Recent News

In small-market mergers and acquisitions (under $50,000,000), closing day feels like the finish line. The purchase agreement is executed, funds are wired, and both buyer and seller pause to celebrate a successful transaction. Yet with an earnout provision, closing day marks a beginning rather than an end. When part of the purchase price depends on… Read More

In this webinar, Attorney Taylor Dawson from our Litigation Group will be discussing "Adverse Possession: Basic Principles and What to Know” https://youtu.be/iaB-w-sHhAA?si=1d0kkhPhNaQIZDuv&t=13 Read More

Whether you are a party to a case or a potential witness, you may be required to answer the other side’s questions under oath. What is a Deposition? A deposition is like an interview: You are providing testimony under oath and that testimony is being transcribed (written down verbatim). Depositions are a form of discovery… Read More

For families with substantial wealth, estate planning is often designed to prevent disputes. Trusts are carefully drafted. Assets are placed into entities or trusts. Professional fiduciaries may be appointed to manage property. Succession plans are developed for family businesses. Yet even the best planning cannot eliminate one fundamental problem: people can disagree. When significant wealth… Read More

Derivative lawsuits occur when a shareholder of a corporation or member of a limited liability pursues legal claims or relief on behalf of or for the entity’s benefit. There are strict procedural and substantive requirements that claimants must comply with before can bring a derivative lawsuit against a corporation’s executives or board members, or any… Read More

Most people think an appeal begins when the losing party files a Notice of Appeal. In reality, the success of an appeal is often determined months, or even years, before that document is ever filed. That may sound surprising, but appellate courts do not hear new testimony, consider new evidence, or decide who they believe.… Read More

In my last post I discussed how a statute of limitations can be extended if a potential plaintiff dies before the expiration of the statute of limitations. This discusses the situation where a potential defendant dies before the expiration of the statute of limitations. RCW 4.16.200. As a refresher, RCW 4.16.200 does two different things.… Read More

Many people assume death simply “pauses” the statute of limitations. Under Washington law, that is not quite right. Sometimes there is an extension; sometimes there is a separate probate deadline; and sometimes the claim can still be barred even if probate deadlines have not yet run. RCW 4.16.200. RCW 4.16.200 does two different things. First,… Read More

Most people think settlement ends a dispute. But a settlement agreement is a legally binding contract, and disputes regarding compliance can arise. A recent decision from the Washington Court of Appeals, Cai v. Wen, illustrates how a settlement compliance dispute unfolds. Following an investment dispute, Daoying Cai and Boheng Wen entered into a settlement agreement… Read More