MANAGING Partner

Patrice M. Kreider-Hughes, Esq.

My name is Patrice and I am the founder of Kreider Hughes Law. I am an East Coast native but have called Seattle home for more than 15 years. I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and was intent on pursuing a master’s degree in criminology when fate intervened.  While still weighing my graduate school options, I took a job as a paralegal at Buc & Beardsley, a food and drug law firm in Washington DC owned by two brilliant women that would change the trajectory of my career path. I fell in love with the work, with the idea of being an advocate, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, the industry of entrepreneurship.

I relocated to Seattle the following year (the impetus for which is a story all its own). Although I had no real ties to the Pacific Northwest in terms of friends or family, and no job to speak of from the outset, I was undeterred, untethered and hungry for the opportunity to chart my own course.  I spent the next few years taking on various roles within the legal field when once again fate intervened.  I was presented with the opportunity to go to law school and I eagerly accepted. I enrolled in the evening program at Seattle University School of Law the following summer, and for the next three and a half years I juggled my day job and academic responsibilities alongside other hard-working professionals. I was honored with more than $30,000 in academic scholarships for my efforts, and concluded my law school career with a CALI Award.

Post graduation and licensure I accepted the position of Corporate Counsel with the Conover Family of Companies, an interdisciplinary organization with historical roots in the insurance brokerage arena. In this role I provided strategic advice and guidance to the executive management team regarding operational matters, workplace best practices, and regulatory compliance. I helped advance the organization’s objectives by negotiating and drafting contracts formalizing the organization’s various agreements with vendors, employees, and third parties, and formed dozens of companies to facilitate the organization’s growing diversity of offerings. I also participated in closing more than a dozen acquisitions, authored corporate communications, and worked alongside Human Resources to address personnel issues.

I have been fortunate throughout my career to have had the opportunity to work side by side with extremely talented entrepreneurs and their example helped fuel my desire to build something of my own. I established this firm to help business owners navigate the legal terrain of nurturing their idea from inception to operation, and to assist individuals with some of life’s most common “legal stuff.” It’s a complicated world out there, I want to help if I can, simple as that.

No introduction to me would be complete without mention of my love for music and dancing. When not engaged in my professional capacity I can often be found jamming out on the dance floor of my living room. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that I married a music teacher. Anne is a dedicated educator, talented musician, and the rock to my roll. We live in Lake City with our daughter, Simone, and our pets, Luther and Emma.

Education

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
B.A., Psychology, 2001

Affiliations

• Washington State Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member • Greater Seattle Business Association, Member

Bar Admissions

• Washington