Pam's practice focuses in the areas of insurance coverage, environmental law/toxic tort, aviation and marine law, as well as appellate advocacy.
Pam provides advice and representation concerning all aspects of first and third-party insurance focusing primarily on liability for environmental remediation of contaminated properties, construction defects, professional malpractice, toxic tort, arson, suspicious claims and bad faith. Pam also provides representation to Aviation & Marine clients in matters involving marine insurance, cargo damage and personal injury.
Pam's experience includes complex insurance coverage matters involving environmental contamination and clergy abuse, as well as matters involving admiralty and maritime law including marine insurance coverage, pollution, products liability, cargo damage, personal injury, and toxic torts. Pam has tried a number of cases to successful jury verdict as well as numerous bench trials and appeals.
Pam graduated cum laude from Gonzaga University School of Law where she was an associate editor of the Gonzaga Law Review, member of the National Moot Court team, member of the Linden Cup Moot Court First Place Team and received the CALI award for legal research and writing.
Professional Memberships and Activities
American Bar Association
· Co-Executive Editor, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Law Journal (2010-2012)
· Associate Editor, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Law Journal (2007-2010)
· Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Membership Committee (2009-2012)
· Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Admiralty Committee
· Editorial Board Member, Law Practice Today (2009-2011)
· Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Fellow (2007-2009)
· Vice Chair, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee (2007-2008)
· Vice Chair, Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee (2006-2007)
Defense Research Institute
· Insurance Law Membership Committee (2010-2011)
· YLC Liaison Chair to the Insurance Law Committee (2007-2008)
Maritime Law Association
· Continuing Legal Education Committee
· Marine Insurance Committee
Hispanic National Bar Association
Other Information
· Election Protection Program - nonpartisan legal advice regarding potential dissemination of misinformation by poll workers, problems associated with voting machines and intimidation of voters in minority communities
Speeches and Publications
· Author, Sackett v. The Environmental Protective Agency: Pre-Enforcement Review of an EPA Compliance Order - What If the EPA Got It Wrong? Defense Research Institute: Covered Events, January 2012
· Regional Editor, Excess and Umbrella Compendium, Defense Research Institute - 2011
· Co-author, California Property Insurance: Law and Litigation, California Continuing Education of the Bar - 2011
· Author, California Chapter, Insurance Bad Faith: A Compendium of State Law, Defense Research Institute - 2011
· Author, Montana Chapter, Insurance Bad Faith: A Compendium of State Law, Defense Research Institute - 2011
· Assistant Editor, The Reference Handbook on the Comprehensive General Liability Policy (ABA Publishing 2010)
· Author, BP's $700 Million Excess Insurance Question - Did Pollution Damage Originate Above the Surface of the Water?, ABA TIPS Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee Special Edition Newsletter, August 2010
· Co-author, Recent Developments in Insurance Coverage Litigation 45 Tort Trial & Ins. Practice L.J. 429 (2010)
· Co-author, Employment Practices Liability Coverage - Updates and Strategies in Addressing Employment-Based Claims, ABA Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Committee CLE Seminar, March 5, 2010
· Co-author, The Insurer's Duty to Advise the Insured of the Right to Select Independent Counsel, ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section CLE Seminar, February 26, 2010
· California Conference of Arson Investigators - Instructor, Expert Witness Testimony Course, 2008, 2009
· Co-author, Washington Chapter, Unfair Insurance Practices: A Compendium of State Law, Defense Research Institute - 2008
· Co-author, Washington Chapter, Insurance Bad Faith: A Compendium of State Law, Defense Research Institute - 2006
Articles
1/31/2012, Sackett v. The Environmental Protective Agency: Pre-Enforcement Review of an EPA Compliance Order - What If the EPA Got It Wrong?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reportedly issues approximately 3,000 administrative compliance orders a year to businesses and individuals in which it demands that alleged violations of environmental laws cease on the threat of potential large daily fines and penalties. Insurance companies are certainly aware of the implication of such an order and, depending on the applicable policy language for the individual or business that receives such a compliance order, the possibility of large and long term costs required to remedy the alleged violation.
What if however, the EPA's findings were incorrect and, for example, a property owner's land was not actually protected by the federal law the EPA relies upon? What if the evidence the EPA relied upon in issuing the order was a news clipping or some other unscientific means of verifying the protected status of the land? Would the recipient of the order have the ability to challenge the administrative order right away or would he have to wait for the EPA to actually commence an enforcement action?
Published in Covered Events, the newsletter of the DRI Insurance Law Committee.
8/11/2010, BP's $700 Million Excess Insurance Question - Did Pollution Damage Originate Above the Surface of the Water?
Published in the ABA TIPS Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee Special Edition Newsletter, August 2010.
7/1/2010, Recent Developments in Insurance Coverage Litigation
MPP attorney Pamela A. Palmer is co-author of this article published in the Winter 2010 issue (45:2) of the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal.
3/5/2010, Employment Practices Liability Coverage: Updates and Strategies in Addressing Employment-Based Claims
In light of the current economic environment, the risk of exposure to liability in the employment practices context is greater than ever.
This article discusses the development of Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) and common issues that arise in the EPLI context.