Eliot M. Harris Two Union Square 601 Union Street, Suite 4100 Seattle, Washington 98101 Office: (206) 233-2977 Fax: (206) 628-6611 Email: eharris@williamskastner.com ELIOT HARRIS is a member in the Seattle Office of Williams Kastner & Gibbs, PLLC. He is licensed in Washington, Oregon, and pending admission in Alaska. His practice is focused on advising and representing insurers in pre-litigation claim and coverage analysis, as well as litigating coverage disputes and defending insurance bad faith claims. Eliot has advised clients in claims involving various lines of coverage, including CGL, EPLI, E&O, D&O, homeowners, commercial property, personal and commercial auto, and marine insurance. He also has experience defending lawsuits involving catastrophic personal injuries and property damage, including professional malpractice, real estate transactions, environmental toxic tort, product liability, and general negligence claims. He has repeatedly been named a Rising Star by Washington Law and Politics Magazine. Outside of his practice, Eliot has been active in various organizations, including ABA, DRI, IRMI, and CLM. He is a past-chair of the Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee of the ABA s Torts and Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), and is currently a member of the TIPS CLE Board Standing Committee and vice-chair of the TIPS Property Insurance Litigation Committee. Eliot is a former member of the Committee of Law Examiners for the Washington State Bar Association, and provided pro bono legal advice to countless individuals as part of the King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinic program. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation in the Northwest Region. Education Seattle University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2005 University of Washington, B.A., Political Science & Economics, 2002
Admitted to Bar Washington Oregon United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit United State District Court, Western District of Washington United State District Court, Eastern District of Washington Representative Matters Represented insurers in general liability coverage matters arising out of claims involving construction defects, property damage, personal injury, and wrongful death; Represented insurers in D&O coverage matters, including claims arising from shareholder actions, employment litigation, intellectual property, regulatory investigations, and breach of fiduciary duties; Represented various insurers in non-litigated coverage claims in Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona; Represented various insurers in bad faith and consumer protection act lawsuits in Washington, Oregon and Arizona; Trial counsel for three-week jury trial for coverage action arising from $6 million stipulated judgment in construction defect lawsuit; Lead counsel for discovery and dispositive motions in coverage actions involving multi-million dollar construction defect claims; Obtained numerous summary judgment rulings for coverage claims ranging from $100K to $12M potential exposure for construction and personal injury claims; Attained multiple dismissals of extra-contractual claims of bad faith, consumer protection act violations and punitive damages; Attained numerous favorable settlements in multi-million dollar condominium construction defect lawsuits. Publications Washington Federal Court Finds That Statutory Notice of Intent to Sue Does Not Constitute Claim Under Claims-Made Policy, Williams Kastner Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2018. Washington Court of Appeals Refuses to Allow Production of Post-Litigation Communication Between Insurer and Coverage Counsel in Defense of UIM Claim, Williams Kastner Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2017.
Oregon Court of Appeals Renders Important Decision on Various Coverage Issues Arising out of Construction Defect Lawsuit, Williams Kastner Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2017. Washington Appellate Court Finds Insurer not Collaterally Estopped from Contesting Liability Issues in Declaratory Judgment Action, Williams Kastner Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2017. Alaska Supreme Court Finds Duty Owed by Liability Insurer to Third-Party Claimant, Williams Kastner Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2017. Insurance Concerns for Legal Cannabis Businesses, Marijuana Venture Magazine, May 2017. The Devil is in the Details, USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2017. Washington Court Limits Discovery of Insurer s Claims-Handling Manuals and Guidelines for Unrelated Lines of Coverage, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2017. Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee: The Intersection of Law and Medicine for Environmental Exposure and Regulatory Claims, The Brief, American Bar Association, Winter 2017. Oregon Court Limits Insurer From Litigating Coverage Issues For CD Lawsuit, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2016. Washington Court Expands Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege In Reasonableness Hearings, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2016. Washington Court Finds No Collapse Coverage Despite Building Code Violations, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2016. Idaho Court Rules Anti-Stacking Clause In Insurance Policy Is Ambiguous, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2016. Washington Court Finds No Occurrence For Violation of Condo By-Laws, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2016. Washington Court Denies Certification for Diminished Value Class Action, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016.
Washington Court Finds no Duty to Defend for Speculative Value Class Action, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Washington Court Declines to Rule on Validity of Negligent Claims Handling Cause of Action Under Washington Law, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Montana Court Finds No Coverage for Standing Alone Claims By Heirs of Deceased Arising From Excluded Cause of Loss, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Washington Supreme Court Unanimously Finds Coverage For Water Damage In Vacant House, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Washington Court Allows Coverage Action Against Excess Insurer to Continue Despite No Exhaustion, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Washington Court Refuses to Extend Coverage to Spouse of Named Insured, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. Washington Court Dismisses Bad Faith Claims for Insured s Inadequate Disclosure of Damages, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2016. It s More of a Guideline Than a Code: Washington Federal Court Dismisses Bad Faith Claims Against Insurer That Enforced Its Litigation Management Guidelines Against Defense Counsel, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2016. In a Question of First Impression, Alaska Supreme Court Finds That Insurers Cannot Seek Reimbursement of Defense Costs Even When Policy Allows It And Insurer Reserved Rights To Later Seek Reimbursement, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2016. Washington Federal Court Opens Door For Otherwise Time-Barred Bad Faith Claim Under Washington s Consumer Protection Act, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2016. Washington Supreme Court Finds That UIM Policy Covers Injuries Caused By Drive-By Shooting Constitute Accident Arising Out of Ownership, Use or Operation of a Motor Vehicle, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2016. Washington Federal Court Clarifies Discovery of Attorney-Client Communications Between Insurers and Coverage Counsel Under Cedell, WK Northwest Insurance Law Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2016.
Federal Officer Defense Reinforced For Gov t Contractors, Law360, June 2, 2014. Slow Down, WA Court Taps the Brakes on Insurer s Duty to Defend Sedgwick Insurance Law Blog, January 2014. Ninth Circuit Upholds Dismissal of a Public Nuisance Lawsuit Sedgwick October 2012 edition of Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Update. Washington Appellate Court Limits Liability for Personal Injury Claims Brought by Contractor s Employee Against Landowners Sedgwick May 2012 edition of Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Update. Significant Rulings from the Deepwater Horizon Court on Discovery and Evidentiary Matters Sedgwick April 2012 edition of Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Update. Preparing Your Expert Witness for Deposition, The Whisper, DRI Young Lawyer Committee Newsletter, January 2011. Manufacturers Duty to Warn for Replacement Parts, For the Defense, Spring 2010. Effective Cross-Examination, The Whisper, DRI Young Lawyer Committee Newsletter, February 2010. The Duty to Defend: What Insurers, Insureds and Their Counsel Need to Know When Faced With a Liability Coverage Dispute, Business Litigation Committee Newsletter, American Bar Association, Winter 2010. Lectures and Seminars Presenter, Advanced Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, National Business Institute, Seattle, WA, August 30, 2017. Presenter, Notice, Tender and Reservation of Rights: Crafting Coverage Correspondence, Evaluating Issues Raised by Defense Under ROR, Webinar, Strafford Live Education, July 12, 2017. Presenter, Comprehensive Interactive Case Evaluation: Welcome to Tropical Pennsylvania! USLaw Client Conference, Spring 2017. Presenter, Policyholder s Duty to Cooperate: Advocating or Defending Against Loss of Coverage for Breach, Webinar, Stafford Continuing Education, March 23, 2017.
Presenter, Navigating the Duty to Defend by Insurance Companies, Webinar, Stafford Continuing Education, November 17, 2016. Presenter, Insurance Bad Faith Set-Up in Washington, CLE Program, National Business Institute, October 26, 2016. Presenter, Reservations about Reservation of Rights, Webinar, EC Defense Network, June 28, 2016. Presenter, Bad Faith Claims & Motion to Dismiss: Policyholder and Insurer Perspective, Webinar, The Knowledge Group, June 10, 2016. Chair, Cutting-Edge Scientific and Legal Trends in Toxic Torts and Environmental Law, American Bar Association Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee 24th Annual CLE Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, April 9-11, 2015. Moderator, Hot Topics in Asbestos Litigation, American Bar Association Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee 23rd Annual CLE Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, April 4, 2014. Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, National Business Institute, March 21, 2014. Evidence in a Digital Age, Civil Litigation Today: A Practical Workshop, National Business Institute, August 15, 2013. Co-Presenter, The State of Bad Faith in Washington, Sedgwick s Webinar Series on Insurance Bad Faith Law, June 2013. ABA TIPS Toxic Tort and Environmental Law 22nd Annual Spring CLE Meeting, The First Twelve Look Fine To Me Counselors, What Do You Think? Maximizing Voir Dire in Federal and State Court, April 4-6, 2013. Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, National Business Institute, June 22, 2012. Effective Cross-Examination Begins with the Deposition, 2012 WDTL Defense Practice Academy, March 28, 2012. Advanced Trial Tactics, National Business Institute, December 2, 2011.
Advanced Expert Witness Deposition Tactics, National Business Institute, December 9, 2010. Personal Injury Cases: Calculating and Proving Damages, National Business Institute, November 21, 2008.