Carl J. Marquardt

As a lawyer in Seattle for over 20 years, Carl Marquardt has been a successful commercial litigator and trial attorney, negotiated complex real estate and business agreements, advised business owners and investors in a wide array of matters, and served in government as the legal counsel to the Mayor of Seattle. 

After growing up in Missoula, Montana, Carl graduated from Yale University (1988) and the University of Washington School of Law (1993).  He clerked for the Honorable Mary K. Becker, of the Washington State Court of Appeals, from 1994-96, and then joined the Seattle law firm of Stokes Lawrence, P.S., where he practiced from 1997-2007. 

As an associate, and later a shareholder at Stokes Lawrence, Carl represented corporate defendants in class action lawsuits around the country, and many local business and real estate owners in disputes in the Seattle area.  And like many mid-career litigators, he became increasingly interested in helping clients to structure agreements and navigate problems without resorting to litigation.

In 2007, he opened his own law office, counseling owners and investors in real estate acquisitions and related issues related to closely held businesses in Washington, California, and Arizona.

In 2009, incoming Mayor Michael McGinn asked Carl to serve as his legal counsel.  As Legal Counsel for the Mayor from 2010-13, he was responsible for advising the Mayor and the Mayor’s staff on the wide array of issues related to City governance.  He served as the Mayor’s lead in overseeing the police and fire departments, negotiating union labor agreements, and in negotiating a Consent Decree with the United States Department of Justice to resolve allegations of police misconduct.

In 2013, Carl returned to private practice, focusing on real estate and business law.  In April 2013, he opened an office in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle, where he has lived for many years. 

Carl has been an active volunteer throughout his career with the King County Neighborhood Legal Clinics Program, which provides free, drop-in legal advice to King County residents.  He served as Chair of the Neighborhood Legal Clinics Committee, which oversees the clinics, from 2006-2009, and was the program’s “Volunteer of the Year” in 2008.  He currently serves on the King County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Services Committee, which supports the broader array of pro bono services to County residents.