Edmund W. Robb

Representative Matters

Constitutional and Municipal Litigation

One of the plaintiffs' attorneys in McCleary v. State, a constitutional challenge to Washington State's chronic underfunding of K-12 education; the trial court entered judgment against the State after a two month trial, and the State's appeal is now before the Washington State Supreme Court (See www.waschoolexcellence.org).

Assisted a public utility district with a complex condemnation matter where the parties challenged the district’s authority to exercise the power of eminent domain; the trial court upheld the district’s condemnation authority, and the issue is currently on appeal.

Assisted a municipal association with a successful challenge to the ballot title for State Referendum 72; ballot title was modified by the trial court, and the voters ultimately voted down the referendum.

Business & Securities Litigation

Helped a regional waste collection company resolve shareholder claims that the company's president had breached his fiduciary duties and that the corporation should be dissolved.

Helped defend a large hospital in a certificate of need challenge where a union asked the Department of Health to impose price controls as a condition of expansion; the case was dismissed by the trial court, and the union ultimately dropped the appeal.

Helped directors and officers of a startup corporation resolve several investor lawsuits alleging violations of securities laws and breaches of fiduciary duty.

Helped defend a large pharmaceutical company against a shareholder class action alleging breaches of fiduciary duty in connection with a proposed merger.

Investigations

Assisted the board of directors of a publicly traded corporation in an internal investigation into
allegations of accounting improprieties.

Assisted an international industrial corporation in a Federal Grand Jury investigation of alleged
violations of the Clean Water Act at a local facility.

Assisted a regional bank with a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena seeking information about a customer’s alleged ponzi scheme.

Environmental Litigation

Helped a now-defunct wood treatment company and current land owners successfully recover funds from a railroad company to remediate contaminated property on the Puget Sound.

Helped defend the owner of a Montana mine against a government enforcement action brought under CERCLA.

Assisted a group of small cities with a successful challenge to the Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Assisted a dairy industry group with a successful challenge to the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation General Permit issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology.