Donald Verfurth is a Partner in the Seattle office. Since entering private practice, he has focused on insurance coverage, with special emphasis on environmental, products liability, directors and officers, excess casualty, ERISA, construction, bad faith and title insurance. This has also included representing insurance companies in appeals in a variety of complex matters, before the appellate courts of Washington and Oregon, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Representative Experience
Examples of Mr. Verfurth’s experience include the following:
- Representing major insurance carriers both in litigation and non-litigation matter
- Representing major insurance companies in the following appellate matters
- Washington Counties Risk Pool; American International Group, Inc.; Lexington Insurance Company, Inc. et al. v. Clark County; Donald Slagle; Larry Davis; and Alan Northrop, Washington Supreme Court (2016)
- Wesley James Garrett v. New Hampshire Insurance Company, Oregon Supreme Court (2015)
- OSAA v. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2008)
- Alexander Manufacturing Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plant and Trust v. Illinois Union Insurance Company, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2009)
- Mid Continent Casualty Company v. Williamsburg Condominium Association et al., Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2011)
- Daryl Kollman v. Cell Tech International, Inc. v. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2013, 2015))
- Spratt v. Crusader Insurance Company, Washington State Court of Appeals (2002)
- Amazon.com International Inc. v. American Dynasty Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Washington State Court of Appeals (2004)
- Block v. Law Offices of Ben F. Barcus & Associates, Washington State Court of Appeals (2015)
- Representing businesses and municipalities in a variety of environmental matters, including regulatory issues, toxic torts and general environmental defense
- Representing clients engaged in business transactions to avoid environmental liability
- Representing accountants, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, real estate brokers, escrow agents, insurance agents and brokers, and directors and officers in professional liability litigation
Washington Contributor, Brownfields Law and Practice – The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land (Michael B. Gerrard ed., Matthew Bender)
Lessons From The Trial Trenches, GRSM Legal Education Conference, January 2015 (New York, NY)
Problem Jurisdictions, DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, December 2015 (New York, NY)
The Elf in the Room, DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, December 2011 (New York, NY)
Admissions
- Washington
- Oregon
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court, Washington (Western and Eastern District)
- U.S. District Court, Oregon
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- Fellow in the American College of Coverage Counsel
- Washington State Bar Association (faculty member, New Attorney Program)
- American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section, National Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Practice Section)
- King County Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Northwest Environmental Claims Association
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Gonzaga University School of Law, 1985
- Thomas More Scholar
- Order of Barristers
- M.A., University of Detroit, 1977
- A.B., cum laude, Georgetown University, 1977
Clerkship
- United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington
Honors
- Top 100 Washington Super Lawyers® (Law & Politics, 2013)
- Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation – Insurance, Seattle (2022)
- Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Litigation – Insurance (2016-2025)
- Super Lawyers® distinction in the fields of Environmental, Professional Liability Defense and Insurance Coverage (2008-2023)
- Top Rated Lawyer-AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell
- Fellow in the American College of Coverage Counsel