Firm News
Congratulations to four of our attorneys - Bill Holder, Bill Hickman, Pam Okano, and Jack Rankin. They were each named to Seattle Metropolitan's "2010 Top Washington Lawyers" list.
Pam Okano persuaded a panel of 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges to affirm summary judgment for an employer hospital, its director, and one of its doctors in a discrimination case. The plaintiff doctor claimed that the defendants had discriminated against him on the basis of race when his privileges ended and were not renewed.
Four attorneys from Reed McClure - Marilee Erickson, Bill Hickman, Pam Okano, and Jack Rankin - have been selected by their peers to Thomson Reuters' "2010 Washington Super Lawyers" list. Special recognition was given to Ms. Okano, who was ranked among the "Top 50 Women Lawyers" statewide.
In a declaratory judgment action filed in federal court, Anamaria Gil successfully opposed motions to vacate orders of default filed by the insured and the third-party claimant, and also, a motion to dismiss or stay the lawsuit under the abstention doctrine, filed by the third-party claimant. Afterwards, the court entered a declaratory judgment in favor of the insurer.
Jason Vacha and Marilee Erickson recently obtained dismissal in two similar lawsuits alleging breach of contract, bad faith, and violations of the CPA and IFCA. Both suits arose out of property damage disputes under auto insurance policies. The King County Superior Court granted our motion for summary judgment in the first case in its entirety, dismissing the lawsuit as a matter of law. Following this ruling, the plaintiff dismissed the second case after receiving our motion for summary judgment.
Anamaria Gil was elected as Secretary for the Executive Committee of the Alternate Dispute Resolution section of the Washington State Bar Association.
Reed McClure’s Eleventh Insurance Law Seminar was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at the Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, Washington - To receive news of future events, please Contact Us.
Pam Okano successfully represented her insurance company in a coverage dispute in the court of appeals. In its opinion the court agreed with Pam's argument that being listed as a "household driver" did not transform that individual into a "Named Insured." Jack Rankin and Jason Vacha represented the company in the superior court.
Marilee Erickson persuaded a Kitsap County jury to return a defense verdict in a premises liability case. Plaintiff was struck by a motorist while in the crosswalk in front of the defendant store. Plaintiff claimed a store display rack on the sidewalk caused the accident. The jury concluded the plaintiff pedestrian and the motorist caused the accident.
Michael Budelsky and Marilee Erickson convinced the court to vacate a default judgment and sizeable award entered against their client who was never aware of the lawsuit. They successfully argued that the method of attempting to serve notice of the lawsuit on their client -- by publishing it in a local paper -- was insufficient.
Marilee Erickson convinced Division III to grant her motion to publish American Commerce Insurance v. Ensley. This was a case dealing with the RCW 48.22.030(4) requirement of a written waiver of UIM coverage. Division III affirmed the trial court's summary judgment for the insurers because the insured had waived UIM coverage.