Kathryn E. Rasmussen
About Kathryn
Kathryn Rasmussen maintains a varied litigation practice, with a focus on employment litigation, trust and estate litigation, real estate litigation, construction, and contract disputes. She defends businesses, schools, and universities in employment matters ranging from hostile work environment and harassment claims to discrimination claims, wage and hour claims, retaliation claims, and constitutional claims. She has also represented trustees and beneficiaries in actions for breach of fiduciary duty and other contested probate and trust proceedings. Kathryn's experience with contract disputes runs the gamut from commercial evictions to multimillion lender/creditor actions. Additionally, Kathryn has extensive experience in real estate litigation, including quiet title, adverse possession, boundary line disputes, easements, and timber trespass.
Kathryn believes that it is critical to keep a client’s overall goals in sight when developing litigation strategy. She seeks to keep clients informed at every step, advise them of all realistic options, and guide them in selecting the option most likely to help them achieve their goals.
Kathryn has practiced in state, federal, and tribal courts in Washington and Oregon.
Representative Experience
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Contract Disputes Plus
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Represented global corporation as plaintiff in action for failure to pay under contract; successfully resisted defendant’s attempts to move matter to foreign arbitration, ultimately resulting in favorable settlement for client.
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Obtained summary judgment for commercial landlord in dispute related to eviction and breach of contract against tenant.
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Real Estate Disputes Plus
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Represented global timber corporation in a four-day private condemnation trial to obtain a private way of necessity over client’s preferred route.
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Obtained summary judgment in a quiet title action related to the enforceability of a deed of trust. The trial court’s decision was upheld on appeal.
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Employment Disputes Plus
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Obtained summary judgment for employer on all of employee’s claims that termination was in violation of various state discrimination statutes.
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Defended employer in arbitration alleging sexual harassment, FMLA discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Defense verdict on all claims.
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Trust Litigation Plus
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Represented individual beneficiary on numerous claims of breach of fiduciary duty against family-member trustees relating to mismanagement of trust assets, including limited liability companies owned in part by family trusts and holding millions of dollars in commercial real estate; obtained favorable post-trial settlement; successful defense of counterclaims including attempted invocation of no-contest clause.
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Represented beneficiaries seeking an accounting by family-member trustee of trust assets; obtained accounting and favorable resolution of dispute including change of trustee.
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Financial Institution Litigation Plus
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Represented financial institution in lawsuit against former borrower to recover monies loaned.
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Defended state bank in lawsuit brought by former borrower. Matter settled.
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Defended national bank in lawsuit brought by former borrowers.
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Activities
- Clark County Bar Association, Member
- Washington State Bar Association, Member
- Clark County Young Lawyers, Member
- Washington Women Lawyers, Vice President, 2017-present
- St. Mary’s Academy Mock Trial Team, Coach
- Educational Opportunities for Children and Families (Clark County), Past Board Member
- Bowdoin College, Alumni Interviewer
- Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Project, Volunteer Lawyer
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Vancouver, WA)
- Environmental Law, 2022-present
- Recipient of the 2010 Miller Nash Clifford N. Carlsen, Jr. Pro Bono Award
Insights from Kathryn
- “Social Media Networking Guidelines for Employers,” Vancouver Business Journal, coauthor (Jan. 2017)
- “Forbidden Love? How Employers Should Handle Office Romances,” Vancouver Business Journal, coauthor (Dec. 2016)
- “Employees’ Rights to Privacy: Washington Laws Restrict Employers’ Access to Private Social Media Accounts,” Vancouver Business Journal, coauthor (Dec. 2013)
Outside the Office
A Washington native, Kathryn enjoys hiking and running in the great Northwest. She usually has a Doberman with her, and as a Doberman devotee, she is learning how to be a “show-dog” owner. In addition, Kathryn enjoys riding and showing hunter/jumper horses, especially her Hanoverian mare “Gratified,” who can be found showing in the hunter ring. If she has any remaining free time, it is usually spent with family, reading a good book, or watching football.