Skip to Content
Top
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 2025
  • 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

Let us know how we can help you navigate your family law issue:

    • Please enter your full name.
    • Please enter your phone number.
      This isn't a valid phone number.
    • Please enter your email address.
      This isn't a valid email address.
    • Please enter your county and state.
    • Please make a selection.
    • Please make a selection.
    • Please enter a message.
      Maximum 500 characters
    • Please enter your Case Type.
      Maximum 100 characters
  • Please Note: Your privacy is important to us. Information sent via this form is not protected by attorney/client privilege. We do not accept service of legal process or correspondence from opposing parties or their counsel through our website. Please view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Hire for more information.
Meet the Region’s Premier Family Law Firm
“From start to finish, the team at McKinley Irvin took care of me and my family. I couldn't ask for more.”
Who
“We are dedicated to fighting our client’s fight, and to offering them our absolute best every day.” Rita Herrera Irvin McKinley Irvin Founder & CEO
    "Helped make a difficult process manageable."
    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!
    Amy
     | Kirkland, WA
    "Goes above and beyond with her clients."
    Faye is such an amazing attorney who you would hire and sit and relax and have zero worries. She goes above and beyond with her clients and she always makes sure you leave her office with clear picture and understanding everything. I can't thank her enough.
    Asmaa
     | Vancouver, WA
    "Could not be happier with the outcome."
    [Elizabeth] provided straight forward advice on the issues at hand and what I could expect. This information allowed me to reach a settlement that was more than fair. She also recommended a mediator that was very good at keeping everything centered. Could not be happier with the outcome, given the circumstance.
    Former Client
     | Kirkland, 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!
    Laura
     | Tacoma, WA
    "Phenomenal support and counsel."
    Hillary and her team provided phenomenal support and counsel. Within a short 30 minute call I had clarity on what our game plan could be and how she would support me. Hillary is highly experienced and competent, communicates clearly, is pragmatic, direct, discusses options, and takes action quickly.
    Natalie
     | Everett, WA
    "Guided me through the divorce process."
    McKinley Irvin and their team are wonderful. They were always available whenever I had questions, and guided me through the divorce process with patience and kindness! I highly recommend them for any of your law needs.
    Ashley
     | Kirkland, WA
    "Knowledge, expertise, professionalism."
    From start to finish, Mark and his entire McKinley Irvin team provided the highest level of knowledge, expertise, professionalism, and quality of work. Very happy with the quality of Mark's representation and the outcome he obtained. I give him my highest recommendation.
    James
     | Tacoma, WA
    "They cared about me and my family."
    Mark, and his paralegal are absolutely amazing. Beyond just the legal representation they were tremendous in helping me through this extremely difficult time, and exhibited time and time again how much they cared about me and my family.
    Eric
     | Tacoma, WA
    "A deeply empathetic human."
    Courtney is a true professional in every sense of the word. She's also a deeply empathetic human who will pour her heart and soul into your case and Kayla will keep everything flawlessly organized on the back end. I cannot recommend Courtney enough.
    Holly
     | Portland, OR
    "Earned my respect and trust."
    What impressed me most, is how incredibly well prepared she was and how confident she was in court. She's so professional and empathetic. She realizes how hard it can be to need her services and really helped explain the process so there were no surprises. I can't thank her enough. Caitlin [Royse] has earned my respect and trust.
    Former Client
     | Everett, WA
  • Trusted Advocates

    Our lawyers have been recognized for their professionalism and legal ability by prestigious institutions, including Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers®, Martindale-Hubbell, and others.

  • Personal Approach
    It is our goal to achieve the best possible results for our clients while delivering world-class personal service. We provide compassionate, responsive, and proactive representation.
  • Family Law Expertise
    McKinley Irvin represents clients in both traditional and complex family law matters, including subspecialties such as international cases and high-asset financial distributions.
John Phillips
John Phillips