Stafford Frey Cooper


	Ronald S. Bemis Stafford Frey Cooper, PC 3100 Two Union Square 601 Union Street Seattle, WA 98101-1374 206.667.8213 Direct 206.624.6885 Fax Email: Ronald S. Bemis

Ron Bemis’ civil litigation practice of 30 years includes an outstanding record in trials – having won nearly every jury verdict – and in the litigation and settlements of precedent-setting, high-value, and complex cases locally and nationally.

Whether representing defendants or plaintiffs, Ron Bemis has been counsel for a wide diversity of individual, family, professional, and business clients, including as National and Regional Counsel for the Dow Chemical Company (silicone products) and ESC Medical Systems (laser products), and as Regional or Primary Trial Counsel for major products liability, personal injury, business and property loss, government, insurance, medical negligence, police, sexual abuse, sports injury, chemical exposure and asbestos matters. He joined the Stafford Frey law firm in 1976 and has served in its management and as its President. Ron Bemis teaches and judges trial skills at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, the University of Washington Law School trial advocacy classes, and legal seminars. He has the highest rating (preeminent "AV") in the national lawyers directory and has long been active in the community, bar associations, and public service projects.

Education

•	Hastings College of the Law, Univ. of California (J.D., 1976) (1st Place in West, 2nd in Nation, International Moot Court team)
•	Willamette University (B.A., Political Science, 1973)
•	College of Europe, Institute of International Education (Bruges, Belgium, Spring 1972)
•	Long Beach Polytechnic High School (California, 1969)

Representative and Precedent-Setting Cases

•	Washington State's first defense verdict in the asbestos personal injury litigation (Kinsman v. Fibreboard et. al., King County Superior Ct., 1984)) (mesothelioma death claim; opposing attorney was nationally known Ron Motley, South Carolina).
•	Washington State's first defense verdict in formaldehyde personal injury litigation involving particleboard emissions (Bobst v. Golden West Mobile Homes, Clark County Superior Court, WA, 1984).
•	Washington State's largest reported settlement for a child student victim of teacher sexual abuse (Jane Does v. Seattle School District, King County Superior Court, 2008) ($2.5 of total $3+ million, representing plaintiff family); and $1.5 of total $2 million settlement for student’s anorexia caused by teacher sex abuse (M.T. et. al. v. Seattle School District, King County, WA, 2010).
•	The Nation's first asbestos "property damage" trial with mixed-product defendants at trial (Highline Schools v. Fibreboard et al., King County, WA, 1989) (defense verdict on $10 million claim to remove asbestos from 95 buildings; opposing counsel, Ness Motley).
•	$4.25 million plaintiffs verdict, medical malpractice on birth-injured baby (Tavares v. Evergreen Med. Center, KCSC, 2008).
•	Medical malpractice jury verdict for male youths emotionally abused by their lifelong pediatrician (v. Schnall et. al., K.C., 2008); and substantial settlements achieved for plaintiffs post-trial (amounts confidential) (2011).
•	Other substantial settlements for clients, whether plaintiffs or defendants, e.g., Sprague et al. v. Tesoro et al., Anchorage, AK (over $5 million settlement for plaintiffs in property owners' class action for damages from underground leaking petroleum); Honeywell v. ICI (settled for defendant at < 10% of the $10 million electronic circuit board contract and commercial damages claimed); Rainier Ice & Cold Storage (settled for defendant at < 15% of $9 million fire property loss claimed); Draper v. Prescott Development et. al. (settled for defendant at < $150,000 on triple-death claims from car plunging off a Seattle elevated parking lot).
•	Winning major appealed summary judgment decisions, e.g., Rice v. Dow Chemical, 124 Wn.2d 205 (1994) (herbicide/dioxin/leukemia claims: summary judgment affirmed on conflicts of law (opposing counsel was the President of WSTLA); Multnomah County School District v. 1J v. ACandS, Fibreboard, et al., 5 F.3d 1255 (9th Cir. 1993), cert. denied 114 S.Ct. 2742 (1994), 767 F.Supp. 1051 (1991), 139 F.R.D. 164 (1991) (multi-million dollar claims to remove asbestos products from buildings in Oregon (summary judgment affirmed on proximate cause and product identification defenses)).

Publications and Presentations

•	Speaker at legal seminars and CLE programs, including KCBA, WSBA, WSTLA, WDTL, and others
•	Co-author, "Civil Trial Practice and Techniques," Wash. Lawyers Practice Manual (1979-80 supp.)
•	Author, "Product Liability Claims: Elements & Proof of Damages," KCBA (1991 & 1993), and of articles or presentations on trial topics such as “Proximate Causation,” “Examination of Experts” (WSBA, 2008), and “Direct and Re-Direct Examinations” (WSBA, 2009).”
•	Present or past member of the King County, Washington State, California State (inactive), and American Bar Associations, of Washington State, Federal & U.S. Supreme courts, and of the IADC.

Memberships, Teaching, and Service

•	Faculty Member (Adjunct Instructor), Univ. of Wash. Law School, Advanced and Basic Trial Advocacy courses (2010 to date).
•	Faculty member, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (teaches all phases of trial advocacy to attorneys in nationally recognized annual weeklong program, 1990s-date, and Depositions training program, 1990s).
•	Assisting Instructor or Judge, Univ. of Wash. Law School Trial Advocacy and Moot Court programs (1990s to date)
•	Statewide Chair of Washington's "Law Week" ("a lawyer or judge in every school," 2001) and Statewide Law Week Coordination Committee (developing classroom lesson plans and website for teachers and students on civics, constitution, and legal rights and responsibilities, 1999-2002) of the Washington State Bar Association.
•	Board of Trustees (1998-2001), Judicial Screening Chair (1995-97), Judicial Fair Campaign Practices Task Force (1997-98), Judicial Screening Committee (1991-94, 1995-98), and Legislation Committee (1988-90) of the King County Bar Association.
•	Board of Trustees of (nonprofit) Civil Society International (helping people in the former Soviet Union and other Totalitarian countries to develop their own nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and more democratic/civil/legal alternatives, 1980s-2002).


•	Civil Litigation
•	Personal Injury and Property Loss
•	Medical Malpratice
•	Products Liability
•	Sexual Abuse Litigation and Civil Rights
•	Police & Government Liability


Washington
	All Washington State Courts
Federal District Court
	Western District of WA
United States Court of Appeals: Ninth Circuit
US Supreme Court
All California State Courts (inactive)