5/2008 - Present
Wiegand Law Firm, Seattle, WA

Criminal Defense: Handling High Profile Murder cases, class A felonies, three strikes, and other felony cases. Skillful negotiator in pre-trial phase.

Civil Litigation, Immigration Attorney: Handling civil litigation, Personal Injury, Construction Defect, Product Liability, Commercial Transactions, Contracts.
Litigating deportation, exclusion, humanitarian parole and asylum cases.
Handling F1, H-1B visas, Family reunification petitions and appeals.
Litigating complex family law cases, involving immigration issues, domestic and sexual abuses.

Arbitrator: Most recently, Commercial Bank Credit Cards case.

9/2007 - 5/2008
Snook Brown Law Firm, Kirkland, WA
Managing Partner: Handling the firm operation and majority of complex cases that proceeded to trial.

1999 - 2007
Wiegand Law Firm, Seattle, WA

Criminal Defense: Handling high profile Murder cases, Rape cases and Strike cases. Skillful negotiator in pre-trial phase.

Civil Litigation: Litigating deportation, exclusion, humanitarian parole and asylum cases. Handling F1, H-1B visas, Family reunification petitions and appeals. Litigating complex family law cases, involving immigration issues, domestic and sexual abuses. Interpreting trials, depositions, arbitrations, and under oath examinations for Personal Injury, Construction Defect and Product Liability cases.

1996 - 1999
Northwest Defenders Association, Seattle, WA

1997 - 1999: Felony Trial Attorney
Handling Class A and B felonies: Assault, Rape, Robbery, and VUCSA Delivery. Training new Rule 9 Interns and recent graduates.

1996 - 1997: Misdemeanor Trial Attorney
Handling misdemeanor cases: Domestic Violence Assault, DUI, DWLS, Theft, and Forgery.

1995 - 1996
Associated Counsel for the Accused, Seattle, WA
Misdemeanor Trial Attorney: Handling misdemeanor cases, including Domestic Violence Assault, DUI, DWLS, and Theft.

Summer and Fall 1994
Northwest Defenders Association, Seattle, WA
Rule 9 Intern
Trial experience in both misdemeanor and felony cases, successful in negotiation. Assisted senior staff attorneys in research and drafting memos.

3/1991 - Present
State of Washington Supreme Court
Court Certified Interpreter
Legal and professional interpretation and translation services: French and Vietnamese.
Expert witness in language and culture.
Interpreter for the U.S. District Court, Western Division; Superior courts, Executive Office of Immigration Review; Employment Security Department, Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals; Office of Administrative Hearings; Department of Labor and Industries, Attorney General Division, Allstate Insurance, Pemco Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Travelers Insurance, Stoel & Rives, Graham & Dunn and, numerous other private law firms.

1981 - Present
Department of Social and Health Services, Seattle, WA
Volunteer counselor and interpreter: Assist Southeast Asian refugees in adaptation and resettlement.

1978 - 1981
The Boeing Company, Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, WA
Trilingual Paralegal: Assist and support the team of 5 corporate legal counsels.


Seattle University, School of Law, Tacoma, WA
Juris Doctor, December 1995
Admitted to practice May 1996

University of Saigon, School of Law, Saigon, Vietnam
First year, International Law, 1975 - 1976

Sorbonne University, Paris, France
First year Graduate School, Philosophy major, 1974


Washington State Bar Association, 1996

Federal Bar Association Western District, 1999

Oregon State Bar Association, 2003

Washington Defender Association member


Legal Advisor to Hai-Ninh Community Association, Quan Am Buddhist Temple.

Pro-Bono services for family law cases, dealing in mediation hearings.

Editor of the glossary of legal terms (Vietnamese) for the Justice Institute, Office of the Administrator for the Courts, 1994.

Advised and drafted the Washington State Supreme Court Certified Interpreter Test for the Office of the Administrator for the Courts, 1992.

Southeast language and cultural sensitivity speaker at Bar Leader Conference for Washington State Bar Association, 1992.

Taught at seminars to Court Interpreter candidates, Office of the Administrator for the Courts, 1992.

Graded tests for Department of Social & Health Services bilingual State workers, 1992.

Keynote speaker of Cross-Cultural Differences sponsored by the Juvenile Court, 1985 and 1989.

Public Relations Coordinator for the Children Home Society Convention, 1987.

Conducted Quality of Services Survey at Rainier Office of the Department of Social and Health Services, 1986.

Washington State Distinguished Volunteer Services Award, 1986.

Neighborhood House Volunteer Award, 1986.

Member of Conference Committee Diversion, Department of Youth Services, 1981 - Present.


Fluent in French and Vietnamese, some speaking knowledge of Cantonese.


Dr. Richard Harruff, King County Chief Medical Examiner, (206) 744-2886.

Judge Richard A. Jones, U.S. District Court, (206) 370-8870.

Judge Ann Schindler, Court of Appeals, (206) 464-7659.

Former Superior Court Judge Anthony Wartnik, (206) 290-0451.

Mr. Philip Ginsberg, Stokes and Lawrence, (206) 892-2111.