Tom has counseled clients for more than twenty years as a business lawyer and attorney. His areas of expertise include:

Health Care Law: Tom has represented physicians and other health care providers on legal matters covering the entire spectrum of their practices (e.g., formation of medical groups and provider panels, licensure issues, medical board accusations, managed care arrangements, regulatory matters, medical staff problems, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, defending against malpractice and sexual harassment actions, HIPAA matters, conflicts of interest, and fraud and abuse claims). He has also represented and worked with health care facilities (e.g., hospitals, hospices, surgery centers), managed organizations (e.g., HMO's, IPA's, PPO's, MSO's), non-profit entities (e.g., health consortia, medical societies, medical care foundations) and medical staffs.

Agriculture Law: Having practiced law for a good part of his career in one of most productive agricultural areas of the world, Tom has represented many clients on a broad array of agribusiness issues, as well. These clients have included growers, packers, cold storage facilities and shippers of stone fruit, grapes and other commodities. He has also worked with other farming, dairy and ranching operations on legal matters that have included organizational, contracting, regulatory, real estate, and financing issues.

Closely-Held Businesses and Start-Up Companies: Tom specializes in organizing and representing closely-held businesses and start-up companies. Ongoing representation of such entities further includes work on legal strategies involving new business opportunities and continued legal compliance for existing operations. His representation has likewise included working with lenders and venture capitalists. In addition, Tom has been involved with a number of mergers and acquisitions of closely-held businesses. Tom has also assisted with transition and succession issues.

Mr. Pedreira's expertise evolves from having managed and operated family business ventures for a number of years. He has also served as personal representative on estate matters, and he presently serves as a trustee and oversees investments for a number of trusts.

Tom relocated to the Seattle area in March of 2000 to become General Counsel for Prairielaw.com. He was instrumental in working on a subsequent sale of the company in 2001 to Martindale-Hubbell, Inc., which is part of the LexisNexis Group. Following the acquisition, he continued to work with Martindale-Hubbell to integrate Prairielaw into lawyers.com, which is their legal Web site for consumers and small businesses.

Education and Personal Background:

Tom graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Economics in 1977. He received his law degree in 1982 from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He practiced law for 18 years in Fresno, California, starting his own firm in 1995. He relocated to the Seattle area in March of 2000, but remained a member of his firm in California until he joined the Mikkelborg firm in April of 2002. He is admitted to practice law in Washington, California and the District of Columbia.

Over the years, Tom has been involved with many professional associations. They include the American Bar Association and the Bar Associations for California, Washington, and the District of Columbia. He has also been a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the California Society for Health Care attorneys and other committees or associations involving business law matters. He has also been a willing presenter over the years to various groups on legal issues of interest. He has been involved in numerous community activities, including service or membership on non-profit boards, service organizations, chambers of commerce and advisory committees. He also served on a volunteer basis as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cedar Vista Hospital in Fresno, California. Pro bono activities include volunteering time with Hinds Hospice and helping folks with legal problems at lawyers.com.

Tom grew up in rural Merced, California (which now happens to be the location of the newest University of California campus). He lives in the Seattle area where he is very happily married. He and his wife have three adorable children. As time allows, Tom coaches and does his best to help out with youth athletic programs.