Kristine became a trial lawyer out of a deeply held belief that bullies should not win and that one must stand up for what they believe is fair and right. When tragedy happens, injuring you, your children, or loved ones, Kristine works to help you and your family seek justice by leveling the playing field against insurance companies, large corporations, and the government.
Kristine devotes the majority of her practice to helping injured people and their families with personal injury cases, including motor vehicle / car accidents, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith.
Kristine attended Seattle University School of Law, where she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude. Upon graduating from law school, Kristine clerked for the Honorable Christine Quinn-Brintnall of the Washington State Court of Appeals Division II.
Teaching positions
Adjunct professor:
Seattle University School of Law, Insurance Law:
Bad Faith and Fair Conduct, fall 2013.
Law School Guest Lectures:
• Guest Lecturer: Products Liability, topic: Working Up Your First Product’s Liability Case, Seattle University School of Law, 2007-2009, 2011 –2014
• Guest Lecturer, Remedies, topic: Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA), Seattle University School of Law, 2009, 2011 – 2012, 2015
Faculty Volunteer position:
Teaching trial advocacy in Africa, through Justice Advocacy Africa (JAA), a non-profit organization founded to promote confidence in and respect for legal institutions in African countries.
• Machakos, Kenya, May, 2012
• Gabarone, Botswana, November 2012
• Gabarone, Botswana, November 2013
Speaking Engagements
CLE
How to Prepare for and Cross any Expert, WSAJ Annual Convention, New Lawyer Seminar, July 2014
What Are We Fighting Over? Where are the IFCA Debates Now?
Damages? Coverage Denials? Delays?, 36th Annual WSAJ Insurance Law Seminar, Winning Your IFCA Battle, January 2014
Jury Instructions: Drafting Within WPI; Drafting Outside the WPI; WSAJ Bringing Home the Winning Verdict Seminar, Part 3 of the So You Want to Be a Winning Trial Lawyer!? Series, May 2013
Getting Burned: Examinations Under Oath are more dangerous than you think, Hot Topics in Insurance Law, WSAJ 35th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, Seattle & Spokane, January 2013
The Floor Plan-Finding Insurance Coverage, WSAJ Insurance Basics Seminar, October 2011
Our State’s First IFCA Trial, WSBA Insurance Law Primer: Understanding the Essential Components, December 2010
Bad Faith, & Insurance Fair Conduct Act Litigation, WSAJ Motor Vehicle Litigation Seminar, March 2010
Our First IFCA Case, 32nd Annual WSAJ Insurance Law Seminar, Spokane & Seattle, January 2010
The Art of Direct & Cross Examination NBI CLE, Tacoma& Seattle, 2007
Roundtable/Brown Bag lectures
IFCA Update: Auto Cases, USAA Claims and more, Washington State Association for Justice Downtown Seattle Roundtable, May 2014
Insurance Basics, Getting Started in the Plaintiffs Practice, WSAJ Brown Bag Series, 2012
Reports from the IFCA Frontline, Washington State Association for Justice Olympia Roundtable, 2013
IFCA, Washington State Association for Justice, Kitsap Roundtable Luncheon, 2013
Insurance Basics, WSAJ New Member Brown Bag Series, 2011
Writing contributions
Books:
Insurance Fair Conduct Act & Bad Faith chapters, WSAJ Publication, Automobile Litigation Deskbook, 2010
Using Direct Examination to Win Your Case chapters, NBI Publication, Direct and
Cross-Examination for Civil Litigators, 2007
Trial news:
Eastern District of Washington breathing life into the third front of the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (“IFCA”): IFCA claims based upon Washington Administrative Code (“WAC”) violations, Trial News, May 2015
IFCA: A Flicker of Light in the Federal Courts, WSAJ Trial News, February, 2013
The Plain Meaning of IFCA: Why is There Even a Debate? WSAJ Trial News, June 2012
Playground bullies and things they don’t teach you in law school, Trial News, October 2009
Honors and Awards
• AVVO Rating 10.0
• Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers Association, 2012 -2015
• Rising Star, Washington Law & Politics Magazine, 2010
• Rising Star, Washington Super Lawyers , 2011 – 2015
Interests:
Kristine was born in British Columbia Canada. She enjoys volunteering and has traveled to Kenya and Botswana as a faculty member with the non-profit Justice Advocacy Africa (JAA), where she and other foreign and African faculty taught trial skills to Kenyan and Botswana attorneys. She acted as an observer for the Ukrainian Parliamentary elections in 2006, meeting with politicians and making radio and television appearances reporting on fairness of the elections and compliance with voting laws.
Her personal travels have taken her many places across the globe, including: Morocco, China, Cambodia, Laos, Zambia and Turkey. Kristine enjoys experiencing other cultures and even lived in a small Taiwanese village teaching English before attending law school.
Professional Associations and Memberships
• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)
• American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ)
• American Bar Association (ABA)
