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Mr. Dunham acts as the trusted advisor for many of his long term clients in that his clients call him first regardless of the legal problem. Over the many years, Mr. Dunham has successfully practiced in broad areas of law required by interdisciplinary skills. He has tried 10 murder cases as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. He has argued cases in the State Supreme Court. He has handled complex trust and real estate litigation, class actions, construction and business litigation as well as personal injury, probate and marital dissolution. He has studied in advanced courses in insurance law, civil procedure, economic regulations, and anti-trust at Harvard Law School. Mr. Dunham’s clients trust him to handle their matters or trust him to refer to the appropriate respected legal counsel.
Professional History:
After four and a half years of trial experience, handling
both criminal and civil matters, Mr. Dunham left the King
County Prosecuting Attorney's office as a Senior Trial Deputy
Attorney in 1973. He joined a mid-size firm practicing in
downtown Seattle, where he did commercial litigation and insurance
defense. In 1978, he was a co-founder of his present firm.
Practice Areas: Since
1978, he has had substantial experience in personal injury
and insurance defense, commercial and business litigation,
real estate problems, family law and domestic relations, criminal
matters, wills and trusts, contractor problems, and probate
matters. He has represented businesses and professionals in
Court and before the Department of Licensing, State Bar, and
other licensing agencies. He has handled all of State Farm
Fire & Casualty Company’s license and registration
bond cases in the State of Washington for over 20 years. He
has handled business and personal clients' real estate problems
including lease negotiations, and has re-drafted real estate
covenants and mutual easements for two large Seattle communities
(Blue Ridge and Olympic Manor).
Professional Organizations:
He is a past chair of the Litigation Section of the Washington
State Bar Association and served on the Washington State Bar
Association's Court Rules Committee. He has drafted certain
amendments to the Civil and Appellate Rules, which have been
approved by the Supreme Court of Washington. He has been a
Hearing Officer with the Washington State Bar Disciplinary
Board. He is an Eagle Member of the Washington State Trial
Lawyers and a member of the national Trial Lawyers for Public
Justice. He was one of the original members of the Board of
Advisors one of the first significant mediation programs in
King County starting in 1999. He has been selected by attorneys
on both sides of an issue as an arbitrator for the King County
Superior Court, Mandatory Arbitration Program in over 100
cases. He has also served as a Judge Pro Tem. In 1999, he
was appointed to the King County Settlement Guardian ad Litem
Registry charged with the investigation, developing recommendations,
and reporting to the Superior Court in cases involving the
proposed settlements of injured minors. He has been assigned
to over 20 cases.
Family and Community: Mr.
Dunham and his wife have raised three children in the Ballard
area of Seattle, Washington. Consistent with the firm’s
belief in commitment to the community, he has been very active
in the children’s school where he has served on the
Building Leadership Team for Ballard High School for over
8 years as well as on the Principal selection committee. He
has also coached all three of his children in basketball and
baseball and his daughter in softball through Seattle Parks
and Recreation and the Ballard Boys and Girls Clubs. He was
a proactive member of the NW Seattle Little League Board for
over 10 years.
While serving as the legal advisor to his
neighborhood community association board, he personally notarized
over 500 signatures to remove unenforceable but morally objectionable
racial restrictions from the community’s covenants.
He helped organize the community to substantially remodel
its swimming pool and related facilities through volunteer
contributions.
Because of his interest in youth activities,
he was appointed in 2001 for a three year term and re-appointed
by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to the Parks
and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee. This committee
oversees the expenditure of $200,000,000 capital levy funds
for Seattle Parks and Open space over an 8 year period. He
has served as the Vice Chair. In addition from time to time
since 1987, he served as the Mayor’s Representative
for a Citizen’s Complaint Panel for the Seattle Police
Department.
Education: Mr. Dunham
received his B.A. in Economics, at Willamette University in
1965, his J.D. from Willamette University Law School in 1969,
where he graduated cum laude and was an Associate Editor of
the Law Review. He also received a L.L.M. from Harvard in
1975, where he took courses in advanced civil and criminal
procedure, insurance law, federal courts, and anti-trust.
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