W. Theodore Vander Wel

W. Theodore Vander Wel was born in Newton, NJ; admitted to the bar, 1988, Washington, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; education: Dordt College (B.A., 1985); Drake University (J.D. with honors, 1988). Member: King County and Washington State Bar Assocation; National Lawyers Association.

Mr. Vander Wel is a founding member of Vander Wel, Jacobson & Yoke, PLLC. He is primarily a conflict management and litigation attorney focusing on real estate, business, estate and trust disputes.

​When necessary, Mr. Vander Wel rigorously represents his clients in court, arbitrations, mediations and negotiations. A litigator since he began practicing law in 1988, he has assisted clients in King, Snohomish, Skagit, Pierce, Thurston, Chelan, Okanogan, Clark, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Kittitas, Spokane, Grant, Clark, Wahkiakum, Whatcom and Yakima Counties. In matters where settlement discussions and mediations have been unsuccessful to resolve conflicts, Mr. Vander Wel has advanced and advocated his clients’ position in bench trials, jury trials and arbitrations.

Mr. Vander Wel’s extensive real estate and land use litigation experience includes disputes involving real estate uses, transactions, boundary lines, easements, restrictive covenants (CC&Rs), adverse possession, zoning, code enforcements and real estate agents. He has also represented both plaintiffs and defendants in conflicts, lawsuits and arbitrations related to contracts, collections, consumer protection, businesses, LLCs, employment, construction, torts, foreclosures and other real estate matters. Regarding personal representatives, trustees, heirs and beneficiaries, Mr. Vander Wel has handled and tried many cases involving contested estates and trusts.

Effective attorneys must be able to simultaneously listen, take a broad view, understand intricate details and persuasively present evidence and arguments. Mr. Vander Wel has the proven ability to succeed at all these tasks.

Mr. Vander Wel has argued cases in the State Superior Courts, Courts of Appeals, Washington Supreme Court and Federal Courts. He is licensed with the Washington Supreme Court, the Western District of Washington, the Ninth Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. While most clients are charged on an hourly basis, some collections and contract litigation are performed on a contingency basis.

Mr. Vander Wel concentrated on real estate and environmental law when he studied at Drake University Law School. After serving on the Law Review, publishing two articles and receiving an award for research performed, he graduated in 1988 with honors.