Joan Kristine Mell

Joan Mell handled my public records requests extremely well. When it became apparent that the public entity to which the requests were made was not complying with law, she crafted a thorough complaint and filed suit. Subsequently, this public entity disclosed nearly 200 pages of additional informatio...n and an answer to my inquiry was substantially forthcoming. The matter was settled short of actual litigation. Mell's staff was effective, too, and always very respectful to me during the process.

Joan handles very difficult cases, the one's that have political and social implications, and is very skilled at navigating this treacherous waters! Most attorneys won't take these cases (involving opposing school districts, the county prosecutor, the gambling commission, DSHS, medical regulatory bo...dies, other government agencies, employers, etc. She is not afraid to go after the opposition if the facts and legal arguments are sound. I was very pleased with the representation and outcome even though it took over two years to resolve.

Ms. Mell is a very high priced attorney who cannot be trusted to keep the promises she makes. She promised to handle a secondary aspect of my case on a contingency fee basis, then became unresponsive when it came time for her to step to the plate. Also, after hiring her and paying her exorbitant f...ees, I also learned that she had political connections, and in fact was a former executive, of the agency against which I was proceeding. She never revealed this to me prior to taking my case and I now question the adequacy of her counsel.