Smith & Lowney, PLLC

What Smith & Lowney, PLLC does

Smith & Lowney, PLLC is a Seattle-based public-interest law firm founded in 1996 by Richard Smith and Knoll Lowney. The firm operates as an eight-attorney boutique specializing in environmental citizen enforcement litigation under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, consumer protection class actions — particularly under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and federal consumer-finance statutes — False Claims Act qui tam whistleblower representation, and government-accountability work including initiative drafting and ballot title review. Its docket also includes land use and Social Justice matters. The firm represents a recurring base of institutional environmental and civic clients — Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Waste Action Project, Sierra Club, Community Coalition, Save Our Capitol!, and Washington Environmental Law & Justice Foundation — alongside consumer classes, servicemember plaintiffs, and individual whistleblowers.

The firm operates primarily on contingency fee arrangements with supplemental statutory fee-shifting recoveries, supplemented by pro bono engagements consistent with its public-interest mission. Notable case results include a $185 million settlement against Wells Fargo, $64 million against USAA, $63.6 million against JPMorgan Chase in an SCRA class action, and $42 million against Bank of America in another SCRA matter. Federal-court admissions extend across the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington, the District of Oregon, the District of Montana, and the Northern District of California, providing multi-jurisdiction reach across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Recent personnel additions — including Katelyn Kinn in 2023 from in-house counsel at Puget Soundkeeper Alliance — and the addition of a Social Justice practice indicate modest bench-deepening and deliberate practice-area expansion.

There is no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed AI or automation tooling, and no external funding. Strategic optionality comes from case selection, statutory expertise, and the firm's reputational standing within the Washington public-interest bar, as evidenced by Claire Tonry's 2025 receipt of the Kerry Rydberg-Jack Tuholske Award for Public Interest Litigation and multiple Super Lawyers recognitions.

Name

Smith & Lowney, PLLC

Legal name

Smith & Lowney PLLC

Website

https://smithandlowney.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smith & Lowney, PLLC is a Seattle-based public-interest law firm of eight attorneys that handles environmental citizen suits, consumer class actions, False Claims Act qui tam work, and government accountability matters for environmental NGOs, consumer classes, and whistleblower clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public interest legal services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Environmental citizen suits
• Consumer class actions
• False claims whistleblower
• Public interest law
• Government accountability

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fee Litigation: The firm frequently takes environmental citizen suits on a contingency basis where losing defendants must pay the firm's fees and costs. This allows the firm to represent clients without upfront costs while generating revenue from favorable case outcomes.
2. False Claims Act / Whistleblower Representation: Representation of whistleblowers in exposing fraud against the government, recovering millions for taxpayers and 'relators' shares' for clients.
3. Class Action Litigation: Consumer class actions where the firm represents millions of consumers in nationwide cases targeting corporate abuse, providing compensation to consumers and/or charities.
4. Pro Bono and Reduced Fee Representation: The firm handles certain social justice cases pro bono or at reduced fees, including initiatives like the No New Youth Jail Campaign and Initiative 940.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Smith & Lowney, PLLC is a Seattle-based public interest law firm that provides legal representation in environmental citizen suits, consumer class actions, false claims/whistleblower litigation, land use and property damage cases, government accountability matters, ballot initiative drafting, and social justice causes. The firm frequently takes cases on a contingency basis, holding corporations and governments accountable through litigation and negotiated settlements that recover compensation, fund environmental projects, and require operational reforms.

Product overview

Smith & Lowney, PLLC is a Seattle-based public interest law firm offering legal services across ten distinct practice areas: Environmental Law Enforcement (citizen suits under Clean Water Act and other federal environmental statutes), Environmental Impact Litigation (strategic impact cases), Land Use, Property Damage from Environmental Harm, Class Action & Consumer Protection, False Claims and Fraud Against the Government, Government Accountability, Initiative and Referendums Drafting and Litigation, Social Justice, and Other Practice Areas. The firm serves environmental organizations, nonprofits, and individuals seeking to hold corporations and governments accountable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Class Action & Consumer Protection Legal representation for consumers in class action lawsuits challenging corporate misconduct, including Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) litigation for military servicemembers, kosher fraud litigation, and nationwide consumer class actions against major banks.
• False Claims and Fraud Against the Government Representation of whistleblowers in exposing fraud against the government, particularly at the Hanford Nuclear Site, recovering millions for taxpayers under the False Claims Act.
• Environmental Law Enforcement Bringing environmental citizen suits under the Clean Water Act and other federal environmental laws to enforce water quality protections and require pollution remediation against corporate polluters.
• Environmental Impact Litigation Strategic impact litigation designed to translate specific lawsuits into far-reaching environmental protection, including ORMA (Ocean Resources Management Act) cases, Clean Water Act permit challenges, and salmon hatchery litigation.
• Initiative and Referendums - Drafting and Litigation Drafting and litigation support for statewide and local ballot initiatives and referendums, including progressive causes and challenging harmful initiatives before the Washington State Supreme Court.
• Land Use Legal representation of communities fighting to protect local environment and quality of life, including crude-by-rail and oil project litigation, mall development challenges, and wetland preservation cases.
• Property Damage from Environmental Harm Legal claims for property damage caused by environmental harm, including Clean Water Act citizen suits and Washington state law claims for compensation from illegal pesticide spraying.
• Government Accountability Using federal and state laws to hold governments accountable for transparency, including Open Public Meetings Act violations, Public Disclosure Act suits, and appearance of fairness doctrine challenges.
• Social Justice Representation in pursuit of social justice, including youth jail opposition, tenant protection initiatives, police reform through Initiative 940, and civil rights cases.
• Other Practice Areas Additional legal services including injury to persons or property, immigration matters, employment issues, constitutional and civil rights law, non-profit issues, and voting and election law.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of millions of dollars recovered for consumers and environmental projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Seattle-based complex litigation firm; comparable in consumer class actions, including financial services litigation against major banks, with a similar Pacific Northwest base.
• Earthjustice: Largest US nonprofit environmental law firm; shares the same public-interest environmental enforcement mission, Clean Water Act citizen-suit practice, and representation of national environmental NGOs.
• Cascadia Law Group: Pacific Northwest-based environmental and land use law firm; directly comparable in regional environmental litigation practice and serving similar community/NGO clients.
• Hagens Berman: National consumer class action firm with strong record of large bank settlements; comparable in consumer protection class action practice and ability to secure nine-figure settlements.
• Earthrise Law Center: Oregon-based environmental law clinic/center; comparable mission and practice areas, particularly Clean Water Act enforcement, and explicitly cited as a former intern/employer of Smith & Lowney attorneys.
• Berger Montague PC: National class action and complex litigation firm; directly comparable in consumer protection class actions and complex contingency-fee public interest litigation.
• Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC: National public interest litigation firm; comparable in False Claims Act/qui tam, consumer class actions, and civil rights litigation with a similar impact-driven mission.

Others

• Natural Resources Defense Council: Major environmental advocacy organization with significant in-house legal capacity; comparable mission in environmental enforcement and frequently a partner/co-counsel rather than direct competitor.
• Public Citizen: National consumer and public interest advocacy organization with a litigation arm; comparable mission in corporate accountability and consumer protection, though structured as a nonprofit rather than a law firm.
• Sierra Club: Major national environmental organization that is also a client of Smith & Lowney; comparable mission in environmental protection but operates primarily as advocacy rather than as a law firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 & Lowney, PLLC