Daniel F. Mullin (Of Counsel)

Dan is the founder of the firm and as of September 1, 2021, he is Of Counsel.

Dan has developed an extensive litigation and trial practice handling cases in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. For more than 30 years, he has litigated general liability claims, represented professionals, and handled complex insurance coverage matters. Dan is rated as an AV Preeminent attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and he was recently voted the WDTL Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year.

Dan has substantial experience defending healthcare professionals and has a broad background on a range of medical issues. Dan was one of the first attorneys in the country to use an MRI to defend a baby case. This resulted in a defense verdict in the case of Richards v. Overlake Hospital, 59 Wash App. 266 (1990). In addition, Dan has handled a variety of personal injury, general liability, and large casualty claims. These include many cases with catastrophic injuries, such as brain damage, seizures, paralysis, and wrongful death, as well as multi-million dollar property damage claims. Dan has litigated discrimination, wrongful termination, and breach of contract claims.

Dan frequently advises clients on risk management and litigation issues. He spent several years monitoring employment discrimination claims around the country for a large Washington corporation. This involved evaluating the claims, working with local counsel, and negotiating resolutions to avoid costly litigation. Dan also works with professional football, baseball, and basketball teams across the country, negotiating contracts between the team and their physicians, establishing policies and procedures to reduce injury in athletes, and developing systems to minimize exposure to lawsuits. Dan has been a featured speaker for the NFL, NBA, and MLB. His work led to an important decision affirming an immunity defense for professional teams and their physicians in Daniels v. Seattle Seahawks, 92 Wash. App. 576 (1998).

Dan has a strong background in insurance law and insurance coverage matters. This includes analysis of policy forms, monitoring litigation, and working to resolve issues between insurance companies and businesses. Dan served as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Insurance Litigation Committee and National Editor for the CGL Reporter. He has litigated significant decisions on coverage, including a finding that advertising liability did not extend to securities’ law violations, Pine Top Ins. Co. v. PUD No. 1 of Chelan County, 676 F. Supp 212 (E.D. Wash. 1987); dismissal of a bad faith claim and obtaining a $1.5 million reimbursement for the carrier, Direct Focus v. Admiral Insurance, 81 Fed. App. 263, 2003 U.S. App Lexis 23628 (9th Cir. 2003); and a seminal case in Washington recognizing the “known loss” doctrine and limiting an insured’s rights to attorney fees, PUD No. 1 of Klickitat County v. International Insurance, 124 Wn. 2d 789 (1994).

Education

McGeorge School of Law, J.D. with distinction, 1982
Traynor Honor Society
Order of the Coif

University of San Francisco, B.A., English, Minor in Business, 1974

Admitted to Practice

• Washington (1982)
• Alaska (1983)
• California (1983)
• Oregon (2006)
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1983)
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington (1985)
• United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (1982)
• United States District Court for the District of Oregon (2007)

Associations & Involvement

• Washington State Bar Association
• Oregon State Bar
• Alaska Bar Association
• State Bar of California
• Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association (WDTL)
• Washington Health Care Risk Management Society (WHCRMS)
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• American Bar Association
  Insurance Litigation Committee
• National Insurance Coverage Association
• Arbitrator, King County Superior Court, 1989 to Present
• Editor, Commercial General Liability (CGL) Reporter, 1995 to 2003