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Deborah L. Best

Seattle Office

801 Second Avenue, Suite 700
Seattle, WA 98104

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Bar Admissions

  • Washington, 1994
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 2001

Deborah L. Best

Member

Debbie has more than 20 years of legal experience in commercial real estate. She is one of the leaders of the experienced, effective, and responsive Loan Team.

Debbie represents national lenders who originate loans under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac multifamily loan programs across the country. She has a broad range of experience with various agency products, including conventional and affordable loans, supplemental loans, ARM loans and loan conversions, SARM loans, tax-exempt bond credit enhancements, taxable tails, Fannie Mae small loans, assumptions, Choice Refinances, Manufactured Housing, Seniors Housing, fractured condominiums and reverse exchanges.

Debbie is a member of the Fannie Mae DUS Legal Advisory Council and has served as a member of the Freddie Mac Legal Advisory Council.  She is also a member of the Seattle-King County Bar Association Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section.

Education
  • Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, Washington
    • J.D. cum laude - 1994
  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
    • B.A. - 1991
    • Major: History
Representative Cases
  • Chase Manhattan v. Birkland, 98 Bankr. 35 (Bankr. W.D. Wash. 1988)
  • Southcenter Joint Venture v. National Democratic Policy Committee, 113 Wn.2d 413 (1989) (second chair appellate briefing)
  • Swanson et al. v. Liquid Air Corp., 118 Wn.2d 512 (1992) (second chair appellate briefing; tried case)
  • Douglas Northwest Inc. v. Bill O’Brien & Sons Construction, 64 Wn. App. 661 (1992) (second chair at trial; handled appeal)
  • RSE Cellular v. New-Cell, 213 F.3d 643 (Ninth Cir. 2000)
  • United States ex rel. Walton Technology, Inc. v. Weststar Engineering, Inc., 290 F.3d 1199 (Ninth Cir. 2002)
  • Universal Holdings II Ltd. Partnership v. Transnation Title Ins. et al, 115 Wn. App. 59 (2003)
  • Benaroya Capital Co. v. EMF Partners et al., 128 Wn. App. 1029 (2005) (unpublished opinion)
  • Humphrey Indus. v. Clay Street and Rogels, 176 Wn.2d 662 (2013), 170 Wn.2d 495 (2010), and 147 Wn. App. 1045 (2008) (unpublished opinion)
  • Cortinas Painting v. Corp Inc., 200 Wn. App. 1008 (2017) (unpublished opinion)
  • Lake Hills Investments LLC v. Rushforth Construction Company, Inc., 14 Wn. App. 2d 617 (2020), reversed 198 Wn.2d 209 (2021)
  • Serpanok Construction, Inc. v. Point Ruston, LLC et al., 19 Wn. App. 2d 237 (2021), petition denied 199 Wn.2d 1066 (2022)
  • Point Ruston, LLC v. Kunitsa, 29 Wn. App. 2d 1025 (2024) (unpublished opinion)
Representative Clients
  • Azose Commercial Properties
  • Benaroya Companies
  • Clise Properties
  • Construct, Incorporated
  • Corp Inc Construction
  • Duwamish Properties, L.L.C.
  • J4 Contractors Inc.
  • Lakehaven Water & Sewer District
  • McLean Property Investments
  • Real Property Investors
  • Samis Foundation and Samis Land Co.
  • Serpanok Construction
  • Sterling Realty Organization Co.
  • TRF
  • Unico Properties
  • University of Washington
  • Vanderlip & Company, Inc.
Professional Associations & Memberships
  • Seattle-King County Bar Association, Member
  • Washington State Bar Association, Member
  • Seattle-King County Bar Association, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member