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Terry Church
Senior Partner
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Terry Church is the founding member and senior partner of Church Rietzke Johnson PLLC. He is a seasoned trial lawyer who has helped thousands of injured people in our community since 1990.
Terry enjoys getting to know his clients well and focuses on understanding how your life has been affected by your injuries. Terry is tireless and thorough in solving insurance and medical issues for his clients, whether complex and severe or straightforward.
- Over 30 years of trial, arbitration, and mediation experience
- Tough negotiator with insurance companies and opposing attorneys
- Serves as an arbitrator and mediator in other civil cases
- Served as a pro-tem district court judge
- 2022 Daniel Bigelow Award winner in recognition as an outstanding professional & community service member
- Past President of the Thurston County Bar Association
- Past President of Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services
- Presents seminars to other legal providers and health care professionals
Terry was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington and worked as a journalist for newspapers in Washington and Oregon before going to law school. A diehard baseball fan, Terry’s first job was as a high school student working as a bat boy for the Seattle Mariners during their inaugural season at the Kingdome in 1977. Terry’s favorite job is being the father to three young adults. In his free time, he enjoys researching genealogy.
Education
- University of Puget Sound School of Law, J.D. cum laude
- University of Puget Sound Law Review
- Washington State University, B.A., Journalism
License
- Washington State Bar license
- Admitted to United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Testimonials
Jolene Stokesberry
21:03 01 May 23
I wasn't sure if I wanted to use an attorney. But Terry and his team created an outcome that was much better than I could have done on my own. Also, they were professional and supportive. I could focus on healing while they did the work. I would definitely recommend Church Rietzke Johnson.
Dan
16:52 06 Sep 22
Thank you Terry and Maurice. Your experience, perseverance, preparation, and good advice led to a positive outcome for my accident claim. You are both excellent communicators and helped me through a process that was very frustrating at times. Thanks also to Leslie and Joey for keeping things on track through the worst of COVID and beyond. A real team effort. I highly recommend Church Rietzke Johnson, PLLC.
Katrina Kimball
04:20 01 Sep 21
I can't sing the praises of Terry and Joey loud enough. I was so stressed after my auto accident and had no idea how to deal with the insurance claims. Terry and Joey took all of the stress out of the situation for me and did a fantastic job representing my interests. I highly recommend this firm if you are in an auto accident.
Melissa Embry
21:54 11 Jun 21
I contacted the office of Church Rietzke Johnson for assistance due to being involved in an accident and the insurance company was refusing to help me because they were claiming that they were not responsible.I am extremely pleased with their Professional service. They were very friendly, understanding and fought hard for me.I was also pleased with their communication, I was never in the dark about what was going on with my case and that made me feel at ease.Hopefully I don't need an attorney again, but if I do then I am contacting Terry Church and Joey first.
Jason McGill
07:01 06 Mar 21
Terry and team are the best. There’s no one more experienced working with insurance companies. He knows it all and will do the best possible work under the law. He and team are also friendly and will go the extra mile.
Candice Bracken
19:49 16 Dec 20
I highly recommend Terry Church and his team at Church Rietzke Johnson. They helped me with my recent auto accident personal injury case. Terry & Joey made the process smooth and easy to understand, even during Covid. Hiring them put my mind at ease that my doctor bills would be covered without me fighting tooth and nail. I am also confident that I would never have been able to receive the settlement total that I was awarded if I had tried on my own. The whole group was kind, professional, and personable. Don’t hesitate to call Church Rietzke Johnson 🙂
Barbara Grigsby
00:30 19 Nov 20
Terry Church ReviewI was at a complete stop in my car, rear-ended and injured. My insurance company stopped paying my medical bills shortly after treatment started. I was far from healed at that point and knew I had to continue my medical care. I needed a good lawyer to represent me. I knew of Terry Church's ethics and integrity in fighting for his clients. Terry fought my own insurance company through an arbitration process and got all of my medical bills paid.But he didn't stop there. He then fought for recovery and won against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering so my medical treatments could continue as needed until my injuries stabilized. Because of his principles Terry goes the extra mile and does everything possible to resolve the claim in the best interest of his clients. It was a privilege to work with him and his paralegal Joey.This is a 5-star review for Terry's professionalism, experience and commitment, his unwavering skill communicating with the insurance companies, and negotiating a settlement and last but not least - his incredible staff. I highly recommend Terry and the Church Rietzke Johnson law firm.
Leslie Carroll
19:08 25 Aug 20
Terry Church is extremely competent, experienced, knowledgeable, a great listener, has much wisdom, and advocates for his clients and their best interests. I highly recommend him as a personal injury attorney. He also has a superb team.
Veronica Gutierrez
02:47 02 Jul 20
I was very pleased with Terry Church and his team! This is an amazing office, that care about their clients. I was rear ended and both of our vehicle's were totalled. Terry and his team were very patient with me and did not want to close the case unless I was at 100%. I would recommend my friends and family with Church Rietzke. Thank you again!
J Duncan
19:48 21 Apr 20
I had a great experience with Terry at Church Reitzke. I was rear ended and the insurance company stopped paying my medical bills. I had no experience hiring a lawyer and was unsure how to proceed. Terry guided me through each step of the litigation process and successfully negotiated a settlement I am happy with.
Jesse Gold
02:42 18 Apr 19
My wife and I were rear-ended in a car wreck. The opposing insurance company kept calling my wife and badgering her to sign some papers just a couple days after the wreck The wreck was bad; we both had concussions; and we were in a really bad situation needing to heal up from this incident.A good friend of ours recommended Terry and his firm. We met with them and got a good feeling from the start. He was able to immediately get the opposing insurance company to stop contacting my wife. As time wore on, the other insurance company was very unresponsive and uncooperative. After about a year went by, Terry started the process to go to court. We were gearing up for depositions, interviews, the whole nine yards. At that point, the opposing side finally capitulated and began to bargain with us. Everything eventually worked out in the end.I am very grateful to Terry and his team for helping us out through the entire process. He and his team were very patient and explained everything as we went along. They were even able to occasionally meet after hours or on a weekend day when we could not get off from work.I have worked with other attorneys in the past who were not as easy to work with, nor as professional. I was very impressed with him and his team, that they were there for us, and worked so hard.
Laura Shauger
18:01 06 Sep 18
Terry and his paralegal Kristina were thorough, professional, and diligent about pursuing my car accident case. I felt confident about their experience and knowledge; they know how to strategize and see the case through. Although as you may imagine, I hope I never have a reason to work with them again, I highly recommend them to other individuals looking for a lawyer they can rely on.
Simone Boe
17:29 04 Aug 18
Terry and his team worked with me on a personal injury claim related to an uninsured motorist accident. When I met with Terry the words that stuck with me were, “we’ll handle the insurance company and you focus on getting better.” That was the philosophy that carried through to a fair settlement.He and his staff were great about explaining my options, timelines and possible outcomes. Communication was always timely and I knew what to expect and when to expect it. I’d never hired an attorney for a personal injury claim prior to this (and hope I don’t need to again!) but know that if I ever need one again I’d go to Terry and his team and I’d recommend them with full confidence to my friends or family needing help with a personal injury issue.
Gary Mersereau
22:31 21 Apr 17
Terry Church represented me with a personal injury case approximately 12 years ago. He and his staff helped me all along the way until he won my case for me. He is an excellent attorney who is focused on your needs. He is always there for you whenever you require him. I couldn't give a higher recommendation than I do for Terry Church.
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