Geoffrey L. Burg

A little over 2 years ago I was pulled over about a mile from my home on the way home from dinner with my wife. I was in a busy, lit area and had pulled out of my parking spot with my lights off. I had drank a few drinks throughout the night, but felt fine. But knowing how low the legal limit is — I ...was screwed. After being arrested and put in jail I was how most people in my situation probably feel — what the hell do I do now?!? Will I lost my license? Will I lose my job? Will I be a felon? Did I just screw up my life forever? Well, yes, your situation isn't the best. But it'll be okay. You have to just take things a step at a time. After calling and talking with 5 different top Seattle DUI attorneys and meeting with two, I was really starting to stress. How in the world am I going to afford this? My wife and I have a pretty modest income, and with rent, bills and other expenses this could really make us hit rock bottom. But just when I was feeling at the end of my rope I ran across a list of "Top DUI Attorneys" list in a local city magazine. There were only 5 listed for DUI and I had already spoke with 2 of them. Luckily, I picked up the phone one last time and scheduled an appointment with Geoff. After meeting with him at his office the very next day and telling him my situation — I knew he was my guy. He listened. He gave advice. He didn't push for my business. He shot me straight. It was exactly what I was looking for, it was exactly what I needed. I had blown a pretty high number, and my chances of winning the case were slim. But there WAS a chance. And in my situation, I really had nothing to lose by fighting it. Payment was easy for me because I was able to put the entire thing on a credit card up front, and he gave me a significant discount for doing so. Best part? THIS FEE INCLUDED ALL TRIAL COSTS (if there were any). And in my situation, I knew there could be. Some other attorneys I had met with charged a bit more, and then charged ADDITIONAL for trial costs. So it was a big relief to find a talented attorney that didn't cost a fortune. Geoff helped me throughout the process, from start to finish. In fact, I will still email him or call him from time to time with stupid questions or freaking out about something, and he always quickly and calmly gives me direction. So much so that I consider him more than just my attorney at this point — but more of a friend. He really goes above and beyond for his clients. In my case I ended up fighting it all the way to trial, and lost. But barely. I got extremely close to a deal on several occasions with the DA due to the DA's respect for Geoff. We then went to trial and almost had a mis-trial due to Geoff's talent twice. Geoff was considered a rockstar around the court building from winning a DUI trail a few weeks before that NO ONE thought he could win. But in my case I had blown a 0.14 and the police officer blatantly lied about what happened during my field sobriety tests so it was an extremely uphill battle. However, even though I lost I was given the minimum fine, and got to choose the jail (outside the city) to do my 24 hours. And while yes, the IID was horrible — the rest was a cake walk. And that was largely in part to Geoffery. So if you are where I was a few years back and are searching through reviews and trying to figure out who to go with, then do yourself a favor and quit looking. In my opinion you can't possibly find a better attorney than Geoff. He's a smart, talented and tenacious attorney that knows the law through and through. He does his research thoroughly and fights until the bitter end. So hang in there — things will be alright. The hardest decision you have to make now has an answer. And he's right in front of you.

I hired Geoffrey Burg for my DUI case and it has been one of my best decisions. During my ordeal, Geoff was always responsive, honest, and a pleasure to work with. He was also very knowledgeable and well respected in his practice. I have witnessed this through his interactions judges and other attorn...eys. To provide some background, I went out to celebrate with friends this past Memorial Day weekend. I was pulled over the next morning for speeding (~75mph), and subsequently arrested for a DUI. What I learned is that sometimes sleeping over at a friend’s house is simply not enough. I performed poorly on the sobriety test (wished I rejected this) and blew a 0.097 at the police station. What made my case even more difficult is that I have a prior minor DUI over 7 years ago. Although it does not count against this case, it certainly does not reflect well for me. First thing Geoff did was provide me a list of things to complete. He then guided and answered my questions throughout the pre-trial process. As part of his investigation, Geoff discovered that my conversation with a public defender on the morning of the arrest was voice recorded by the state. My client-attorney confidentiality rights were violated. We used this as a bargaining chip for negotiations and the result was a reduced sentence to Negligent Driving -1st degree! My fine was just $250 plus court fees. Not to mention, the 10 hrs of community service asked by the prosecutor was dropped by the judge since I completed everything per Geoff’s list. But more importantly, he is friends with the judge. It is also important to note that I was searching for a new job at the time. This charge really put me to the ground and I thought that all hopes of making a job transition was down the drain. Geoff provided good advice in dealing with this matter and he also wrote a letter explaining my case to the company I now work for. I cannot express how thankful I am for his superb service. I highly recommend Geoff.

Mr. Burg provided excellent representation during my ordeal with the legal system. From the very first meeting he provided me with sound advice and gave me a blueprint of how I could expect the process might proceed from beginning to end. He was extremely professional, but at the same time very per...sonable and provided a sense of comfort that helped me during that very difficult time. Mr. Burg gave me great contact information so that I could proactively manage the obligations that I would be required to fill under court orders, such as attending a victim's panel, getting into an alcohol treatment program and getting my insurance coverage adjusted to allow me to continue to drive throughout the legal proceedings. During my legal proceedings he was successful in getting my SCRAM device removed after just one month of monitoring. He also successfully had evidence that was improperly obtained suppressed which led to an amendment in my charge from DUI to Reckless Driving. I would highly recommend Mr. Burg's services to any of my friends, family or co-workers who might find themselves in the unfortunate situation that I found myself. His legal advice was outstanding and the representation he provided was second to none.

Let me count the ways: 1. At my arraignment for DUI, he secured my release without a bail increase and with terms comparable to first time misdemeanor offenders – even though the information in front of the judge spelled out my embarrassingly bad record that included two DUI’s over the previous 30... years and a felony conviction for assaulting a police officer. 2. After thoroughly examining and analyzing the evidence, Geoff set a strategy of patience to reach a good plea deal. He was able to wear down the prosecutor’s less than reasonable initial offer by continuing the case until either, a.) he was matched with a more compromising negotiating partner, b.) regardless of the particular prosecutor, the SA’s office was tired of our case coming up month after month without resolution, or C.) all of the above. It took awhile, but it worked. 3. Well after sentencing, a year after and for a period of about six months, Geoff continued to provide his services during my trials and tribulations with the ignition interlock device: fielding my problems and complaints regarding recurring device malfunctions, false-positive violations, the unscrupulous vendor, and the flawed IID compliance law. The IID restriction was the most trying and surprising part of the whole DUI process for me, worse even than the humiliation and despair I felt during the arrest. Geoff not only helped me through it, he did so without extra charge. 4. During this IID period, Geoff replied to dozens of my emails and phone calls seeking guidance and support, he wrote to the IID vendor and DOL officials on my behalf, he enlisted the help of a state trooper to verify my claim of a false-positive violation, he consulted other attorneys for their expertise, and when he had exhausted all avenues, he broke new ground by initiating a proposal to revise the state IID law -- a proposal his law partner has crafted into an amendment and that is now making its way through Washington’s legislative channels. 5. Geoff was solid from beginning to end. He was competent, honest, hard working, amiable, and dependable. I could not have asked for more from a criminal defense attorney. ###

From my initial meeting with Geoff, I knew working with him was a no brainer. I was referred to him by a friend and am very grateful I was. Geoff laid everything out for me to understand in our initial meeting and didn't sugar coat anything either which was nice. The step by step packet he provided m...ade handling everything on my end very easy and intuitive as well. He ended up winning my criminal and DOL hearings for me because he actually took the time to review the case files, audio and video very closely and I am forever grateful. A lot of attorneys once you pay them you have no idea if they are even "working" on your case for you, Geoff made it very apparent he was and it ended up winning me my case. Aside from the lawyer business, he was a great guy and very easy to talk to and get along with. He was a real person and not a legal robot, but very professional at the same time. He was always reachable and his follow-up was great. His paralegal Tammy was awesome too! I was keeping cost in mind when looking for a lawyer and he was a little more than others but after working with him I can easily see why he is more and rightfully so. Just like I told him, if I'm dumb enough to screw up again I will still be smart enough to rehire him to represent me. Worth every penny. Thanks Geoff!!