A History of Personal, Professional Representation
DDMG has been representing disabled individuals for over 30 years! Today’s Social Security disability practice has three attorneys, Amy Gilbrough, Leanne Martinez, and Victoria Chhagan, who fight to help people obtain their disability benefits at all levels - all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Together they have a cumulative 50 years of experience! Amy, Leanne, and Victoria understand that their clients are not just names and numbers. They are real individuals with their own stories and unique needs. They also understand the importance of collaborating not only with each other, but with their caring and knowledgeable staff. Together the team helps guide you through the often cumbersome and confusing process of applying for and appealing denials of Social Security disability benefits. Since DDMG is located in Seattle, the bulk of the cases they handle are from the greater Seattle area, but they attend hearings in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, Yakima, Spokane, Portland and sometimes other states depending on their clients’ needs.
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Attorneys
AMY GILBROUGH
Education
LEWIS AND CLARK LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Arts
Activities & Affiliations
Amy Gilbrough has been practicing Social Security law since 1997, first at the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review as a decision writer, then at the Office of General Counsel. She moved to private practice in 2003, dividing her time between administrative and federal court cases in the Western District of Washington and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has spoken on Social Security law and practice for the King County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Business Institute, and the Circuit 9 Conference.
Amy is a long-standing member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives and an annual contributor to the Circuit 9 Conference.
When Amy is not working, she is on the slopes, riding her bike, or in her garden.
Bar Admissions
• State of Washington, U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of WA, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
J. Leanne Martinez
Education
Seattle University School of Law Juris Doctor
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, Bachelor of Arts
Activities & Affiliations
Leanne has always had a passion for helping others and advocating for the vulnerable and marginalized people within our community. Before attending law school, she worked for a fair housing non-profit in the San Francisco Bay Area. While in law school, she was immediately drawn to the the non-profit organization, Benefits Law Center where she volunteered to help low income and homeless clients through the social security process in situations where they would have difficulty finding traditional representation. After law school, she worked at one other disability law firm before finding her perfect match with the team at DDMG. After nearly ten years of this work and hundreds of cases, Leanne continues to be inspired by her clients every single day and to absolutely love her job.
Bar Admissions
• State of Washington, U.S. District Court for the Western Districts of WA, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Victoria Chhagan
Education
University of New Hampshire School of Law, Concord, NH
Juris Doctor, 1995
Simmons College,Boston, MA
BA in English and Political Science
The London School of Economics, London, English General Course Degree
Activities & Affiliations
After graduating from law school, Victoria Chhagan practiced in the area of products liability and personal injury. In 1997, she joined the Social Security Administration’s Office of the General Counsel in Seattle, where she handled disability litigation, as well as employment matters. In 2004, she left the government to start her own Social Security appellate practice. She joined DDMG in 2012, where she splits her time between her administrative and appellate practice.
Victoria is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives and has spoken on Social Security law and practice for the Washington State Bar Association and the National Business Institute.
When Victoria is not working, she is hiking, working in her garden, or doing crossword puzzles.
Bar Admissions
Washington State Bar; Pennsylvania State Bar (inactive), State of Washington, U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of WA, Ninth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal