Michael C. Malnati has over 30 years of legal experience counseling individuals and small businesses regarding all aspects of real estate transactions, general business and corporate matters and creditors’ rights. Michael also devotes part of his practice to estate planning and probate administration.

Whether preparing or reviewing documentation on complex commercial transactions, or helping clients analyze the risks and options involved when considering litigation, Michael brings experience and problem solving skills to assist clients to formulate the best plan of action.

Michael has an AV® Preemient™ 5.0 out of 5 rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™. In 2013 he was recognized as one of the Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and King County Bar Association, including the Sections on Real Property, Probate and Trust and Creditor-Debtor.

A true Washingtonian, Michael has spent his entire life in the State of Washington. He completed his undergraduate degree cum laude from Washington State University and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington. Originally from Renton, today Michael raises his family in the Maple Valley area. Outside the office, Michael enjoys playing golf and is an avid sports fan.

Honors and Awards

• AV® Preemient™ 5.0 out of 5 rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™

• 2013 Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate Law, Martindale-Hubbell®

Professional Associations & Memberships

• Washington State Bar Association, Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust

• Washington State Bar Association, Debtor-Creditor Member

• King County Bar Association

Representative Cases

• Amresco Independence Funding, Inc v. SPS Properties, LLC, 129 Wn. App. 532, 119 P.3d 884 (2005)

Past Employment

• Washington State House of Representatives, Counsel, Judiciary Committee, 1983 - 1986

Lesley Novotny has over 15 years of experience as an attorney in a variety of practice areas. While she focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, and litigation, she also practices family law, proving to be an effective advocate who both listens to and meets the desired outcomes of her clients.

Lesley approaches each case from a holistic perspective: she strives to see the complexities of each situation presented to her in order to work towards solutions that fit what the client wants and needs. She actively listens to and communicates with her clients throughout the entire legal process, ensuring that her clients are well-informed and well-understood.

Lesley received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2003, where she graduated magna cum laude. Prior to joining Reed Longyear, she worked as a solo practitioner and for two boutique estate planning firms. She enjoys being involved in her community where she graduated from Bellevue Essentials, a ten-week leadership program to better understand and improve the overall community in the city. She has also volunteered as an attorney for the Legal Voice, a program aimed to combat gender discrimination and inequities for LGBTQ+ individuals and women in the Pacific Northwest and is an active member of the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMAs).

Outside of the office, you can find Lesley spending time with her husband and her children at their activities, sampling the local restaurants in Seattle, volunteering at her children’s school, or running with the local neighborhood mothers.

Professional Associations & Memberships

• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)

• King County Bar Association (KCBA)

• Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMAs)

• Ladder Down Program, Graduate

Jason Burnett primarily focuses his practice on litigation matters with an emphasis on real estate, probate, trust and will litigation. Jason also has significant experience in business law matters and dedicates part of his practice to representing businesses in transactions as well as litigation. An accomplished and practical litigator, Jason Burnett works to resolve clients’ legal problems from beginning to end. He applies creative problem-solving and real world analysis to identify and maximize cost-effective and favorable resolutions. Litigation for Jason includes advising clients on how to avoid litigation, and he counsels clients on pre-litigation strategies and dispute resolution, and helps them identify issues and analyze the risk of alternative courses of action. Jason Burnett graduated from the University of Washington in 1995 and earned his Juris Doctor from Seattle University in 2000. He clerked for the Honorable Elaine Houghton on the Division II Court of Appeals and the Honorable Charles W. Johnson on the Washington Supreme Court. Employing his writing skills, Jason is an editor of the Washington State Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust newsletter and is also a member of the editorial board for the Washington State Real Property Desk Book Series.

Speaking Engagements

• KCBA 17th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2021

• 66th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Speaker. October 28-29, 2021

• KCBA 16th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2020

• KCBA 15th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2019

• KCBA 14th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2018

• KCBA 13th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2017

• KCBA 12th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. October 2016

• KCBA 11th Annual Probate Administration, Speaker. November 2015

• “Maintaining A Balance: Ethics and Probate Litigation”, Using TEDRA to Facilitate Estate Administration, Speaker, King County Bar Association. August 2015

Honors and Awards

• Washington Super Lawyer Selection – 2016-2024

Professional Associations & Memberships

• Washington Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section

• Washington Bar Association, Business Law Section

• King County Bar Association

• 2020-2021 KCBA Section Chair (Real Property, Probate and Trust Section)

• Filipino Chamber of Commerce

• Co-Author of Chapter in King County Probate Manual (2022 Update)

Representative Cases

• Successfully defended Will/Estate against allegations of undue influence and incapacity; 2/3rds of claimants dismissed with prejudice at initial hearing—case resolved through voluntary dismissal by remaining claimant without settlement.

• Collected over 88% of $1.9 Million Dollar judgment through execution process.

• Successfully defended Trust/Trustee against allegations of undue influence and incapacity; Entire case dismissed with prejudice at initial hearing.

• Appealed and successfully modified guardianship to restore testamentary rights.

• Successfully represented surviving spouse in lost will contest.

• Successfully defended Trust against claim for attorneys’ fees billed by conflicted counsel.

• Multiple successful claims against self-dealing and conflicted interest fiduciaries.

• Successfully represented Plaintiff in Court of Appeals; reversed the trial court and remanded the case with instructions to grant the entire relief sought.

• Represented Plaintiff in breach of contract action seeking to hold successor entity liable for debt. Defendants' best offer was $10,000. Won trial verdict of $188,000, including attorneys' fees and costs, along with successor entity liability.

• Defended individual in adverse possession/boundary dispute. Settled litigation favorably, including payment of monies to Plaintiff, granting exclusive, permanent easement over disputed land in favor of Defendant, and no change in existing fence-line.

• Successfully defended Personal Representative and Estate against numerous and varied creditors' claims and allegations of personal liability of Personal Representative.