About Michael E.
Michael E. Ricketts built his legal foundation in the Pacific Northwest. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Whitman College in 1976 and completed his J.D. at the University of Washington School of Law in 1979. Those years set the stage for a long career in trial practice and civil litigation.
He entered private practice immediately after law school. His earliest listed position was at Foulds, Felker, Johnson, McHugh, P.S. in 1979. In 1982 he formed Burns & Ricketts, P.S., signaling a move into firm leadership. By 1986 he was part of Kingman, Peabody, Fitzharris & Ringer, P.S., and later he began work that led to his current role at Gordon Thomas Honeywell LLP.
Over decades in practice he moved from associate roles to partner and director-level responsibilities. At Gordon Thomas Honeywell LLP he serves as a partner and sits on the firm’s board of directors. That corporate role comes alongside courtroom work. His memberships include the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Defense Research Institute, both organizations that align with trial and defense litigation practice.
Ricketts is admitted in multiple jurisdictions. He holds licenses in Washington and Oregon and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is also active in bar organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Washington State Bar Association and the King County Bar Association.
Colleagues describe him as steady and pragmatic in litigation settings. He has spent much of his career preparing cases for trial, handling pretrial motion practice, and representing clients in bench and jury trials. His involvement in trial advocacy groups underscores a long-term engagement with courtroom process and trial procedure.
Outside the office he has maintained ties to professional organizations that shape civil defense practice. Those memberships provide a platform for continuing legal education and peer exchange. They also reflect the procedural and evidentiary concerns that inform his daily work at the firm.
Today he practices at Gordon Thomas Honeywell LLP, where he combines board-level responsibilities with an active trial docket. His current practice centers on civil litigation and trial work.
