Recent News

In most for-profit corporations, the Board of Directors must focus on maximizing the economic value of the corporation for its shareholders.  Directors are potentially liable for breach of their duties to shareholders if they give priority to one or more social purposes over maximizing value for the shareholders.  In 2012, Washington joined a short list… Read More

The recent outing of J.K. Rowling as the author of the mystery novel, “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, highlights the heightened necessity of a lawyer maintaining client secrets in the age of social media.  Apparently a London lawyer told his wife’s best friend about Rowling’s pseudonym, who then posted the information on… Read More

Recently, a Manhattan federal judge upheld a $5 Million arbitration award against Miss Pennsylvania for remarks she made claiming the Miss USA beauty pageant, which is owned by Donald Trump, was rigged. Several lessons can be learned from the ruling upholding Mr. Trump’s arbitration award. First, and most importantly, never ignore an arbitration notice or… Read More

Divorce (also known as dissolution) actions are unique to the parties involved and the issues that arise when ending the marriage between the spouses. The divorce process in Washington can take as little as 91 days when the parties agree on all the terms of the dissolution. However, the process can extend much longer if… Read More

The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II, recently reaffirmed the longstanding legal principal that a contract which is illegal is void—that is, the contract is null from the beginning and unenforceable by either party.  The referenced case is Bankston v. Pierce County, Cause No. 42850-4-II, decided May 21, 2013. 2013 Wash App. LEXIS 1228.… Read More

The State of Washington recently enacted law to change its estate tax.  Two of the changes are of particular interest. The first change concerns the "applicable exclusion amount", which is the amount that passes free of estate tax.  For the past several years, Washington's applicable exclusion amount has been $2,000,000.  Only the amount in excess… Read More

Beresford Booth is pleased to announce that Tiffany Hansen recently graduated from the Edmonds Community College Paralegal Program with an Associate of Technical Arts Degree.  Tiffany is an asset to the firm and we are proud to have her on our team. Edmonds Washington law firm Beresford Booth provides a variety of legal services including Divorce & Family… Read More

The Supreme Court’s decision this week in United States v. Windsor, striking down a part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional, has repercussions here in Washington State. In states where same-sex unions are permitted, like here in Washington, federal benefits contingent on marital status will now extend to same-sex couples. While the… Read More

On June 20, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in American Express v. Italian Colors Restaurant, holding that contract agreements that require arbitration and prohibit class-action claims are enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”), even when the potential recovery is overshadowed by costs of individual arbitration.  The 5-3 opinion, which was authored… Read More