Recent News

Trade Secrets: An Introduction to Intellectual Property in Business

Washington State Litigation Lawyer J Patrick Diener | 11/15/2021
As a business owner, it is useful to understand that, in addition to owning real property and personal property, you can also potentially own intellectual property (or “IP”, for short).  While the rules surrounding real and personal property ownership can be difficult to follow, the law of intellectual property can be downright baffling.  IP covers… Read More

Partition Actions: Addressing Disputes Between Tenants in Common

Washington State Business Law and Litigation Lawyer Babak Shamsi | 10/18/2021
In Washington State, unmarried individuals who purchase real property together typically do so as tenants in common, as this provides significant flexibility for each co-owner.  For example, tenants in common can independently pass their respective ownership interests to their heirs after death and can sell their individual ownership interests in the real property to third parties. … Read More

Does Your Property Have An Easement On It? How To Find Out

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Law Lawyer Andrew M. McKenzie | 10/1/2021
I have often seen people make the mistake of assuming that one can easily determine the existence of an easement by simply searching the public records for a document called “easement.”  Owners, prospective owners, real estate brokers, and even attorneys are not immune from making that mistake.  This blog post will help you consider the… Read More

You’ve Been Sued: Now What? The Litigation Process

Washington State Litigation Lawyer J Patrick Diener | 9/29/2021
A process server showed up at your door and handed you a stack of legal documents.  After review, you realize you’ve received a Complaint and a Summons, and you can deduce that you are being sued.  What should you do now? Part 1:  Hire an Attorney Everyone has a choice to represent themselves in a… Read More

Beware The Corporate Practice of Medicine

Washington State Business Law and Litigation Lawyer Babak Shamsi | 9/23/2021
Washington State provides that, generally, a business entity may not employ medical professionals to practice their licensed professions.  This Corporate Practice of Medicine (CPOM) doctrine protects the relationship between medical doctors and patients.  The doctrine dates back to 1943, when the Washington Supreme Court ruled in State ex rel. Standard Optical Co. v. Superior Court, that only a person,… Read More

When The Insurer Won’t Settle A Third Party Claim, Consider A Covenant Judgment

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Law Lawyer Andrew M. McKenzie | 9/1/2021
Sometimes a defendant in a lawsuit has insurance to cover some or all of the potential damages alleged.  Most of the time in those circumstances after the insurer agrees to defend on the insured’s behalf, the insurer hires counsel to represent the insured.  While this may provide some assurance to the insured, the insured can… Read More

Can I Assign My Commercial Lease? (Part 2- Assignments By Operation Of Law)

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Law Lawyer Andrew M. McKenzie | 8/16/2021
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about assigning commercial leases generally.  Sometimes, contractual rights or obligations get transferred without an express assignment.  This can happen, for example, where a party to the contract gets acquired by someone else, or where the party’s ownership or control changes hands.  An entity tenant under a commercial… Read More