Recent News

Joan Lanzner signed her Will in 2012. When she died in 2022, her original Will could not be located. The court admitted an authenticated copy of the Will to probate. That Will left her estate to her biological son and two of her stepsons, Edward and Robert. It excluded her other stepson, Richard, and her… Read More

For small and mid-sized businesses, contracts shape nearly every relationship that matters. They govern how companies buy, sell, hire, lease, partner, and grow. When those agreements break down, business owners are often surprised by how quickly a disagreement becomes a lawsuit—and by how Washington courts approach contract disputes. From the perspective of a Washington litigator,… Read More

Property ownership can involve serious and unforeseen risks. Such is the case with environmental contamination from underground storage tanks and conflicts among co-owners. A recent Washington Court of Appeals case, Johnston v. Peach, illustrates these perils vividly. In this decision, co-owners of a commercial building in Bellingham faced costly soil pollution from leaking oil tanks left… Read More

The parts of a lawsuit become common to a lawyer, and it is easy for a lawyer to think a client will understand what is going on.  But for a non-lawyer, it is easy to get lost in the legal language, not understand what is happening, and not know what to expect.  This article provides… Read More

Many business owners assume the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) applies only to disputes involving individual consumers. After all, the name says it plainly. In reality, Washington courts have repeatedly held that business-to-business conduct can trigger CPA liability—sometimes with severe financial consequences. Understanding when a commercial dispute crosses into CPA territory is critical. The difference between… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney Aaron M. Dunn discusses "High-Stakes Litigation: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance" Read More

It makes logical sense that any person considering litigation would be emboldened, possibly even motivated, by learning that a relevant statute allows for an award of attorney’s fees to the “prevailing party.” A common misconception is that such an award will automatically follow a favorable outcome in a lawsuit. As is often the case, Washington… Read More

It can feel encouraging and validating to consult a lawyer who happens to see your case exactly how you do.  When a lawyer and client are aligned in their view on a case, it can mitigate potential conflicts in the relationship.  But clients should take heed not to assume that lawyers are disloyal or the… Read More

Colloquially, this may refer to the inability to engage in proper sanitation habits, but legally, “unclean hands” refers to an equitable doctrine that denies remedy to a party seeking equitable relief because of that party’s inequitable or wrongful conduct. To put it bluntly, it is a principle that the defendant should not have to suffer… Read More