Brian Cheng, The Law Offices of Dennis Lam

Brian Cheng joined the firm in 2011 and brings with him outstanding academic credentials and extensive experience as a successful negotiator and business management advisor.

In May 2011, Brian received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, Order of Barristers, from Seattle University School of Law. In law school, his academic accomplishments included two CALI Awards for achieving the highest grades in the studies of Legal Writing II and Computer Crime. Furthermore, while at Seattle University, he represented his school in moot court and dispute resolution competitions.

In addition to his academic credentials, Brian also brings to our firm his experience working under the auspices of two judges—as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Theresa Doyle of the King County Superior Court, and as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Christine Quinn-Brintnall of the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Furthermore, Brian has a comprehensive understanding of landlord-tenant law. After graduating from law school, Brian was a Public Interest Fellow with the King County Bar Association (KCBA) Housing Justice Project, where he provided pro bono representation of low-income tenants facing eviction. As a Public Interest Fellow, Brian has prevented evictions by winning in court and has saved vast amounts of money for his client by negotiating countless settlements. His in-depth familiarity with landlord-tenant law makes him an effective advocate for landlords seeking to resolve disputes with their tenants and for tenants facing eviction.

During law school, Brian volunteered his legal skills to Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, an organization that has special consultative status with the United Nations. There, he used his legal training to rectify injustices around the globe. In 2010, one of his major projects involved drafting a letter to the Rwandan government to cite violations of its treaty obligations and demand the release of an American law professor, charged under the Rwandan criminal law of “genocide ideology.” He also presented a legal memorandum analyzing the high profile case of Mr. Omar Khadr, a Canadian who was detained at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba in 2002.

Prior to attending law school, Brian was a Deputy Commissioner and Group Commissioner with Scouts Canada in Vancouver, B.C., where he grew up. There, Brian represented his constituency of over 4000 youth and leaders in the business decisions of the largest non-profit youth movement in the country. During his tenure, Brian’s accomplishments included founding two new Scout Groups, overhauling another, and overseeing the newfound growth of an organization that had been declining in membership for over a decade. Today, Brian applies the management and leadership skills he acquired as a Commissioner when he advises clients in business dealings and negotiates successful deals on their behalf. For his volunteerism and commitment to public service, Queen Elizabeth II awarded to Brian the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Admissions and Education

Admitted to practice in the State of Washington
Seattle University, juris doctor, magna cum laude, Order of Barristers (2011)
Seattle University, CALI Excellence for the Future (Top Grade in Class) Awards: Legal Writing II, Computer Crime
University of British Columbia, Bachelor of Science (Major in Integrated Science, Minor in Arts) (2008)
Legal Experience

Public Interest Fellow and Volunteer Attorney, Housing Justice Project, King County Bar Association, Seattle, WA (2011-2012)
Of Counsel, Law Office of Paul Cullen PLLC, Seattle, WA (2011-2012)
Contract Attorney (self-employed), Seattle, WA (2011-2012)
Volunteer Legal Intern, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, Vancouver, B.C. (2008-2012)
Judicial Extern to the Honorable Judge Christine Quinn-Brintnall, Washington State Court of Appeals, Tacoma, WA (2010)
Judicial Intern to the Honorable Judge Theresa Doyle, King County Superior Court, Seattle, WA (2010)
Barrister’s Pupil (Apprentice) at Parkside Chambers, Hong Kong, China (2006)

Areas of Practice

Business law
Landlord-tenant disputes
Personal injury
Immigration law