Landmark Win for MI Lawyers at Cairncross & Hempelmann

Mackrell International attorneys regularly go in to bat for their community.

Property owners on Lake Sammamish can breathe a sigh of relief after Seattle-based law firm Cairncross & Hempelmann secured a landmark ruling on their behalf in a unanimous decision in Washington State Supreme Court.

The case, running since 2020, confirmed that a federal railroad easement granted prior to Washington becoming a State, did not prevent the State from taking title to aquatic lands at statehood. As a result, the State conveyed those lands years later to private owners whose successors continue to own and enjoy them today.

“This case is a significant win for everyone in the State of Washington who owns waterfront property with a dock or rights to access the water,” explained Randall Olsen, who led the Cairncross & Hempelmann legal team.

Olsen was supported by Cairncross attorneys Steve VanDerhoef and Jonathan Tebbs, legal assistant Rachel Wang.  They were joined by Joe Panesko of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General Public Lands and Conservation Division, Van Ness Feldman on behalf of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers, Richard Stephens of Stephens & Klinge, and the Davis Wright Tremaine firm. 

Great work by another mid-size MI firm delivering outstanding results for their community.

You can read the full press release here.