February 23, 2017

Bringing the Sonics Back to Seattle: Lessons Learned from the Team’s Departure

Pacifica lawyer Paul Lawrence was interviewed in the Seattle Growth Podcast (https://soundcloud.com/seattlegrowthpodcast/s2e1-learning-from-the-sonics-departure) regarding lessons learned from the 2008 departure of the Seattle Sonics basketball team that can be applied to the current efforts to bring the team back to Seattle. Paul served as lead attorney for the City of Seattle’s trial attempting to force owner Clay Bennett to fulfill the obligations of the Sonics’ lease in Key Arena, and has deep insights into the complex causes of the Sonics’ departure as well as approaches that could support the team’s return. Paul’s interview can be heard in the podcast from minutes 16 to 35.

The Seattle Growth Podcast is a 13 episode journey led by University of Washington professor, Jeff Shulman, into the minds of residents, businesses, and city leaders about what Seattle’s economic and population growth means to them.