Hamilton H Gardiner

In 1965 my family founded a manufacturing company in Tukwila and continued to operate it throughout my school years. From that young age, I saw that owning and operating your own business is stressful and requires constant attention, but can also be extremely rewarding.

With family business part of my daily life, it was natural for me to seek a major in business administration. I graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Business Administration focusing on Entrepreneurship and a minor in Political Science.

During the course of my legal education, I realized that businesspersons evolve their practices due to an ever-changing collection of laws and regulations, which can be challenging, and disputes are sometimes inevitable. Having an attorney who understands the inside of a courtroom, as well as the intricacies of owning and managing a business, is a significant advantage.

My daily goal is to be a value-added partner and trusted adviser to my clients. To accomplish this I get to know the inner workings of my clients’ business, their employees, and customers. When an issue arises, I am able to identify the optimal way to achieve a client’s objectives, in light of the stakes involved. Nothing gets me more excited than to see my clients succeed and to know I was able to have a positive impact on their business.

Education

• J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 2006
• B.A., University of Washington, Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Focus, Minor in Political Science, 2003

Bar Admissions

• Washington State Bar Association, 2006
• State Bar of California, 2007
• U.S. District Court – Western District of Washington

Community Engagement

• South Seattle College Foundation – Board of Directors (2015 – Present)
• Seattle Lutheran High School – Board of Directors (2015 – 2022), President (2020 – 2022)
• Sound Transit, ST3 Stakeholder Advisory Group – West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions (2018-2019)
• West Seattle Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors (2013-2018), Chair (2015), Treasurer (2016-2018)
• Senior Center of West Seattle – Board of Directors (2016-2018)

Recent Representative Matters

• Prevailed at trial in Clallam County Superior Court, defeating breach of contract claims from independent contractor against business and business owner.
• Prevailed at the Hearing Examiner for the City of Seattle while representing multifamily landlord by defeating City of Seattle claims of landlord retaliation under SMC 14.08.
• Prevailed on appeal at the Washington Court of Appeals Division I, defeating claims for withheld wages where the former employee’s stock had been purchased as part of company sale.
• Prevailed at trial in King County Superior Court on claims for conversion and breach of fiduciary duties against former business venture partners.
• Prevailed at trial in King County Superior Court while representing developer on claims for breach of contract and construction liens.
• Represented seller of 11.5-acre vacant parcel in Redmond, Washington with sale price of $12.5M.
• Represented seller of the industrial property located in North Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington, with a sale price of $6.5M.
• Represented seller of industrial property located at 495 Andover Park East, Tukwila, Washington with a sale price of $28.1M.
• Represented seller of residential home located on West Seattle, Washington. Unlisted property and private sale with a price of $1.3M.
• General Counsel for commercial and multi-family property owners: Handle leasing and transactional matters as well as disputes, litigation, and evictions.

Reported Cases

• Arzola v. Name Intelligence, Inc., 288 P.3d 1154 (. Div. 1 2012).