Nossaman Expands Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation Group to Pacific Northwest with Renowned Attorneys Matthew Hansen and Tara O’Hanlon
Seattle, WA/Orange County, CA — We are pleased to announce Matt Hansen and Tara O’Hanlon have joined our Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation Group as partners in our Seattle office. They join from Miller Nash.
Matt previously served as the leader of Miller Nash’s condemnation/eminent domain practice. He has spent his career focusing on all facets of eminent domain law, from consulting with agency clients early in the design process to pre-litigation negotiations, condemnation litigation, trials and appeals. As a proven trial attorney, Matt has considerable experience representing municipal and private property owner clients in mediations, arbitrations and in trials, including a substantial number of condemnation jury trials. He has litigated cases throughout Washington State and has successfully argued cases before the Washington State Court of Appeals. He has led the majority of cases to settlement before they reach trial, but in those instances where trial became necessary, Matt and his team have achieved favorable jury verdicts for their clients in some the region’s largest and most complex valuation disputes.
Tara represents all segments of the construction and design industry in navigating, resolving and, if needed, arbitrating or litigating construction disputes as well as negotiating contracts across all sectors. In connection with her condemnation practice, she represents public agencies and property owners to effectively and efficiently help navigate the acquisition of property for some of the largest public infrastructure projects in the Pacific Northwest. She partners with clients to assess business considerations and strategies that support their bottom line and avoid or swiftly resolve disputes. She is an experienced trial lawyer and has successfully litigated multiple complex, multi-party trials and arbitrations.
“Matt and Tara have extensive experience that enables them to add immediate value for our clients and enhance our already strong practice,” said Brad Kuhn, chair of Nossaman’s Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation Group. “The relationships they have established in the Pacific Northwest and nationally during their illustrious careers, combined with their unparalleled knowledge of the eminent domain and inverse condemnation landscape will serve us and our clients well, and help us and grow our practice in the Seattle region.”
“I am pleased that Matt and Tara are joining the firm,” added Svend Brandt-Erichsen, Nossaman’s office managing partner for Seattle. “They are the leading eminent domain attorneys in Seattle and will expand the suite of services we offer in the area.”
Nossaman’s Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation Group is the largest practice of its kind in the United States. Our eminent domain attorneys practice across the country and have offices in California, Arizona, Texas and Washington. Our lawyers have handled some of the largest eminent domain and inverse condemnation cases, and we have led some of the highest-profile public works projects that shape infrastructure across the United States. Nossaman has decades of expertise handling condemnation cases and valuation issues involving all property types including vacant land, agricultural, residential, industrial and commercial. Our past successes provide a solid foundation and motivate us as we work closely with our clients to resolve their legal issues and challenges. The group has been recognized for its accomplishments by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers.
Commenting on his move to Nossaman, Matt said, “I am thrilled to join the firm. Nossaman has the nation’s premier eminent domain practice, and I am excited to help the practice and the firm grow in Seattle and beyond.”
Tara added she is “looking forward to continuing to offer my clients best-in-class services and working with the outstanding group of attorneys at Nossaman in Seattle and nationally.” She closed by saying she is “energized by this move.”
Matt has been recognized by both Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers and he was a recipient of IRWA’s Professional of the Year award for the Puget Sound Chapter, as well as a Professional of the Year award for Region 7 of IRWA—which includes all chapters located in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. He holds a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law and a B.A. from Central Washington University. Tara has been ranked by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers and is a member of IRWA’s Puget Sound chapter where she is the chapter’s Immediate Past President. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Boston College.
