SMITH GOODFRIEND, P.S.

What SMITH GOODFRIEND, P.S. does

Smith Goodfriend, P.S. is a Seattle-based civil appellate law firm founded in 1969 by Malcolm L. Edwards, the recognized "dean" of Washington appellate practice. The firm operates on a single-discipline model in which every lawyer (six shareholders and one associate as of the latest data) restricts his or her practice exclusively to civil appeals and related trial court litigation. Active matters typically span the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and all three Divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals, covering diverse subject areas including commercial, constitutional, domestic, governmental liability, health care, insurance, labor and employment, personal injury, professional discipline, probate and trust, real property, and taxation. Scores of published decisions in which the firm has appeared as counsel of record form the backbone of its reputational asset.

The firm's go-to-market is referral-driven rather than client-driven. Trial attorneys and institutional clients (insurance companies, governmental entities, large businesses) refer matters to the firm on a single-appeal or single-lawsuit basis; the firm typically associates with trial counsel and takes the lead on appellate work, with occasional consulting engagements where the firm is not counsel of record. The firm explicitly does not provide pricing publicly and structures engagements as quote-based professional services arrangements (hourly or fixed fees). Critically, the firm states that no major client contributes a significant percentage of its practice, which is the structural reason the firm limits representation to the specific matter for which a client is referred.

There is no proprietary technology product. The firm's "outputs" are legal services, a published-decision archive on its website, an ongoing monthly "Always Appealing" column in the King County Bar Bulletin authored by firm lawyers, and a library of educational articles on appellate practice topics. Revenue, financials, and ownership details beyond shareholder composition are not publicly disclosed, reflecting the firm's status as a private professional service corporation (P.S.) owned entirely by its shareholder attorneys, with no parent company or external funding.

Name

SMITH GOODFRIEND, P.S.

Legal name

Smith Goodfriend, P.S.

Website

https://washingtonappeals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smith Goodfriend, P.S. is a Seattle-based civil appellate law firm founded in 1969, where every lawyer practices exclusively civil appeals in Washington state and federal appellate courts, serving clients referred by trial attorneys and institutional litigants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Appellate Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Civil appellate litigation
• Appellate advocacy services
• Civil appeals practice
• Appellate brief writing
• Appellate oral argument

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Appellate Practice: Professional legal services for civil appellate matters including appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington Supreme Court, and Washington Court of Appeals. Services include appellate brief writing, oral argument, consultation on appellate matters, and trial court litigation related to appeals. Revenue is generated through attorney fees for legal services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Smith Goodfriend, P.S. provides civil appellate legal representation and consultation exclusively in Washington state and federal appellate courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and all three Divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals. The firm associates with trial counsel and leads appellate matters on a referred, per-case basis, while also consulting on appellate matters where it is not counsel of record. Its lawyers each restrict their practice to civil appeals and related trial court litigation, covering practice areas from commercial and constitutional to domestic, insurance, labor and employment, probate, real property, and taxation.

Product overview

Smith Goodfriend, P.S. is the premier appellate law firm in Washington, offering civil appellate legal services exclusively. The firm operates as a single-practice focused firm with services including civil appellate litigation, case consultation, and educational resources. Their practice spans appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington Supreme Court, and Washington Court of Appeals, covering diverse practice areas from domestic relations to insurance to constitutional law. The firm provides published decision archives, the monthly 'Always Appealing' column in the King County Bar Bulletin, and practice-focused articles on appellate topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Appellate Legal Services Civil appellate legal representation before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington Supreme Court, and all three Divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals. The firm specializes exclusively in civil appeals and related trial court litigation, generally associating with trial counsel and taking the lead on the appellate phase for clients referred by other lawyers and institutions.
• Appellate Case Consultation Consultation on appellate matters in which the firm is not counsel of record, providing a fresh approach and a unique perspective for parties and trial counsel who need appellate analysis or strategy short of full representation.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Davis Wright Tremaine: Davis Wright Tremaine is a Seattle-based national firm with a strong appellate practice across media, insurance, and commercial litigation. Comparable Pacific Northwest presence and overlap in appellate matters.
• K&L Gates: K&L Gates is a Seattle-rooted international firm with an active appellate practice in Washington state and federal courts. Like Perkins Coie and DWT, it is a likely referral source and a regional competitor in the appellate space.
• Perkins Coie: Perkins Coie is a Seattle-headquartered full-service firm with a significant appellate practice active in Washington and the Ninth Circuit. It is a likely source of referrals to Smith Goodfriend and represents the broader regional competitive set.
• Stoel Rives: Stoel Rives is a Pacific Northwest-based full-service firm with appellate coverage across Washington and the Ninth Circuit. It is a natural referral counterpart and represents the regional incumbent set in the same appellate ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Keker, Van Nest & Peters: Keker is a San Francisco litigation boutique known for high-stakes trial and appellate work in California and federal courts. Comparable to Smith Goodfriend in its specialist-boutique positioning and lead-counsel role in complex cases.
• Cobalt LLP: Cobalt LLP is a civil appellate boutique with offices in Boise and other markets, practicing before federal and state appellate courts. It is the closest structural analog to Smith Goodfriend: a small, referral-driven firm that restricts its practice to appellate work.
• Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott: Bartlit Beck is a litigation boutique with a strong appellate and trial practice, serving as lead or co-counsel in high-stakes cases. While larger than Smith Goodfriend, it shares the specialist boutique model and reputation for senior-led appellate work.

Broad incumbents

• Susman Godfrey: Susman Godfrey is a national trial and appellate boutique that takes on bet-the-company cases. Comparable in appellate capability and lead-counsel positioning, though at meaningfully larger scale than Smith Goodfriend.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Quinn Emanuel is the world's largest litigation-only firm with a substantial appellate practice. It competes in the same lead-counsel complex-litigation space but operates at global scale, often as opposing counsel to boutique appellate firms.
• Williams & Connolly: Williams & Connolly is a premier national litigation firm with a renowned appellate practice that routinely handles U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate matters. It is a larger, established competitor in the highest-end appellate work Smith Goodfriend aspires to.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smith-goodfriend-p.s.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 SMITH GOODFRIEND, P.S.