McCullough Hill Leary PS

What McCullough Hill Leary PS does

McCullough Hill Leary PS is a privately held boutique law firm headquartered at 701 5th Avenue, Suite 6600, Columbia Center, in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1994, the firm has operated continuously for over 30 years and currently lists 18+ attorneys across partners, of counsel, and associates. It concentrates on six integrated practice areas: Land Use, Real Estate, Business & Corporate, Land Use Litigation & Mediation, Environmental Due Diligence & Transactions, and Condemnation/Eminent Domain. The firm represents both private developers and public entities in Washington State and other western states, with a stated portfolio spanning 175 million square feet of development and landmark engagements including the Starbucks headquarters, the Space Needle, Seattle Great Wheel, Expedia's 1.9 million square foot major phased development, SODO Arena, AAA Washington (as outside general counsel), and Pike Place Fish Market. The firm holds a Band 1 Chambers & Partners ranking in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Washington) for 2024 and 2025.

The firm's core expertise is procedural and regulatory: navigating Washington's Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, Shoreline Management Act, and local zoning frameworks to obtain land use entitlements, defend property rights in condemnation proceedings, and close complex commercial real estate transactions. It bills on a traditional hourly professional-services model, with publicly disclosed associate compensation of $160,000-$230,000 plus benefits (medical, vision, life/AD&D, long-term disability, 401K, PTO) and performance bonuses tied to billable hours. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales driven by attorney reputation, Chambers/Best Lawyers/Super Lawyers recognition, a public portfolio of marquee projects, and professional network referrals. The firm is partner-owned, with no external institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no publicly disclosed revenue. The two most recent strategic moves are the 2024 additions of partners Jacek R. Pawlicki (commercial real estate) and Alan L. Wallace (land use and condemnation), which broadened the firm's transactional and property-rights capabilities.

Name

McCullough Hill Leary PS

Legal name

McCullough Hill Leary, PS

Website

https://mhseattle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McCullough Hill Leary PS is a Seattle-based boutique law firm with 18+ attorneys specializing in Washington land use, real estate, environmental, and business law, representing developers and public entities across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services - Land Use & Real Estate Law

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eminent Domain / Condemnation & Litigation Support Valuation (BPAJAKAJ), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)

Keywords

• Land use law
• Real estate law
• Zoning entitlement
• Environmental law
• Eminent domain law

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Traditional legal services billed by hour for development projects, land use entitlement, real estate transactions, litigation, and business matters throughout Washington State.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

McCullough Hill Leary PS is a Seattle-based boutique law firm providing legal services in six integrated practice areas: land use law, real estate law, business and corporate law, land use litigation and mediation, environmental due diligence and transactions, and condemnation/eminent domain. The firm represents private and public entities in development projects and business transactions throughout Washington State and other western states, with a portfolio spanning 175 million square feet.

Product overview

McCullough Hill is a boutique law firm providing specialized legal services rather than a technology product. The firm offers six integrated legal practice areas: Land Use Law, Real Estate Law, Business & Corporate Law, Land Use Litigation & Mediation, Environmental Due Diligence & Transactions, and Condemnation/Eminent Domain. These practice areas are designed to work together holistically to serve clients throughout development projects and business transactions, particularly in the Washington State market. The firm's portfolio includes landmark Seattle projects such as Starbucks Headquarters, the Space Needle, Seattle Great Wheel, and Expedia's major phased development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Use Law Comprehensive land use and real estate financing and development representation for projects throughout Washington State, including comprehensive plan amendments, rezoning, and zoning code amendments. For private developers, public entities, and corporate clients undertaking development projects.
• Real Estate Law Commercial real estate and business transactions, including acquisition, disposition, development, and financing of major office, retail, and hotel projects, and negotiation of construction contracts. For developers, owners, tenants, and major commercial brokerage firms.
• Business & Corporate Law Mergers and acquisitions, entity formation, real estate purchases, sales and development agreements, leases, finance and secured transactions, and corporate governance. For private developers, owners, and business clients in Washington.
• Land Use Litigation & Mediation Land use appeals, administrative appeals, real estate disputes, condemnation litigation, and alternative dispute resolution for land use entitlement matters. For developers and property owners in land use disputes.
• Environmental Due Diligence & Transactions Environmental compliance advising, regulatory interaction, and transaction support for environmental issues in real estate and development projects. For developers and property owners facing environmental regulatory matters.
• Condemnation/Eminent Domain Representation of property owners in eminent domain proceedings, including challenging condemnations and advocating for fair compensation. For property owners facing condemnation actions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully permitted major phased development up to 1.9 million square feet for Expedia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cairncross & Hempelmann: Seattle-based law firm focused on real estate, land use, environmental, and business matters. Directly comparable boutique specializing in many of the same Washington State practice areas.
• Pacifica Law Group: Seattle-based boutique law firm with a closely comparable practice mix in real estate, land use, and government-related matters. Directly competes for the same Seattle/Washington land use and public-entity work.
• Lane Powell PC: Pacific Northwest-based law firm with strong real estate and land use practices. Similar client base in Washington and overlapping expertise in development and environmental matters.
• Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson PS: Seattle-based law firm with a real estate and land use practice. Closely comparable boutique serving similar Washington State developers and property owners.
• Foster Garvey PC: Seattle-headquartered firm with a significant real estate, land use, and commercial practice. Closely comparable boutique-to-mid-size competitor serving the same Pacific Northwest client base.

Broad incumbents

• Davis Wright Tremaine LLP: Seattle-headquartered national firm with a real estate and land use practice serving the same Pacific Northwest client base. Larger incumbent competitor for complex development matters.
• Stoel Rives LLP: Pacific Northwest-founded law firm with a substantial land use, environmental, and real estate practice. Larger regional incumbent with comparable Pacific Northwest development focus.
• Perkins Coie LLP: Major Seattle-headquartered law firm with a broad real estate and land use practice. Larger incumbent competing for high-end Pacific Northwest development and entitlement work.
• K&L Gates LLP: Global law firm founded in Pittsburgh with significant Seattle presence and a real estate/land use practice. Broader incumbent offering overlapping capabilities as part of a wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP: Pacific Northwest-based law firm with real estate and land use practices serving Oregon and Washington. Regional competitor with comparable transactional and entitlement capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mhseattle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 McCullough Hill Leary PS