Lukins & Annis P.S. Attorneys at Law

Review of Attorney Michael Schmidt – Lukins & Annis, P.S.

Hiring Michael Schmidt was the single worst professional experience I’ve ever had. I came to him expecting an advocate — someone who would stand up for facts and fairness. Instead, I got an attorney who echoed the opposition’s talking points, ignored evidence, and vanished when accountability was needed most.

Key Failures:

• Repeated false claims as fact. The City’s attorney floated baseless accusations of “harassment” and “provocation.” Michael never verified a thing. He didn’t request written complaints, evidence, or dates. He simply accepted their version and relayed it back to me as truth. That’s not legal representation — that’s surrender.

• Didn’t understand his own case. He repeatedly confused which neighbors were even involved, who had counsel, and what the facts were. He mischaracterized the placement of my security cameras — which existed long before his involvement — and twisted them into a narrative that never existed. This level of disorganization would be unacceptable from a law student, let alone a licensed attorney.

• Ignored clear compliance. My project had valid permits, multiple passed inspections, and a certified survey showing compliance. Even the City had admitted internal errors earlier in the year. Rather than holding them to their record, Michael allowed the City to change its story after the fact and urged me to “make concessions” I wasn’t legally required to make.

• No follow-through, no accountability. He promised action, updates, and visits. Then he went silent for weeks — while his office billed time for “review” and “discussion.” When pressed for clarity, he avoided answering direct questions. The lack of communication and diligence was stunning.

• A firm that bills while it learns. His associate, new to practice, treated my matter like a classroom exercise, logging hours while producing no tangible results. It’s clear the goal wasn’t resolution — it was billable time. Even the front desk staff reflected the same attitude: curt, dismissive, and indifferent to client concerns.

• Defeatist “strategy.” Rather than challenge inconsistencies or demand accountability, his advice was to give in. His reasoning? Fighting for my position might cost more. That’s not strategy — that’s capitulation disguised as counsel.

The Bottom Line:

Lukins & Annis advertises that they “put the client first” and practice with “integrity, responsiveness, and professionalism.” My experience showed none of those traits. Integrity would mean verifying facts before repeating them. Responsiveness would mean returning calls. Professionalism would mean showing up, fact-checking, and advocating for truth — not rewriting the narrative to make the City’s job easier.

Michael Schmidt failed to perform even the basic duties of a competent attorney. He accepted opposing claims without evidence, dismissed his own client’s documentation, and avoided accountability when pressed.

Here is Michael’s response to questions: With respect to most of your “Why are/aren’t you…” questions, trust that I did advance your various arguments during our phone call

Here is Michael’s assumptions: I also advised you to stop with the provocations to the City and your neighbor, which advice you apparently did not follow given the camera you placed looking into the neighbor’s property.

(Cameras that existed before he was hired.)

Anyway, that’s my review of Michael Schmidt and his less-equipped associate, Andrew.

I would be surprised if these self-proclaimed experts could work their way out of a paper bag if you gave them a knife.

If you want a lawyer who actually stands up for you, looks at facts, and holds the opposition accountable, look elsewhere. This half-brain duo is more concerned about lunch than they are about their clients.

Worst experience I’ve ever had. Horrible and dishonest. Gave them a home run case and they broke us to the point where we couldn’t pay them anymore. They told us a max price and without even consulting us tripled it in a week. Thousands down the drain. Ended up losing the case because of their greed, lack of communication, and incompetence. Horrible people with ZERO human conscious.

Hired them to take care of a case, everything went great until a year later. The lawyer on my case left the firm and they want me to now pay more on top of what i did to push my withheld judgment through. This adds up to about 3-400 dollars, compared to my 80 dollar balance i had left over. Was an awesome experience until they tried to rake me for more money and basically didnt care. Your employee left, not my fault. I shouldn't have to pay more money for you to complete a service you agreed to.