What Skellenger Bender does

Skellenger Bender, P.S. is a Seattle-based law firm founded in 1928, organized as a Professional Service Corporation and operating from a single headquarters at 520 Pike Street. The firm delivers legal services across twelve practice areas organized around family law, criminal defense, civil rights, and alternative dispute resolution: Family Law, Adoption and Assisted Reproduction, Appeals, Civil Rights, Collaborative Family Law, Family Defense and Dependency, Government Investigations and Criminal Law, LGBTQ+ Legal Issues, Civil Mediation/Arbitration, Family Mediation/Arbitration, Professional Ethics and Discipline, and Trusts and Estates.

The firm employs approximately 15 attorneys (principals, of counsel, and associates) plus paralegals, legal assistants, and operational staff, totaling roughly 30 employees. It generates revenue through professional services fees (hourly billing, flat fees, or contingency arrangements depending on practice area and engagement type). The client base is predominantly individuals and families, supplemented by high-net-worth individuals with complex financial estates, regulated professionals (medical, mental health, architects), and governmental entities. Practice emphasis areas include representation of the LGBTQ+ community, public defense work, and landmark civil rights litigation including marriage equality and conversion therapy ban cases.

The firm pursues a relationship-led go-to-market model built on professional recognition, peer referrals, and community involvement rather than paid acquisition. Distribution runs through direct client engagement, attorney referrals within the Washington legal community, and bar association channels (King County Bar Association, QLaw Association, WSBA). No technology platform, software product, API, or AI capability is offered; Skellenger Bender is a pure-play professional services firm with no external investors, no funding rounds, and self-sustaining operations financed through client engagements.

Name

Skellenger Bender

Legal name

Skellenger Bender, P.S.

Website

https://skellengerbender.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skellenger Bender is a Seattle-based law firm founded in 1928 with approximately 30 staff providing legal services across family law, criminal defense, civil rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and mediation for individuals, families, and governmental entities in Washington state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Family law services
• Criminal defense representation
• Civil rights litigation
• Adoption legal services
• Estate planning law

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional legal services billed to clients. Fees are likely structured as hourly rates, flat fees for specific matters, or contingency arrangements depending on practice area. As a traditional law firm, revenue comes from client engagements across family law, criminal defense, civil rights, and other practice areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Skellenger Bender is a Seattle-based law firm providing legal representation and advisory services across twelve practice areas, including family law, adoption and assisted reproduction, criminal defense, civil rights, appeals, mediation and arbitration, LGBTQ+ legal issues, professional ethics and discipline, and trusts and estates. The firm serves individuals, families, businesses, and governmental entities throughout Washington state with a focus on family law, white-collar criminal defense, and landmark civil rights matters.

Product overview

Skellenger Bender is a Seattle-based law firm providing comprehensive legal services across twelve distinct practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, offering individual specialized legal services including Family Law, Adoption and Assisted Reproduction, Appeals, Civil Rights, Collaborative Family Law, Family Defense and Dependency, Government Investigations and Criminal Law, LGBTQ+ Legal Issues, Civil and Family Mediation and Arbitration, Professional Ethics and Discipline, and Trusts and Estates. The practice areas work together to provide holistic legal representation to individuals, families, businesses, and governmental entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Legal services for all types of adoption including independent, agency-assisted, interstate, international, co-parent, stepparent, relative, adult, and foster-adopt; also includes assisted reproduction law covering egg donor, donor insemination, embryo donation agreements, and surrogacy arrangements. For individuals and families seeking to build or expand their families.
• Appeals Appellate legal services at trial and appellate levels of state and federal courts, including consultation on employment, commercial, construction, intellectual property law, family law, and criminal law appeals. For clients seeking to challenge or defend court rulings.
• Civil Rights Civil rights legal representation including challenging discriminatory hiring practices, protecting farm worker rights, women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ justice, family protection, marriage equality, and government/police misconduct cases. For individuals and organizations facing civil rights violations.
• Collaborative Family Law Structured out-of-court process for resolving family law matters through transparency, mutual respect, and creative problem-solving, working with divorce coaches and neutral financial experts to create fair, sustainable resolutions without court intervention. For couples seeking non-adversarial divorce and family law solutions.
• Family Law Comprehensive family law services including marital dissolutions, property division, custody, child support, spousal maintenance, complex financial estates, high conflict custody situations, and representation for unmarried persons and domestic partners. For individuals and families navigating divorce, custody, and family law matters.
• Family Defense and Dependency Child welfare representation including defense against Child Protective Services accusations, dependency and termination proceedings, administrative challenges to CAPTA findings, guardianship cases, and reinstatement of parental rights. For parents and families involved in dependency court proceedings.
• Government Investigations and Criminal Law Legal representation for businesses and individuals facing regulatory agency investigations, criminal investigations and charges including environmental regulation, governmental procurements, import/export, insurance and bank fraud, health care fraud, embezzlement, and currency reporting matters. For individuals and businesses facing criminal charges or regulatory investigations.
• LGBTQ+ Legal Issues Legal services for LGBTQ+ individuals and families covering estate planning, family formation (adoption and assisted reproduction), parentage, divorce and separation, child custody, child support, criminal defense, and employment issues. For LGBTQ+ individuals and families requiring specialized legal counsel.
• Mediation and Arbitration - Civil Alternative dispute resolution services for civil matters including commercial, construction, and general civil disputes, with neutral decision-making and mediation through former judges and experienced arbitrators. For parties seeking to resolve civil disputes outside of court.
• Mediation and Arbitration - Family Family law dispute resolution through mediation (voluntary process with third-party neutral) and arbitration (flexible decision-making without formal court appearance) services. For families seeking alternative dispute resolution for family law matters.
• Professional Ethics and Discipline Legal services for medical and mental health professionals, architects, and design professionals including professional ethics advice, risk management, defense in disciplinary proceedings, licensing matters, and dispute resolution. For licensed professionals facing regulatory or disciplinary matters.
• Trusts and Estates Estate planning services including fiduciary duty advice, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, guardianships, and planning for complex family structures and LGBTQ+ individuals. For individuals and families planning estate matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 adoptions handled by family law attorneys
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Legal VoiceminorOthersSkellenger Bender attorneys work with Legal Voice (formerly Northwest Women's Law Center) on various cases including amicus briefs and advocacy for women's rights and LGBTQ+ issues.
• National Center for Lesbian RightscoreOthersThe firm has a strong partnership with NCLR, having worked together on landmark cases including Tingley v. Ferguson (conversion therapy challenge) and marriage equality litigation.
• ACLU of WashingtoncoreOthersSkellenger Bender attorneys frequently serve as amicus curiae with ACLU-WA in significant civil rights cases including parental rights, housing discrimination, and LGBTQ+ issues.
• QLaw Association of WashingtoncoreOthersMultiple attorneys are active members and leaders in QLaw, including past presidents and current board members. The firm supports the QLaw Foundation LGBTQ+ Legal Clinic.
• King County Bar AssociationminorOthersFirm attorneys serve on KCBA boards and committees including the Board of Trustees, Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee, and Neighborhood Legal Clinic.
• Washington State Bar AssociationminorOthersAttorneys serve on WSBA sections including Family Law Section and LGBTQ+ Law Section Executive Committees.
• American Bar AssociationminorOthersFirm attorneys maintain membership and participate in ABA sections including Family Law Section and Alternative Families Division.
• Washington Association of Criminal Defense LawyersminorOthersPeter Offenbecher and Jennifer Wellman are active members, with Offenbecher having received the William O. Douglas Award.
• Federal Bar AssociationminorOthersJennifer Wellman served as President of the FBA for the Western District of Washington. Firm supports FBA fundraising activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• McKinley Irvin: Seattle-headquartered family law firm with a Pacific Northwest footprint, directly comparable in practice mix (family law, divorce, custody) and boutique size to Skellenger Bender.
• Smith Goodfriend: Seattle family law boutique focused on divorce and family law matters — direct competitor in the same metro and same primary practice area.
• Stokes Lawrence: Seattle-based mid-size firm with comparable breadth across business and litigation practices; competes for similar regional talent and clients in Washington state.
• Helsell Fetterman: Seattle mid-size firm with overlapping practice areas including family law, civil litigation, and ADR; comparable size and Pacific Northwest orientation.
• Lasher Holzapfel Sperr & Dougherty: Pacific Northwest family law firm with similar boutique scale and high-net-worth divorce practice, competing for the same client segment.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins Coie: Large Pacific Northwest-headquartered firm with broad practice areas including appellate, litigation, and family-related matters; competes for premium and complex matters.
• Foster Garvey: Larger Seattle-based full-service firm with adjacent practices in family law, litigation, and government investigations — competes for the same regional clients but offers a wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Pacifica Law Group: Seattle-based firm founded by former Washington Supreme Court justices; competes for appellate and complex litigation matters with a regional rather than national footprint.

Others

• Davis Wright Tremaine: Major Pacific Northwest law firm with established LGBTQ+ and civil rights practices; broader, national-footprint incumbent that competes for high-value and appellate matters.
• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ civil rights legal organization that is a current Skellenger Bender partner (Tingley v. Ferguson) and adjacent player in the same niche, rather than a direct competing private firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skellengerbender
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skellenger-bender-ps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skellenger Bender