Before becoming an attorney, Mark Arend had accrued an impressive professional portfolio as a distinguished Air Force pilot and a successful corporate entrepreneur. It was during his time as a high-tech business executive that this now-veteran attorney first entertained the idea of learning the law.

While his original intent was to return to the business world following law school, Mark’s plans shifted along the way. Today, a partner in McKinley Irvin’s Tacoma office and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, he conveys an air of competence, compassion, and refreshing common sense. A divorcee himself, the happily remarried father of three knows firsthand how divorce can be “emotionally devastating and fraught with uncertainty.”

“My approach to practicing family law is guided by several values and principles. The first is to be a good listener. For me, that’s the first commandment in the law: Talk less. Listen more.”

A second principle, says Mark, centers on what he calls emotional intelligence: speaking a client’s argument in calm, persuasive tones; and “remaining civil, professional, and ethical.”

Creating a safe environment for clients is another of Mark’s best-practice principles. For him, that means treating clients with empathy and respect, “telling them the truth from the outset through the conclusion of our case,” and remaining readily accessible to respond to questions and concerns.

At the end of the day, Mark concludes, the most important traits of a top family law attorney are a strong grasp of the law, a deep understanding of human nature, and the capacity for sheer hard work.

“We are willing to burn the midnight oil for our clients, no question,” he contends. “I don’t know of a single attorney out there doing a fantastic job by coming into the office late and leaving the office early.”

Mark notes of the attorneys and staff at McKinley Irvin, “We’re determined to be different and great in the process. And we’ve got the best people, the talent, and the resources to do it.”