General Contract Preparation, Review & Litigation
Dianna has experience drafting a variety of contracts. Employment contracts, purchase and sale contracts, promissory notes and rental leases are all contracts that can play an important role in our lives. Dianna can assist you in drafting a contract that protects your interests. Dianna strives to make sure that my clients are positioned to avoid costly lawsuits and the frequently prolonged collection process. She reviews contracts and agreements for clients before they sign to make sure the contract is fair and equitable and the client is protected.
There are numerous situations in which having a well drafted contract can be an advantage or in which it is important to carefully review a contract prior to signing it. Dianna has experience drafting and reviewing prenuptial and cohabitation agreements. These agreements can be critical in protecting your interests or the interests of your children if you are considering marriage or moving in with or buying a home with your partner.
Purchase and sale agreements are also key and whether the purchase is a vehicle, a home, stock or services there are specific guarantees and protections that you need in place to protect you if there are problems down the road.
Another situation in which contracts are vital are those situations in which you are either loaning money or accepting a loan. The terms of that loan should be carefully negotiated so that risk is properly apportioned and both parties clearly understand the agreement. In some cases a security agreement or personal guaranty should also be drafted as part of the loan agreement and Dianna can assist with that.
If you are in a contract dispute she is also an experienced litigator in this arena.
Real Estate Contracts & Litigation
As a business litigation and construction law attorney in the Seattle area, Dianna has extensive experience resolving disputes centered around real estate transactions and real estate development projects in the state of Washington. In addition to representation in litigation, she also assists clients in preparing or reviewing documents and representing them in transactions to assist the deal in going through and prevent problems from arising.
Real estate transactions and development projects require a significant investment of time and money on the part of developers and purchasers. Just performing the preliminary work to identify a suitable site can be very time-consuming and expensive. Once that perfect property is found, there are still many steps before the deal can be closed or project completed, and any problem at any step along the way can potentially derail the entire project.
Dianna does more than just litigate disputes in the courtroom. Her goal is to help you reach your goal, whether that means making sure the deal goes through or that the project gets back on track. She will work to resolve the dispute in the quickest and most cost-efficient manner available. She handles all types of real estate disputes, including:
- Title litigation – title defects and adverse claims on the property, contractual disputes at closing
- Escrow – funds held in escrow during a real estate transaction or as a condition or a mortgage can lead to a dispute if funds are held too long or disbursed prematurely, or if more money is held than is necessary
- Construction claims – mechanic’s liens, payment and performance bonds, stop notices, delay claims and extra work claims, contract defaults, construction defects
- Eviction – from property damage and nonpayment of rent to nuisance or other conditions requiring an interpretation of complex lease provisions
- Breach of contract – claims for damages or specific performance
- Boundary disputes – claims for adverse possession, encroachment and similar issues
- Trespass – claims for damage to property