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Jerome L. Hillis

Jerome L. Hillis

Attorney

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Professional Overview

Jerry is a founding member of the firm. His practice focuses on real estate, land use, and environmental law matters.

Representative Matters

  • Represented community groups before the State Supreme Court in two cases which established the Appearance of Fairness doctrine in the United States. See Smith v. Skagit County and Chrobuck v. Snohomish County.
  • Coordinated real estate and land use issues involving numerous large development projects, including: Cornerstone Development, Harbor Steps, Washington State Convention Center, Pacific Place/Nordstrom redevelopment, Seattle Mariners' SAFECO Field, Weyerhaeuser's Snoqualmie Ridge Development, and the Klahanie Master Plan Development.
  • Represented Weyerhaeuser Company in the annexation of its headquarters to the City of Federal Way and development of the Master Plan for the headquarters property.
  • Represented PACCAR in development of its Renton facilities, and truck testing facilities in Skagit County.
  • Represented numerous municipalities and government agencies in real estate and land use matters, including City of Bellevue in its acquisition of property for Bellevue Central Park, Port of Seattle in its acquisition of the waterfront property for the Central Waterfront Development, the City of Seattle in its acquisition of the Central Waterfront Piers, and the University of Washington in its development of a Master Plan and negotiations with Sound Transit.
  • Serves as counsel to a wide variety of small to large residential and commercial developers throughout Puget Sound.

Articles and Presentations

Co-Author, “Seattle City Council Should Revisit Seattle Children’s Expansion Plans,” The Seattle Times, November 6, 2009.

Professional and Civic Involvement

  • Washington State Bar Association (Environmental and Land Use Section)
  • Pacific Real Estate Institute (Lambda Alpha National Real Estate honorary)
  • Whitman College, Board Member (Emeritus) and Past President, Board of Trustees
  • Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Board Member

Honors / Awards / Prior Experience

  • Recognized for over 30 consecutive years by The Best Lawyers in America©, most recently in 2021, for work in the fields of Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Real Estate Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, and Energy Law.
  • A/V Preeminent Lawyer, Martindale Hubbell.
  • Featured in the King County Bar Association's June 2010 edition of the Bar Bulletin, in "A Window on the World," by Richard Wilson.
  • Repeatedly named a Super Lawyer by Washington Super Lawyers, most recently in 2019.
  • Served on the State Land Use Committee and developed a comprehensive Land Use Code for the State of Washington in 1972; unfortunately it did not pass the state legislature

Education

  • J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1966
    Order of the Coif
    Managing editor of Washington Law Review, 1965 - 1966
  • B.A., Whitman College, B.A., 1961

Personal

Mountain climbing, hiking, traveling and golf.

Bar/Court Admissions

  • Washington State Courts

  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington