Helsdon, Jeffrey Paul, Principal

Jeffrey Paul Helsdon
Oldfield & Helsdon, PLLC
1401 Regents Blvd., Suite 102
Fircrest, WA 98464
     
Phone: (253) 564-9500 (Office) (866) 309-1031 (Toll-Free) (253) 414-3525 (Direct) (253) 677-1031 (Cell)
E-mail:  jhelsdon@tacomalawfirm.com
Fax: (253) 414-3500

Precise and focused.

Jeff was born in Evanston, Illinois and raised in Kansas City. Jeff truly likes to help people and he has the drive and talent to do that.

Jeff moved to Washington to help his father, but once he saw the mountains he decided never to return to the Great Plains.  Their loss was our gain.  After working his way through the University of Washington receiving a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science, Jeff attended the University of Puget Sound Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1987. 

Jeff is a resident of Gig Harbor, Washington with his wife Cheri.  They are active in the breeding and showing of dogs.  They live with five dogs - three Doberman Pinschers, two of whom they bred and one of whom is a rescue, a Pointer and a Whippet.  Jeff has served as the Delegate to the American Kennel Club from the Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA), as well as Legislative Director, Corresponding Secretary and Board Member for the DPCA.  In 2009, the Doberman Pinscher Club of America awarded Jeff the DPCA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jeff is active in his Parish, St. John's Episcopal Church in Gig Harbor, Washington.  He has served as the Senior Warden, Vestryman, and as a Delegate to the Diocesan Convention of the Olympia Diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States.  He is currently Vice Chancellor of the Diocese.

Jeff and Cheri’s daughter Darcie is married to Mr. Anthony Cantor of Greenville, South Carolina.  They are also proud of their son, Jason, who will soon be entering his Junior year at Gonzaga University.

Jeff is committed to precision in his law practice.  Jeff practices in the areas of business, tax, real estate and land use and has been a Qualified Intermediary for real estate investment exchanges under § 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code for over 20 years.  In that capacity, he is well-respected and is called upon to accommodate many complex, large 1031 exchange transactions throughout the United States.  He was the first Certified Exchange Specialist®  in the south Puget Sound.

Admitted to Washington Bar 1987; U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Education:  University of Washington, (B.A. 1984); University of Puget Sound, (J.D. 1987).

Member:   American Bar Association (Real Property, Probate and Trust Section and Tax Section); Federation of Exchange Accommodators; Washington State Bar Association (Member Real Property, Probate and Trust Section and Tax Section); Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association.

Reported Cases:  Jeff has argued numerous cases before the Washington State Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.  He was lead counsel on the landmark case Tri-State Development, Ltd. v. Johnston, 160 F.3d 528 (9th Cir. 1998) which he argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States, in which the 9th Circuit Court held that the Washington pre-judgment attachment statute, allowing attachment of real property without prior notice to the owner, was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Areas of Practice:  commercial law, corporate law, business law, real estate law, land use law, tax law, construction law, contract law, § 1031 Exchanges.probate, estate planning.

Litigation as a Percentage of Practice: 60%