About Rob
Rob has spent most of his career as a litigator, primarily representing insurance companies and their policyholders. After graduating from law school, he was in-house counsel for Live Nation Concerts and Clear Channel Communications in Houston, Texas. Since returning to Oregon and entering private practice, his work has focused on insurance litigation, coverage, complex casualty matters, and SIU/fraud.
Rob has tried more than 30 civil cases to verdict in state and federal courts of Oregon and Washington. His experience ranges from first-party property and bad-faith litigation to complex coverage disputes, commercial liability and catastrophic-loss matters.
Practice Areas
- Insurance Litigation
- First-Party Defense
- Bad Faith
- Personal Injury Defense
- SIU/Fraud
- Insurance Coverage
- Business Litigation
- Commercial Liability and Mass Tort
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
Experience
Rob brings an unusual perspective to insurance litigation, having worked on the claims, corporate, and litigation sides of the industry.
Before attending law school, Rob worked for State Farm Fire & Casualty Company, handling property claims and subrogation. After earning his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1997, he served as associate general counsel for Live Nation's concerts and motorsports division before entering private practice as an insurance attorney.
For more than 25 years, Rob's private practice has focused on insurance litigation, including first-party claims and bad faith, insurance coverage, SIU and fraud matters, commercial and complex casualty litigation, premises liability, and product liability.
Significant Representations
Society of Jesus (Jesuits) — Multidistrict Federal Coverage Litigation
Rob served as lead coverage counsel for one of three companies that insured the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in claims alleging abuse over three decades. This complex federal litigation involved more than 500 claimants from five western states, represented collectively by more than 100 attorneys.
Rob's client was the only insurer to successfully enforce its aggregate policy limit, significantly limiting the insurer's ultimate exposure, and established that his client was not obligated to contribute to certain post-bankruptcy costs. As part of the resolution, Rob negotiated a buy-back of his client's policies accompanied by a channeling injunction protecting the insurer against future claims under those policies.
First-Party Bad Faith — Washington
Rob represented a national insurer in first-party property and bad-faith litigation arising from a residential fire loss. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of Rob's client on issues that had been previously unsettled under Washington law, including the court's refusal to apply the continuing-tort doctrine, and that an alleged underpayment does not constitute a denial of coverage or benefits for purposes of Washington's statutory bad-faith remedies.
Insurance Broker Liability — Oregon
Rob represented a wholesale insurance broker in litigation arising from catastrophic injuries and an underlying claim approaching $24 million. The insured alleged negligent procurement and breach of contract after its insurer denied a defense. Rob obtained summary judgment for the broker and subsequently argued to the Oregon Court of Appeals that his client acted as an agent of the insurer rather than the insured and that the relationship did not support recovery of purely economic damages.
National Auto Body Antitrust Litigation
Rob led the defense of a regional insurer in a national class action involving allegations that numerous insurers conspired to suppress auto-repair labor rates, inadequately compensated repair facilities, and steered work away from certain body shops. Rob obtained dismissal of all claims against his client.
Insurance Coverage / Coverage by Estoppel — Oregon
Rob successfully represented an insurer in a case involving the question of whether an underwriter's incorrect representation to the agent about policy coverage could create coverage by estoppel. The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a summary judgment against Rob's client, and the Oregon Supreme Court affirmed, concluding that regardless of the underwriter's statements, coverage cannot be created by estoppel where the policy clearly and unambiguously excluded the loss.
Speaking & Publications
Rob is a frequent speaker and author on insurance law, claim handling, bad faith, coverage, fraud, and litigation strategy. He has presented to insurance companies and insurance professionals throughout the United States. His speaking engagements have included the CPCU National Convention (Indianapolis), Loss Executives Association (Newport, RI), Defense Research Institute (Chicago), CPCU (Los Angeles), Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, Multnomah Bar Association, and regional CPCU chapters. Rob also returned to Willamette University as a guest lecturer in trial advocacy.
Selected Presentation Topics
- Trial Practice
- Claim Handling and Best Practices
- Defending Bad Faith in Washington
- SIU/Fraud in Oregon and Washington
- Additional Insureds and Named Insureds
- Avoiding Excess Verdicts
- Mediating Insurance Cases in Washington and Oregon
Selected Publications
- Oregon State Bar — Insurance Law: Insurable Interest
- Defense Research Institute: Comparative Analysis of Regulation of Controlled Substances (Cover Article)
- Claims Magazine: Coverage Risk of Marijuana Legalization (Cover Article)
- Summary of Insurance Laws: Western States
Education & Admissions
Education
Willamette University College of Law
J.D., 1997
University of Rochester
B.A., Economics, 1990
Certificate in Management Studies, Computer Information Systems, Simon School of Business, 1990
Bar Admissions
- Oregon State Bar
- Washington State Bar
- Idaho State Bar — Inactive
- Texas State Bar — Inactive
Federal Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
- U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional & Community
Rob is active in professional organizations serving the insurance-defense bar and insurance industry. His affiliations include the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, Washington Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, and Loss Executives Association.
Locally, Rob is on the Board of Directors of McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery, an organization that provides assistance to community members affected by catastrophic wildfires.
In the winter of 2024, Rob and his wife, Nadine, moved to the McKenzie Valley after more than 25 years in the Portland area.