Rainer Frank got his first taste of the law motoring down the scenic backroads of southwest Ohio with his father - a genuine country lawyer - and dropping in and out of court rooms, judicial chambers, and the homes of clients in a four-county swath of the Buckeye state. The experience impressed Rainer, who learned early on that nothing replaces hard work when it comes to achieving success for his clients.

The third sibling in his family to earn a law degree, this Tacoma-based member of the McKinley Irvin legal team is no stranger to hard work. From the time he could swing a hammer, young Rainer was bailing hay, herding livestock, operating jackhammers, plastering walls, day laboring at a local lumber yard, or running quality control at a metal dye factory. What does any of that have to do with the practice of family law? Rainer says it informs every aspect of his work.

“Because I have functioned in many different settings, I can relate to a wide range of my clients’ experiences,” he explains. “I don’t presume to know more than I reasonably can about them, of course. But I like to think I’m approachable and empathetic and ready to represent their best interests.”

The capacity for hard work is only one part of effective lawyering, says the father of two active teenagers and self-described “rules guy.”

“Exceptional lawyers must possess the mental capacity for complex legal work and a healthy measure of empathy and understanding.”

While Rainer has practiced law in a variety of settings during his impressive career, his sole focus has been family law. This lover of the outdoors adds that he has never regretted this “conscious choice”

“I get to help real people deal with very real, very significant issues in their lives. I can have a helpful, direct, and immediate impact.”