Overview

Alex Baehr is a seasoned trial lawyer, former general counsel for two global, multi-billion dollar publicly traded corporations, and former partner with an AmLaw 100 firm. He serves a range of clients, from high-net-worth individuals to privately held midcap companies to Fortune 50 multinationals in the commercial real estate, aerospace and e-commerce sectors.

Recognized by Chambers USA for his skill in general litigation and by clients for being equally comfortable in the boardroom, the courtroom and the factory floor, Alex has more than 25 years of global experience as a legal advisor to entities across multiple industries.

Drawing on his legal and business acumen, he advises executives, boards of directors and other corporate leadership, helping his clients deploy effective regulatory compliance, risk management, dispute resolution and business strategies as:

Litigation and trial counsel.  Having successfully litigated numerous disputes — at the trial and appellate levels, in international arbitrations and in settlement negotiations — as outside and in-house counsel, Alex understands the potential costs and risk of litigation. Over the course of his career, he has handled complex disputes involving issues such as trade secrets, non-competes, commercial real estate, employment, corporate/fiduciary matters, insurance and contracts.

Outside general counsel.  A skilled issue spotter, Alex finds fit-for-purpose, fit-for-risk solutions that align with his clients’ larger business objectives and support effective, informed operational and strategic decisions. A skilled negotiator, he represents clients in a broad range of matters, from bet-the-company disputes to major corporate and real estate transactions.

Transactions counsel.  Alex has managed and conducted M&A and related due diligence on numerous transactions across the United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Brazil in addition to counseling on joint venture formation and procurement matters globally.

Prior to joining Summit Law Group, Alex spent more than five years as general counsel of Colliers International Group, where he oversaw the company’s global legal operations and its growth into a multibillion-dollar, publicly traded entity. He personally managed the company’s strategy in defending against high-value litigation throughout the world and acted as director and secretary to the company’s offshore captive insurer.

Before that, Alex was senior counsel to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he oversaw complex, multibillion-dollar international arbitrations and handled financial compliance for project financed mega-projects, governance, and legal issues surrounding the company offshore captive insurer and alternative energy pilot ventures.

Committed to equity, access to legal services and positive change, Alex served as a member of the founding board of directors of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, an international collaboration focused on identifying the causes of and solutions to racial inequity in law firms.

Credentials

Education

  • American University, Washington College of Law
    JD
    Dean’s Fellow (antitrust research in conjunction with Professor Robert Lande); Articles Editor, American University International Law Review
  • University of Washington
    BA, Political Science
    Mentor, Educational Opportunity Program

Admissions

  • Washington United States Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • US District Court for the Western District of Washington

Awards & Accolades

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation ­– Real Estate (2019-2023)
  • Washington Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer (2004, 2007, 2018–2022); Rising Star (2001–2002, 2004)
  • Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial – Washington (2020–2023)
  • Benchmark Litigation, Labor and Employment Star; Litigation Star (2019–2020)
  • America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
  • Puget Sound Business Journal, Corporate Counsel of the Year (Public Company General Counsel) (2016)
  • National Law Journal, Seattle In-House Legal Department of the Year – Outside Counsel Management (2014)
  • Seattle Business, Executive Excellence Award (2014) (only lawyer/general counsel to receive this award)
  • Washington CEO Magazine, Top Lawyer in Washington (2008)

Memberships

  • Federal Bar Association – Western District of Washington, Co-Chair, Ethics & Practice Committee (2006­–2008)
  • Washington State Minority & Justice Commission, Technical Support Group Member (2007–2008)
  • King County Bar Association, Chair, Judiciary & Courts Committee (2007)
  • King County Bar Foundation – Future of Law Institute, Board Member (2006-2007)

Publications & Speaking Engagements

  • “Linking Legal Spend to Value: How Legal Operations Can Build the Bridge,” Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, May 2016 Institute
  • “Collective Action,” World Economic Forum – Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, 2014
  • “Protecting Your Company’s Most Valuable Assets: Employee Mobility & Trade Secrets,” Washington State Council-SHRM, 2007
  • “The New Federal Rules on Electronically Stored Information,” Federal Bar Association –Western District of Washington, Moderator, 2006
  • “Minority Shareholder Disputes,” Washington Society of CPAs, 2006
  • “Intellectual Property and Antitrust, Patent Settlements as a Basis for Antitrust Litigation,” Holland & Knight Institute, 2005
  • “Reciprocal Discipline and Changes to the Local Federal Rules,” Volume 62, No. 9, Washington State Bar News, 2008 (with Felice Congalton and Joanna Plitcha)
  • “Gerlinger v. Amazon.com, Applying Brick and Mortar Antitrust Principles to Internet Business Models,” ICARUS, Winter 2004, American Bar Association
  • Antitrust Evidence Handbook, Contributing Editor (2nd Ed., 2002), American Bar Association 

Experience

Representative Matters

Representative Trial Matters

  • Cypress Ins. Co. as subrogee of Microsoft Corp. v. SK Hynix America, Inc. (U.S. District Ct., Western District of WA 2019). Obtained a favorable defense verdict after a 10-day jury trial before US District Judge Richard A. Jones in $175 million breach of contract action involving breach of a DRAM semiconductor chip manufacturing contract. 
  • Grego et. al. v. Med-Data, Inc. et. al. (U.S. District Ct., Eastern District of WA 2018). Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Med-Data in a putative class action seeking damages for violation of Consumer Protection Act and related claims. 
  • Evergreen Moneysource Mortgage Co. v.  Axis Insurance Co. (U.S. District Ct., Western District of WA 2018). Obtained a favorable settlement of an insurance coverage action, on behalf of an insured, for wage and hour class action costs through early case assessment and early mediation.
  • Red Lion Hotels Franchising Co. v. First Capital Real Estate Investments, LLC, et. al. (U.S. District Ct., Eastern District of WA 2018). Secured a favorable summary judgment ruling awarding $1.3 million for a breach of contract claim.
  • Teck Cominco Metals v. Pakootas (U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2007). Represented the Province of British Columbia as amicus in appeal and before the US Supreme Court seeking certiorari with regard to an underlying CERCLA claim involving contamination and clean-up of the Snake River.
  • Lam Research Corp v. Deshmukh: (U.S. District Court, Western District of WA 2005) Secured a 13-month preliminary injunction based on inevitable disclosure of trade secret doctrine on behalf of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing company.
  • UAP Holding Corp. v. Maitoza, et al.: (U.S. District Ct., Western District of WA 2006). Resolved non-competition, corporate raiding and trade secret claims alleged by a competitor in the chemical fertilizer industry.
  • Expedia Australia Pty Ltd. v. Travel Holdings, Inc., et al.: (U.S. District Ct., Western District of WA 2006). Resolved non-compete and trade secret litigation against a competitor through pursuit of multi-jurisdictional litigation in New South Wales, Australia, and Seattle, Washington.
  • In Re Jean Gardner Amended Blind Trust, 117 Wn.App. 235 (2003) Represented a trustee in breach of fiduciary duty litigation pursued by a beneficiary.
  • Evelyn Egtvedt v. Wells Fargo Bank (King County Superior Court 2002) Represented a trustee in fiduciary duty and related TEDRA litigation involving capacity of a beneficiary regarding $150 million charitable and revocable trusts.
  • Greenpeace et. al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service, et. al., (U.S. District Ct., Western District of WA 1998). Represented a trade association intervenor group in Endangered Species Act injunction litigation.

Corporate and Real Estate

  • Negotiated a $450 million, four-currency credit facility on behalf of a borrower.
  • Provide outside general counsel services for a low-earth-orbit satellite manufacturing joint venture.
  • Managed development of FCPA and UK Bribery Act policy, an internal training program and related investigations.
  • Managed and developed strategy for the organization of an offshore captive insurer to insure company errors and omissions risk with approximately $3 million in net income over a two-year period.
  • Provide employment law advice in the United States and direct negotiation of executive-level employment agreements.
  • Managed and conducted M&A and related due diligence on more than 25 transactions across the United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Brazil.

Infrastructure & Energy

  • Resolved more than $800 million in integrated disputes involving construction of a $12 billion petrochemical facility via International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration in London, England.
  • Managed drafting of RFP, pro forma direct and EPC contracts, and related negotiations with regard to the development of 1000 MW gas-fired cogeneration power plants.
  • Managed contractual compliance matters involving four project-financed BOOT cogeneration power plants.
  • Negotiated power-purchase agreements (PPAs), installation and joint venture agreements for a company’s solar energy pilot projects team.
  • Negotiated a multi-year, framework-level procurement agreement for turbines and pumps with multinational corporations located in Italy, Japan and Germany.
  • Managed financial compliance for a $6 billion project financed b traditional and Sharia lending facilities for construction of a petrochemical plant.
  • Resolved a $750 million delay/change order dispute with the prime EPC LSTK contractor on construction of a $4 billion, graduate-level science and engineering institution.

News & Insights

News

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is proud to announce that twenty-four partners have been included in the 2024 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. The annually published lists recognize the top practitioners statewide based on peer recognition and professional achievement.

  • Firm News

    Super Lawyers has named Alex Baehr to its 2023 "Top 100" list for Washington.

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is pleased to announce that 22 of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2023 Washington Super Lawyers® and Washington Rising Stars® lists. The annually published lists recognize the top five percent of attorneys statewide based on peer recognition and professional achievement. Nine attorneys were additionally honored in the Super Lawyers Women's Edition and two were recognized for their tenth year by Super Lawyers.

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is proud to announce its inclusion in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. The prestigious guide identifies and ranks the most outstanding law firms and lawyers based on research obtained from clients, peers, and members of the business community.

  • Firm News

    For the fourth year in a row, Summit Law Group has been named the Washington Firm of the Year by Euromoney's Benchmark Litigation. Summit finished ahead of fierce competition from a shortlist of the best ranked law firms in Washington.

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is proud to announce that the firm's Litigation and Labor and Employment practices have received top-tier rankings in the 2023 edition of Benchmark Litigation, a guide to the leading litigation law firms and lawyers around the world.

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is proud to announce that eighteen partners have been selected by their peers for inclusion in 2023 Best Lawyers lists. Sixteen attorneys have been included in The Best Lawyers in America®, and two have been named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list.

  • Firm News

    Summit Law Group is proud to announce that thirteen of its attorneys have been named to the 2022 Washington Super Lawyers® list and five attorneys have been named to the 2022 Washington Rising Stars® list. The annually published lists recognize the top five percent of attorneys statewide based on peer recognition and professional achievement.

  • Firm News

    Summit is proud to announce its inclusion in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. The prestigious guide identifies and ranks the most outstanding law firms and lawyers based on research obtained from clients, peers, and members of the business community.

  • Firm News

    For the third consecutive year, Benchmark Litigation has named Summit Law Group the Washington Firm of the Year. Summit finished ahead of strong competition from a shortlist of firms and litigators who have performed exceptionally well at both local and national levels.

  • Firm News

    Eighteen Summit Law Group attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In addition, two Summit attorneys have been included in the 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list.

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