Paul J. Lawrence

Washington State Legislators and Education Advocates: Successful challenge to the Constitutionality of the 2/3rds Vote Initiative. Pike Place Market Development Agency: Defended the Pike Place Market against efforts of the Urban Group to wrest control of the market from the public. Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District: Defended over a dozen lawsuits challenging various aspects of the effort to build the Safeco Field baseball stadium in Seattle. Sound Transit: Defended several lawsuits challenging the legality of Sound Transit and its public transportation projects. Issues litigated include the constitutionality of the statute creating Sound Transit and the taxes imposed to fund Sound Transit, the legality of changes to the Sound Move plan, compliance with NEPA/SEPA, and the potential impairment of Sound Transits bonds. City of Seattle: Represented the City in its litigation to prevent the Sonics from breaking its Key Arena lease. Represented the University of Washington in a challenge to its authority to construct a new facility using a novel sale-leaseback structure. Represented a coalition of education advocates in litigation in the Washington Supreme Court involving the states capital gains tax. Successfully obtained immunity for a law firm under the state anti-SLAPP statute against claims of negligence, fraud, discrimination, and violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act. Successfully defended a multi-million dollar breach of contract claim in a Washington jury trial. Verdict upheld on appeal. Awarded all fees and costs incurred in defending the claim. Successfully defended King County in a public duty doctrine case in the Washington Supreme Court. The Republic of Nauru: Obtained defense trial verdict in a federal lawsuit alleging breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Trial court judgment affirmed on appeal. BNSF Railway Company: Prosecuted and defended cases arising from alleged environmental contamination in Washington and Montana. Successfully argued that federal law preempted a local effort to regulate environmental impacts of a rail transportation plan. Trial and appellate counsel work in Washington and Montana. Costco Inc.: Successfully obtained insurance coverage for defense and indemnity of an employment class-action claim. PPL Montana: Obtained intentional breach of contract finding at federal court trial in Montana. Defended claims by State regarding ownership of riverbeds upon which PPL Montanas dams sit. Microsoft Corp.: Defeated an attempt to certify a class of plaintiffs alleging product defects and advertising misrepresentations in Windows 95. Litigated a multi-million dollar CGL insurance coverage claim. Monin, Inc.: Prevailed in a federal court jury trial in Washington defending a manufacturer accused of breaching distribution and commission contracts. Queen City Farms: Litigated from trial to state Supreme Court the leading Washington case establishing that general liability insurance policies provide coverage for costs to clean up environmental damages. Obtained millions of dollars in settlement for client. Represented numerous public and private entities seeking insurance coverage for a variety of claims. Obtained over $100 million in recoveries. Delta Airlines: Lead counsel for Delta Airlines in a five-week federal trial regarding the constitutionality of Citys airport access ordinance. Judgment for airlines entered at trial and upheld on appeal.