Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC

What Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC does

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC is a Seattle-based, partner-owned law firm organized as a Professional Limited Liability Company in Washington State, delivering legal services concentrated on the construction industry. The firm represents general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, design professionals, and suppliers across public and private projects in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the broader Western United States, with a roster of approximately twenty attorneys plus five to six paralegals. Service offerings span the full project lifecycle, including bid protest representation at federal and state levels, contract drafting and negotiation, project-support counseling on notices and claims, and litigation and arbitration of complex disputes, alongside adjacent practices in bonding issues, real estate law and litigation, insurance coverage analysis, prevailing wage compliance, business transactions, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification assistance.

The practice operates on a traditional professional services model. Engagements are billed hourly, by project, or through contingency arrangements, with no proprietary technology platform and no disclosed pricing schedule. The go-to-market motion is sales-led: client acquisition is driven primarily by referral from existing clients, supplemented by industry reputation, thought-leadership content via the firm's Construction Law Blog, CLE seminars at WSBA, AGC, and Alliance Northwest events, and the leadership positions held by its attorneys in industry bodies such as the WSBA Construction Law Section (two past presidencies), the AGC Legal Affairs Committee (five past chairs), and NUCA of Washington.

The firm has cultivated differentiated credentials that materially shape its competitive positioning, including more than a century of combined construction law experience among its attorneys, precedent-setting representation before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and marquee results such as a $19.2M jury verdict with an additional $13.6M recovery, eight-figure wins for national general contractors, and combined claims exceeding $40M in tunnelling contractor litigation. National validation includes consecutive inclusion in Construction Executive's Top 50 Construction Law Firms (2024 and 2025), ten attorneys in Best Lawyers in America 2026, and multiple partners on the Washington Super Lawyers Top 100. There is no external ownership, parent entity, or funding structure; ownership and governance sit with equity partners including founders John P. Ahlers, Paul R. Cressman Jr., and Scott R. Sleight, alongside additional partners Brett M. Hill, Lindsay Watkins, Masaki James Yamada, and Ryan W. Sternoff.

Name

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC

Legal name

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC

Website

https://acslawyers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC is a Seattle-based partner-owned law firm specializing in construction law, representing general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, and design professionals in litigation, arbitration, contract drafting, bid protests, and regulatory matters across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

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: Professional legal services billed hourly, by project, or through contingency arrangements for construction law matters including litigation, arbitration, contract drafting, and transactional work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC is a Seattle-based law firm providing specialized legal services to the construction industry throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The firm represents general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, design professionals, and suppliers across all phases of construction including procurement, contract drafting and negotiation, project support, dispute resolution, litigation, and arbitration. The firm also handles related matters in government contracting, real estate, business transactions, bonding issues, insurance coverage, prevailing wage compliance, and small business certifications.

Product overview

Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC is a Seattle-based law firm offering comprehensive legal services primarily focused on the construction industry. The firm operates as a unified legal practice providing construction law, government contracting, litigation and dispute resolution, business transactions, bonding issues, and real estate services. The firm represents general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, design professionals, and suppliers involved in public and private construction projects throughout the western United States and Alaska.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Law Services Core legal representation for the construction industry including contract drafting, negotiation, and review for public and private construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
• Government Contracts Representation in federal, state, and local government procurement including contract administration, bidding procedures, contract formation, bid protests, and procurement systems.
• Construction Litigation Litigation and arbitration services for complex construction disputes including change order claims, scope of work disputes, differing site conditions, and bid protests.
• Mediation and Arbitration Alternative dispute resolution services for construction disputes, with many lawyers on the National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators of the American Arbitration Association.
• Business Transactions Business entity formation, strategic planning, ownership transfers, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance services for construction and other industry clients.
• Bonding Issues Legal representation for contractors, subcontractors, owners and bonding companies in construction defaults, payment and performance bond claims, and surety relationship disputes.
• Small Business Certifications Assistance with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and other small business certification processes for government contracts.
• Real Estate Law and Litigation Real estate transaction support and dispute resolution including zoning, land use issues, title matters, and covenant interpretation.
• Insurance Coverage Insurance coverage analysis and litigation support for construction-related insurance claims including builder's risk and CGL policies.
• Prevailing Wage Counseling on Washington state prevailing wage requirements and compliance for public works contractors.
• Lien and Bond Claims Mechanics' lien filing, foreclosure actions, and bond claim services for contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals.
• Complex Commercial Litigation High-stakes commercial litigation and arbitration for construction industry clients and general business matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• $19.2 million jury trial victory for general contractor client
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 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 moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Peckar & Abramson PC: Largest US construction law firm with offices across the East Coast and Midwest, repeatedly ranked #1 in construction law. Directly comparable as a pure-play construction law practice serving contractors, owners, and developers on procurement, contracts, and high-stakes disputes.
• Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP: National construction law firm with offices across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Directly comparable as a long-standing construction-focused practice handling contract drafting, government contracting, surety, and complex construction litigation.
• Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP: Highly regarded construction and surety law firm with East Coast and DC presence. Directly comparable for its pure-play focus on construction contract, surety, and complex claims work for contractors and sureties.
• Zetlin & De Chiara LLP: Boutique NYC construction law firm focused on construction disputes, contracts, and project counseling. Directly comparable as a specialty construction practice serving owners, contractors, and design professionals with similar pure-play positioning.
• Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP: West Coast-based law firm with one of the largest dedicated construction practices in California. Directly comparable in vertical focus and client mix (contractors, owners, design professionals) and a recognized construction law peer at a similar boutique-to-mid size.

Broad incumbents

• Akerman LLP: National full-service firm with a substantial construction practice and a strong Florida base, plus offices across the US. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering construction law alongside real estate, government contracts, and litigation services.
• Bracewell LLP: National law firm with a recognized construction practice serving public and private project participants. Comparable as a larger incumbent that competes for higher-value construction mandates while also serving energy, infrastructure, and government clients.
• Thompson Hine LLP: National full-service firm with a developed construction practice and government contracts capability. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping federal procurement, infrastructure, and construction dispute work, especially on government projects.

Regional players

• Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. Midwest-based firm with a long-standing construction practice serving contractors, owners, and design professionals. Comparable as a similarly sized, region-rooted construction law peer, although operating primarily in the Midwest rather than the PNW.

Emerging players

• Trauner Consulting & Engineering: Construction claims and advisory firm offering schedule/delay analysis, expert testimony, and litigation support. Comparable as a specialist that often collaborates with or competes against construction law firms on the disputes side of large projects.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Ahlers-Cressman-Sleight-PLLC/100063491776666

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC