Preg O'Donnell & Gillett

Debra Dickerson Joins Firm As New Associate

POGadmin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:55:32 +0000

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett is pleased to announce that Debra Dickerson has joined our Seattle office. Debra has practiced in Washington State for the last 15 years, working on civil litigation with an emphasis in insurance defense and personal injury cases.

Prior to the practice of law, Debra worked as a claims and hearing representative for a large international insurance company.

She graduated from Whittier College School of Law, Costa Mesa, CA in 1990.

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett Wins Defense Verdict in $2.1 Million Trucking Accident Case

POGadmin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:27:22 +0000

After a six-day jury trial in Oregon’s Multnomah County Circuit Court, on March 28, 2012, Preg O’Donnell & Gillett member Alex Wylie of POG's Portland office received a defense verdict in favor of the firm’s trucking company client and its driver.

The Plaintiff had unrelated open heart surgery in October 2008 and claimed that the January 2009 accident at issue caused his sternum to never properly heal. The Plaintiff had four subsequent surgeries in an attempt to address the issue and racked up $140,000 in medical expenses. He claimed permanent disability, alleged wage loss and wage impairment damages of $700,000. In addition, the Plaintiff asked the jury for $1,250,000 in pain and suffering damages. The Plaintiff had been offered a six figure settlement before trial.

Lawyers for the Plaintiff called seven different experts to testify at trial, including treating doctors, a biomechanical engineer, a human factors engineer, an IME physician/surgeon, a forensic accountant, and a vocational rehabilitation expert.

In the end, the jury unanimously agreed with the defense theme of “misplaced blame”, and found that our clients were not legally responsible for the accident. Jen Davis and Emily Jones in the Portland office assisted Alex on the trial team, and founding member Eric Gillett provided invaluable guidance and support from the Seattle office.

This is POG's second favorable jury result of 2012. In the first trial a jury awarded Plaintiff only her medical expenses. Subsequently, the trial court ruled that it was an error to award only medical expenses, but no general damages, and ordered a new trial on damages only.

POG lawyers tried seven cases to verdict in 2011, with six defense verdicts, and have now tried 19 cases in the last three years in five different venues. These cases range from death to construction defect with demands for as much as $25 million dollars.

Preg O’Donnell and Gillett Announces the Addition of Mark Wilkerson as Of Counsel

POGadmin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:29:04 +0000

Preg O'Donnell and Gillett is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Wilkerson as Of Counsel. Mark brings 28 years of Insurance defense experience and has tried more than 75 jury trials in various jurisdictions and involving all types of civil defense. He is a former President of the Defense Lawyers of Alaska and has been a lecturer and author on trial practice and advocacy. He has handled a wide range of civil defense, and bad faith cases. His practice will include all types of complex litigation and catastrophic injury cases.

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett Hires New Associate Jennifer D. Loynd

POGadmin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:53:31 +0000

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett is pleased to announce that Jennifer D. Loynd has joined our Seattle office. Jennifer was born in Canada and grew up in Washington State. She has been privileged to spend her professional career working in the Seattle area. Jennifer’s practice focuses on defense of complex civil litigation including construction defect, toxic tort, product liability and personal injury claims.

John Butler Becomes a Member of the Firm

POGadmin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:47:31 +0000

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett is pleased to announce that John Butler has become a member of the firm effective January 1, 2012. John has been with the firm since 2001. John’s defense practice includes complex construction defect, product liability, transportation and trucking, worksite and general injury, and business loss claims. John also regularly speaks on current topics impacting the defense bar. John’s extensive litigation experience, together with his commitment to the firm’s core values of service, excellence, and integrity, will continue to foster Preg O’Donnell & Gillett’s reputation as one of the pre-eminent civil defense trial firms in the Pacific Northwest.

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett Wins Summary Judgment In Complex Condominium Defect Lawsuit

POGadmin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:40:54 +0000

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett Member Lori O’Tool and Associate David Chawes recently prevailed in a motion for summary judgment dismissing all claims brought against its subcontractor client by a group of former members of a limited liability company (“LLC”). The case was rather complex, because in an earlier underlying lawsuit, the condominium homeowners association (HOA) had brought construction defect claims against the original LLC and its members where the Washington Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the LLC could not sue or be sued, as it had dissolved itself several months before the underlying lawsuit was filed. However, the Supreme Court also ruled that the former LLC members could themselves sue and be sued. After the former LLC members settled the claims brought by HOA, the members sought recovery of the settlement amount from the subcontractors who had worked at the project, including Preg O’Donnell’s client, a plumbing and heating subcontractor. Preg O’Donnell moved for summary judgment arguing that the statute of limitations had long since expired on the claims brought by the former LLC members, and that in any event, their claims did not “relate back” to a set of earlier construction defect claims brought years before solely by the LLC (and not the LLC members) against the subcontractors. The King County Superior Court agreed and dismissed all claims against the plumbing and heating subcontractor. It was a significant victory demonstrating that an LLC’s members who dissolve the LLC’s corporate existence cannot, many years later, bring suit against the project subcontractors for those very same defects.

Associate David Chawes To Present At WDTL Defense Academy

POGadmin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:12:54 +0000

On April 11, as part of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers upcoming Defense Academy Continuing Legal Education (CLE), David Chawes will be presenting “Best Practices For Young Lawyers”. David will focus on ideas which helped him establish his core values at Preg O’Donnell & Gillett, as he recently became an attorney in a second career.

Members Mark O’Donnell and Lori O’Tool To Speak On Construction Law

POGadmin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:56:30 +0000

On February 24, 2012, Lori O’Tool and Mark O’Donnell, both members at Preg O’Donnell & Gillett, will be presenting at the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Construction Law Update at the Washington Convention Center. Lori will be speaking on “Significant Legislative & Case Law Updates” at 9am that morning. Mark is scheduled at 3:35 to speak on Construction Law, peering into the future with the title “Construction Defect Crystal Ball.”

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett Hires Abby R. Michels For Portland Office

POGadmin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:35:54 +0000

Preg O’Donnell & Gillett is pleased to announce that Abby R. Michels has joined our Portland office. Abby worked in the Law Offices of Anderson & Nyburg as In-house Counsel For Liberty Mutual prior to joining our firm. Abby received her law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 2001. She was a member of the Willamette Law Review from 1999 until 2001.

Earl Sutherland, Of Counsel Attorney At Preg O’Donnell & Gillett, Rated AV Preeminent 5.0 of 5 on Martindale-Hubbell

POGadmin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:44:50 +0000

Of Counsel Earl Sutherland has been rated AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 by Martindale-Hubbell, an attorney peer-to-peer rating service. Earl has been a member of Preg O’Donnell & Gillett since September of 2010.