PRACTICE

AREAS

Wills, Trusts and Estate Tax Planning

Probate and Trust Administration

Elder Law and Special Needs Planning

LLCs, Partnerships and Corporations

Business Sales and Purchases

Deeds and Real Estate Transactions

State Taxation

Oil and Gas

ABOUT US

Faulkner Banfield, P.C., was founded in Juneau, Alaska in 1914 by Herbert Faulkner. Before commencing his legal practice, Mr. Faulkner served as a U.S. Marshal for the Territory of Alaska and, among his other exploits, arrested Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Our firm’s alumni include several Alaska Supreme Court justices, the first Alaskan to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and a state attorney general.

Our location in Alaska’s capital enhances our ability to represent clients throughout the state in their dealings with state government. Our practice is diverse. We represent major oil and gas companies in complex litigation and administrative proceedings and defend clients against personal injury, products liability and professional malpractice claims. We also have an active practice in estate planning, probate and trust matters and represent individuals and corporations in real estate, employment and business transactions.

We strive to practice preventive law: one of our primary goals is to help clients avoid litigation and compliance disputes. When a dispute is unavoidable, we work to resolve it quickly, efficiently and advantageously for our clients.

Faulkner Banfield is also strongly committed to public service, in particular to providing legal representation to individuals and organizations who cannot afford to pay for it. We have received a number of awards and commendations for our pro bono work, including a lifetime achievement award from the Alaska Bar Association Board of Governors. 

FIRM HISTORY

Our firm’s founder, Herbert L. Faulkner, was born in 1882 in Nova Scotia. He arrived in Alaska in 1902 and soon became the Chief of Police for the City of Ketchikan. Mr. Faulkner came to Juneau in 1907 as a Deputy United States Marshal. In 1909, President Taft appointed him U.S. Marshal for the First Judicial District of the Territory of Alaska. One of the most well-known of his acts as Marshal was his arrest on a charge of murder of Robert Stroud, later known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Mr. Faulkner was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1914. He practiced law in Juneau for 35 years, made a token effort to retire in California, but continued to practice law there and in Alaska literally until the day of his death at age 89, when he suffered a heart attack in the court room.

Norman Banfield was born in Wisconsin in 1907. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he majored in geography with a specialty in meteorology. Following his graduation in 1929, Mr. Banfield went to work for the U.S. Weather Bureau and in 1931 arrived in Juneau to work as a meteorologist. Mr. Banfield became acquainted with Mr. Faulkner in the summer of 1934, while on an expedition staking mining claims in Berner’s Bay. Mr. Faulkner asked Mr. Banfield to go to work for him in August of 1934. Mr. Banfield had no legal training, but read for the law in his spare time. He passed the bar examination and was admitted to practice in 1935. Mr. Banfield practiced law in Juneau until his retirement in 1979. He passed away in 2000.

Our firm has gone through several name changes during its existence. When Mr. Banfield became Mr. Faulkner’s partner in 1937, the firm became Faulkner & Banfield. In 1947, Robert Boochever became a partner and our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield & Boochever. Frank Doogan became a partner in 1960, and the firm was called Faulkner, Banfield, Boochever & Doogan. When Robert Boochever was appointed to the Alaska Supreme Court in 1972, our name changed to Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan, Gross & Holmes, reflecting the presence of partners Avrum Gross and Michael Holmes. In 1974, Avrum Gross was appointed Attorney General of the State of Alaska, and we became Faulkner, Banfield, Doogan & Holmes, P.C. In 1998, after a corporate re-organization, we became simply Faulkner Banfield, P.C.

OUR ATTORNEYS

BETHANN B. CHAPMAN

BETHANN B. CHAPMAN

ATTORNEY

LEON T. VANCE

LEON T. VANCE

ATTORNEY

CHRIS WALKER

CHRIS WALKER

ATTORNEY

CONTACT

FAULKNER BANFIELD P.C.

Faulkner Banfield P.C.
8420 Airport Boulevard, Suite 101, Juneau, Alaska 99801
Locate us

Email: info@faulknerbanfield.com
Tel: 907.586.2210
Fax: 907.586.8090