Michael D. Daudt handles litigation covering most real estate, construction, business, partnerships, insurance, and homeowner association issues. He has been involved in numerous construction defect claims involving single-family homes, condominiums and commercial buildings. He has also litigated a variety of homeowner association disputes, LLC, corporation and partnership disputes, alcoholic beverage distribution and regulation, insurance coverage, condemnation, land use, environmental, easements and other access issues, landlord-tenant disputes, and other real property matters. He also handles many transactions including business mergers and formation, leases, easements, real estate sales, and other real estate transactions. Mr. Daudt is a member of the bar in Washington and California. He was named a “Rising Star” by Washington Law & Politics magazine from 2003 through 2005 and is rated “AV” in Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Daudt is also a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars in several areas including easements, construction defects, insurance and homeowner associations.

Sample Achievements

• Iddings v. Griffith – successfully appealed building permit issued for controversial water-front development project.
• WSDOT v. Hett – negotiated settlement for homeowners more than double the amount originally offered by WSDOT for impacts from SR 520 project.
• Smith v. Norcon Construction – recovered over $1.5 million in arbitration award involving profit distribution dispute between co-developers of large Belltown condominium project, including a six-figure attorney’s fees award as the prevailing party
• Heritage Ridge v. Professional Home Builders – obtained an arbitration award totaling nearly $2 million in favor of apartment building owner against siding contractor, including over $400,000 awarded in attorney’s fees and costs as the prevailing party.
• Cole v. Wells Fargo Bank – negotiated multi-million dollar settlement for nation-wide class of Wells Fargo Customers who were improperly charged bank fees.
• Deer Brush LLC v. Kimball – won on behalf of developer at trial and on appeal in LUPA claim challenging developer’s access rights to proposed subdivision.
• Mt. Hood Beverage Co. v. Constellation Brands – 149 Wn.2d 98 (2003) – successfully defended major wine importers against suit by local distributors for termination of distributorships by persuading the Supreme Court to strike down as unconstitutional the state statute governing wine distribution.
• Washington State Convention & Trade Center v. Diamond Parking, Inc. – appointed as special attorney general for the State of Washington to sue Diamond Parking over restrictive covenants at the state convention center in Seattle, and obtained a final judgment terminating Diamond Parking’s right to operate parking facilities.
• City of Tukwila v. Cullen – represented commercial property owners in eminent domain lawsuit. Obtained judgment of more than 30% over the highest pretrial settlement offer from the City, plus an award of attorney’s fees.
• Stoner Electric v. NEPCO – successfully represented mechanic’s lien holder seeking over $1 million against power plant developer in Goldendale, WA.
• Chase Manhattan Bank v. Levian International – successfully asserted Chase Manhattan’s priority security interest against U.S. Bank’s competing security interest in inventory of borrower.

Reported Cases

• Easter v. American West Financial – 381 F.3d 948 (9th Cir. 2004).
• Mt. Hood Beverage Co. v. Constellation Brands, Inc. – 149 Wn.2d 98, 63 P.3d 919 (2003).
• Memorial Hospitals Assn. v. Randol – 38 Cal.App.4th, 45 Cal.Rptr.2d 547 (1995)

Education:

• Abilene Christian University – summa cum laude – B.A.
• Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley – J.D.
• Associate Editor, California Law Review

BAR ADMISSION: California Washington

Court admission: California Washington

• USDC for the West. Dist. of WA
• USDC for the East. Dist. of CA
• USDC for the North. Dist. of CA
• USDC for the South. Dist. of CA
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals