Phil Stackhouse
Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer
"Before coming to the Ranch in 2010, I was successful and thought I had a handle on life. I learned a lot about ‘me’ when I started working on what I was keeping hidden—even when I was only hiding it from myself - and I ‘m still a work in progress. Doing the personal work and learning how to help my clients get in touch with and open up about “their” hard things to talk about changed my life. Learning how to find and tell my clients' stories changed my practice."
Phil has been a trial lawyer for nearly 25 years. Before the law, Phil enlisted in the USMC in 1984, and after serving on active duty for 9 years, he was commissioned and served as an infantry officer. After a tour as an infantry officer, he was selected to go to law school on active duty and, after graduating in 1999, spent his last 7 years on active duty either litigating cases or receiving his LL.M. in Military Law with the Criminal Law Specialty. When he retired in 2006, in addition to personal awards, he received the Outstanding Career Armed Services Attorney Award from the Judge Advocate’s Association.
After retiring in 2006, Phil opened an office in North Carolina to represent clients in military courts around the world, North Carolina state courts, and US District Courts in North Carolina and Washington, DC. In 2009, he joined DC Criminal Defense Firm Schertler and Onorato as a partner representing clients in military courts, DC Superior Court, and US District Courts. In 2010, Phil reopened his office but continued representing clients with Schertler and Onorato. In 2014, Phil joined a plaintiff’s firm in Colorado and litigated civil cases throughout Wyoming and Colorado. In 2016, Phil moved to California and reopened his own office. He currently represents clients in criminal matters and plaintiffs in civil matters in Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, and DC. (He also remains admitted in Massachusetts). Phil continues to represent military clients around the world in serious criminal matters.
The range of criminal cases spans from Murder, War Crimes, and Espionage to Sex Crimes, Drug Trafficking, and Larceny. The range of civil cases spans from vehicle crashes and product liability to suits under the Administrative Procedures Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Phil attributes much of his success to the synergy of the skills developed by Gerry Spence and psychodrama.