Molly counsels public and private clients in all facets of land use law. Her practice includes helping clients navigate divergent federal, state and local requirements; drafting new and revised development regulations and development agreements; and advising clients through the legislative process. Molly has considerable experience permitting medium- and large-scale commercial projects and is adept at developing an overall strategy for taking a proposal from conception through construction. In addition to permitting and legislative work, Molly regularly litigates zoning and permit-related appeals before local governments, the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, and State court. Early in her practice, Molly developed a specialty in telecommunications, assisting various wireless telecommunication providers to launch and maintain their wireless networks in the Pacific Northwest. More recently, Molly has focused her efforts on helping clients address ongoing changes in the regulations affecting development within floodplains.

Representative Experience

  • Serves as land use counsel to Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA/CREF) with regard to its land holdings in the Pacific Northwest. Recently permitted a 600,000+ square foot, multi-building office/high-tech campus in Bothell, which included not only securing local and State approvals, but negotiating permit conditions with the Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA-Fisheries for an associated wetland fill.
  • Serves as land use counsel to the Harvey Airfield in Snohomish County. Currently working to secure federal, state and local approvals for a proposed 40+ acre expansion of the Airfield. Includes negotiating and coordinating between the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NOAA-Fisheries, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Snohomish County, and the City of Snohomish.
  • Serves as local land use counsel to several large land holders in the Kent Industrial Valley related to changes in the floodplain maps and floodplain regulations affecting the long-term development capacity of the Valley properties, as well as related to the potential flooding facing the Valley due to limitations at the Howard Hanson Dam.
  • Provides legal counsel to the Cascade Water Alliance as part of GordonDerr's team. In particular, currently in the process of negotiating franchise agreements with King County and other affected local governments for the installation of the Tacoma-Cascade Pipeline.

Education

     University of Wisconsin-Madison, J.D., cum laude, 1998
     Vassar College, B.A., Women's Studies and Political Science, cum laude, 1994

Awards & Recognition

     "Super Lawyer," Washington Law & Politics, 2005, 2007-2010
     "Top 50 Women Super Lawyers," Washington Law & Politics, 2010
     "Rising Star," Washington Law & Politics, 2004

Professional & Community Involvement

     King County Bar Association
     Washington State Bar Association
          Board Member, Environmental and Land Use Law Section
     Chairperson, Northwest Women's Law Center Legislative Committee, 2004-present

Articles, Publications & Lectures

  • The Impacts of Newly Designated Floodplains, The Voice, NAIOP Government Affairs Newsletter, 2nd Quarter 2010
  • A Collision Course: FEMA's Floodplain Re-Mapping and NMFS' Biological Opinion Regarding the National Flood Insurance Program, presented at several CLEs (WSBA, KCBA, and Law Seminars International) between September 2008 and May 2009
  • Impact Fees and Concurrency, Law Seminars International (LSI), August 2006 and 2007
  • Growth Management Hearings Board Decision Update, presented at the WSBA 2006 Environmental and Law Use Law Section Mid-Year Conference, May 2006
  • Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, Land Use Petition Act chapter, 2005-2007
  • Telecommunications Update: Local Zoning Authority Over Siting Wireless Facilities, presented at the Telecommunications in Real Estate Seminar, February 2005
  • Shoreline Management Act, Update Fall 2003, presented at the Growth Management in Real Estate Seminar, November 2003