From Humble Beginnings to Legal Powerhouse: The Evolution of Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore
Our law firm began in 1945, when Lester Stritmatter returned from World War II after serving in the U.S. Navy. Lester began his general legal practice in his hometown of Hoquiam, Washington, which at the time was a small logging and fishing community on the Washington coast.
In 1970, Paul Stritmatter joined his father Lester’s small-town general practice under the name of Stritmatter and Stritmatter. Undaunted by risk and creative legal strategies, Paul soon began to focus on representing victims of serious injury and wrongful death.
In 1980, Paul happened to meet fellow attorney Keith Kessler in Moscow Russia, as they were both traveling. Paul convinced his “big city” Seattle colleague, who primarily tried criminal defense cases at the time, to join his personal injury practice in Hoquiam. Soon, the firm would be known as Stritmatter Kessler.
Hoquiam Powerhouse
In 1992, Keith Kessler’s stepson Brad Moore joined the firm straight out of law school. Like his father, Brad enjoyed traveling and had spent years around the country and the world as a tour guide, process server, and other intrepid professions.
Soon, Garth Jones, a longtime attorney at the Washington State Administrator of the Courts, joined specifically for his mastery of legal research, writing, and jury instructions.
In 1996, a Hoquiam native named Ray Kahler graduated from Harvard Law School, traveled back across the country, and knocked on the door at Stritmatter Kessler. He asked for a job and was hired virtually on the spot. The growing “small town” firm moved to larger quarters at 413 Eighth Street in Hoquiam.
Seattle and Beyond
In 1997, Stritmatter Kessler joined forces with Seattle attorney Paul Whelan, a groundbreaking products liability and medical negligence lawyer, as well as other renowned attorneys like Leonard Schroeter. Representing victims of misconduct throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest, the firm protected the constitutional right to a jury trial at the Supreme Court, created the legal standard for safe roadways, pushed manufacturers to adopt higher safety standards, brought consumer class actions to protect the public, and fought for civil rights and against police brutality.
In 2004, Karen Koehler left her personal injury and insurance bad faith partnership in Bellevue to join the Stritmatter firm. The firm and the insurance industry felt her impact immediately, as she fought to improve Washington’s protections against reckless drivers and opportunistic insurance companies.
Karen was soon elected President of the Washington State Association for Justice and oversaw the organization during one of the most pivotal legislative sessions in modern history. In 2007, Washington’s Legislature passed the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, which provided Washington consumers greater protection against insurance misconduct than any other state in the nation.
Growth and Innovation
Starting in 2014, Karen Koehler and Brad Moore took over management of the Seattle office and expanded on the Stritmatter Firm’s tradition of innovation. Over the next decade, they brought in lawyers of all backgrounds, practice areas, and experience levels. In late 2023, Andrew Ackley and Gemma Zanowski were elevated to senior partners, a testament to their dedication and legal expertise. The firm has embraced cutting-edge technology, implementing advanced e-discovery software and video tools to enhance their practice and improve outcomes for their clients.
Looking Forward
With over 75 years of dedication to justice, Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore has built a legacy of compassionate representation, legal excellence, and groundbreaking results. From fighting for civil rights to holding negligent corporations accountable, the firm remains committed to protecting the people of Washington and continuing its legacy of innovation in the legal field.
As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our commitment to justice and upholding the values that have defined our firm since its inception in 1945.