
After graduating law school in 2004, I clerked for an amazing judge for two years, then worked at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP for several years before starting my own law firm in 2010. You can read more details of my professional experience below.
I have focused my practice on trusts and estates for most of my legal career. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their families and goals. My practice lets me do interesting substantive work and meet people from many walks of life. The most rewarding part of my practice is sharing with my clients that rare feeling of getting an important and oft-neglected "to do" off the list.
My personal background lends well to this practice. I understand how unexpected life can be. I have broad cultural exposure, having lived in Iran, Pakistan, England, Hong Kong, and several of the United States. I also have varied professional skills - I started out in engineering and worked at The Boeing Company for several years then moved to the law. And then, I had a difficult medical scare, and had to pause my career for a couple of years. To reboot, I changed focus and worked at Amazon.com for a year. I am now back to the satisfying work of estate law.
I have focused my practice on trusts and estates for most of my legal career. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their families and goals. My practice lets me do interesting substantive work and meet people from many walks of life. The most rewarding part of my practice is sharing with my clients that rare feeling of getting an important and oft-neglected "to do" off the list.
My personal background lends well to this practice. I understand how unexpected life can be. I have broad cultural exposure, having lived in Iran, Pakistan, England, Hong Kong, and several of the United States. I also have varied professional skills - I started out in engineering and worked at The Boeing Company for several years then moved to the law. And then, I had a difficult medical scare, and had to pause my career for a couple of years. To reboot, I changed focus and worked at Amazon.com for a year. I am now back to the satisfying work of estate law.
I live in Bellevue with my two sons and our pups, Teddo (black and white pup) and Rocket. You can see how Teddo felt about it when Rocket first showed up as a new member of the family. One or both occasionally come to the office.
I look forward to meeting you and talking with you about your life and goals. Let's work together to build a little peace of mind. |
Professional experience
My nonlinear career path, which includes a start in civil engineering and a recent position at Amazon, adds depth to my personal and professional background. My client and customer service experiences add value to my future client work.
ADMISSIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
Admitted, Washington State Bar (2004)
Admitted, US District Court for Western District of Washington (2006)
Admitted, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2006)
Member, Washington State Bar Association
Member, King County Bar Association, including Real Property, Probate & Trust Section
EDUCATION
2004 — JD WITH HIGH HONORS, UNIV. OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF LAW – GPA 3.8/4
1997 — BS WITH HONORS, CIVIL ENGINEERING, BROWN UNIVERSITY – GPA 3.4/4
2016 — TECHNICAL WRITING CERTIFICATE, BELLEVUE COLLEGE (Because crisp, clear writing matters.)
ADMISSIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
Admitted, Washington State Bar (2004)
Admitted, US District Court for Western District of Washington (2006)
Admitted, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2006)
Member, Washington State Bar Association
Member, King County Bar Association, including Real Property, Probate & Trust Section
EDUCATION
2004 — JD WITH HIGH HONORS, UNIV. OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF LAW – GPA 3.8/4
- Top 5% of graduating class
- Managing Editor, Washington Law Review
- Order of the Coif
1997 — BS WITH HONORS, CIVIL ENGINEERING, BROWN UNIVERSITY – GPA 3.4/4
2016 — TECHNICAL WRITING CERTIFICATE, BELLEVUE COLLEGE (Because crisp, clear writing matters.)
VOLUNTEER WORK & RECOGNITION
- Volunteer Attorney, KCBA Volunteer Legal Services
Recognized by King County Bar Foundation for volunteer work on behalf of a terminally ill resident - Volunteer Attorney, Volunteer Attorneys for People with AIDS – 2007-2010
Helped clients under difficult personal circumstances with estate planning - Volunteer Attorney, Washington First Responder Will Clinic
Provide free estate planning services to qualified first responders and their spouses or partners
WORK EXPERIENCE
Since 2010 (with a break!): Estate Planning Lawyer, Natasha Black Law
Worked closely with clients to provide thorough and responsive legal services.
2017 - 2018: Senior Buyer, Wireless Devices, AMAZON.COM
2006 – 2010: Associate Attorney, DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
Other Positions:
2004 – 2006: Judicial Clerk, WASHINGTON STATE COURT OF APPEALS
2000 - 2001: Paralegal, RIDDELL WILLIAMS PS
1998 – 2000: Structural Engineer, THE BOEING COMPANY
Since 2010 (with a break!): Estate Planning Lawyer, Natasha Black Law
Worked closely with clients to provide thorough and responsive legal services.
- Formed and operated a lean law practice by using innovative products and services to reducing legal fees for clients.
- Prepared up-to-date, comprehensive, single-source document templates for rapid creation of initial document drafs. Single-source templates dramatically reduce time spent on each client’s document preparation without sacrificing quality or client focus, and focus attorney time on value-added tasks.
- Planned estates for individual and families. Met with clients to assess needs and used suitable legal methods to achieve client goals. Advised clients regarding duties in various fiduciary roles. Achieved a steady flow of clients primarily through referrals from existing clients, with new clients routinely sharing that they received an excellent reference.
- Assist with trusts, probate, premarital agreements, ongoing guardianship assistance, and related practice areas.
2017 - 2018: Senior Buyer, Wireless Devices, AMAZON.COM
- Owned P&L for Amazon.com's mobile phone devices business, including launch, marketing, business review and iterative data-focused reporting, customer service, and annual vendor negotiations.
- Mentored junior team members.
2006 – 2010: Associate Attorney, DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
- Planned a variety of client estate types, including advising fiduciaries and handling probate matters.
- Managed litigation cases, including supervising junior attorneys and non-attorney staff.
- Took client matters from initial client intake through completion in client's best interests.
- Built trust with senior attorneys by taking ownership of work product, including surfacing mistakes and addressing consequences, and advocating for alternative strategies when appropriate.
Other Positions:
2004 – 2006: Judicial Clerk, WASHINGTON STATE COURT OF APPEALS
2000 - 2001: Paralegal, RIDDELL WILLIAMS PS
1998 – 2000: Structural Engineer, THE BOEING COMPANY