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Desktop Image: Greenfield, James A.
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James A. Greenfield

He/Him

Senior Counsel

T 206.757.8055 Seattle
I love helping parties who are negotiating "impossible" deals find common ground with creativity and persistence.
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Jim Greenfield represents private, nonprofit, and public clients on a wide variety of real estate transactions and land use proceedings. Jim has particular expertise and experience with large, complex public infrastructure projects and is a well-recognized authority in crafting creative, natural-resource conservation transactions. Jim focuses his practice on public/private partnerships, real estate, and development transactions; land transactions with or on behalf of public agencies; and land use matters and administrative proceedings. Jim also has substantial experience with historic preservation and landmark designation, telecommunications, municipal law, government relations, and sports law.

Jim has represented Alaska Airlines, 4Culture (Cultural Development Authority of King County), American President Lines, City of Burien, National Basketball Association, PATH, Sound Transit, Seattle Art Museum, and Seattle Theater Group.


Practice Highlights

Public private partnerships

Representing a variety of public entities, particularly in the transportation sector, in large-scale public-private partnerships. Examples include the redevelopment of the North Satellite terminal at the Sea-Tac airport and the negotiation of a disposition and development agreement, and ground leases for the transit-oriented development on property near the Capitol Hill Link light-rail station on behalf of Sound Transit.

Natural resource conservation transactions

Sales of conservation easements associated with a variety of natural-resource conservation transactions. Examples of sales to King County include the sale of 100-acre conservation easement on Camp Sealth on behalf of Central Puget Sound Council of Camp Fire, and multiple sales on behalf of Port Blakely Tree Farms.

Land use proceedings

Representing a variety of businesses in land use proceedings in front of planning commissions, hearings boards, and other city and county entities. Recent examples include a negotiation of a development agreement with the City of SeaTac on behalf of Alaska Airlines for the development of a four-building office campus.

Public Private Partnerships

Paine Field public-private partnership

Represented Alaska Airlines in the federal and local environmental review of a new commercial passenger terminal facility in Everett, Washington and in a public private partnership with Snohomish County and Propeller, Inc. for the development of the commercial passenger terminal.

Transit oriented development PPP

Represented Sound Transit in the negotiation of a disposition and development agreement and ground leases for the transit oriented development of a mixed-use private project on property adjacent to Sound Transit’s Capitol Hill light rail station.

Public private partnership for redevelopment of Burien Town Square

Work-out and reconveyance of developer's interest in City-Developer agreement for the redevelopment of property for the City of Burien, Washington.

SeaTac Airport Terminal public private partnership

Development and implementation of a public private partnership for the redevelopment of the North Satellite Terminal and other improvements at Sea-Tac Airport.

Public private partnership for Sound Transit

Public private partnership with City of Redmond and Microsoft for joint use and development of Overlake Transit Center.
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Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Purchase of seven-acre site for Alaska Airlines

Located in SeaTac, Washington, the property will be used for the development of a new four-office building campus with a parking garage.

Public art design and development agreement

Represented major New York developer in the successful contract negotiation with Heatherwick Studios for the design of a major, large-scale public artwork for Hudson Yards, a $15 billion commercial and residential development on the West Side of Manhattan.

Transferable development rights for Seattle Theater Group and Seattle Art Museum

Sale of transferable development rights in downtown Seattle from Paramount Theater and from Olympic Sculpture Park.

Ground lease and facility financing for ProCure Treatment Center

Local counsel for development and financing of $234 million proton therapy facility.

Office lease for Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)

43,000 square foot office lease in the District of Columbia.
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Government-Related Real Estate Transactions

Marine terminal lease for American President Lines

Negotiated termination of long term marine terminal lease at Terminal 5 and new marine terminal sublease at Terminal 18.

Municipal lease/leaseback for Wallace Properties

Municipal lease/leaseback development under RCW 35.42 with the City of Snoqualmie, Washington of a community center.

Restaurant lease for University of Washington

Lease of 3,000 square feet of retail restaurant facilities (Agua Verde).

Data center lease for University of Washington

Lease of 6,500 square feet of data center facilities.

Office sublease for 4Culture

Office sublease with King County with significant 'public works' tenant improvements.
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Natural Resource Conservation Transactions

Sale of conservation easement and transferable development rights for Central Puget Sound Council of Camp Fire

Sale of 100 acre conservation easement and associated transferable development rights on Camp Sealth to King County, Washington.

Conservation development for Port Blakely Tree Farm

Sale of property to King County in complex transaction associated with sale of conservation easement and reservation for conservation development (Treemont).

Sale of conservation easement and transferable development rights for Port Blakely Tree Farms

Sale of conservation easement and associated transferable development rights to King County (Ames Lake).

Conservation development for Uplands Reserve LLC

Creation of King County demonstration conservation project and sale of conservation easement to King County (Uplands Reserve).
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Land Use Proceedings

Development agreement

Represented Alaska Airlines in the negotiation of a development agreement with the City of SeaTac, Washington for the development of 528,000 gross-square-foot, four-building office campus with a 1,270-space parking garage to be developed in four phases over 20 years.

Rezone for StockPot/Campbell Soup

Successful opposition before City of Everett planning commission to proposal to rezone industrial land to mixed commercial/residential.

Landmark designation for Central Puget Sound Council of Camp Fire

Successfully defended Camp Fire against neighbors' proposed landmark designation of former Camp Fire headquarters property. Landmark designation would have prevented redevelopment of property and blocked pending sale.

Tree protection for residents

Successful opposition to residential building permit before City of Medina hearing examiner to assure protection of client/neighbor's trees.

Essential public facilities for Sound Transit

Successful appeal to Growth Management Hearings Board of City of Tukwila development regulations precluding siting of Sound Transit Link Light Rail route.
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Admitted to Practice

  • Washington
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 1983
  • B.S., Political Economy of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, 1979, with highest honors
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Memberships & Affiliations

    • Board of Directors, 1997-present; Board Chair, 2013-2014 – Forterra (formerly, Cascade Land Conservancy)
    • Board of Directors, Leadership Tomorrow, 2010-2016
    • Executive Council Member, Green Seattle Partnership, 2004-2012
    • Viaduct Taskforce, Downtown Seattle Association, 2009 -2010
    • Trustee, Municipal League of King County, 1990-1993, 1999-2002
    • Administrator, King County Office of Open Space, 1993-1997
    • Board Member and President, Pike Market Senior Center and Downtown Food Bank, 1987-1991
    • Deputy General Counsel, Seattle Goodwill Games Organizing Committee, 1988-1990

Professional Recognition

    • Named as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" by Chambers USA in Real Estate (Washington), 2007-2025
    • Named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Real Estate Law by Best Lawyers, 2009-present; named in Land Use & Zoning Law, 2011-present
    • Received the "Willard J. Wright Award for Outstanding Civic Activity," Davis Wright Tremaine, 2022
    • Selected to "Washington Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2009-2014
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Publications
06.06.25
News
Chambers USA Affirms Davis Wright Tremaine's Growing National Leadership in Key Industry Sectors Read More
Publications
06.10.24
News
New Chambers Rankings Affirm Davis Wright Tremaine's National Leadership in Key Industry Sectors Read More
Publications
08.17.23
News
2024 Edition of Best Lawyers Recognizes More Than 175 Davis Wright Tremaine Attorneys for Excellence Read More
Publications
06.05.23
News
Chambers USA Recognizes Davis Wright Tremaine for Leadership Across Key Industry Sectors and Honors the Firm for Excellence in 51 Practices Read More
06.02.23
Presentations
Presenter, "Tax Increment Financing - A Powerful and Newly Improved Tool for Real Estate and Economic Development Public-Private Partnerships," WSBA Real Property Probate and Trust Mid-Year Meeting, Marcus Whitman Hotel, Walla Walla, Wash.
Webinar
12.14.22
Webinars
"All I Want for the Holidays is an Electric Vehicle…or Do I?," Davis Wright Tremaine Webinar Read More
Publications
06.07.22
News
Chambers USA Recognizes Davis Wright Tremaine for Excellence in Key Practice Areas and Industry-Leading Success With DEI Read More
Publications
05.21.21
News
Davis Wright Tremaine Recognized by Chambers USA for Industry-Leading Excellence in Key Practice Areas Read More
construction zone
05.19.21
Advisories
Land Use & Development
Washington State's Expanded TIF Authority Creates Powerful Catalyst for Public-Private Partnerships Read More
Publications
04.28.20
News
Davis Wright Tremaine Recognized by Chambers USA for Industry-Leading Excellence in Key Practice Areas Read More
Publications
2019
News
Coalition of Leaders Works to Provide Permanent, Year-Round Shelter Read More
Front door with house keys in lock
11.19.19
Advisories
Real Estate
Washington Supreme Court Clarifies and Likely Expands State and Local Regulatory Power in Pair of Housing Decisions Read More
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