About

I am a member in the Seattle office where I chair the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group. My practice emphasizes environmental remedial actions and sediment cleanups, environmental contribution litigation, and toxic tort litigation. I also have substantial experience in the areas of product liability and landslide/geologic movement litigation. I have represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the state of Washington. I was named by Seattle Magazine as one of Seattle’s “Top Lawyers” in Environmental Law, 2003. I have also been recognized by the Seattle Met magazine as a “Top Lawyer” in Environmental Law for 2010, a designation based upon Martindale-Hubbell's ranking of those practitioners in King County who have been judged by their peers to be “AV Preeminent”—the highest peer-review rating available. In 2007, I was lead counsel in two lengthy trials involving CERCLA and MTCA liability and remediation issues, including the unique question of whether wood waste in a marine environment constituted a CERCLA or MTCA “hazardous substance.”  I am currently lead counsel on two sites that are some of the first to be pursued by Washington State under the Puget Sound Initiative.I have represented clients in seven environmental and toxic tort class action lawsuits. I have represented national and international corporations in environmental regulatory and contribution/cost recovery lawsuits. I have handled a wide variety of environmental cases involving PCBs, dioxin, petroleum distillates, wood preservatives, solvents, arsenic, pesticides, and heavy metals.  I also have significant experience in environmental dredging and precision dredging environmental remedial actions, and served as common counsel for a large group of companies who are remediating a hazardous waste site in Eastern Washington. I have represented clients in environmental regulatory matters, including the investigation and remediation of soil, groundwater and sediment contamination, handling and disposal of hazardous substances, regulatory penalties and appeals. I have represented clients in negotiations with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Department of Ecology and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. I have represented various businesses and manufacturers in toxic tort and product liability litigation.  Recently, my toxic tort work has focused on the subject of airborne contaminant (fume) claims and lawsuits relating to claimed exposure to commercial cleaning products. I have represented clients in landslide and geologic movement lawsuits.Provided reservation-of-rights defense, with respect to toxic tort and a variety of environmental claims, to many different clients on behalf of several insurance carriers.

Practices Areas

Litigation

Language

English

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