Banking Law
Paine Hamblen represents state- and federally-chartered commercial banks, credit unions and bank holding companies in their mergers and acquisition activities, branching, interstate banking, new product development, regulatory compliance, and branch and retail operational issues, in addition to representing them in their lending transactions.
Business Planning and Transactions
Paine Hamblen’s Business Planning and Transactions Group offers legal and tax advice to businesses, helping them achieve their objectives while navigating complex regulations. Our services encompass (i) business formation and governance – assisting with the creation and management of corporations, LLCs, and other entities; (ii) business tax planning – optimizing strategies for tax compliance, tailored to our client’s business needs; (iii) business succession planning – advising on the legal and tax aspects of business transitions; (iv) mergers and acquisitions – advising on the legal and tax aspects of business transactions; and (v) strategic planning – helping businesses plan for growth, expansion, and other strategic initiatives through sound legal and tax strategies. We partner with businesses of all sizes to achieve their objectives in a complex regulatory landscape.
Commercial and Complex Litigation
Paine Hamblen has extensive depth with our knowledge in working on large and complex litigation matters. Our litigation attorneys have the experience and capacity to successfully initiate and defend civil litigation matters in state and federal courts involving a broad spectrum of areas, including commercial disputes, construction, employment, energy, toxic tort, product liability, estate and trust, intellectual property, personal injury, environmental, tax and other complex litigation. Paine Hamblen is a leader in the region with experience in electronic discovery (digital and computer evidence.) In addition, Paine Hamblen has several attorneys who are trained mediators with extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution.Commercial and Corporate Finance
Paine Hamblen has substantial experience in representing lenders and borrowers in large and complex commercial financing transactions, including term loans, inventory and accounts receivable operating lines of credit, equipment loans, business acquisition loans (including leveraged buyouts), construction loans, real estate loans, loan participations, letters of credit, subordinated debentures, asset securitization transactions and financial restructuring/workout loans. Paine Hamblen also handles equity financing transactions and convertible debt financing transactions for private equity funds and firms and for its emerging and growth clients receiving venture-backed financing.Debtor-Creditor and Bankruptcy
Paine Hamblen handles loan collections, workouts and restructurings for business lenders and borrowers. Paine Hamblen also represents secured and unsecured creditors and debtors in business bankruptcies and other insolvency proceedings.Electronic Discovery & Document Management
On average, over 95% of an organization’s business information exists only as electronically stored information (“ESI”), and many courts now have rules that specifically address ESI. Thus, ESI management is critical from both an organizational and legal perspective. Paine Hamblen has extensive experience with ESI issues, including advance planning; policies for document retention and employees’ use of electronic devices; and e-discovery in investigations, public records requests, and litigation.Attorney
Employment, Labor & Immigration
Paine Hamblen represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law, including union-management matters, labor negotiations and arbitration, discrimination and wrongful termination defense, workers’ compensation, OSHA, WISHA, Fair Labor Standards Act, employer relations and business immigration law.Attorney
Employment and Labor Litigation
Paine Hamblen represents many employers facing litigation relating to federal and state issues; including COBRA & ERISA; employment discrimination; wrongful discharge; non-competition; non-solicitation and trade secrets; The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and Sections 1981 and 1983; Americans with Disabilities Act, Washington law against discrimination; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; Sarbanes-Oxley and whistleblower claims under state law; Fair Labor Standards Act and Family Medical Leave Act and their respective state law counterparts; and Fair Housing Act.Environmental, Land Use, and Zoning Law
Paine Hamblen advises landowners and developers concerning the intricacies of environmental land use and zoning. The firm handles all aspects of the issues, from initial applications through administrative appeals on to judicial appeals, for clients in an array of industries including all aspects of development permitting; annexation and related agreements; compliance with all aspects of real property development under the Growth Management Act; dock/encroachment permits; environmental remediation; judicial review of land and administrative decisions; rezones, conditional use permits, variances, development agreements and other land use entitlements; Shoreline Management Act permits; subdivisions; binding site plans, short plats and long plats; and water rights, including transfers and other issues.
Attorney
Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration
Paine Hamblen’s Estate Planning Practice Group delivers
comprehensive and personalized solutions to help individuals and families
secure their legacies, plan for their future, and manage their assets
effectively. Our services include (i) estate planning – drafting of wills,
trusts, powers of attorney, and other essential documents to ensure our
client’s wishes are carried out; (ii) probate administration – navigating the
legal process of settling a loved one’s estate with care and efficiency; (iii)
trust administration – managing and distributing assets held in trusts in line
with the trustor’s intentions; (iv) tax planning – developing strategies to
reduce estate and gift taxes, including charitable giving and other
tax-efficient techniques; and (v) business succession planning – advising on
how to handle business interests in client’s estate plans for transition upon
death or incapacitation. With a focus on tailored advice, we help clients
protect what matters most and navigate life’s transitions with peace of mind.
Housing and Landlord-Tenant Law
Paine Hamblen’s lawyers are experienced with this highly nuanced area of law in both the commercial and residential context. The post-Covid reality facing residential landlords presents an ever-shifting landscape of federal, state, and local laws and regulations. We advise housing authorities, governmental agencies, residential property management companies and landlords concerning application procedures, federal subsidies, insurance issues, security deposit protocols, reasonable accommodation requests, and regulatory guidance. We work with landlords to evict residential tenants and defend property managers and landlords facing Fair Housing Act discrimination suits, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Washington Human Rights Commission investigations, collective or individual actions under the Residential Landlord Tenant Act, and other tenant claims. We further assist commercial landlords and property managers with lease drafting, negotiations, and assignments or subletting, as well as handling commercial evictions and litigation.
Attorney
- Mack Mayo
- Shelley N. Ripley
- Trish D. Usab
- Yonicio Hernandez
Insurance Law & Tort Claims
Paine Hamblen has a long history of representing insurance companies and their insured in all aspects of personal injury and other tort litigation. Our dedicated attorneys also have extensive experience in representing claimants and insurance carriers on coverage issues.Municipal Law
Paine Hamblen provides a wide range of legal services and advice to cities, towns and other local governmental entities including preparing ordinances and resolutions, preparing and reviewing contracts, public works procurement, Open Public Meetings Act compliance, Public Records Act compliance, employment, collective bargaining, land use, zoning, use of public funds, code enforcement, taxation, and representation in litigation, arbitration and mediation.Real Estate and Construction Litigation
Paine Hamblen represents clients in a wide range of real estate and construction-based litigation matters, including real property acquisition disputes, easement and encroachment disputes, adverse possession and condemnation proceedings, utility right-of-way and easement proceedings, construction litigation and claims, architect and engineer malpractice claims, labor and material lien claims, mortgage foreclosures, land use disputes, water rights, natural resources, and hazardous waste regulation and cleanup.
Real Estate Transactions and Development
The Paine Hamblen Real Estate Group represents real estate developers, buyers, sellers, and lenders in commercial, office and multi-family real property sales and financing’s. The Real Estate Property group also has extensive experience in commercial and industrial leasing transactions for landlords and tenants and in the representation of clients in all aspects of real estate development and construction from the initial property acquisition through construction and occupancy, including water rights and hazardous waste regulation.
Transportation Litigation
Paine Hamblen has a long-rooted history representing the Union Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern Railroad, several regional short-line railroads, trucking companies, public mass transit authorities and other common carriers.
Trust & Estate Litigation
Trust and estate litigation is a unique area of law in and of itself. Trust and estate litigation often blends otherwise differing areas of the law, business, real estate, and community property concepts all while subject to unique statutes that govern probates, wills and trusts. Paine Hamblen’s trust and estate litigators work with our estate planning attorneys to resolve trust and estate disputes, following the loss of a loved one, including by litigation if necessary.
