Summit Law Blog

In recent years, the governance of Washington’s HOAs has become a growing concern for both lawmakers and residents. To address this concern, the state enacted the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) in 2018, establishing modern standards for how HOAs should operate.

However, the law only applied to communities formed after its passage and to existing communities that chose to opt in, leaving many older HOAs largely exempt until January 1, 2028. To address these disparities sooner, the legislature passed Senate Bill 5129 (SB 5129), which begins taking effect July 27, 2025, with full implementation by January 1, 2026.

In this blog post, we discuss five issues you'll want to figure out before moving forward with the sale of your closely-held business. Deciding to sell your company is a major transition, and while the prospect of a successful exit is exciting, it's important to approach the process with a clear strategy and defensible positions. 

Washington has been grappling with a housing shortage for years, as home prices and rents continue to outpace income growth. To help address the crisis, Washington passed House Bill 1110, often referred to as the “middle housing” bill, in 2023.

On June 9, 2025, Governor Tina Kotek signed SB 426 into law, marking a significant change to wage liability for Oregon's construction industry. Aimed to combat wage theft, Oregon's new legislation introduces strict joint and several liability, making property owners and direct contractors legally responsible for unpaid wages owed to "unrepresented employees" (workers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement) of a direct contractor or subcontractor, regardless of their tier in the contracting chain. As a result, an unrepresented employee can seek payment from the ...

Valerie Shmigol attended IAPP’s Global Privacy Summit (“IAPP GPS25”) in Washington D.C. 

You can easily form your own LLC with Washington State, without the need to pay a third-party service.

On schedule, Washington State's AI Task Force ("Task Force") published its Inaugural Report ("Report"). Spanning 49 pages, the Report largely reiterates familiar information, offers one policy recommendation, and leaves us with many lingering questions. Let's dive in. 

Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) Update as of December 26, 2024.

In an article for Washington State Bar News, University of Washington School of Law Professor Jeffrey M. Feldman recently met with Judge Morgan Christen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In a matter of first impression in Washington State, two Washington Superior Court judges have recognized that Legislators have a constitutional privilege against disclosure of any records relating to internal legislative deliberations concerning bills contemplated or introduced in either house of the Legislature.