David A. Leen
Principal
Partner
Location:
Seattle, Washington
Phone:
206-973-0081
888-435-5124 (Toll Free)
888-435-5124 (Toll Free)
Fax:
206-325-1424
E-mail:
David Leen is a Washington native from Kirkland. After his public school education he joined the Navy before attending Beloit College in Wisconsin where he graduated with honors in 1968. After college he attended the University of Oregon, graduating with a law degree in 1971. Thereafter he was granted the coveted Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship, a two year stipend to undertake poverty law practice. After working for Seattle Legal Services for several years he worked as staff counsel for the Seattle office of the Federal Trade Commission and then the U.S. Economic Development Administration. In 1979 he founded a general practice law firm. David's practice emphasizes real estate matters and consumer class actions. Consistent with the firm philosophy, David has served in various community and civic activities.
Areas of Practice
- General Civil Litigation
- Consumer Finance
- Class Actions
- Real Estate
- Bankruptcy Litigation
Litigation Percentage
- 75% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Washington, 1971
- U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 1971
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington, 1971
- U.S. District Court District of Delaware, 1972
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1991
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1984
- Swinomish Indian Tribal Court, 1994
Education
- University of Oregon School of Law, Eugene, Oregon
- J.D. - 1971
- Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin
- B.A. - 1968
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: Government
Published Works
- Real Estate Loan Defaults and Workouts (Co-author), Washington State Bar Association, 1989
- Economics of Consumer Law Practice, National Lawyers Guild, 1982
- Fuller v. Oregon: The Cost of a Constitutional Right, 55 Oregon Law Review 99, 1976
- Deed of Trust Foreclosures in Washington (Co-author), 29 Wash. Bar Journal 36, 1975
- Deeds of Trust and Due Process (Co-author with John Gose), 48 Wash. Law Review 763, 1973
Representative Cases
- Wilgus v. Peterson (Federal District Court, Delaware 1972)
- Goines v. University of Washington (King County Superior Court 1973)
- State, ex rel., Brundage v. Eide, 83 Wn.2d 676 (1974)
- State v. Hesse, 12 Wn. App. 787, aff'd, 86 Wn.2d 51 (1975)
- Cox v. Helenius, 103 Wn.2d 383 (1985)
- Koegel v. Prudential Bank, 51 Wn. App. 108 (1988)
- United States v. Vallejo (Judge Coughenour), 660 F. Supp. 535 (W.D. Wash 1987)
- Whitehead v. Derwinski (Judge Dwyer), 701 F. Supp. 795 (W.D. Wash 1988)
- Whitehead v. Derwinski, 904 F.2d 1362 (9th Cir. 1989)
- Vail v. Derwinski, 742 F. Supp. 1039 (D. Minn. 1990)
- Davis v. Derwinski, 756 F. Supp. 1162 (D. Wisc. 1990)
- Peterson v. Norwest Mortgage and Harris v. Beneficial Finance (1997)
- State v. Brumfield (1999)
- Perkins v. CTX Mortgage, 137 Wn.2d 93 (1999)
- Jacquemart v. Continental Savings Bank (King County Superior Court 1997)
- Harris v. Beneficial Finance (King County Superior Court 1994)
- Sant v. Household Finance (Snohomish County Superior Court 1994)
- Whitehead v. Derwinski (U.S. District Court (WD WN) 1988)
- William Udall v. TD Service Company (US Court of Appeals, Division II 2006)
Classes/Seminars
- Advanced Workshop on Real Estate Remedies, Law Seminars International, CLE Materials, 2003
- Defending Homeowners in Predatory Loan Foreclosures, 2002
- Predatory Lending, King County Bar Association, 2001
- Consumer Protection Act, Class Actions, Washington State Bar Association, 1998
- Recovery of Attorney Fees in Consumer Protection Act Cases, Washington State Bar Association, 1998
- Defending Foreclosures, National Consumer Law Center, 1994
- Panelist, Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference Materials, University of Washington School of Law, 1994
- Foreclosing and Defending Liens, Washington State Bar Association, 1990
- Real Property Foreclosures in Washington, National Business Institute, 1987
- Foreclosures, National Business Institute, Continuing Legal Education Series, 1985
- Representing the Defaulting Purchaser of Real Property, Washington State Bar, 1984
Honors and Awards
- Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, King County Bar Association, 2004
- Law & Politics Magazine, Super Lawyer, 2001 - 2007
- Seattle Magazine, Seattles Top Lawyers, 2005 - Present
- Historic Preservation Award for Restoration of Seattle's Oldest Building, The Ward House
- Quiet Hero Award, King County Bar Association, 2000
- Reginald Heber Smith Fellow, 1971 - 1973
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Board Member, 1988 - 1992
- Legal Foundation of Washington, President, Board of Trustees, 2000 - 2004
- King County Mandatory Arbitration Panel, UIM Arbitrator, 1985 - Present
- Testified Before U.S. Congress on Veteran's Rights Issues, 1988
- Testified Before U.S. Congress on Veteran's Rights Issues, 1991
Past Employment Positions
- King County Superior Court, Seattle District Court, Seattle Municipal Court, Judge Pro Tem
- Leen & Moore, Partner, 1979 - 2005
- Legal Services Corporation, Regional Attorney, 1978 - 1979
- Economic Development Administration (U.S. Dept. of Commerce), Attorney Advisor, 1977 - 1978
- Federal Trade Commission, Seattle Office, Regional Staff Attorney, 1976 - 1977
- Seattle Legal Services, Staff Attorney, 1972 - 1976
- Community Legal Aid, Wilming-ton, Delaware, Staff Attorney, 1971 - 1972
- Dwyer & Jensen, Eugene, Oregon (Labor and Criminal Law Research), Law Clerk, 1970 - 1971
- Law Students' Civil Rights Research Council in New Mexico, Student Law Clerk, 1969
- U.S. Senator Wayne Morse, Clerk, 1967
- U.S. Office of Education, Student Intern, 1966
- U.S. Navy, Legal Clerk, Court Reporter, 1963 - 1965
