Firm News

A look at what's new at Reed McClure

Reed McClure is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Gregory Langlais. Greg joined the firm on October 30, 2023.  We welcome Greg to our Reed McClure team!

We are very proud to announce that the following Reed McClure attorneys were named to Thomson Reuters’ 2023 Washington Super Lawyers List:  Pam Okano for appellate practice, Marilee Erickson for Civil Litigation: Defense, and Jack Rankin for Construction Litigation: Business.

We are very proud to announce that the following Reed McClure attorneys were named to Thomson Reuters’ 2022 Washington Super Lawyers List:  Bill Hickman and Pam Okano for appellate practice, Marilee Erickson and Suzanna Shaub for Civil Litigation: Defense, Jack Rankin for Construction Litigation: Business, and Jason Vacha for Insurance Coverage.

Reed McClure is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Laura Spence. Laura joined the firm on July 11, 2022.  We welcome Laura to our Reed McClure team!

Pam Okano and Jack Rankin have been listed in the 28th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  Pam has been listed for Appellate Practice, as well as Insurance Law, since 2014.

Jason Vacha once again chaired the popular, annual WDTL Insurance Law Seminar.  The seminar was held on April 29, 2022.  Jason heads the Insurance Section of WDTL.

We are very proud to announce that the following Reed McClure attorneys were named to Thomson Reuters’ 2021 Washington Super Lawyers List:  Bill Hickman and Pam Okano for appellate practice, Marilee Erickson for Civil Litigation: Defense, Jack Rankin for Construction Litigation: Business; Jason Vacha for Insurance Coverage; and Suzanna Shaub was named to Thomson Reuters’ 2021 Rising Star list for Civil Litigation: Defense.

On March 26, 2021, Jason Vacha chaired the Insurance Law Seminar sponsored by the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (WDTL).  Jason is the chair of the WDTL Insurance Practice.  This is the eighth year he has chaired this popular and informative seminar.  Marilee Erickson spoke on the Insurance Fair Conduct Act at the seminar.

Bill Hickman and Pam Okano have been listed in the 27th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Bill has been selected by his peers for Appellate Practice since 2007. Pam has been listed for Appellate Practice, as well as Insurance Law, since 2014.

We are very proud to announce that the following Reed McClure attorneys were named to Thomson Reuters’ 2020 Washington Super Lawyers List:  Bill Hickman and Pam Okano for appellate practice, Marilee Erickson for Civil Litigation: Defense, Jack Rankin for Construction Litigation: Business; Jason Vacha for Insurance Coverage; and Suzanna Shaub was named to Thomson Reuters’ 2020 Rising Star list for Civil Litigation: Defense.

Jason Vacha, Chair of WDTL’s Insurance Practice Section, once again chaired the annual WDTL Insurance Law Seminar. The seminar took place on February 28, 2020.

Bill Hickman and Pam Okano have been listed in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  Bill has been selected by his peers for Appellate Practice since 2007.  Pam has been listed for Appellate Practice, as well as Insurance Law, since 2014.

We are very proud to announce that Marilee Erickson, Bill Hickman, and Pam Okano were named to Thomson Reuters' 2019 Washington Super Lawyers List.

On May 9, 2019, Marilee Erickson participated in a panel presentation to the Northwest Insurance Coverage Association on the Impact of Cedell v. Farmers Insurance Company.

On April 26, 2019, Jason Vacha chaired the 2019 Insurance Law Update seminar for the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. Jason is Chair of the Insurance Practice Section of the WDTL.

Reed McClure has been named in the 2019 edition of “Best Law Firms,” a U.S. News-Best Lawyers publication, for Appellate Practice, Insurance Law, and Construction Litigation.

Pam Okano successfully handled an appeal with two other law firms. A ground services handler was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident at an airport. A jury apportioned 25% fault to the Port, 0.2% to plaintiff, and the remainder to four nondefendant airlines that had contracted with plaintiff’s employer for ground handling services. Consequently, the Port was liable for $10 million of plaintiff’s $40 million in damages. The Washington Court of Appeals reversed, holding the Port vicariously liable for the airlines and thus for 100% of the damages. Pam and her co-counsel persuaded the Washington Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals. The Court ruled that the Port was not vicariously liable for the airlines’ failure to ensure a safe workplace, thereby restoring the trial court’s judgment that the Port was liable for only $10 million of plaintiff’s $40 million damages. Afoa v. Port of Seattle, 191 Wn.2d 110, 421 P.3d 903 (2018). (Published Opinion)

Bill Hickman and Pam Okano have been listed in the 25th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  Bill has been selected by his peers for Appellate Practice since 2007.  Pam has been listed for Appellate Practice, as well as Insurance Law, since 2014.

We are very proud to announce that Bill Hickman and Pam Okano were named to Thomson Reuters' 2018 Washington Super Lawyers List for appellate practice, Marilee Erickson has been named for Civil Litigation: Defense, and Suzanna Shaub was named to Thomson Reuters' 2018 Rising Star list for Personal Injury General: Defense.

Reed McClure has been named in the 2018 edition of "Best Law Firms," a U.S. News-Best Lawyers publication, for Appellate Practice, Insurance Law, and Construction Litigation.

The Washington State Bar Association honored Bill Hickman on November 3, 2017 at a tribute luncheon, along with others who have been bar members for 50 years.  Here, in part, is what they said: “Fifty years is a lengthy tenure of service and we greatly value the service you have provided to the people of Washington during your extensive and distinguished career.”

Bill Hickman has been listed in the 24th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  He has been selected by his peers for Appellate Practice since 2007.

Marilee Erickson's article “MAR 7.3 Attorney Fees—What is the Test to Determine Whether You Improved Your Position on Trial De Novo?” was published in the Summer 2017 edition of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyer’s Defense News.

On August 14, 2017, Mike Rogers won an appeal in the Court of Appeals.  Our client's insured punched somebody in the face and broke his jaw.  The insured claimed he didn't intend to injure the victim.  The Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment finding no coverage under a homeowners policy for a lawsuit against the insured.  The court held that the injury was not an accident because a broken jaw is a reasonably foreseeable result of striking somebody in the face.

We are very proud to announce that Bill Hickman has been included in Thomson Reuters' Top 100: 2017 Washington Super Lawyers List for appellate practice.  We are also proud to announce that Pam Okano & Marilee Erickson have been included in Thomson Reuters’ 2017 Washington Super Lawyers list.

On March 31, 2017, Jason Vacha chaired the WDTL Annual Insurance Law Update seminar.  Jason is the chair of the Insurance Section of WDTL.  Marilee Erickson spoke on IFCA Actual Damages.

In February 2017, Mike Rogers achieved a defense verdict in a bad faith, IFCA, and CPA suit.  The jury concluded it was reasonable for the insurer to offer to pay to wash a rental home contaminated with meth in compliance with state and county regulatory requirements.  The owner insisted on removing all walls and ceilings.

Pam Okano preserved a defense verdict obtained by Jack Rankin and Suzanna Shaub. Plaintiff suffered brain damage when he fell through the ceiling at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary while working in the crawl space. He claimed the general contractor that had built the building should have warned the penitentiary the ceiling could not be walked on, even though the contract did not require walkability. A jury disagreed. So did the Washington Court of Appeals. The Washington Supreme Court refused to review.

Jason Vacha recently obtained a tremendous result in a two-week jury trial. Plaintiff claimed permanent cognitive impairment and asked for $1 million. The jury awarded plaintiff just $12,000, following Jason’s suggestion in closing argument. And the jury found plaintiff partially at fault, leaving Jason's client to pay only $4,400.