CHRISTOPHER J. SOELLING, PLLC
19610 Northeast 116th Street
Redmond, WA 98053
(206) 200-7706
chris@soellinglaw.com
Current Practice: Full-time neutral: mediation and arbitration of commercial, construction, real estate, insurance, and business matters.
Previous Practice: Attorney and partner at Short, Cressman & Burgess PLLC from 1981 to 2001
Legal Experience:
Twenty-seven years as a lawyer; twenty years as commercial and construction litigator. Experience includes:
- More than a dozen jury trials, including construction, commercial fraud, and real estate issues
- Numerous bench trials, including construction, commercial, purchase and sale, and real property disputes
- Appellate work in both state and federal courts
- Representation of plaintiffs and defendants in numerous arbitrations and mediations
- Negotiated settlements of construction, environmental (CERCLA, MTCA), estate, partnership and real estate disputes
- Extensive negotiation and drafting of industrial, commercial, and residential construction contracts, claim analysis and preparation
- Clients include individuals, municipalities, suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors, developers, and owners
Mediation Experience:
Active mediator since 1990. Primary areas: construction, commercial, real estate, insurance coverage, insurance as it applies to liability issues. Mediated hundreds of cases in seven Western States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and California:
- Mediations Where a Party is a Public Entity: Numerous mediations where a public entity is a party, including the Federal government, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho political subdivisions, counties, municipalities, water districts, and school districts
- Industrial/Commercial: Pipelines, airports, municipal/metro projects, churches, office towers, road construction, sewage treatment plants
- Residential New Construction and Remodel: Residential claims of all types, project management claims, warranty of habitability, etc.
- Partnership Disputes, Commercial Claims, Real Estate Disputes: including adverse possession, purchase and sale agreements, etc., distributorship agreements; commercial fraud, etc.
- Dispute Review Boards: Washington State Convention and Trade Center Expansion Project, Seattle, 1998 to 2001
- Trust and Estate Disputes: Will contests, division of asset disputes among family members
- Mold: Personal injury and property damage actions involving mold, including claims relative to stachybotrys chartarum
- Insurance Coverage: Earthquake claims, first-party coverage, third-party claims
- Construction Defect Claims: Condominium/townhouses, apartments, banks, warehouses
Arbitration Experience:
- Extensive arbitration experience in commercial, construction and real estate disputes
- Sole arbitrator through American Arbitration Association of commercial and construction disputes, numerous residential new construction and remodeling disputes; Member and chair of three arbitrator panels
- Numerous private arbitrations: Commercial and residential construction, property, and general commercial disputes, insurance issues
Alternative Dispute Resolution Training:
Group facilitator, ABA Annual ADR Meeting, 2006
Advanced arbitrator training, AAA, 2002,
Advanced construction mediation training, 1997;
Basic mediation training, 1992;
Trainer, observer, AAA mediation training, 1997;
Collaborative mediation training, ADR Options Consulting, 1996;
Advanced arbitrator training, AAA, 1996;
Basic arbitrator training, AAA, 1991
Professional Licenses:
Bar admission, State of Washington 1981;
U.S. District Court, Western and Eastern Districts of Washington;
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals;
U.S. Tax Court
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Activities:
Former chair, ADR Section, King County Bar Association
American Arbitration Association, commercial and construction arbitration panels
Frequent CLE speaker on ADR and construction topics locally and nationally, including the ethics of negotiating, use of arbitration in lien foreclosure claims, etc.
Member National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
Former Secretary, Washington State Bar Association Construction Section; National Electrical Contractors Association (former member)
National Mason Contractors Association (former member)
Awards:
Super lawyer, Washington Law and Politics, 2001-2016;
Top 100 vote-getter, Washington Law & Politics, 2006, 2007, 2012;
Seattle's Best Lawyers, Seattle Magazine, 2005, 2007;
The League of Justice: Most Amazing Attorneys, Washington CEO Magazine, 2006, and 2007
Education:
Cornell Law School, J.D. 1981, Cornell International Law Journal;
University of Washington, B.S., 1977 cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa