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Hello

I am the founder and owner of Avellar PLLC. I pride myself on being an approachable lawyer who provides clients practical, business-minded advice for their legal issues. Read on to find out more about me and how I got here!

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My Story

Having lived all over the US, I'm proud to call the PNW my home. In the past decade, I honed my legal acumen by attending prestigious schools and working at a top international law firm. While I enjoyed the intellectual challenge and fast-pace of these environments, I missed the opportunity to have a greater local impact. That's why now I'm applying my standard of excellence to the work I do for small businesses and nonprofits here in Washington.

Growing up in New England, outside of New York City, I was excited to explore. After moving to New Orleans to earn my bachelor's degree in history (cum laude) at Tulane University, I satiated my wanderlust. But my experience was more than that — I made lifelong friends and gained eye opening experiences about the justice system, poverty, and inequality.

With this in mind, I moved once again — this time to Chicago — to pursue my law degree at the prestigious University of Chicago (ranked #3 law school in the US by US News 2024). UChicago prides itself on #rigor, and it did not disappoint. While my three years of study were intense, my studies there gave me the foundations to become the excellent lawyer I am today. But I didn't develop a strong foundation on theory alone. I coupled intellectual discourse with practical experience, spending a large portion of my second and third year interning at UChicago's Abrams Environmental Law Clinic. This experience provided me essential knowledge on how to work with regulators as well as the intricacies of environmental law.

Upon graduation, my wife and I moved to New York City, starting our careers at prestigious law firms. I practiced at Sidley Austin LLP (ranked #11 law firm in the US by Vault) in commercial litigation, white collar, and securities enforcement and worked for some of the world's largest financial institutions. In doing so, I acquired invaluable practice skills and insight into risk mitigation and securities rules, which I apply to my transactional practice today.

 

By the time the pandemic hit, my wife and I were ready for a change. As a PNW native, she and I felt that the PNW better suited our personalities and life goals. I was also ready for a career change.

 

With my vision to make an impact on the local community — something that would be much more challenging at a larger firm — I took the risk of opening my own firm. 

Today, I focus on transactional work for businesses and nonprofits, meaning I help individuals with a vision become organizations and operate successfully. I write contracts, draft financing and lending documents, apply for tax exempt status, negotiate employment agreements, and more. I've left disputes behind, but it informs how I practice and makes me a better transactional lawyer.

Outside of work, I am on the board of the nonprofit Seattle REconomy (which runs the NE Seattle and Shoreline tool libraries) and I enjoy gardening, baking bread, and outdoor activities with my spouse and two dogs.

Contact

I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.

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