washington, My first job was picking blueberries and raspberries in Whatcom County, just south of the Canadian border. Then, it was work in orchards in central Washington and construction in Southeast Alaska. In such work, I became familiar with what it’s like to put in a 12- or 14-hour day. Such work also taught me that I’m not all that good working with my hands, so I had best figure out something to do that didn’t require such skills. The law beckoned.
After law school, I went into private practice. I left Scott, Kinney, Fjelstad & Mack in 2016 after 25 years to start my own practice. Aside from having a difficult boss, I am liking the challenge and freedom a solo practice provides. I can take the cases I want to take, and pursue the causes I want to pursue. And, of equal importance, I don’t have to make any excuses to anyone if I want to take off to go flyfishing, and I can play a guitar in my office, if the mood were to strike. I would, however, need to shut the door. I do, of course, have neighbors.
After nearly 30 years of working as a lawyer, I understand that people aren’t coming to see me because all is right in their world. Rather, they need help trying to fix something that’s gone wrong, something that the law might remedy. I may not be able to fix all the problems that come to me, but I will bring the same client-centered approach to trying to fix such problems that guided me when I started in this profession.
Contact Us
Attorney Daniel R. Fjelstad is ready to put his years of experience to work for you. He offers legal counsel in English and Spanish and is ready to answer your questions and explain your options. Contact our Seattle office today at 206-949-3208 or use the contact form to schedule a consultation.