Evans, Craven & Lackie PS, of Spokane, is growing and adapting its workforce and litigation areas to meet the Spokane community's changing legal landscape, says Mark Louvier, the firm's managing partner.

When Louvier started his career at Evans, Craven & Lackie as an intern in 2005, a large part of the 46-year-old law firm's business was dedicated to litigation defense for government entities.

It also was focused on business defense cases, including insurance defense, workers' compensation defense, and employment law.

"It was our bread and butter back then," says Louvier. "That's transitioned over time to broader aspects of litigation and also some business and corporate work."

Louvier has been a partner at Evans, Craven & Lackie for a decade now. He works at the company's main office on the second floor of the Lincoln Building, located at 818 W. Riverside, in downtown Spokane. 

He says the firm's willingness and ability to evolve over time is one of its attributes. 

"Some of the markets that we've begun serving are, frankly, a matter of community necessity," Louvier says. 

Evans, Craven & Lackie now is more focused on litigation work.

"The cases we tend to handle are much larger and more complex than we have in the past because of the needs that we have in the Spokane area," he says, adding that the reasons behind the changes of the firm's case load is unclear, but could be related to a growing population here.

As the city grows, so does demand for legal services, he explains.

Evans, Craven & Lackie practices law in the states of Washington and Idaho where its main clients are large private employers now instead of government entities, he says.

The firm's practice areas also have grown in areas relating to construction and design, trust and estate cases, and corporate law. Medical and negligence defense also has become "a huge component of what we do here," he says. 

Some practice areas have been eliminated in the 20 years since Louvier joined the firm, but it's reputation and experience in litigation has contributed to ongoing growth.

Louvier attributes some of the growth to a changing marketplace, the disappearance of some long-established law firms in Spokane, and stability at the practice.

"You're seeing a lot of influx from Seattle firms into the Spokane market, but we think with our local knowledge, skills, and depth of experience that we can offer those locally to people who live and work in this community."

Evans, Craven & Lackie plans to continue expanding practice areas regarding trust and estate litigation and corporate litigation, which have shown strong demand and are still underserved in the community.

"Gaining the experience we did in the litigation realm has led to some significant growth over the past two decades. We're much larger and can offer more litigation resources to our clients now than we could back then."

In the last five to six years, the law firm has doubled in staff and revenue, Louvier says.

Evans, Craven & Lackie has a total of 37 employees, including 19 lawyers, who work mostly from its Spokane office and sometimes in temporary offices in Coeur d'Alene.

The law firm also has adapted to changing workforce needs through remote work options.

"The marketplace demands some flexibility in terms of remote work, which allows us to live our lives outside of the firm," he says.

The firm is interested in hiring more lawyers, he adds.

"We don't necessarily seek individuals for a specific practice area. We bring them in, and they usually gravitate toward their strengths," he says, adding that, "there are some exceptions."

For instance, the law firm has an associate who went to law school specifically to become a medical negligence defense lawyer.

"It's really exciting when you can find those people who have devoted their lives to come to a place like this, and they're allowed to pursue those passions and thrive," he says.

Louvier's dedication to Evans, Craven & Lackie is fueled by working with a talented group of lawyers who trust and enjoy each other's company both inside and outside of the workplace, he says.

"We work to live. We don't live to work," says Louvier. "The balance that Evans, Craven & Lackie provides has caused me to stay devoted to the firm."