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January 26th, 2022

Determining which employees are covered by Washington’s Minimum Wage Act (“MWA”), RCW 49.46, is an essential consideration for employers of any size. The MWA requires that most Washington-based employees receive a minimum hourly wage, overtime pay, and paid sick leave unless they are exempt from those rules based on the nature of their job and…

December 30th, 2021

Whether putting together your will for the first time or reviewing your existing estate planning documents, it’s important to keep this estate planning concept in mind: minors can’t receive property outright like an adult can. Someone must hold a minor’s inheritance for them at least until they reach the age of 18. If you have…

November 17th, 2021

In Washington, construction contractors must be registered with the state’s Department of Labor and Industries. As part of the registration requirements, contractors must have a general liability insurance policy in the amount of $200,000 in public liability and $50,000 in property damage, and a $250,000 combined single limit. Contractors must also obtain a bond that…

October 28th, 2021

Settlement agreements are contracts. They are favored in the law and are governed by general principles of contract law. A contract requires offer, acceptance, and consideration. Acceptance is an expression by word, sign, or writing of the intent to be bound by the terms of the offer. Once an offer is accepted there is a…

September 30th, 2021

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in August, coupled with the ongoing spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, has prompted a growing number of companies – including giants such as Google, United Airlines, McDonald’s, and Goldman Sachs – to mandate that some or all…

August 25th, 2021

Washington recently passed a new law limiting when landlords can terminate their tenants’ tenancies without cause. Previously, in most cities and counties in Washington (but not all, including Bellingham), a month-to-month tenancy could be terminated by either party with 20 days’ notice for any reason, and a tenancy with a lease for a specific time…

August 5th, 2021

Governor Inslee has declared August 10, 2021, Washington Women Lawyers Day honoring the over 10,000 women lawyers now licensed to practice in the State. 120 years ago, the first women graduated from the University Washington School of Law in Seattle – Othilia G. Carroll Beals and Bella Weretnikove Rosembaum – and in 1913 the first…

June 22nd, 2021

When parties are involved in a legal dispute, oftentimes they will be better served resolving their dispute in ways other than in a trial. Litigating cases in court, with a jury or a judge deciding who wins and loses, has many downsides: Litigation is time-consuming. It can often take a year or more to get…

May 27th, 2021

A key step in perfecting a lawsuit is serving the defendants. Failing to serve timely or serving the wrong documents or the wrong person could lead to dismissal of a case. One of the most basic, and often confusing, aspects of service is understanding the difference between form of process and service of process. Form…

May 7th, 2021

As described in my November 2020 blog, in September 2020, the Washington State Department of Ecology submitted a report to the Washington State legislature requesting funding for an adjudication of the water rights in two watersheds, the Nooksack River Basin (WRIA 1) and the Lake Roosevelt and Middle Tributaries (WRIA 58). The state legislature passed…

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