Carney Badley Spellman, P.S. is a Pacific Northwest law firm located in Seattle, Washington. Our clients will tell you we are known for providing exceptional value in legal services by recognizing case objectives early and obtaining cost-effective results. The Carney firm provides legal services in business, litigation, construction, government affairs and insurance to individuals and to privately-held and publicly-traded companies.

Michael B. King, a principal, came to the firm in 2008 with Greg Miller to join Jim Lobsenz, Ken Kagan and Jason Anderson in forming the firm's uniquely experienced appellate group. Mike's practice is national in scope. He has represented clients before the Alaska, California, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington Supreme Courts, the Second, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court, as well as all divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals. He has argued over 100 cases to full panels on the merits, in addition to dozens of arguments on discretionary review applications and other procedural matters. He is a former partner in the firm of Lane Powell, where for ten years he co-chaired the firm's appellate practice group.

Representative Cases

Mr. King has successfully represented clients on a wide variety of matters:

  • Grays Harbor Energy, LLC v. Grays Harbor County, 151 Wn. App 550, 213 P.3d 609 (2009) (characterization of power plant equipment for property tax)
  • Braaten v. Saberhagen Holdings, 165 Wn.2d 373, 198 P.3d 493 (2008) (duty to warn of hazards caused by another's product)
  • Bank of America v. Prestance Corp., 160 Wn.2d 560, 160 P.3d 17 (2007) (equitable subrogation of real estate refinancing liens)
  • Foxworth ex rel. Darden v. Kia Motors Corp, 2005 WL 2888216 (11th Cir. 2005) (wrongful death)
  • Magana v. Hyundai Motor America, 123 Wn. App. 306, 94 P.3d 987 (2004) (crashworthiness)
  • Hamoui v. Ashcroft, 389 F.3d 821 (9th Cir. 2004) (immigration)
  • Lund v. San Joaquin Valley R.R., 1 Cal. Rptr. 3d 412, 71 P.3d 770 (2003) (FELA)
  • Seattle v. Burlington Northern Railway Co, 145 Wn.2d 661, 43 P.3d 1169 (2002) (federal preemption of local railroad regulations)
  • Hadley v. Maxwell, 144 Wn.2d 306, 27 P.3d 600 (2001) (collateral estoppel effect of traffic citations)
  • Hill v. BCTI, 144 Wn.2d 172, 23 P.3d 440 (2001) (employment discrimination)
  • Glasebrook v. Mutual of Omaha, 100 Wn. App. 538, 997 P.2d 981 (2000) (health care regulations)
  • Miller v. Phillips, 959 P.2d 1247 (Alaska 1998) (medical malpractice)

Professional Activities and Recognition

Mr. King is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and a founding member and past President of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association. From 2001 through 2003, he chaired the Appellate Advocacy Committee of the Chicago-based Defense Research Institute. He has co-chaired the Appellate Practice Committee of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, and is a member of the Amicus Committee of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. In 2005-2006, he served as the first chair of the Appellate Law section of the King County Bar Association, and in 2007 he received the Section's inaugural "Golden Podium Award" for outstanding contributions to appellate practice. In 2008, Mr. King was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association's Council of Appellate Lawyers.

Mr. King regularly chairs and speaks at national and local appellate practice seminars. In October 2001, Mr. King chaired the third Appellate Advocacy Seminar of DRI's Appellate Advocacy Committee, held in San Francisco, whose faculty included Professor Alan Morrison (co-founder of the Public Citizen Litigation Group), Mr. Michael Carver (co-counsel for George W. Bush in the Bush v. Gore litigations), and Mr. Michael Wallace (personal counsel to Majority Leader Trent Lott during the Senate trial of President Clinton). In May 2003, Mr. King moderated a mock oral argument and panel presentation at the committee's fourth Appellate Advocacy Seminar, held in Chicago; advocates argued before Judge Danny Boggs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Chief Justice Shirley Abrahmson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Associate Justice Alan Page of the Minnesota Supreme Court. In 2003 and again in 2006, Mr. King was one of several members of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association who made continuing judicial education presentations at the annual conference retreat of Washington State's appellate judges and justices. In February 2005, Mr. King was a co-presenter of the oral argument program at the Washington State Bar Association's "Master Class on Appeals" CLE, which introduced the third edition of the Washington State Bar Association's Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook (for which Mr. King also served as a co-editor). In June 2007, Mr. King was one of two advocates selected to present a mock oral argument before an audience of over 100 state court appellate judges and justices from around the United States, at the third annual Judicial Symposium of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, in Chicago, Illinois. In May of 2009, Mr. King co-chaired the 14th Appellate Practice Institute of the American Bar Association, held at Northwestern University Law School in Chicago, Illinois; the ABA's premier appellate CLE program, the API's faculty includes leading appellate practitioners and judges from around the country.

Mr. King was selected as an appellate "Super Lawyer" by Washington Law & Politics magazine every year since 2001, and was selected by Best Lawyers in America as one of the best appellate lawyers in Washington State every year since the inaugural listing in 2007.

Mr. King was recognized by Seattle Metropolitan Magazine as one of "King County's Top Lawyers 2010." Seattle Metropolitan Magazine culled their list using the Martindale-Hubbell ratings. Mr. King has been awarded an "AV" Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. This rating is given to attorneys that demonstrate the highest ethical standards and professional ability.

Associations

Publications

Mr. King has authored numerous articles and papers on various aspects of appellate practice, and served as a co-editor for the third edition of the Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook.

Admissions

  • Washington state
  • US District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington
  • US Courts of Appeals for the Second, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
  • US Supreme Court

Education

BA in Government, Harvard University (cum laude); JD, University of Washington School of Law (high honors).

Michael B. King

Michael B. King

Phone: 206 622-8020
E-Mail: King
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