Lori practices civil litigation defense, with an emphasis on professional liability. Lori has experience representing attorneys, accountants, and real estate brokers in malpractice claims, and is a former member of the Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board.
Lori’s practice also includes responding to EEOC/WSHRC complaints, employment litigation, and personal injury defense. Her personal injury experience includes premises and product liability, and motor vehicle accidents. Lori has tried several cases to verdict, and is a graduate of the IADC trial academy at Stanford University. She is also the 2021 President of the Mother Attorney Mentoring Association of Seattle (“MAMA Seattle”), an organization designed to empower attorney mothers and encourage professional success while celebrating our roles as attorneys and mothers.
- Recognized as a “Super Lawyer” from 2021 to 2023 by Super Lawyers magazine for Professional Liability Defense
- Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine from 2013 to 2018 for Professional Liability Defense
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of law firm in a case plaintiff attempted to certify as a class action lawsuit. Plaintiff alleged that client engaged in unlawful conduct when it failed to ensure that their client's medical bills were submitted directly to their health insurer.
- Obtained summary judgment in a legal malpractice case on behalf of a bankruptcy attorney client. The plaintiff alleged that his former attorney committed malpractice in the bankruptcy proceedings. We moved for summary judgment on the basis of collateral estoppel, as whether the attorney committed malpractice had already been ruled on by the bankruptcy judge when he affirmed our client’s request for his attorney’s fees. The trial court dismissed on the basis of collateral estoppel, and the court of appeals affirmed the dismissal.
- Obtained partial summary judgment in a legal malpractice lawsuit. The claim involved whether an attorney could recover emotional distress damages against his former legal malpractice defense attorney after the jury reached an unfavorable verdict.
- Represented IEC, and electrical apprenticeship program, in a lawsuit brought by a former apprentice. The plaintiff claimed IEC engaged in employment discrimination under: (1) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; (3) Washington’s Law Against Discrimination; (4) Washington’s Age Discrimination statute; and (5) 42 U.S.C. § 1981. The U.S. District Court granted IEC’s motion for summary judgment on all claims and the Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court’s dismissal.
- Represented trucking company in an admitted liability dispute. The plaintiff was involved in a five-vehicle collision that was caused by the trucking company. The plaintiff self-reported to her chiropractor that she felt 90-95% pre-accident status after eight months, yet she continued to treat for an additional 4 years. The jury agreed with the defendant that plaintiff’s additional treatment was not reasonable or related to the accident (except a few months of physical therapy) and awarded plaintiff approximately 6% of what plaintiff asked for in closing.
- Obtained a defense decision in a premises liability claim against a church. The plaintiff claimed the church failed to warn her of the existence of stairs and as a result, she fell and broke her shoulder. After an all-day arbitration, the arbitrator found that the church was not negligent and dismissed all claims.
- Defended attorney in a professional malpractice matter. Plaintiff sued her former attorney alleging malpractice. Our client, her former attorney, missed the statute of limitations, and the plaintiff’s underlying claim was dismissed on summary judgment. Prevailed on summary judgment because the plaintiff discovered or knew of her malpractice claim more than three years before filing suit against her former attorney.
- Defended a Canadian wood product manufacturer in a transportation law matter. The case involved a longshoreman who was injured at the Port of Tacoma when an ocean shipping container, in tow behind the power unit he was operating, overturned. The Shipper had loaded the container with bundles of stacked lumber planks. The longshoreman sued the Shipper, claiming that the container overturned because its cargo had not been properly stowed. His attorneys asked the jury for an award of over $1.3 million in special and general damages. The jury found that the Shipper had committed no negligent act in loading the container. On that basis, the longshoreman’s claim was dismissed pursuant to a defense verdict.
- American Bar Association
- King County Bar Association
- YLD Trustee (2012-2015)
- Chair (2014-2015)
- Vice-Chair (2013-2014)
- Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle
- President (2021)
- Vice President (2020)
- Co-Director of CLE Seminars (2016-2019)
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
- Washington State Bar Association
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Presenter: “Conflicts of Insured, Defense Counsel & Insurer,” Forsberg & Umlauf CLE, October 2022
- Presenter: “Ethical Dilemmas from Client Intake through Conclusion,” WSBA Ethics Seminar, September 2022
- Presenter: “Pre-Suit Claim Triage – The Playbook on Cauterizing Attorney Mistakes,” ABA Legal Malpractice Conference, September 2022Presenter: “Modern Trends in the Business of Law”, IADC Professional Liability Roundtable, August 2021
- 'Presenter: "Can You Ethically Work from Home? Exploring the Necessity of Bar Admission to Work in Your State of Residence", IADC Webinar, May 2021
- Presenter: "Ethical Issues During the Pandemic", Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association CLE, January 2021
- Presenter: “A Year to Remember: Pandemics, Public Demonstrations, and Wildfires”, Washington State Bar Association CLE, December 2020
- Presenter: “Ethics During Global Pandemic”, Real Property Probate and Trust section of the Washington State Bar Association, June 2020
- Presenter: “Ethical Considerations During the Pandemic”, King County Bar Association, May 2020
- Speaker: Let's Get Ethical, Forsberg & Umlauf Risk Management Seminar, November 2019
- Speaker: WSBA Preadmission Education Program, Professional Development, July 2019
- Presenter: “Ethics and Risk Management,” King County Bar Association, December 2018
- Moderator: “Conflicts of Interest Issues for All Attorneys,” Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association, December 2018
- Moderator: “#MeToo in Washington – A Conversation with Justice Stephens and Justice Yu,” Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association, January 2018
- Moderator: “The Business Case for Diversity and Tools for Long Term Profitability, PLUS, August 2016
- Moderator: Judicial Panel on “Improving the Legal System,” Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association, May 2016
- Presenter: “Malpractice Issues,” Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Annual Year-End Potpourri, December 2015
- Presenter: “Avoiding Malpractice Pitfalls,” Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Tort Law Update, October 2015
- Presenter: “Avoiding Malpractice: Tips for Young Attorneys,” KCBA Young Lawyers Division, February 2014
- Presenter: “Subrogation: Medicare, ERISA, Auto and Workers’ Compensation Challenges, Medicare Issues in Personal Injury Litigation,” NBI, June 2013
- Author: “DRI Collateral Source Compendium, Washington State,” Defense Research Institute, March 2012
J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law, 2008, cum laude
- Vested Member, Gonzaga Journal of International Law
- Judicial Extern, Division III Court of Appeals
- Judicial Extern, Kathleen O’Connor, Spokane County Superior Court
B.A., University of Washington, 2005
State of Washington
State of Oregon
U. S. District Court, Western District of Washington
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit