Paine Hamblen PS has been part of Spokane’s legal landscape for over 130 years, upholding the legacy of its early founders through the industry's ups and downs. 

In recent years, the downtown firm has renewed and expanded its cohort by bringing in a wave of seasoned attorneys — many from the exodus at Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley LLP — and by fostering a younger generation of partners whose focus is less on prestige and spotlights, and more on culture, collaboration, and long-term client relationships, says Mack Mayo, shareholder and chair of the firm’s Housing Law Practice Group.

Established in 1893, Paine Hamblen is the oldest firm on the Journal's Largest Law Firms list. Located on the 12th and 14th floors of the Washington Trust Financial Center building, at 717 W. Sprague. Some of the firm's partners have included Frank Post, one of the early presidents of Washington Water Power Co., now Avista Corp., and for whom Post Street is named; former Spokane City Park Board President Laurence Hamblen, for whom Hamblen Park and Hamblen Elementary School were named; his son Herb Hamblen, a former Speaker of the House in the state legislature; and numerous state bar presidents and judges.

While the firm has weathered over a century of change in the legal field, the addition of eight experienced attorneys from Hawley Troxell and an additional four hires has elevated the practice into what Mayo describes as a “super firm” of 26 attorneys — including shareholders, special counsel, and associates — supported by 19 staff members. Two staff members have recently passed the bar exam, he adds, and the firm has just hired two summer associates from Gonzaga University School of Law for summer 2026.

“Paine Hamblen hired some of the top producers from (Hawley Troxell),” Mayo says. “We kind of had our pick of the litter, I guess you could say. It’s all attorneys that have worked together in the past for years, … high-quality attorneys, transaction and litigation attorneys. Everything is going great.”

The practice, he says, is “booming,” doubling its revenue in the past three years.

That growth is experienced across several practice areas. Housing law has experienced increased activity since the Washington State Legislature enacted the “right to counsel” law for tenants in 2021, Mayo says, which increased housing providers' legal needs. Insurance litigation is a constant area of work for the practice, and recently, wildfire litigation has kept some of its lawyers busy representing utility providers in related cases. The law firm covers nearly every service area except family law and criminal law, he says.

Boise, Idaho-based Hawley Troxell closed its Spokane office last year due to a steady outflow of attorneys after it acquired Spokane law firm Witherspoon Kelley. The co-managing partner for the firm, Tom Mortell, told the Journal that in the end, there were fundamental differences in the vision and direction of the law firm between the leadership teams in Spokane and Boise. Within a year, the firm went from 24 attorneys to none, he told the Journal.

While Mayo says he can’t speak to why attorneys fled from Hawley Troxell, he notes that Paine Hamblen strives to hire not just talented, high-quality attorneys, but attorneys whose personalities fit into the culture and philosophy of the company.

About half of the firm’s partners are in their early 40s with young families, he explains. While most in the firm come into the office every day, family-oriented events like kids' track meets and school plays sometimes draw attorneys out of the office. Everybody is set up to work from home when needed, and the firm has embraced technology that has helped streamline some of its work processes. Additionally, the firm has a laid-back atmosphere that focuses on producing high-quality work and maintaining long-term relationships with its clients, rather than prioritizing short-term billing, he says.

“It’s not really a 'play hard, work hard' atmosphere,” he says. “It’s more like we want everybody doing well and taking care of themselves and creating a fulfilled type of atmosphere. The philosophy or motto is 'do good work and success will follow.'”

In August, two of the firm’s lawyers were named to The Best Lawyers in America 2025 list. Jody McCormick was selected for her work in banking and finance law, as well as bankruptcy and creditor rights/insolvency and reorganization law. Frederic Emry II, who has made the list several times over the years, was selected for his work in the trusts and estates area. According to Best Lawyers, recognition in the annual list is entirely based on peer review.

“We’re not here practicing law to try to win awards,” Mayo says. “We’re just trying to do good work. Recognition is nice, and I think clients like to see that type of recognition.”

Technology has played an important role in the firm’s work and processes, adds Mayo. As a result, its Coeur d’Alene and Tri-Cities offices have been closed and work has been consolidated to the firm’s Spokane office. In 2020, the 18,200-square-foot downtown office underwent an extensive remodel designed to increase the technological capabilities of the office and make the space more modern and functional.

For Mayo, the firm's success all comes down to longevity and its long-held practice of steady growth and long-standing relationships, he says.

“Hopefully, we’re here for another 100 more years,” he says.