LITIGATION REAL ESTATE TECH LAW BUSINESS

David East is a litigation attorney at McNaul Ebel. His experience includes representing clients at trials, arbitrations, and mediations, and he has argued before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the Washington State Court of Appeals, and the King County Superior Court. His practice includes representing and advising plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of matters, including but not limited to contract, professional malpractice, product liability, securities, insurance, employment, business, real estate, and will/trust disputes. Mr. East also represents clients in criminal matters and is presently a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Western District of Washington.

During law school, Mr. East clerked for the Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section) and represented clients in Georgetown’s Criminal Justice Clinic. After graduation, he joined Perkins Coie as an associate in its general litigation department, where he worked on a range of complex civil matters. Mr. East joined McNaul Ebel in September 2005.

Representative Cases

• Defense of law firm in case alleging securities-related malpractice, with alleged damages in excess of $11 million.
• Defense of company in case alleging intellectual property claims, with alleged damages in excess of $11 million.
• Representation of trustee in trust and estate dispute involving over $4 million in property and assets.
• Representation of personal representative in case alleging violations of fiduciary and other duties, with alleged damages in excess of $5 million.
• Defense of major aerospace company in product liability jury trial, with millions of dollars in alleged damages.
• Defense of manufacturer in arbitration against distributor, with alleged damages in excess of $1 million.
• Defense of automotive brake manufacturer in product liability jury trial.

Mr. East has taken on several significant pro bono matters, including habeas corpus, death penalty, immigration, and family law cases. Notably, he was part of the team of attorneys that successfully argued the habeas corpus case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, in which the U. S. Supreme Court halted the military tribunal system in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. From 2002 through 2006, Mr. East chaired the Pro Bono/Public Service Committee of the Washington State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. In addition, Mr. East has volunteered as a guest lecturer at the Seattle University School of Law and as a panelist and presenter at Continuing Legal Education seminars.

Awards and Activities

• Corecipient, King County Bar Association Outstanding Lawyer Award (2007)
• Recipient, Washington State Bar Association Thomas Neville Award for outstanding public service (2006)
• Recipient, Seattle University School of Law Access to Justice Institute Award of Distinction (2006)
• Selected as a “Rising Star” by Washington Law & Politics (2006, 2009)

In his spare time, Mr. East enjoys traveling, reading, triathlons, cycling, running, skiing, and playing softball.