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Former State Senator Dale M. Nordquist and his partner D.D. Schnatterly founded the law firm Nordquist and Schnatterly in 1946, where the Edward Jones building is now on West Main Street. The firm, which is now Althauser Rayan Abbarno and sits on the corner of North Pearl and West Magnolia streets, has expanded over the past 74 years to seven lawyers and an office in Olympia.
The general practice firm covers just about every aspect of law, other than bankruptcies and cases that go to federal court up in Tacoma, though they have worked bankruptcy cases before. If a person has a legal need, the firm can mostly likely help them. If the lawyers can’t do it themselves, they have enough colleagues throughout the state who work in niche practices that they can refer clients to.
The firm has cases all across the state, though Lewis County is their community and main focus. The bulk of their cases come from personal injuries, workers compensation, landlord-tenant, criminal defense, family law, adoptions, property law, business formation, DUIs and speeding tickets.
That advantage of having seven lawyers who are all experienced in multiple areas of the law is that clients can come to Althauser Rayan Abbarno and find all the help they need, rather than going to multiple lawyers to get multiple problems handled.
Most of their clients are people who don’t have much experience dealing with the court system, which can be a scary situation. Everyone who comes to Althauser Rayan Abbarno is looking for help. The attorneys, by working hard, knowing what they’re doing and being prepared, more often than not, attain results for those people. Helping those people is the reason why the attorneys at Althauser Rayan Abbarno do what they do.
“Their lives are improved in some way by the work that we do,” attorney Jakob McGhie said. “And that’s really fulfilling.”
Partner Todd Rayan, who has been at the firm since 2003, echoed McGhie’s thought, saying that guiding people through the legal system and helping them solve their problems is the most rewarding aspect of the job.
“I often tell my clients that ‘I am probably the least litigious person you know,’” Rayan said. “I don’t want to litigate. Obviously we have the skill and ability to do that… but just securing justice for people is super rewarding. It really is. It’s getting them through, many times, the darkest points in their lives, and kind of holding their hands through that process.”
And the firm gives back to the community in a multitude of ways, not just by helping people with their law needs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm has given away a lot of free consultations, took calls and made it a point to serve the community when they didn’t have the money to afford it.
“I think that’s what sets our law firm apart, especially in a community like this,” partner Peter Abbarno said. “One of the things we try to do is make sure we serve our community, not just with legal services, but we’re in our community giving back.”
And it’s not just something the firm has been doing recently. In 2019, it donated over $100,000 worth of free legal services and donations to charitable organizations.
This year, it donated over 2,000 senior meals to the United Way of Lewis County and Lewis County Seniors organizations. Every year, the firm is the main sponsor with Thorbeckes Wellness Center for the Centralia Turkey Trot to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County. Each year, it partners in the “Back to School/Stuff the Bus” supply drive.
“This community has been amazing to us and so we want to give back to them,” Abbarno said. “It’s really just weaving the firm into the fabric of the community. That’s the thing I’m most proud of.”
The charity-giving helped Althauser Rayan Abbarno be named Best Customer Service four years in a row in The Chronicle’s Best of Lewis County awards, and in 2018 won Best Place to Work in Lewis County.
Another thing they’re proud of, McGhie said, is they are rotarians in the community as well. McGhie is the president of the Twin Cities Rotary Club and associate Sam Wilkins is a member of that club. Attorneys at the law firm have been members of the rotary club for decades, and it’s almost become a rite of passage.
“Our firm has always made a point of making sure that the people working here are in those organizations so they’re in the community and giving back,” McGhie said.
More Information on Althauser Rayan Abbarno
Location: 114 W. Magnolia St., Centralia
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday
Phone: 360-736-1301
Website: centralialaw.com
