OUR VALUES
RESPECT
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KNOWLEDGE
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INTEGRITY
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RESPONSIBILITY
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COMMUNITY
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OUR ATTORNEY
BRIAN J. DANO
CONCENTRATED IN THE AREAS OF ESTATE & TRUST PLANNING & ADMINISTRATION, PROBATE, REAL PROPERTY & COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS, BUSINESS ENTITY CREATION & MANAGEMENT, & FAMILY BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING
Brian grew up in Ellensburg and graduated from Ellensburg High School where he was a three sport letterman and class officer. Following high school, he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy. Brian later graduated with a BA in Political Science from Washington State University and his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University Law School. He has been in the active practice of law since 1972 and is celebrating his 50th year of practice in 2022!
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Brian is married to Cynthia and they share 5 children and 7 beautiful grandchildren.
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Brian really enjoys his work and in his spare time also enjoys traveling, music, sports, movies and reading. He is a WSU Cougar FANatic!
JEFF HEIMARK
LPO (Real Estate) and Probate/Estate Administration
Jeff grew up in Moses Lake, graduated from Moses Lake High School and received his BA from Washington State University. He has been with the firm since 2011 and obtained his LPO (Limited Practice Officer) license in 2019. Jeff works in the probate and real estate portions of the firm.
Before joining the firm, Jeff worked several years for a local financial institution. His previous work history has given him insight for estate and trust account creation as well as asset transfers and financial transactions.
Jeff is married to Kristi and they share three children..
In his spare time, he enjoys playing and listening to music and doing home improvement projects. Jeff is WSU Cougar FANatic.
JENNIFER CHARPENTIER
Estate and Future Planning and Business Formation
Jennifer grew up in Moses Lake, graduated from Moses Lake High School and served four years in the U.S. Army as a photojournalist. She has been a legal assistant with Dano Law Firm since 2006, working primarily in Estate and Future Planning and corporate formations. In 2021 Jennifer took a sabbatical to hike 1,206 miles of the Appalachian Trail, hiking through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maine, carrying her life in her backpack. Jennifer is keeping her adventures closer to home these days so as to enjoy the company of her first grandchild.
KRISTI HEIMARK
Probate /Estate Administration
Kristi is a lifelong resident of Moses Lake and graduated from Moses Lake High School. She is married to Jeff (see above) and they share three beautiful children.
​Kristi enjoys everything outdoors! She loves traveling, gardening, spending time with family and learning new things.
LEGAL ASSISTANTS
SUPPORT TEAM
LAURIE FOWLER
Administrative and Executive Assistant
Laurie was born and raised in Fairfield, Montana and graduated from Fairfield High School.
She has lived in Moses Lake since 1993, and joined Dano Law Firm in 2020.
Laurie is married with five grown children and 14 grandchildren who keep her busy all the time.
In her spare time she can be: seen at the baseball fields supporting her grandkids; listening to music; dancing; gardening; adventuring outdoors; and most of all getting in the car for a good Montana road trip!
NANCY STOUT
Entity File Management
Nancy was born and raised in Seward, Alaska. She graduated from Seward High School and attended Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington. She moved to Moses Lake in 1986 and began working with Dano Law Firm in 1998.
She and her husband, Dan, who is a Warrant Officer in the National Guard, have one son and five grandchildren.
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On her days off Nancy enjoys spending time with family (especially the grandchildren!) walking, shopping, road trips, boating and going to the movies.
MICHELE DANO
Receptionist and Client Care Coordinator
Michele is a long time resident of Moses Lake and graduated from Moses Lake High School and attended Big Bend Community College. She joined the firm in 2019.
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She is the mother of three children who keep her busy with their varied activities.
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Michele enjoys country music and in her spare time can be found kicking up her heels at rodeos, concerts and festivals.
CYNTHIA DANO
Business Coach
Cynthia grew up in Richland, WA and graduated from Hanford High School and Big Bend Community College. She has worked for the firm off and on since 2000. She previously owned Studio C Photography and Imbibe Wine Bar and became a certified life and health coach in 2016. In addition to working for the firm, she is a Positive Intelligence Coach and operates a private coaching practice.
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She and Brian share 5 children and 6 wonderful grandchildren.
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Cynthia is a National Park junkie and loves road trips, hiking, traveling, reading, music and family. Cynthia is NOT a WSU Cougar (nor any other sport) FANatic!
We are so grateful to each member of our wonderful team! Every one at Dano Law Firm is dedicated to providing a positive experience for each of our clients.
AWARD WINNING ETHICS
We believe actions speak louder than words and follow the dictum of JC Watts,"Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking." That frames the basis of our firm and the foundation for our mission statement. We hold high standards for each member of our team.
Brian Dano has been Martindale-Hubbard AV Preeminent for over 30 years,
which is the highest peer rating standard for outstanding ethics and legal ability.
WHY US
GENERATIONS OF EXPERIENCE
Experience Matters! Since 1947, Dano Law Firm, P.S. (in one form or another) has been providing peace of mind and experience in the areas of real estate and business transactions; estate and future planning; probate administration; and limited liability company (LLC) creation, management and transactions. We have seen many changes in 70 years... name changes, location changes, and partner changes.
Through all of this, one thing has remained unchanged and true to our founder's vision...
Our commitment to providing peace of mind to our clients and our team.
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In all we do, we stay true to our foundational values of Respect, Knowledge, Integrity, Responsibility and Community.
QUALITY INDIVIDUAL CARE
We partner with you by first listening and understanding what your needs are and recognizing that you and your situation are unique. Then with that knowledge and our experience, we customize a solution for your issues. We value your time and take pride in always returning your calls and emails in a timely manner as well as communicating with you regarding your matter. Attention to detail and timelines as well as confidentiality is our promise to you.
We are here to help make the difficult simple.
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Call or email today to see how we can work together for your peace of mind.
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OUR STORY
Founded in the mid 1940's by Harrison K. Dano on his return from WWII, Dano Law Firm has had over 70 years of experience with putting their clients first.
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Originally Harrison K. Dano partnered with FA Kern in Ellensburg, WA to begin Kern and Dano, a general practice firm. Over the years the firm grew, adding partners (and names) and became a highly respected Ellensburg law firm.
In 1977, Harry led the firm expansion to Moses Lake. He had garnered a strong understanding of water and reclamation law and gained many clients in the area, including Paul Lauzier, as the Basin began opening up to greater farming opportunities. On the side, Harry tried his hand at farming with his sons, Brian and Garth, farming with him when they were younger. Many changes occurred. The farming didn't work out and the Moses Lake branch of the Ellensburg law firm split from their Ellensburg associates.
In 1984, Brian moved from Ellensburg to Moses Lake and joined in the established practice with his father and brother, Garth.
Neither of the Dano brothers had planned to follow their father's footsteps as attorneys, nor did their father expect it of them. Brian had intended to become a football coach, playing the game in both high school and college, but by the time he'd become a senior at Washington State University, he decided that wasn't the career for him. Instead, he headed to law school at Gonzaga University, a decision he claims was a "spur of the moment" idea.
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Although Harry Dano did not expect his sons to go into law as a profession, he did expect them to work hard and instilled a tremendous work ethic in all of his children. Harry literally worked nights, days and weekends. He believed that a lawyer had an obligation to give back to the community and impressed this same belief of the importance of community involvement upon his sons. As Brian explains it, "the thing he impressed upon us, and one of the reasons he was working so much, was he also took the time to be involved and participate in a number of community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. My dad always said,
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"You are a service provider and part of being a service provider is to provide voluntary
service to the community you live in and to be a leader."
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Community involvement has been a cornerstone of Dano Law Firm and is one of the firm's values. Brian added,
"He lived that belief and I know it was a big influence with me, because as soon as I started practicing law I was immediately
a member of the Rotary Club, the Chamber, the Rodeo Board and a variety of community groups."
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Brian has kept up this tradition of community involvement during his 35+ years of practice in Moses Lake where he has also been involved in the Moses Lake Tourism Commission, the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Commission, the Grant County Economic Development Council, the Big Bend Community College Foundation, Vision 20/20 and several other local and regional political endeavors.
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The past 70+ years has seen many changes at Dano Law Firm...name changes, location changes, and partner changes. Through the changes, one thing has remained unchanged and true to our founder's vision...
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OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND TO OUR CLIENTS AND OUR TEAM.
