James L. Austin, Jr
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James L. Austin, Jr. was a principal drafter of that statute. He has also Shareholder participated in drafting Washington statutes governing [email protected] trademark disputes and real property liens. 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3300 Seattle, Washington 98104 Jim is a former member of Karr Tuttle Campbell’s board of directors and has served in the past as chairman of 206-224-8137 Direct its Business and Finance Department. In addition to 206-223-1313 Main membership and participation in the American Bar 206-682-7100 Fax Association, Washington State Bar Association, and King County Bar Association, Jim has served as a member of the Board of Governors and on the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of America ATTORNEY PROFILE and the CIS, for which he served as secretary. Jim Austin’s practice encompasses representation of both emerging and established enterprises, in their Jim has been named a Washington State’s “Super initial formation and in their capitalization, transactional Lawyer” every year since 2001, and was selected as dealings, and in business acquisitions and dispositions. one of “Washington’s Most Amazing Lawyers” in the Jim has served as principal outside counsel or regional March 2006 edition of Washington CEO Magazine. He counsel to a wide variety of advanced technology, also was recognized in 2007 by Seattle magazine as industrial, and retail businesses, and as counsel to both one of Seattle’s “Top 155 Lawyers” and by Seattle foreign investors and national enterprises. He has Business Monthly as one of “Seattle’s 90 Top Business significant experience in corporate and related affairs; Lawyers,” as well as one of Seattle’s “Top 87 Business venture capital and other equity transactions; lending Lawyers” in January 2008. Jim has also been named to relationships (both as lender’s and as borrower’s Best Lawyers in America® every year since 2013. Jim counsel); licensing, distribution, and strategic partnering currently serves as the president of the King County Bar arrangements; real estate transactions; mergers and Foundation. acquisitions; and private and municipal transactions involving solid waste collection and disposal. MAJOR AREAS OF PRACTICE Commercial transactions, business financing, mergers Although Jim’s practice is primarily transactional in and acquisitions nature, he has participated as counsel in a variety of complex adversarial matters, including major ADMITTED TO PRACTICE commercial disputes, international trademark and Washington State Bar, 1975 domain name litigation, and in cases involving the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, application of the federal and state constitutions and 1975 statutes to municipal solid waste contracts and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1975 regulations. EDUCATION Jim is a member of the Computer Law Association and A.B. with honors, Stanford University, 1972 has co-chaired or participated as a faculty member of J.D., University of Chicago, 1975 Washington Software Alliance seminars on legal issues of interest to the software industry. He was the author PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES of The Seattle Times info net series on “Internet Law,” American Bar Association and has been a lecturer on Internet-related issues at Business Law Section continuing legal education seminars. Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section Washington State Bar Association Jim was for many years the author of the "Bankruptcy Debtor-Creditor Section Practice" section of the Washington Lawyers Practice Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section Manual and has lectured frequently on matters involving King County Bar Association insolvency proceedings, the financing of real property King County Bar Foundation, President acquisitions and developments, and computer law Computer Law Association matters. He is the author of the definitive “Receivership Washington Software Alliance Proceedings in Washington State.” Bar Association of America and CIS PRESENTATIONS/PUBLICATIONS Jim chaired the committee of the Washington State Bar Chairman and/or faculty member of continuing legal Association’s Debtor-Creditor Section that produced education seminars relating to corporate law, licensing Washington’s comprehensive receivership code and and distribution arrangements, secured transactions, internet services, receiverships and real estate County Public Utility District in its internal financing. investigation of alleged violations of state law in the development of its fiber optic network. REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS • Representation of local bank in successful Significant Commercial And Real Estate Matters: submission of claim against a bankers blanket bond • Representation of one of Washington’s ten largest for a $2.5 million loan loss. privately-held corporations in an $80 million • Representation of Cosmos, Inc. (later Revelation recapitalization and refinance of all multi-traunche Technologies) in its formation, and in a host of long-term indebtedness. computer software licensing arrangements with • Representation of Air Canada in its purchase of Microdata (McDonnell Douglas), Prime Computers, passenger aircraft. Inc. and various VARS and OEMs throughout North America and Europe. • Representation of Cingular Wireless in its establishment of network of owned and agency • Representation of West Coast Paper Company in stores in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. its acquisitions of computer systems. • Representation of subsidiaries of Allied Waste • Representation of Seattle radio station KXRX-FM in Industries, Inc. in various agreements relating to the its successful application for permits necessary to collection, handling, transport and disposal of solid construct its FM tower and transmitting facility on waste with counties, cities and private concerns Cougar Mountain east of Seattle. throughout the state of Washington. • Advised Lewis County Public Utility District as • Representation of Sawyer Falls Co., LLC in its special counsel with respect to the District’s rights acquisition out of bankruptcy of a 565 acre parcel in under a letter of intent executed in 1957 with Pierce County, in its development of that parcel as Tacoma City Light to compel a sale of hydroelectric a residential community with a retail center, and in power at cost from hydroelectric facilities on the its eventual sale of that property. Cowlitz River. • Representation of Group Health Cooperative in its • Representation of a consortium of local FM radio investment in and lease of its new headquarters in stations in connection with the development of King the South Lake Union area of Seattle. County’s telecommunications facilities siting ordinance. • Representation of Regional Disposal Company in transactions involving the establishment of a • Representation of Pacific Bell Wireless in methane gas co-generation facility at the Roosevelt connection with the assumption and eventual sale Regional Landfill near Goldendale, Washington. by USTel, Inc., a debtor in bankruptcy, of its reseller contract with Pacific Bell. • Representation of KONG Television, Inc. in its successful applications to obtain necessary permits • Representation of MasterSoft International of for new television and radio transmitting facility on Australia and affiliated entities in their licensing of Cougar Mountain. computer software to Group 1 Software Inc. • Representation of Broadcast Tools, Inc. in licensing • Representation of Synrad, Inc. in its licensing of of proprietary technology for the production of laser technology. broadcasting equipment to Broadcast Electronics, • Representation of Eclipse Properties, Inc. in its sale Inc. to the City of Everett for redevelopment of land • Representation of Shamrock Broadcasting, Inc. (a along the Snohomish River. Roy Disney company) in connection with efforts to • Representation of Todd Pacific Shipyards in its sale consolidate FM broadcast facilities and other and assignment of its ownership rights in a software telecommunications services on Cougar Mountain system managing government and civilian onto a single tall tower. shipbuilding and repair contracts. • Representation of AudioControl in its licensing of • Representation of Cornerstone Development, Inc. in technology for production and distribution of a multi- the negotiation of a software development and room audio system controller. licensing agreement with a major national banking • Representation of Bridgeway Corporation in its institution. license of system management software to Pacific • Representation of Kaseya Corporation and related Bell Telephone in California. entities in the establishment of their worldwide • Representation of Lemond Cycling, Inc. in matters relationships for development and licensing of involving the sale a license to use the Greg Lemond proprietary software technology. trademark in the bankruptcy of StairMaster. • Representation of purchaser from Wells Fargo Bank • Representation of the Washington Association Of of a multi-million dollar troubled loan secured by a Vehicle Subagents in matters involving state feedstock facility in Eastern Washington statutes pertinent to the subagent succession. • Representation of Khan Air in sale of aircraft to • Retained in special investigative role by Grant Finnoff International. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Whatcom County. • Representation of Brown & Cole Stores, one of • Representation of Siemens Energy & Automation, Washington’s largest independent supermarket Inc. In commercial product liability actions by businesses, in its stock and asset acquisitions of Douglas