MacDonald Hoague & Bayless

What MacDonald Hoague & Bayless does

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless (MHB) is a privately-held civil rights and immigration law firm founded in 1952 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a second office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm employs more than 40 attorneys and offers representation across twelve core practice areas including immigration, employment, civil rights (police misconduct, fair housing, First Amendment, public records/FOIA), pregnancy discrimination, personal injury, sex and race harassment, disability rights, appeals, criminal defense, and probate/trust litigation. MHB serves both individual plaintiffs and corporate clients, with notable representations including $13M, $15M, and $2.6M settlements/verdicts in wrongful imprisonment, police misconduct, and jail suicide cases respectively.

The firm operates on a traditional professional services revenue model, earning fees through legal representation on either hourly or contingency bases, with pricing determined per matter and not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition is driven by earned media from landmark verdicts, search-optimized web presence, regular blog publishing, and partner leadership roles in organizations such as the ACLU of Washington, the Washington Employment Lawyers Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association. MHB maintains a Tier 1 Immigration Practice designation from US News Weekly, and several partners hold long-standing listings in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and AV ratings from Martindale Hubbell.

MHB's strategic footprint has expanded with the Minneapolis office, recent lateral hires, and partner-led legislative influence including the 2024 Washington State ban on noncompete agreements. The firm has no disclosed AI, software, or technology products, and its competitive position rests on partner talent, brand equity accumulated over seven decades, and recognized authority in civil rights and immigration litigation.

Name

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless

Legal name

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless

Website

https://mhb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless is a Seattle- and Minneapolis-based civil rights and immigration law firm founded in 1952, with 40+ attorneys representing individuals and corporations in employment, immigration, personal injury, and civil rights matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

Keywords

• Civil rights litigation
• Immigration legal services
• Employment law representation
• Criminal defense law
• Personal injury law

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm revenue from legal representation fees for civil rights, employment, immigration, and personal injury cases. Services provided to individuals and corporations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless is a civil rights and immigration law firm providing legal representation across practice areas including immigration, employment law, civil rights, criminal defense, personal injury, pregnancy discrimination, disability rights, fair housing, sex and race harassment, appeals, probate and trust litigation, and public records/FOIA matters. The firm serves both individuals and corporate clients through its Seattle and Minneapolis offices, handling litigation and counseling across state and federal courts.

Product overview

MacDonald Hoague & Bayless is a civil rights and immigration law firm offering comprehensive legal services. The firm operates as a unified legal practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include immigration (employment-based and family-based), employment law, civil rights, pregnancy discrimination, personal injury, and sex/race harassment cases. The firm maintains offices in Seattle, WA and Minneapolis, MN, and has been serving clients since 1952. Additional specialized services include appeals, criminal defense, disability rights, fair housing, probate litigation, and public records/FOIA matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigration Legal Services Legal representation for employment-based, family-based, and all other areas of immigration law including removal defense, naturalization, workplace compliance, work permits, H-1B visas, and green card processing. For individuals, families, and corporate clients needing immigration assistance.
• Employment Law Services Legal representation for employees in discrimination, whistleblower, wage and hour, and workplace accommodation matters. For individual employees and corporate clients.
• Civil Rights Legal Services Legal representation in civil rights cases including police misconduct, fair housing, First Amendment issues, and public records/FOIA matters. For individuals whose constitutional and civil rights have been violated.
• Pregnancy Discrimination Legal Services Legal representation for employees facing maternity leave and workplace accommodation issues related to pregnancy discrimination. For individual employees.
• Personal Injury Legal Services Legal representation in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. For individuals and families affected by serious injuries or wrongful death.
• Sex & Race Harassment Legal Services Legal representation in sex and race harassment cases in workplaces, public accommodations, and schools. For individuals who have experienced harassment.
• Disability Rights Legal Services Legal advocacy for disability rights in employment and public accommodations. For individuals with disabilities facing discrimination.
• Appeals Legal Services Legal representation in civil and criminal appeals at all levels of state and federal courts. For clients seeking appellate review of lower court decisions.
• Criminal Defense Legal Services Criminal defense representation for individuals facing criminal charges. For individual criminal defendants.
• Fair Housing Legal Services Legal representation in fair housing discrimination cases. For individuals facing housing discrimination.
• Probate & Trust Litigation Litigation services for probate and trust disputes. For individuals and families involved in estate-related disputes.
• Public Records & FOIA Services Legal services pursuing public records requests and Freedom of Information Act matters. For individuals, journalists, and organizations seeking government transparency.
• Online Payment Services (LawPay) Secure online payment processing for law firm clients through LawPay partnership, allowing clients to make invoice payments and trust account contributions online.

Quantifiable outcome

• $13 million wrongful imprisonment settlement - record settlement for wrongful imprisonment in Washington
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LawPayminorOthersMacDonald Hoague & Bayless has partnered with LawPay to provide the convenience of making online payments via a secure webpage. LawPay provides payment processing services for law firms, allowing clients to make invoice payments and trust account contributions online.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Outten & Golden LLP: National plaintiff-side employment law firm representing employees in discrimination, whistleblower, and wage matters. Highly comparable practice model and bar-association footprint (NELA leadership overlap) to MHB's employment practice.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP: National plaintiffs' firm with active employment, civil rights, and personal injury practices. Comparable in handling high-stakes individual and class civil rights claims, including record-setting verdicts.
• Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane: Civil rights and employment law firm with active police misconduct and discrimination practice. Comparable plaintiff-side civil rights orientation and trial-driven culture to MHB.
• Wigdor LLP: Plaintiff employment and civil rights firm known for high-profile discrimination and harassment verdicts. Comparable in trial aggressiveness, plaintiff-side employment focus, and reputation for record-setting verdicts.
• Public Justice: National civil rights legal organization pursuing precedent-setting litigation in police accountability, civil rights, and consumer protection. Directly comparable mission to MHB's civil rights litigation and appellate advocacy work.
• Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC: National civil rights and employment class action firm with deep plaintiffs' bar credentials. Overlaps directly with MHB's civil rights, disability rights, and employment discrimination work, particularly on impact litigation.
• Terris, Prial & Felsen: DC-based civil rights and appellate boutique known for high-impact civil liberties litigation. Highly comparable in mission focus (civil rights, appellate advocacy) and partnership size, and serves as a peer in the national plaintiffs' appellate bar.
• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP: Seattle-based plaintiff firm with strong employment discrimination, civil rights, and class action practices. Directly comparable in market, mission, and case portfolio, with shared jurisdiction over Pacific Northwest matters.

Broad incumbents

• K&L Gates LLP: Major Pacific Northwest-founded firm with established employment and immigration practices. Operates in the same regional market and on overlapping practice areas, but as a global full-service firm rather than a focused plaintiff shop.
• Perkins Coie LLP: Large Seattle-based full-service firm with significant civil rights, employment, and appellate litigation practices. Overlaps with MHB on the employment and appellate side but from a broader corporate defense posture rather than a plaintiff-only mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MacDonald Hoague & Bayless