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John Phillips Attorney

Interesting notes about John
Favorite food:
 Ethiopian and Indian
Children: Two boys
Favorite Band (now): M83 and Daft Punk

Prior to pursuing law, John had a thriving career as a software engineer. He made significant contributions to the field, particularly in machine learning in healthcare, for which he holds a U.S. Patent.

Wishing to transition from the impersonal realm of software creation to a more personal field, while preserving his passion for problem-solving, John made the decision to attend law school. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron in Ohio.

Having personally navigated divorce as a parent, John intimately understands the emotional toll it can inflict. The experience fueled his passion for helping people through the process.

“I’m committed to assisting others in having a more positive and supportive experience during this difficult phase of life.”

John's personable nature makes him an excellent communicator. He excels in presenting complex issues in a clear, digestible manner, ensuring clients have a thorough understanding of their cases.

By virtue of his diverse technical background, John is adept in valuing and distributing intricate assets. Raised in an Air Force family and having completed AFROTC, he has significant familiarity with military family law matters. He is also versed in regulated industries, particularly aviation, healthcare, and software.

In his spare time, John teaches sailing at the Center for Wooden Boats and snowboarding at Alpental.

More About John Phillips
  • Education
    • J.D., University of Akron, summa cum laude
      • Associate law review editor
    • Graduate non-matriculated, Biomedical Informatics, University of Washington
    • B.S., Computer Science and Engineering, Ohio State University
  • Professional Activities

    Memberships

    • Member, Washington State Bar Association
  • "The team at McKinley Irvin is professional, compassionate, and I felt like I was in good hands working with them."
    — Brian
  • Best Law Firms 2026
  • Super Lawyers
  • Chambers High Net Worth 2025
  • AAML
  • PSBJ Best Workplaces
  • Best Lawyers 2026
  • Lawdragon 2025
  • AV Preeminent
  • Lawyer of the Year 2024
  • Avvo 10 Family Law

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    I highly recommend McKinley Irvin and Carry Porter as an excellent divorce attorney. She helped me navigate the divorce and custody process and was a strong support and incredibly knowledgeable resource throughout the process. Her paralegal is wonderful and was always quick to respond to any questions I had. Carry helped make a difficult process manageable, and I am very grateful for their help. Highly recommend!
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    Functioning like an extension of my family, Lindsay Camandona and the McKinley Irvin team educated me through all aspects of the marriage dissolution process, kept me informed and organized at every step, and genuinely cared for my well-being throughout the difficult and stressful experience. I couldn't ask for a better team and outcome – highly recommended!
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     | Tacoma, WA
    "Put my wishes and needs at the front of my divorce."
    Amy is an incredibly skilled lawyer that put my needs and wishes at the front of my divorce. She and her team helped me every step of the way, and I felt reassured and supported throughout this emotional life transition. I highly recommend her!
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     | Tacoma, WA
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    I trusted Erin right away and every interaction I had with her after solidified and built that trust. I leaned on Erin for support and watched her as she argued convincingly in the courtroom while displaying great confidence and knowledge in my case like it had happened to her. I felt so powerful having Erin on my side and was very pleased when the ruling was in my favor.
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     | Seattle, WA
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     | Vancouver, WA
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    Rainer Frank was an awesome family attorney. He helped our family through a difficult and long battle regarding custody and child support. In the end, he worked hard and not only solved the original issue, but helped us with adoption as well (which he took the time to research just for us). I could never thank him enough!
    Brittany
     | Tacoma, WA
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John Phillips
John Phillips