Anthony L. Rafel
Top rated Construction Litigation attorney in Seattle, Washington
Rafel Law Group PLLC
Practice Areas: Construction Litigation, Real Estate, Insurance Coverage
Licensed in Washington since: 1983
Education: Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2001 - 2023 Rafel Law Group PLLC
4126 East Madison StreetSuite 202
Seattle, WA 98112 Phone: 206-513-2101 Email: Anthony L. Rafel Visit website
Details
Attorney Anthony L. Rafel is the Managing Partner of Rafel Law Group PLLC, which has offices in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Mr. Rafel has more than 35 years of experience litigating commercial and multi-family residential real estate cases, construction defect cases, first-party and third-party insurance coverage and bad-faith claims, and other kinds of complex business disputes.
Mr. Rafel is one of only four Washington lawyers admitted as a Fellow in the national College of Community Association Lawyers. Mr. Rafel also holds Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer-rating of AV Preeminent*. Publications that have included him among their lists of top attorneys include Seattle Met magazine, The American Lawyer magazine, Washington CEO magazine and Washington Law & Politics magazine. Mr. Rafel has also been peer-selected as a Washington Law & Politics "SuperLawyer" every year since 2001. Mr. Rafel is a past President of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington and a former judicially selected Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Mr. Rafel is also admitted as a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America.
Mr. Rafel is a Past President of the Washington State Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (WSCAI) (2020) and member of its Board of Directors (2017-2021). He is a regular speaker at educational seminars sponsored by the Washington State and Western Oregon Chapters of CAI and in 2017 received both the President's Award from WSCAI and the Service Professional of the Year Award from the Western Oregon Chapter. Mr. Rafel is a certified mediator.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, Mr. Rafel attended and graduated from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, with Honors, where he was Managing Editor of the Law Review. He received his license to practice law in 1983 and is licensed to practice in Washington, Oregon, New York and New Jersey.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
First Admitted: 1982, New Jersey
Professional Webpage: https://www.rafellawgroup.com/attorneys/anthony-l-rafel/
- Tying Up Loose Ends: End of the Year Checklist for Self-Managed Communities, WSCAI Community Associations Journal, Nov/Dec 2009
- Reserve Studies in Washington – The New Standard, with Cynthia Jones, read the article
- The Ethics of Client Service read the article; and WSCAI Community Associations Journal, Sept/Oct 2008
- 55+ Communities and the Fair Housing Act with David Martin read the article; The Association Advisor, Oct 2008
- Dispute Resolution: The Many Methods for Getting Along, Legally Speaking with Cynthia Jones read the article; The Association Advisor, March 2009
- Fiduciary Duties of Board Members at a program entitled Managing Communities in a Difficult Economic Environment, May 2009, Presenter
- WSCAI Community Associations Journal, Nov/Dec 2010
- Mealey’s Pacific Northwest Construction Defect Conference, June 2006, Co-chair
- Parking Spaces – What a Tangled Web We Weave at a WSCAI program, December 2007, Presenter
- Condominium Construction Defect and Warranty Claims at a continuing legal education program on Legal Aspects of Condominium and Homeowners’ Associations in Washington, December 2007, Presenter
- Seattle seminar entitled Condominium and Homeowner Associations: Understanding the Issues in Washington, December 2008, Speaker
- Seattle seminar entitled Condominium and Homeowner Associations: Understanding the Issues in Washington, December 2008, Panelist
- Annual Meetings that Bust Quorum and Snap Volunteers, at a Washington State CAI seminar, January 2009, Co-Presenter
- The Essentials of Community Association Volunteer Leadership at an Oregon CAI seminar, May 2009, Presenter
- Legal Update on Oregon and Washington law at the Annual Meeting of Oregon-Washington Community Association Managers (OWCAM), June 2009
- Pandora’s Box: Who’s Responsible When the Pipe Bursts at WSCAI CA Day, October 2009, Presenter
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA)’s annual trial practice seminar, Faculty Member
- Allocating Responsibility for the Cost to Repair Damage to Units and Common Elements: Who’s Responsible When the Pipe Bursts at WSCAI Law Day and Manager’s Only Meeting, May 2010, Co-Presenter
- Common Board Member Mistakes at WSCAI Law Day, April 2011, Presenter
- Advanced Tools for Managers- Unlocking Powerful Secrets of the Nonprofit Corporation Act at WSCAI Manager’s Only Day, June 2011, Co-Presenter
- Navigating Management Changes in Community Associations, at ORCAI Monthly Member’s Luncheon, July 2011, Presenter
- Panelist for MC Consultants Inc. 17th & 18th Annual Construction Defect & Insurance Coverage Conference, 2011 & 2012
- Panelist for MC Consultants Inc. 4th Annual Pacific Northwest Construction Defect Seminar, March 2013
- WSCAI Managers Only Day, Presenter, Advanced Tools for Managers- Unlocking Powerful Secrets of the Nonprofit Corporation Act, 2011
- Community Associations Institute (CAI), Presenter
- Managing Editor, Cardozo Law Review, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University
- WSCAI Law Day, Presenter, Common Board Member Mistakes, 2011
- ORCAI Monthly Members Luncheon, Presenter, Navigating Management Changes in Community Associations, 2011
- WSCAI Law Day, Presenter, Allocating Responsibility for the Cost to Repair Damage to Units and Common Elements: Who's Responsible When the Pipe Bursts, 2010
- WSCAI's CA Day, Presenter, Allocating Responsibility for the Cost to Repair Damage to Units and Common Elements: Who's Responsible When the Pipe Bursts, 2009
- Annual Meeting of Oregon-Washington Community Association Managers, Presenter, Legal Update on Oregon and Washington Law, 2009
- Lorman's Legal Aspects of Condominium and Homeowners' Associations in Washington seminar, Presenter, Condominium and Homeowner Associations: Understanding the Issues in Washington, 2008
- WSCAI program, Presenter, Parking Spaces - What a Tangled Web We Weave, 2007
- Continuing Legal Education Conference, Presenter, Condominium Construction Defect and Warranty Claims, 2007
- Community Associations Journal, Author, Tying Up Loose Ends: End of the Year Checklist for Self-Managed Communities, 2010
- Community Associations Journal, Author, Dispute Resolution: The Many Methods of Getting Along (Legally Speaking), 2009
- The Association Advisor (tm), Author, 55+ Communities and the Fair Housing Act, 2009
- The Association Advisor (tm), Author, The Ethics of Client Service, 2008
- Community Associations Journal, Author, Reserve Studies in Washington - The New Standard, 2008
- ORCAI Seminar, Presenter, The Essentials of Community Association Volunteer Leadership, 2009
- Homeowners Association Services Group Seminar, Presenter, Managing Communities in a Difficult Economic Environment, 2009
- Federal Bar Association Western District of Washington, Presenter, The Nuts and Bolts of Commencing Cases in Federal Court from Filing to Discovery Conferences, 2009
- Mealey's Pacific Northwest Construction Defect Conference, Presenter, Construction Defect Litigation, 2006
- WSCAI Seminar, Presenter, Annual Meetings that Bust Quorum and Snap Volunteers, 2009
- 18th Annual Construction Defect & Insurance Coverage Conference, Co-Presenter, Pacific Northwest Breakout Session: Coverage & Current Trends, 2012
- B.A., University of Rochester, 1977
- J.D. cum laude, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (NY), 1981
- Pro bono counsel to iLEAP, a nonprofit organization that provides training and support to emerging leaders in social change organizations through international fellowships and other programs, 2015
- Represented Northshore United Church of Christ as pro bono counsel in a suit filed by the City of Woodinville over a tent city encampment. The Church wanted to host Tent City but the City refused to accept its application for a conditional use permit. The trial court and the court of appeals agreed with the City and rejected the Church's position. In a 9-0 decision, however, the Washington State Supreme Court held that the City had violated the Church's constitutional right to freedom of religion and reversed the lower courts. See City of Woodinville v. Northshore United Church of Christ, 166 Wn.2d 633 (2009). , 2009
- Fellow, College of Community Association Lawyers, 2020
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, 2021
- Bar Examiner, Washington State Bar Association Committee of Law Examiners (1993-1998)
- President, Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, 1999
- Member, Washington State and Oregon State Bar Associations
- Arbitrator, King County Superior Court Arbitration Program, 1990-present
- Member (court-appointed), Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2000-2004
- Member, Opportunities for Minorities in the Legal Profession Committee, 1987
- Member, Attorneys Professional Insurance Committee, 1989-1990
- Lawyer Representative (court appointed) to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference (1998-2001)
- Affiliate Member, Oregon and Washington Community Association Managers (OWCAM)
- Member, Oregon chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI) (ORCAI)
- Website/Communications and Nominations Committees, Former Chair of Local Rules
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, Past President
- President, Washington Community Associations Institute (WSCAI) (2020), 2020
- Chair, Litigation Department, Condominium Owners’ Rights Enforcement (CORE) Group
- College of Community Association Lawyers, Fellow, 2020
- Named as one of Washington’s “Top 40” Real Estate Lawyers in Washington Law & Politics Magazine, 2007
- Named one of Seattle’s 152 “Top Lawyers” by Seattle Magazine 2005
- Recipient, 2017 WSCAI President’s Award
- “AV” rated by Martindale Hubbell (highest peer review rating for legal skill and ethical standards)
- Named one of the “Top Lawyers in Washington” by Washington CEO Magazine, June 2008
- Named one of “Top Real Estate Lawyers” by The American Lawyer, 2016
- Named one of “Top Attorneys in Washington” by SeattleMet Magazine, 2016-2017
- Washington Law & Politics Magazine “Super Lawyer™” 2003-2019
- Recipient, 2017 CAI-Oregon Service Provider of the Year Award
- Received Service Professional of the Year Award from the Oregon Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI Oregon) , Service Professional of the Year, CAI Oregon, 2017
- Samuel Belkin Scholar, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University
- Awarded by the President of the Washington State Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (WSCAI), WSCAI, President's Award, 2017
- Community Associations Institute
Office location for Anthony L. Rafel
4126 East Madison Street
Suite 202
Seattle, WA 98112
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2001 - 2023