Jobs in the Seattle area were scarce for new lawyers when Brent Bohan graduated from law school. But that didn’t stop this high-energy, can-do attorney from carving out what turned into a successful niche practice—one that led him, ultimately, to focus his professional expertise on family law.

"Initially, I launched my own private practice, handling a wide range of cases,” recalls the Washington Super Lawyer. “I found I had a special knack for working with families in transition."

Fast forward a few years, during which time this talented, entrepreneurial legal counselor began getting noticed by some of the best family lawyers in Seattle. In 2014, McKinley Irvin partner David Starks observed him argue a case in court. He was impressed. Talks began and, within weeks, Brent was named the newest member of the Northwest’s largest family law firm. Just five years later, he was named partner.

"McKinley Irvin fosters a positive professional culture, focused first and foremost and finally on our clients. We possess a level of legal talent and resources unmatched in the Pacific Northwest."

That Brent thrives in this environment is apparent. His beneficiaries? The clients he represents, who value his empathy, his vitality, his smarts, and his candor.

"One of the first things I tell my clients is this: They pay me to tell them the truth,” he insists. “If there is a problem with their case, I tell them about it. Immediately. I don’t oversell—and I don’t ‘wait until Monday.’ I’m religious about checking my emails; and I’m quick to respond."

In Brent’s mind, there are other indispensable keys to success in the practice of family law. Chief among them are the ability to listen, “really listen,” and to discern what it is each client wants to get out of what is, for most, a painful process.

“I’m attentive to what my clients tell me,” notes the Seattle office attorney and CrossFit enthusiast. “What is it they want out of this difficult proceeding? These are their decisions. This is their life.”