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Karolyn A. Hicks

PRACTICE EMPHASIS:

Karolyn Hicks has a general civil litigation practice emphasizing commercial litigation, and trust and estate disputes.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES:

  • Obtained judgment confirming $8.5 million arbitration award for T-Mobile, USA, Inc. against Qwest Corporation for reimbursement of unlawful and improper messaging charges on local telephone calls in violation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
  • Obtained arbitration award on full value of claim, plus attorneys’ fees for T Mobile, USA, Inc. on dealer contract dispute.
  • Obtained favorable defense verdict for AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. in a contract dispute with one of its work force management vendors over an intellectual property license fee associated with the workforce software.
  • Litigated on behalf of and obtained judgment for Amazon.com against its insurer for litigation costs Amazon.com incurred defending three major patent infringement lawsuits in Western District of Washington 2006.
  • Obtained favorable summary judgment, upheld on appeal, for InfoSpace, Inc. in a contract dispute with an Internet content provider.
  • Obtained preliminary injunction in federal court for T Mobile, USA against one of its former dealers engaged in unauthorized use of trademarks and unlawful telemarketing activities to divert T Mobile subscribers.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for Cingular Wireless, LLC in dispute with former landlord over trade fixtures and utility installations.
  • Successfully defended Personal Representative against claims for removal brought by beneficiaries.
  • Successfully removed a personal representative on behalf of client beneficiaries.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for beneficiaries with claims for disgorgement and removal against trustees.
  • Successfully defeated claims against Personal Representative/beneficiary in a will contest.
  • Prevailed in suit for removal against client attorney in fact.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for small business owners in a dispute with a former partner/shareholder concerning the value of the Company for purposes of shareholder buy-out.
  • Favorably settled dispute that employee had with former employer concerning wrongfully withheld income and partnership interests.

OTHER EXPERIENCE:

Before joining the firm, Karolyn was an intern at the national headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union in New York City. Karolyn also served as in house counsel at Cingular Wireless LLC monitoring cases around the country for four months while Cingular’s senior litigation counsel was on maternity leave.

ACTIVITIES:

Karolyn serves on the Board of Trustees of the King County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division as well as on the Association’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics Committee. She is also a volunteer attorney at the Clinics. Karolyn served on the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Washington for five years, and is currently a cooperating attorney for the ACLU.

EDUCATION:

Karolyn obtained her law degree from American University, cum laude, in May 2000, where she was Note and Comment Editor of the American University Law Review. She received her B.A., cum laude, from Pennsylvania State University in 1997.

ADMISSIONS:

Karolyn is admitted to the Washington State Bar (2000), U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (2000), and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (2001).

PUBLICATIONS:

Estate Disputes, WASHINGTON PROBATE DESKBOOK, Chapter 9 (with Scott A.W. Johnson) (WSBA 2005).

Article analyzing the parameters of religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution, 49 Am. U. L. Rev 505 (1999).

REPORTED CASES:

  • Castle v. Washington, 2004 WL 1985215 (Wash. Super.) (attorney for plaintiffs)
  • Heinsma v. City of Vancouver, 144 Wn.2d 556, 29 P.3d 709 (2001) (Amicus Curie for ACLU)
  • Go2Net, Inc. v. C I Host, Inc., 115 Wn. App. 73, 60 P.3d 1245 (2003) (attorney for plaintiff)
  • Monson Fruit Co., Inc. v. Marsh Advantage America, 2004 WL 440842, 1 (2004) (attorney for defendant)

RECOGNITIONS:

Karolyn was named Outstanding Young Lawyer by the King County Bar Association in 2008.